Chapter 27

Allora lay in the dark, a whistle with the inscription: Allora, may you pipe in all your dreams, Willy and cracked crystal jar in her hand. She heard Connor come into the room and said quietly "good night, Breeton" Allora felt him sit on the edge of the bed, Connor reached out in the dark and gently brushed his hand over her hair "it's been a long day, in the morning we can talk about what happened" he said, his hand softly easing the pain away. Allora's fingers tightened around the whistle and the jar "if I need anything I'll let you know, good night Connor Breeton" Connor sighed inwardly "good night, love" he said softly and left the room.

Tabby nuzzled her mama with a purr, Zara smiled and snuggled her close "what are you doing up sweetie?" Tabby looked at her mama and papa with a little hmmmmm "Tab go say nightie night, Al, don't want Al go bye bye" Zara kissed her little cheek "Al isn't going anywhere sweetie, except to Montcliff when it's finished" Tabby nodded then looked at her papa "Montcliff ground cold, cold ground" DeClan frowned "what do you see? Muffin" Tabby held out her paw and a small shimmering vision appeared, in it was Allora laying on her bed with the whistle and jar cold and still in death. "Oh no please" whispered Zara, "I'll go" said DeClan all ready getting up, Tabby her head tilted as if listening suddenly purred "Nedra says she make Al all better" Zara hugged Tabby against her chest and looked at DeClan, he leaned over and softly kissed them both on the cheek "if anyone can help Al now it's Nedra, we'll just have to wait and give her the chance." Nedra purred "but of course."

"No, no my sweet bitterness, this is not the way to end such a short struggling life, yes this Nedra knows" Allora sighed tiredly to find herself as she had before so long ago laying on a long waist high soft towel covered bench, "it is for the best, Nedra, it's finished" Nedra's hands stroked gently over Allora's face, Allora could smell the special scent that Nedra had made just for her "for the best? my ohhh soooo selfish one, best for who? for you to lay in death, your lovely delicate fragile body rotting to dust? or best for you to leave your children to carry on with your bitterness, feeling lost and angry?" Allora sighed "yes, it is for the best, they don't need me, they have a family now, I have become a hindrance to them, it's not selfishness it's setting them free to get on with their lives without me there to burden them" Nedra stroked her hands over Allora's shoulders, rubbing and kneading the scented cream into her body, "ahhhhh but you are ohhh sooo wrong my delicate blossom, it is selfishness, the ultimate act of thoughtless, unkind, selfishness for you shall leave behind you two children and a lover who will always be burdened with the thought that they might have done something to cause your death, or the terrible thought that they should have been able to prevent it but didn't, for the rest of their lives such thoughts shall haunt them daily and bring more pain and bitterness to their all ready burdened life, is this fair? do you wish this life for your loved ones?" Allora frowned "you don't understand Nedra, I left them each a letter explaining my actions." Nedra's hands continued to smooth and massage the cream over Allora's breasts and stomach "ahh but Nedra she does understand, my ohhh sooo thoughtless one, you were left sitting in a room you could not leave and saw a long future of being tended to and cared for with the growing fear that you would one day be forgotten and would die forgotten so you chose to pick your own time of leaving, sooooo you leave letters that your children can read over and over again reliving the grief, pain and despair of your death, not understanding the words that explain what could have possibly driven you to such an action" Allora shook her head tiredly as Nedra continued to rub the cream into her body, even as three letters vanished, "no I don't want that for them Nedra, but I've fought for so long, to stay alive, to survive, it seems that's all I've ever done all my life, I'm tired Nedra, I don't want to fight anymore, my anger, my bitterness will eventually drive them all away, I'm just saving myself that final defeat." Nedra turned Allora over onto her stomach and started to rub the cream into the back of her neck and shoulders, Allora groaned feeling as if Nedra's hands had reached down into her very body and found the hard knotted muscles "then it is time to work on this bitterness and anger my tender tired morsel, you seek the same things the ohhh sooo trying Connor does, peace, a loving body to hold in the dark of night and know a sense of deep belonging and contentment, a home filled with loving and laughter, filled with your kiddo's. No one has asked you to become something you are not, always you have done the very best you could given the circumstances, everyone needs a helping hand now and then my fragile bonbon, this is not defeat but being smart enough to know that you are not a power unto yourself, none of you are." Allora felt Nedra's fingertips gliding down her spine and shivered, goosebumps covering her body "I did the best I could for them, Nedra but it wasn't enough, they were and are still frightened, confused, why didn't Con let me know how he felt." Nedra laughed "ohhhhh my bonne bou'che it is the nature of the beast, males are born with an inherent need to hold all their thoughts and fears close to them, it comes with the inborn need to be the protector, the care giver, the family strength. Males will seek out other males for understanding because there is an unspoken bond that allows them to share their thoughts without appearing unmanly, this is usually done while sharing a drink with much raucous laughter, during violent physical activity where one can say his fears and still appear masculine. Females on the other hand are born needing to confide and console, it is the mothering, nurturing instinct, to be all things to the one's they love, care giver, confidant, the one who wipes away the tears while trying to make the world a perfect place to live in. Your womb was safe, warm, protecting, it is only natural that a woman wants that for her children when they are born into the cold harshness of the world. Your son did not confide in you to protect you, you needed him to confide in you so you knew of his fears and could try and relieve them, it is a paradox that will live on between males and females, parents and children for all eternity my sweet scrumptious one." Nedra ran her fingers through Allora's hair "you are ohhh sooo tired my little needy one because you have never allowed anyone to carry your burdens, finally they weigh to heavily on your delicate shoulders, it is time to share those burdens, you have someone who is willing to take the load from your shoulders, ease the way for you when times become difficult, if you will let him, yes Nedra knows this will not be easy for one such as you but it is there for you if you seek it, one person can not be all things to all people, life is a partnership, good and bad, happiness and sadness, my sweet." Nedra kissed Allora softly on the cheek "now my fragile flower you shall sleep, a soothing resting sleep then Nedra shall send you back to your ohh sooo delightful family. Nedra she has repaired your ohhh sooo tired injured body, no longer will you need to fear being left sitting in a room you can not leave" Allora touched her fingertips to Nedra's cheek "do you spend all your time taking care of our human follies Nedra?" Nedra smiled "no my tasty comfit, Nedra she plays with the tender lives of mortals like the pawns of a chess game, there is so much sadness in ohhhh sooo many universe's Nedra she tries to bring some laughter and delight to otherwise unhappy lives felled by unkind fates, sleep now my scruffy Al, Nedra shall not be far." A deep booming laugh filled the room "Nedra my adorable one, what little morsel of humanity have you there?" Nedra purred sensually "Gideon, my scrumptious treat" Nedra's hand stroked Allora's sleeping face "this is my ohhh sooo tired Allora, she just needed a little encouragement to stay in her ohhh sooo mortal body" Nedra's eyes glittered as they slid over Gideon. She smiled with pleasure at what she saw and had seen many times before, a being very tall, very muscular without being musclebound, totally sexually masculine, his long blonde hair seemed to float about his head like a halo, he wore a gold band around his forehead, gold arm bands and wrist bands, his face classically Greek, full sensual lips, blonde eyebrows that looked like golden wings when they were arched over eyes of a deep cobalt blue, his thick muscular thighs supported his large frame easily, in one ear a diamond earring winked with each movement of his head, he wore an open soft leather vest over his bare muscled chest, breeches of the same material covered slim hips fitting his long legs like a second skin. He radiated vitality, sensuality, his eyes sparkled with life, "ahh so this is the scruffy Al of the swift knee" Gideon said with a deep chuckle, Nedra laughed "but of course" without warning he wrapped Nedra's long shining black hair around his fist and pulled her to him, kissing her deeply, his teeth pulling on her lower lip he grinned "shall I join you in your game of chess, my adorable Nedra, I want to see for myself these interesting loved one's of yours that keep you from my company" Nedra purred deeply as her nails raked down his chest leaving long red scratch marks "you must never hurt or cause strife to my poppets, my creamy bonbon, this Nedra shall not allow" Gideon growled as Nedra licked the small droplets of blood from the scratches on his chest "if they are important to you adored one, then they are important to me" swinging her up into his arms they vanished.

