There and back again - The end of the Journey

CHAPTER 21 - THE TAKING OF SIR GUY.

At first, Thorin and Diane were very quiet on the first night of their marriage. They had enjoyed a brief private sojourn in the farmhouse just after the wedding ceremony, thanks to their hosts, and for the moment it seemed to have sufficed.

    Guy and Auriel were looking forward to a good night's sleep, having also enjoyed an hour of "privacy" themselves during the afternoon. But it was not to be.

    A few hours later, they were woken by what Guy would later describe as the "marital revels". They lay awake for an hour or so waiting for these "revels" to come to an end, until deciding eventually to passionately avail themselves of each other to pass the time. The company around the table at breakfast the morning after, all looked exceedingly worn by their efforts!

    Auriel begged Guy to speak of the matter to Thorin, but was eventually forced to mention the disturbed night herself, as Guy refused to speak of it.

    "It will perhaps be a quieter night tonight," was his excuse, but Guy's work around the farm, Auriel's household duties, plus the care of her children and their two guests proved to be a little more wearisome than usual and tempers became frayed.

    A compromise was eventually reached as Auriel was able to take Diane to one side as she was reading to the smaller children in the playroom, her husband having been coerced into leaving her side for an hour to help Guy with the birthing of triplets to one of his ewes. She was blunt in her conversation, as her weariness grew, but it was agreed that the noise of their "revels" may very well wake the children if they continued at their present level and some consideration was required.

    When Guy and Thorin returned to the farmhouse for supper after the successful birthing in the barn, it became apparent that they too had had "words"on the very same subject, but as darkness drew in, the atmosphere lightened somewhat, as those present related to the new bride, the adventurous acquaintance that the three of them had previously shared.

    The courtship and marriage had taken place so swiftly, that such details as these had not been mentioned and the girl's eyes widened considerably at the tale of Guy's enforced travel through the Portal and subsequent adventures.

    It was interesting to note that during the course of the evening, the girl seemed considerably more enraptured by Guy's telling of the tale, than her new husband's attempts to capture her attention.

    She eventually declared that the likeness between the two friends could prove "interesting" though no one actually caught her real meaning. Over the following days, much to Thorin's annoyance, his bride was to be frequently found about the farm in the company of his friend as he went about his work, though Guy did nothing to encourage her.

    Eventually as tensions rose, Auriel was forced to mention to Thorin the attention he had often paid to her in the presence of her husband, without bad feelings being incurred, due to the trusting nature of their mutual friendship and the knowledge that Guy was ever Auriel's only heart's desire.

    "She is young, my sweet friend and totally enraptured by you, she is drawn to Guy because he so resembles you, just as I was sometimes a little drawn to you for the very same reason. It will pass, she is a girl who obviously appreciates a handsome man, but it would please me if perhaps you could keep her away from mine, for I too am a little susceptible to feelings of jealousy, even though I am secure in my husband's love."

    Then she leaned forward and whispered in his ear that he might like to take his new bride to the edge of the wood and "listen to the nightingales." She blushed somewhat as she repeated to him her Aunt's exact advice on the subject of passion and convenient trees, but he quickly took her meaning.