The Goddess Within

Safe And Sound

I woke up on the couch, a quilt draped over me, birds singing outside. Isis and Bastet were lying on the floor beside Gaia, and Lilith was on the other couch. I smelled something yummy, and noticed Mikey in the kitchen.

            I lay back down, snuggled under the blankets and closed my eyes. Since Gaia and Lilith came, I hadn't had any dreams. They had done a charm so he couldn't reach me in my head and corrupt my thoughts like he had before. I started to doze off, back into the comfort of sleep.

*************************

            Lilith shook me awake, "Mornin sleepy head, time for breakfast. Mikey made those Belgian waffle thingies with strawberries, don't wanna miss out. Come on, wake up." She smiled and skipped/danced over to the kitchen. I can’t believe how happy and bouncy that girl gets this early in the morning.

            I shook my head so my hair wouldn't be all in the back. It was frizzy, but that happens with curly hair I guess. I looked around the room, still half asleep, taking it in from the point of view on the couch. It's interesting to look at things while lying on your back, makes everything look bigger. Sometimes things look smaller, or farther away, sometimes it looks closer and larger.

            I never noticed the reddish-brown tint of the wood, I always assumed it was just brown in general. The skylight let in some of the views of early sunrise, the colors were pastel, so it had to still be early. The skylight wasn't the only source of light, there was a small crystal chandelier that was only lit at night, or if it stormed. I rolled on my side and looked at the walls. Pictures of my earthly mother, grandmother, Isis and Bastet, movie posters, and nature portraits added to the more natural decor. All of the furniture was handmade with mahogany. The granite fireplace was against the wall, a mirror and small altar above it.

            I sat up and stretched, more awake than I had been earlier, and caught the smell of not only waffles, but crepes and bagels as well. I loved Mikey's cooking abilities. They not only smelled amazing, but tasted amazing. Guess it's his job as a protector to also be a cook or something.

            I walked over and sat at the barstool, smiling groggily at Mikey and Gaia. He handed me a strawberry banana crepe and a glass of milk, “How'd ya sleep, Ari? Good I hope. My cooking didn't wake you up, did it? I accidently dropped a glass, Lilith helped me clean it up.”

            I giggled, “I slept good, Mikey. And I didn't hear anything, you have no idea how good it feels to not have those dreams. I can finally get a full night of sleep without nightmares. What about you, how have you been sleeping?”

            He smiled back, “Good I guess, can't complain. You better eat, your gonna need your strength for training today. It's gonna be fun, Ari. We get to sword fight this time!” I loved his enthusiasm toward training, even though it was occasionally dangerous.

            I looked around the room sleepily, “Where's Lilith at? Is she really missing out on breakfast today?”

            “She already ate and went to shower,” Gaia said sipping her morning tea, probably chamomile. “She should be back by now...” She looked at the doorway and snickered. I turned to see what had caught her attention and amused her. It was Lilith

            She came into the kitchen from the living room, her hair up in a bun. She had on chainmail armor, and a sword in a sheath. She smiled at us, “Who's ready for a fight? Go get your armor, Ari, we're gonna kick major ass today.”

            We all busted into a fit of laughter. I almost choked on my crepe, and milk almost came out of Mikey's nose. Guess we were ready for battle. What a sorry crew we were.

We were back in the woods. The day was warm, with a light breeze playing with our hair. There were birds tending to their nests. Even in mid spring, they were readying their nests for the chicks that would be born within the next month. I was happy to see the beauty of nature in the animals, it was better than them living their lives in cages. This was probably why I gifted Bastet and Isis with their freedom to roam the house without consequence, unless they were in danger. That was something I couldn't stand to see, an animal in danger. You could put me in harms way, and I wouldn't fight back, but if you hurt an animal or a child, you weren't going to get away with it. At least, not from me.

I picked up the sword and shield she had set aside for me. Still wasn't too sure on why we had to learn weaponry and not just magic. I guess it looked good on the resume for being a goddess. Weaponry- check. Magical training- check. Knowledge of herbs and natural remedies- check.

I brushed a few strands of hair from my face, “You ready for this, sis?” She looked at me and smiled. Mikey and Gaia were sitting under the Weeping Willow serving as our spectators. Lilith inhaled slowly and nodded. I braced myself on my bare feet, waiting for her to charge.

She dashed towards me, blade in one hand, shield in the other. I put my sword up in a defensive position, and was relieved to hear the clashing of metal. Lilith stepped to the right, while I kept left, waiting for the next blow.

Within minutes we were both drenched in sweat, metallic clashing and clanging echoing through the woods. We stopped for a few moments to get a drink and regain some of our energy.

           

            A while later, we were back at it again and I was beginning to prefer magic over fighting, it was so much easier. It began thundering and lightening, so we decided to head back. I was already drenched in sweat and water would only make it worse. I was beginning to enjoy the fighting though, to a small extent. It was good for exercising. I didn’t mind that too much.