Enchantress Awakening: Part One of the Book of Water (The Elemental Cycle 1) (10 page)

“Our show?”

“Yes, the show we have been planning for all this time.”

“Are you sure you think this is a good idea.”

“I think it’s an excellent idea.” He said and climbed onto the table. “Dear people of Connlad, we have a special treat tonight. You shall be the first to see our new assistant perform with Tovrik and apprentices. Please, step up Caleigh.” Dying a little with embarrassment at every step Caleigh joined him at the table side. To her horror Gideon offered his hand and guided her up onto the top beside him. “This is the most beautiful Caleigh; many of you here know her of course. Ah, I see we have more male audience members than usual.” He joked to chuckles from the gathering crowd. “Now you must forgive us in advance, we are without Master Tovrik and his many delights so we will not be able to give you our usual show.”

“What can you do then?” A drunken voice shouted. Somehow Caleigh knew that would have an effect on Gideon and she was not wrong.

“Well, sir who is yet to be awed if one among you would carefully hand me a plate, any plate will do, yes thank you this one is fine. Excellent, now people of Connlad you see this is an ordinary plate there are no strings attached or special holes. Caleigh would you please…” Gideon offered her the plate and in turn she stood down onto the bench and showed it around to the first row of the crowd. “Yes, good, Caleigh may I?” Caleigh returned the plate and he held it between his hands. “Many of you may have seen a plate fly before. Indeed it is a common danger in some households.” Some of the crowd laughed slightly. “However, who here has seen a plate float?” There were a few murmurs of uncertainty. “Observe!” Gideon declared letting go of the plate. His hands came apart and the plate stayed where it was hanging in the air as though it were sitting on a shelf no-one could see. A sigh of amazement went up from those assembled and Gideon quickly placed his hands back on the rim. Caleigh smiled with admiration for his stagecraft. She could tell that if he wanted he could have left the plate hanging there for a long time but that was a bit too much like real magic. He only played the trick long enough for effect but not so long that people would not suspect there was some clever non-magical explanation for what they were seeing. “Yes, I know what you are thinking, what is the use of a floating plate that is empty. I quite agree. Would anyone like to pass some food?” There was excited movement across the tables as people sought for leftovers. Within a short space of time Caleigh, realising her role, accepted a chunk of bread from the end of a loaf, an apple and a half-filled goblet of wine. Gideon presented the plate again and one by one Caleigh placed the items on top. Once more Gideon released his hands and once more the crowd gasped. Finally, for effect, Gideon stepped away from the plate to take a quick bow and it dropped to the table with a crash that was greeted with merriment.

Inwardly Caleigh marvelled; people could accept a plate hanging in the air momentarily yet the truth was that all the time Gideon was seemingly holding it up in between it was as much afloat as it was when the spell was first cast. Loud applause followed, which Caleigh joined in gladly. Over the heads of the crowd she spied Penric departing from the group and heading towards the garden with a sullen gait. In all that was happening she realised that she had yet to take time to bid him goodbye, as she had with Ellie.

Gideon started to introduce a new trick and Caleigh gestured with a nod that she needed to leave. Gideon nodded back in acknowledgement. “Please, a round of applause for Caleigh.” He said as she stepped down. “Fear not men, she will return to us later. Now….”

Caleigh slowly picked her way through the audience passing Sir Marc standing arm-in-arm with Dame Edith towards the back of the crowd. He gave her an indulgent smile which she answered with a curtsey then continued onwards in the direction of the gardens. Nearing the corner where the gardens began an ooh from the crowd made Caleigh turn. Over the heads of the revellers a tiny glowing golden butterfly climbed higher and higher until it exploded in a flash of tiny blue-white sparks. It was a shame to leave the show, though at least for her it would not be the only chance to see magic fist-hand.

11. A Night to Remember

She found Penric in the gardens sitting on a stone bench beneath a hedgerow; he was not alone, Ellie had obviously followed him out while Caleigh was trying to escape the throng. Their heads were inclined closely and even by the light of the falling night it was possible to see that they were kissing. Caleigh hid herself, having no intention of intruding on the scene. On the other hand, if this was as a result of her spell she did feel she had some moral responsibility.

Poking her head into a gap between the bushes she used the enticing charm on Ellie wishing her to discretely join her without alerting Penric to her presence. Slowly just at the point when Caleigh was beginning to think her efforts would be fruitless, Ellie detached herself from Penric and urging him to stay where he was slipped out of sight from him and hunkered down next to Caleigh out of earshot.