Connor tossed and turned for hours, with a growl of irritation he got up and pulled on his bathrobe, quietly walking down the hall he went into Allora's bedroom. He didn't care if she snarled at him or not, he just needed to make sure she was all right and calm the overwhelming feeling that something had happened to her. In the dark of the room he stood by her bed and listened to her breathing, he put his hand on her forehead and could feel no pain coursing through her body and let out a sigh of relief. Taking off his bathrobe he carefully slipped under the covers and eased her body against his, in her sleep Allora snuggled her cheek against Connor's shoulder, her hand slid over his chest "Breeton" she mumbled sleepily. Connor smiled in the dark, "yes, love" he said closing his eyes content to listen to her breathing and feel her warm breath against his skin. Connor felt her snuggle closer, her breast's pressed against chest, her pelvis and groin pressed against his hips, with a groan he told himself that he needed to talk to Beth about putting Allora in a neck to ankle flannel nightdress for his peace of mind, he could feel the cool smooth satin of the nightdress Allora was wearing now against his skin and it was not helping him get to sleep. He gritted his teeth as she mumbled in her sleep, her hand sliding down his chest to lay on his lower stomach, reaching down he put his hand over hers and moved it back up on his chest. Connor froze feeling a satin covered knee nudge his scrotum and semierect penis "want to talk about sexual frustration, Breeton" Allora whispered as she nipped his chest, "umm now Al, I was just trying to get you a little annoyed so you'd stay awake and not be depressed for awhile" Allora grinned in the dark and gently nudged him again "ohhh you got me annoyed all right, you had me screaming in frustration and you know it, now I think you should do something to make up for it" Connor chuckled "ohh you do? any suggestions on how I should go about that?" Allora straddled his hips and started to rub her satin covered groin over his shaft "hmmmmmmmm, let me think for a minute" she purred, Connor grinned widely as he slipped the thin satin straps off her shoulders "take your time" he purred. Which is exactly what she did until he was moaning and growling, just when he got to the point where he couldn't stand waiting any longer and was about to toss her on her back, she took his hard throbbing shaft and slide her wet hot channel over it's length, her muscles squeezing around him, with a growl of pleasure he thrust up his hips as she rode him, her moans and cries of release sent him over the edge and he thrust into her, his shaft throbbing and pulsing with each beat of his heart as he filled her full of his seed, her eager waiting womb gathered his seed greedily. As she lay on his chest breathing in panting gasps, Connor smiled and whispered silently "thank you, Nedra for giving me back my Al" Connor blinked, his eyes widening as he heard a male voice laugh "on behalf of my adorable one, you are welcome, she is rather occupied at the moment" Connor grinned in the early dawn light, wrapping his arms tightly around Allora when he saw on her night table all her crystal jars including the perfume bottle gleaming like new.