By the Pond
Flicker
Many said the boy was destined for great adventures. He showed striking ability from an early age. At the age of ten, the boy competed with many twice his age. He had exceptional talent. No boy in similar age could handle the bow with as much grace. The power to kill flew through his arm and into the arrow. It was a power that the boy safely guarded. It was a power all adored.
Many said the girl was destined for great sorrow. Her quick, intelligent mind was ill fitted for the time. Such a mind would only demand greater respect and greater power. The two things a woman could not have. She was beautiful, none could refute the fact, but she would only rise to the station of a housewife. And, even then, there were jealous whispers that would say she would be lucky to even find a man. So, the dreams of the young girl slowly faded. The foul minds of those around her licked their acidic tongues across her soul.
And, so, by the pond they met.
The boy walked confidently through the trees. No, he walked with the confidence of a man. The young boy had grown up. He had come of age.
The man was certain the passionate girl he had met at the pond so many years ago would show once again. Yet, at the same time, he was afraid she would appear. The liveliness rippling through the girl was slowly being eaten away by the amount of closed doors she faced each day.
Stationing himself on a smooth rock near the edge of the pond, the young man swam through his mind. He needed to sharpen his arrowheads tomorrow, otherwise, the uneven stone would cause his arrow to swagger, reducing his chances of hitting the agile game. In addition, his broken bows would have to be repaired as well. It was careless to have damaged weapons lying around. Carelessness was a bad habit he had struggled with as a child to overcome. Carelessness would not lead him to the top as Nefer-Tina had commented.
He could not help but smile at the thought of his animated friend. Upon remembering her recent moods, he frowned. The bright fire within her was slowly being extinguished. Had it been any other girl he would not have cared. But, Nefer-Tina was different for all the rest. Her very essence was life.
And, thus, life appeared at his side.
"Hello, Ja-Kal."
The sweet sound of her voice was the nectar of the gods. And, the young man was growing hungry.
Ja-Kal stood up from the rock, and removed his vision from the plain sight of the green pond. Turning to face the speaker, he examined her.
My, how she had grown! True, the early period of her transformation from a girl to a woman had not been kind to her. But, upon nearing the end of the metamorphosis, she was developing into fine, young woman.
"How have you been, my friend?" the young hunter asked, while placing a hand on her shoulder.
Due to her growing womanhood and the effects of the associated hormones, the heat rose in her cheeks and the shoulder where the young man had placed his hand.
"I have been well considering…" Nefer-Tina could not finish her words, and looked down.
Ja-Kal questioned her with a glance.
Feeling his gaze upon her, and the nature of it, she shook her head. Looking up, she replied, "It's not important. The better question to ask would be of your life."
The young man gave a resigned sigh, and dropped the issue. Her stubborn nature, all too well known to him, would not allow her to continue.
"All has been well."
The dark-haired girl flashed him a wicked smile. "I heard of your last hunt. Surely, Ja-Kal, you could have aligned yourself better with the animal."
Ja-Kal's eyes widened in embarrassment, and he opened his mouth to give her a quick retort. Unfortunately, he was not swift enough.
"If it was not for your quick arm, you would have been injured by the animal." Nefer-Tina shook her head, mocking disdain.
Looking upon the dark-haired girl, he felt his heart beat faster. Every action and word that came from her slim body and lips was alive with passion, and this excited him.
"How go your lessons?" Ja-Kal asked, genuine concern mixed with a chance to leave, what he considered, an unpleasant topic.
He noticed dimness growing in her eyes. "They have been cancelled. Mother says it is not proper for a young lady to ride horses."
"Oh…"
"She said it was bad enough that father allowed me to entertain foolish ideas when I was young, but, now, as a young lady, it was time to learn more about the care of the house. Mother will not allow her daughter to be ill-prepared." With the last sentence from her lips, Nefer-Tina closed her eyes and clenched her fists in mental anguish.
Seeing the drastic change in his friend's disposition, he felt compelled to bring back the forbidden topic. "Nefer-Tina, my friend, please, you must tell me of your troubles. You have advised me all these years. Let me help you. There must a solution to your dilemma!"
His heart quickened, and the fire grew in his veins. Oh, how he cared for this girl!
She did not respond. Instead, she cast her gaze upon the algae-green pond.
He began once again, closing the distance between the two, "Nef--"
"They are going to marry me off to some old man named Paimu! He's a small, widowed farmer with five children. The oldest son is almost my age!" By the end of her declaration, she was screaming in rage. Rage at her parents, and rage at the young man before her.
She was angry at the world. She would not be allowed to become a charioteer. Her future would consist of running a household of five, being forced to live at the whims of the old man and his elder son. It was not a rare case for the eldest son of a previous wife to harass the new wife. How could she possibly live by such subservient conditions? She would rather kill herself. But, no, suicide was a coward's way. And, she was no coward.
The passionate heat emanating from the two bodies melted the proverbial ice cap that had been established on their relationship.
Nefer-Tina felt herself being swiftly turned around, and Ja-Kal crushed his lips upon hers.
Ja-Kal could no longer hold down the strong desires buried within. Giving into his desires, he licked at the sweet nectar within her mouth. Such show of venerability, coupled with her emotional words and actions, drove him wild. She had broken through the floodgates of his heart.
Nefer-Tina did not know if it was desperation at her last chance at a favorable future, where she could enjoy true pleasure with a man she knew and respected, or true emotions hidden in her heart. At this moment, she didn't care.
But, Ja-Kal did.
Regaining his senses, he broke away from the hot body in his arms.
Both regarded each other for a moment, their chests rapidly rising and lowering for air.
"I'm sorry," Ja-Kal lamented, turning away from his friend in shame.
Nefer-Tina brushed a few strands of loose hair from her face, blushing from the experience of her first stolen kiss. "No, please, don't be sorry."
But, he could not shake the deep sense of shame from his mind. He had taken advantage of her. She was in an emotional, desperate state, and he had practically forced himself onto her!
"Nothing can become of this..."
"I know," she replied, soberly understanding the times in which she lived. Class differences and traditional spheres would prevent her, if they chose to be together, from fulfilling her dream.
Nefer-Tina raised her hand, and dared to touch the shoulder of young man in front of her, "You must go on to attain your dream, Ja-Kal."
"As must you. Promise me, Nefer-Tina, that you will continue to train."
She lowered her head, and replied, sorrow laced through her words, "I cannot promise that. You know I can't."
Grabbing her shoulders, he spoke to her with a strained voice, "What happened to that passionate girl I met by the pond when we were younger? What happened to her ambition and confidence? You said you were going to become a royal charioteer." Ja-Kal dropped his hands from her shoulders, and continued, "How can you achieve your dream, one that you were so adamant about, with this foreign attitude?"
"I…" Her voice was caught in the back of her throat.
"If there is anyone here who can accomplish their dream, it is you."
She sprung on him with a tight embrace, whispering into his ear, "Thank you, Ja-Kal, for believing in me."
Ja-Kal smiled at his dear friend. Her wild changes in emotions would never cease to amaze him.
Nefer-Tina blushed at the proximity she was to Ja-Kal, and eased away. Taking a moment to renew her knowledge with her surroundings, she suddenly remembered the time. "It's late. I must go…"
"Be safe, my friend," Ja-Kal replied, resisting the terribly strong urges within his body, urging him to grab the girl and claim her.
Nefer-Tina nodded with a smile, and walked away from the pond. Before she had completely disappeared from his sight, she turned, and regarded the young man for another moment. Smiling, she skipped away, with a newfound sense of confidence in her life, the sensation of the stolen kiss still lingering on her lips.