“That’s strange,” Ellie whispered. “I had the strongest feeling you were here.”

“I know.”

“Are you cursing me or something?”

“You wanted me to earlier.” Caleigh hissed back. “Anyway, I think cursing is bad magic; this is all very innocent.”

“Hmm, I’m not so sure about that. Spying on lovers from the bushes, Caleigh I’m so proud of you.”

“I’m not spying” she began to protest before checking herself “on this occasion. I just wanted to be sure you are not…”

“Under your influence?”

“Well, yes.”

“Worry not; I’ll be good to Penric.”

“Please, do not hurry anything. I forgot to tell you but Dana has a potion that stops women from being with child unwillingly. If you mean to lie with Penric please wait until I can give you some of it.”

“Of course, that’s a great idea. By the Gods; what a wonderful potion to have. Well done to Dana.”

Satisfied, Caleigh retreated towards the hall while Ellie returned to Penric confidently batting aside his queries by implying she had been responding to a call of nature. Inside, the hall was strangely quiet. Although it was quite late there were usually some sounds still to be heard at this time. Instead, most the inhabitants were still outside enjoying the impromptu magic show Gideon was putting on for them.

By the time Caleigh scrambled through her door she was exhausted. Quite apart from the climb up the stairs she had tested her powers this night more than ever before outside of a formal lesson. Also she had pushed abilities she had not really realised before and the moment she sat on the edge of her bed it all caught up with her.

When she looked up she looked upon a canopy of leaves, all around where there were clearings among the trees people had lit fires. Around these fires barely clad men and women danced, the firelight glistening on their painted skin. The beat of drums echoed in every clearing keeping time with the dancers and the chanting they uttered. Across the closest fire Loreliath sat in a dress of leaves and grass and in her hair was a wreath of flowers and berries. Next to her a flaxen-haired girl in similar attire spoke into her ear in a tongue that sounded familiar and yet one she could not understand.

Loreliath’s eyes moved across the woods with a curious expression to where a man and a woman were settling down over a pile of leaves and beginning the early stages of love-making either oblivious to or unconcerned that they were on display to everyone else present. The flaxen-haired girl smiled at Loreliath apologetically but she did not seem perturbed or shocked and once established now moved her gaze back to the dancers and the beaters of the drums.

Wide-eyed and worried Caleigh stared back into the waking world. Outside her window the night had turned black. Her mind went to Ellie, had she grown tired of waiting and gone ahead without the potion, or had Caleigh accidentally subverted her rendezvous with Penric by her unfulfilled promise? She tried to sense whether there were strong feelings of desire emanating from either of them, for once though, her powers failed to give her what she wanted and her questions remained unanswered.

Pocketing the potion, in case she could still reach her friend in time, Caleigh walked to the end of the floor and out onto the battlements hoping to see if the merriment in the field below was still in progress.

The night air helped clear the after-effects of her waking as she looked over the scene beneath. Here and there a few fires still burned dimly and around them small groups of people continued to sit and toast. For the most part, however, people appeared to have retired to the hall. This initial observation was born out by the increased number of lit windows around the exterior that said people had returned to their rooms.

As her mind eased, thoughts and images from outside her passed through. More than one couple were finishing their nights within each other’s embrace. Through these flashes Caleigh sought for signs of Ellie and Penric to no avail. Instead she saw a scene more surprising though no less interesting.

As close to and real as when she had looked through the spy hole she could see into one of the rooms on the third floor. Unlike a day-dream the image was all-consuming, she felt almost as if she reached out she would be able to touch the people involved. Indeed if she had been so intimately positioned in the guardhouse she would have been seen for certain. As it was she was an invisible presence in this otherwise tangible vision.

Gideon lay on his back with his tunic bunched around his diaphragm and his leggings pulled down to his knees. On the space in between a girl with nut brown collar-length hair was perched in saddle position covering all with the billows of her dress. On second glance it was clear that this girl was one of those who had been speaking with Gideon when she had first found him that evening. Looking at her critically she had a happy, pretty face with full cheeks, green eyes and a playful smile. Caleigh recalled that her name was Lily and she was the daughter of the couple who took over her parents’ inn after she moved to Sir Marc’s hall. She was fifteen but, like Caleigh, she had the curves of a more mature woman.

Gideon was plainly drunk though not so drunk as to be incapable. From the expression on her face and the feelings she could sense from her there was clearly something sprouting up between Lily’s thighs. Moreover, Gideon’s powers were intact, which he demonstrated to quick effect. Until this point Lily’s dress had covered everything then with no hands to move them her sleeves began to fall from her shoulders and part over her cleavage unleashing her plump breasts then falling to rest upon the crooks of her elbows whereupon she shook them off completely.

