Chapter 15: Strange Activities

Sharmon woke with a start. Something was pinning her left arm at her shoulder and her legs just above her knees. Without opening her eyes she slowly reached for the knife hidden under her pillow with her right hand. She had just started to pull the knife from its sheath when whoever was holding her down gave a sleepy sigh and snuggled closer to her.

Sharmon paused confused. Snuggling was not an action of an attacker. She opened her eyes and looked down at her shoulder. In the dim light she made out Cinnamon's face. Cinnamon was sleeping peacefully and had apparently turned over in her sleep and snuggled against her body for warmth.

Sharmon let out a deep breath and released the tension from her body. She shoved the knife back into its sheath as she whispered "Girl don't scare me so." Then she gave a quiet prayer to her Goddess thanking her for Cinnamon's safety.

Slowly withdrawing her right hand from under her pillow she placed it gently on Cinnamon's left thigh and began to gently rub the Cinnamon's soft skin to warm it. Sharmon also moved her left hand to gently hug Cinnamon closer to her as she rubbed Cinnamon's upper arm left arm.

"That was a close one for you and me both." Sharmon whispered to the sleeping girl and then bent her neck to kiss the top of Cinnamon's head. Cinnamon gave a sleepy murmur and snuggled closer to Sharmon. Sharmon lay back contentedly and continued to rub Cinnamon's skin.

They lay there like that for a while, Sharmon knew not how long, when she heard footsteps approaching and tensed up. Cinnamon in her sleep squirmed softly in protest and Sharmon forced her hands to relax. She was just starting to reach for her knife again when the footsteps stopped a couple paces from her tent.

"Sharmon lass are ye awake?" She heard Harnley loudly whisper in that gruff voice of his. Sharmon gave a quiet sigh of exasperation as her hands clenched above her. "I'm going to kill him!" Sharmon thought for Harnley knew better than to sneak up on her tent. Then as Cinnamon murmured once again in her sleep she had second thoughts. Maybe he'd been quiet for Cinnamon's sake? "Alright I'll let him live... this time." She thought and then called out softly "Yes, I'm awake."

"Ah, aye. Sorry tah wake ye lass but tis time fore yer watch." Harnley said quietly.

Sharmon gave a sigh. She hated to leave Cinnamon but she must. "Understood. Give me a few moments and I'll be ready." she told him while at the same time hoped she'd get to have more time like this with Cinnamon again.

"Aye" Harnley responded while Sharmon began to gently disengage herself from Cinnamon's sleeping form. "Er... I brought yer things." Harnley informed her and then added, "Cinnamon's too."

Sharmon paused surprised. Harnley hadn't done that for a long time. He normally enjoyed making her come out of the tent in nothing but her night clothes to fetch her day clothing. Sharmon wondered at his sudden change as she carefully disentangled herself from Cinnamon while telling Harnley to wait a moment. When she was free Sharmon thrust her hand out of the tent and said "Here, hand them to me."

"Aye." Harnley replied and stepped closer and placed a bundle of clothing in her outstretched arm. " 'ere's yors." He said.

Sharmon pulled the bundle into the tent and placed it in the corner on her side. Then she stuck her arm out again and Harnley deposited the other bundle in her arm saying " ere's Cinnamon's."

Sharmon placed that bundle on Cinnamon's side of the tent and said "Give me a few moments and I'll take over the watch."

"Aye lass." Harnley replied and started to walk away.

Sharmon stopped him. "Harnley?"

"Aye lass?" He asked.

Sharmon was silent for several seconds before saying "Thank you."

Harnley said "Aye lass" more cheerfully and then said "I'll put the kettle on for ye."

Sharmon groaned but let his comment pass and instead reached for her clothes. As she picked them up she had a moment of doubt concerning his actions. Suspecting he might have been playing a trick she ran her hands carefully over each article of clothing checking for alterations. She found none and while not completely convinced, put them on anyway. Besides, she knew he wouldn't do anything truly malicious and any small embarrassing prank she could fix while on watch.

Once dressed Sharmon gathered up her weapons and boots and crawled out of the tent. She paused to pull her boots on and strap on her weapons. Then she visually checked her clothing for signs of any pranks. Not finding any she then walked over to join Harnley at the fire. As she approached he held up a battered tin cup and said " 'ere's your tea lass."

Sharmon grimaced but accepted the tea anyway. She didn't care for the tea, not many did; but it was the custom of the land to drink one cup a day. Sharmon took a sip and grimaced again. "At least the warmth will help during my watch." she thought.

She took another sip and thought. "I don't know how Harnley can like this stuff."

As if reading her mind Harnley spoke "Come on lass. Tis not that bad."

