Tragic Innocence

Chapter 13: Time's End

            All night long she tossed and turned as her dreams were haunted with the dreadful notion of their journey back.  Night seemed to taunt her, for it pressed slow, slow...ever so slow.  Pentulla thought she had grown a century older when she finally awoke the following morning.  She somehow felt as if they should, at all cost, avoid the trek that very day.  Dreams, indeed, had still played in her weary mind, but the instant the light filled her head, they fled like a candle in the wind.  With Mikash by her side, she thought, he offered great comfort as the fear of aloneness would vanished. 

            Mikash was not by her side as she drowsily searched for him.  She could hear him cheerfully whistling in the kitchen.  Perhaps preparing breakfast or a picnic for them to carry along?

            After hearing her bustling about in his room, he called out, “Almost ready?”

            “Not quite!” she responded brightly.

            Mikash always looked forward to what she would wear for the day.  He sat waiting for her patiently on the settle bed in the front room.  Then she came prancing in.

            “What do you think?” she sang out, suddenly her smile twisted with doubt, “Am I overdoing it, maybe?”

            He laughed heartily, renewing her smile once more.  Her eyes sparkled with love.  “No, you look spectacular.”  He eyed her up and down as if he had never seen her before.  She looked very different as a matter of fact!     Pentulla had slipped into his short leggings, which fit her much too largely, that he had worn at the fair.  Many pleats skirted the pants loosely to her calves.  She wore ankle-length boots which he had made her not too long ago and his favorite black tunic.  Her silver, lustrous hair flowed freely from any feathers, ribbons or combs this day. 

            She had armed herself, Mikash arched his brows with curious fascination,  with his bow and arrows.  The quiver leaned proudly at her left shoulder blade.  She flushed under his scrutinizing eye.  “Is this okay?  I mean, what if we really need the artillery--” she shifted in her spot with uncertainty, “--I just feel safer with it!” she finally blurted out, defending herself against her own sense of embarrassment.

            Mikash’s smile was lopsided, his heart filled with endearment, “Do you know how to use it?”

            She was distracted, forgetting her appearance, feeling the smooth wood

within the curl of her fingers and confidently replied, head held high, “It feels quite natural in my grasp, so I figured, why not?”

            “Okay,” he smiled, rising to his feet.  Let me show you how to position yourself…” he quickly strode over to her, lightly pressing himself behind her.  His arms placed softly that of her own, his fingers caressing hers with hidden meaning.

            “Oh, how will I ever remember this if your nearness is so distracting to my concentration?”

            Mikash chuckled gently, his lips by her ear.  He nuzzled her.  “Keep this arm aligned with the arrow…like this…” he placed a kiss upon her jaw.  “Pull it back like this…” with languid motions, he led her elbow up and out as he guided it beyond the line of her back.  “Focus the point and when you find your target, the only part that should move are the fingers that hold the arrow here…”  Mikash lightly caressed her hand that held the arrow where the feathers were.

            Pentulla became intoxicated with his presence and leaned against his warmth.  “Oh, I like this very much…”

            “Yes, as do I.”