A pure fluff chapter. Next chapter will get the story back on track.
In the early hours of the morning her memories merged with her dreams and overtook her tired mind. This dream in particular was never far from her heart. It was a dream of the night Dom had married her.
Dream/Memory
The night was like pitch, no moonlight broke through heavy canopy of leaves, but the smoky torches cast enough light to give the path all the illumination that it needed. Kel felt the beating of the drums calling her as surely as she felt her heart slamming against her chest. There was no breeze in the dark jungle, only the stillness, her breathing, and that calling rhythm. Ahead of her a great cleaning was illuminated. The tribe waited for her to complete the Calling Journey, a time when both man and woman would travel the equal distances from opposite directions to meet in the clearing. The tradition was that the man and woman would travel separately to the clearing in order to give each a chance to run away from the marriage. Kel was afraid at first that Dom would leave her waiting in the clearing, but one look in those eyes and she had know without a doubt that he would meet her there.
The rhythm grew stronger as she approached. Her bare feet crunched in the fallen leaves strewn across her path. As was tradition she dressed in nothing but a plain white shift. Dom would be wearing nothing but a pair of plain linen breeches. They would be dressed for the ceremony in tents in the clearing but for now she had to reach it. As she grew closer her breath grew ragged. This was a moment that she had dreamed of for years. Maybe not like this… but to be getting married and to Dom no less was a secret dream that she had carried close to her heart for a long time.
The path ended in a wide open clearing ringed in torches and wide colorful tents. Kel could see the waiting faces of the people. Dom was no where to be seen, each was as anxious as she was, but still she didn't doubt. A twig broke in the woods and over the ridge at the end of the Groom's trail came Dom. His hair was tossed and his chest gleamed in sweat. Kel felt all the moisture leave her mouth.
He offered her a wide smile as they were both ushered off to different tents to be prepared for the ceremony.
Inside Kel's tent a heavy copper tub had been filled with rose scented water. Curls of steam rose from the bath even thought it was warm outside she would endure the hot water as part of the ritual. Two servants of the house came forward and helped her remove her shift. They washed her long hair and left it unbound to curl about her face and sway around her hips with every step she took.
Next they rubbed oil into the skin of her arms and legs, and into the souls of her feet. One of the women brought over a heavy wooden bowl with a thick blue paste made from tree leaves in it, over to where Kel sat. With gentle strokes she painted the story of Kel's life on her arms in artful lines and sweeping arches. Kohl was used to darken Kel's eyelashes and draw traditional dark lines to frame her eyes. A touch of bee pollen was brushed across her lips making them look full and red. Her clothes were no less opulent then the preparation to get into them. A soft silk under shift embroidered with jungle flowers was the first garment she dawned, it stretched from her calves to the crooks of her elbows and left a wide swath of skin exposed at her chest.
A bright green painted corset that wrapped Kel tightly from her hips to just above her breasts was next. The tight cinching made her waist look small and her bust, which she secretly lamented over, look fuller. Next week two skirts, each light and sheer, carefully beaded to swish and sparkle with every move. Then came the last piece, a tight fitting vest top that was deep blue velvet and decorated with large orange and red flowers. It left most of her under shift exposed but the outfit was beautiful if not over the top for Kel. Still she felt beautiful and nervous. She knew that a huge grin was affixed on her face but she knew she didn't have enough strength to will it away.
Her bare feet knew the way. They followed the heavy carpets that made up the isle without hesitation. The tribe watched on from sitting pillows to either side, and in front of her Dom waited with the same dumb smile on his face.
They stood before the priestess, barely seeing anything but one another. The priestess placed their right hands together, so they meet between their bodies in front of the her, she lined up their palms and each of their fingers carefully before she began. Taking one long red ribbon from a pouch at her waist she began.
"By the Love you bare for one another I bind you together." She wrapped the ribbon around Kel's wrist up their aligned thumbs and down before tying it around Dom's wrist.
Next she drew out a purple ribbon.
"By the friendship between you I bind you together." In the same manner as before she tied them together, with each ribbon progressing on to the next finger.
Next came a white ribbon.
"By the purity of your faith in one another I bind you together."
Then a green ribbon
"By the promise of your future together I bind you together."
At last she pulled out a Black ribbon.
"By the hope of life lived together I bind you until the end of time to one another. Soul to soul, heart to heart, flesh to flesh, blood to blood. May you walk in the grace of the Gods, knowing that you are one in each other, two separate pieces of one whole." She tied them together for the last time and the ceremony was completed.
The tribe when up in cheers. With the bound hands held high they danced the night away, staring lovingly into each others eyes until they slipped away into the night to explore the promises of their new union.
End dream/memory
Kel awoke to a loud banging on the door.
"You must rise, friends. We must stretch and train before we go to the road today." A voice called through the door.
"I know. We'll be down soon." Kel replied sleepily. Dom rolled over to look at Kel as the sound of her voice woke him. Her kissed her lightly on the lips, then pulled back to smile at her.
"Have I told you today how that I love you?" Dom asked as her quirked his head to one side. Kel felt a wide smile split her face.
"You just woke up, silly." Dom looked serious for a moment but his dancing blue eyes ruined it.
"Then it's a perfect time to say it. I love you, Kel…" He kissed her again and cradled her in the shelter of his arms.
"I love you too… even if you have taken a few to many hits to the head."
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