Sharmon just looked at him with disbelief.

"Well it ain't." He muttered taking a drink of his own tea.

Finished, he poured some more hot water into his cup, swished the water around with a spoon and then threw it out, away from the tents. Then giving his cup a good shake he put it with the rest of the group's dishes. With that done Harnley stood up said "Well, I'm done lass. Thee watch is yors. Ifin ye get hungry you know there the bread and meat is."

Sharmon nodded.

"Well g'night then." Harnley said and started towards his tent.

"Good night." Sharmon replied as she sat down on the log, facing away from the fire towards the trail, and took another sip of tea.

Several minuets later Sharmon turned, set her tea down on a flat rock near the fire, and stood to walk around the camp. As soon as she'd stood up however, Vanessa's and Muriel's heads popped out of their tent, Vanessa's above Muriel's.

"Is she asleep?" Muriel asked.

At Sharmon's nod Vanessa said "Oh goodie!" and proceeded to crawl over Muriel to get out of the tent.

Muriel gave a small cry as she was forced down.

Once out of the tent Vanessa stood flashed Sharmon a bright tooth filled smile and ran for Ernon's tent. Her bare bottom peaking out from her nightie as she ran.

Sharmon rolled her eyes at Vanessa's antics while Muriel picked herself up and came over to join her by the fire. Muriel shivered and rubbed her upper arms through her nightgown. "How is Cinnamon? Is she sleeping well?"

Sharmon nodded. "She was sleeping peacefully when I left her."

"That's good." Muriel replied. "You two seem to be getting along well." she said with a smile and a hint of a question.

Sharmon just shrugged noncommittally and changed the subject. "If you can, you might want to say a healing prayer over her."

At Muriel's alarmed looked, Sharmon shook her head and said "I gave her a rub down but she fell asleep before I could finish so she's still going to be stiff in the morning without one."

"Ah." Muriel said relieved and then smiled. "I'll be happy to say a prayer for her."

Sharmon nodded her thanks.

Muriel gave her a smile in return. Then her smile faded as her thoughts turned back towards the pool.

"About Cinnamon's day dream earlier..." Muriel stopped to put her thoughts together. "Did you get the same feeling I did when she told us about it?"

"You mean do I think that the woman Cinnamon knows as her mother is really her stepmother? Yes I do." Sharmon said quietly.

Muriel nodded sadly. "But to remove everything that would remind her of her birth mother seems so cruel."

"Perhaps her father thought it was best for her." Sharmon said some what stiffly.

Muriel turned to her and laid a hand on her arm. "Oh Sharmon, I'm sorry. I didn't think."

Sharmon waved her off. "It's alright. It was a long time ago."

Muriel looked at Sharmon and reluctantly nodded, not wishing to put her friend through any more pain. Then she quickly moved forward and gave Sharmon a hug and kissed her on the cheek. "You are still loved, Sharmon." Then Muriel looked over toward Sharmon's tent and said softly "Perhaps even more than we know."

Sharmon stiffened up in response to Muriel's hug and then gave Muriel a light pat on the back and said "You'd better get going. They've started without you." as the sounds of moaning reached their ears.

Muriel felt her face flush and she nodded. "I'll just say a quick prayer for Cinnamon first." and she turned towards Sharmon's tent and walked away. Arriving at Sharmon's tent, she knelt in front, and before she entered the tent. She looked in Sharmon's direction. When she saw that Sharmon was still watching her, she gave her a quick smile, then entered the tent.

She said a prayer of healing over Cinnamon. The prayer wouldn't instantly heal Cinnamon for Muriel knew that the young woman's strength and endurance wouldn't improve if she did. However it would speed the healing process, and while Cinnamon would still be stiff and sore in the morning, it wouldn't hurt nearly as much as it would have otherwise.

With the healing spell complete, Muriel then said a quiet prayer to her Goddess for Cinnamon and Sharmon that they may both find the love and happiness they needed. Then Muriel backed silently out of the tent, waved to Sharmon and walked over to Ernon's tent. From the sounds of it both Ernon and Vanessa were enjoying each other.

When Muriel moved the tent flap aside to crawl in she saw that they were indeed enjoying each other; they were enjoying each other very much.

Ernon was sitting at the back of the tent with his feet together and knees apart. Vanessa was sitting in Ernon's lap, with her legs locked around his back, Ernon's hard cock deep inside her. Vanessa was lightly riding him while his hands stroked her back. As Vanessa moved up Muriel could see that Ernon's elfhood and balls glistening from being inside Vanessa's moist depths.

Muriel stifled a moan and shivered at the sight of them. Her nipples were no longer hard from the cold alone as she felt a warm heat grow from between her legs, while she watched the lovers.