Watching this from afar Caleigh was intrigued. By rights she thought she should have been affronted seeing this girl whose face was not so pretty, breasts not nearly so magnificent nor waist so slim as hers stealing her due place as Gideon’s bed-partner. Yet in fact she found it naught but enjoyable both in terms of the feelings they shared with her and as a visual image.

A footstep from behind brought her harshly back to where she was mid-arousal. She looked round to see Robin emerging onto the battlements with a look of apology on his face. “Forgive my intrusion, I wished to clear my head.”

“Please, Robin. You need not my forgiveness. I did not see you return this evening.”

“No, well after I changed my clothes I felt drowsy. I awoke only a few short moments ago, hence my need for fresh air.”

“The same as I.” Robin drew near and as usual Caleigh felt his desire for her reaching out to her. In her current state for once she did not seek to discourage it.

“I hear that you are leaving were that it were not so…”

“Please, Robin you may spare the idle chatter tonight.” Caleigh insisted.

“Forgive me I did not…”

“I told you, no forgiveness is necessary. All I mean is that you should spare your breath from flattery and say what you really want.” Robin stuttered and Caleigh took his right hand and gently placed over the higher part of her left breast so that his fingertips reached over the collar of her dress and touched her bare cleavage. “Is it this?” She conducted his hand to the underside of her globe and squeezed his hand so it closed around its softness. Recovering from his shock Robin seized the opportunity and kissed her full on the mouth a clasped her on the rump with his left hand. “Take me to your chambers.” Caleigh insisted when they came apart. Still stunned but not so stunned as to be witless, Robin nodded his head and took her by the hand.

His room was the closest to the battlements and ere long they were inside grasping at each other in feverish excitements. Robin pulled Caleigh towards his bed and there she stopped him short. “Light some candles.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’ve no wish to hide myself from you.” Shaking his head in happy disbelief Robin set about the room filling it with light. Nonchalantly Caleigh swayed about around the bed picking apart the three buttons on the front of her dress and confidently slid out of her covering then began work on her petticoat. By the time Robin had finished with the candles he turned to see Caleigh slink free of the last of her garments with an enticing smile on her face.

There she stood utterly naked, utterly unabashed, a goddess with sparkling innocent eyes and a merry smile upon her lips. To Robin this was a dream come true; to Caleigh the excitement was equal for his pleasure at her form resounded within her. She grasped each breast from below supporting them, offering them as a wondrous prize and demanded “Come here Robin, come here and…fuck me. Fuck me hard and make me come!”

“By the Gods, yes!” Robin exclaimed then took her in his arms and kissed her insistently while she pulled off his shirt and unfastened his belt.

With a clatter and a rustle his belt buckle and leggings hit the floor and he was behind her running his hands all over her front, squeezing the breasts that every man in Connlad longed to hold while running his tongue and lips over the side of her neck and the flesh of her shoulder. Wonderful as it was it also felt strange to him to take hold of a girl who was only a little shorter than him and whose fullness of body matched these proportions perfectly so that she filled his arms almost completely.

He pushed her down on the bed and set her up on her knees and straightening up behind her prepared to enter. Just as he was at her threshold he hesitated, from all he knew this girl was only new to womanhood perhaps care would have to be taken. He had not one moment to consider this further for in his hesitation Caleigh thrust out her rump to take him inside completely.

Needing no further encouragement he moved held her by the hips and moved into her again and again revelling in the rare combination of tightness and wantonness. If he had expected her to ask for relent he would have been disappointed for when she did move away it was only to swing her leg around to bring her onto her back. “I want you to look at me.” She said and guided him inside her once more. He thrust and she bucked to meet him taking him with as much relish as he gave himself to her.

Like Robin had earlier, Caleigh found their size similarity strange and new, though not in a bad way. Though Robin was broad and well- built she was able to manoeuvre him more easily than she ever could with Penric. Sensing, amid her own leaking pleasure, that he was nearing release she rolled him so that she was on top like Lily had been with Gideon.

She sad bestride him and with her great breasts rising above him appeared something worshipful, powerful in her sheer womanliness. Robin groaned in unbelieving pleasure as this near-virgin proceeded to ride him harder and more energetically than any woman he had ever known, even grasping the headboard at one point to give her grinding hips more leverage.  With sudden delight Caleigh realised that as well as feeling Robin’s rise within her she could feel her own climax heading the same way. Panting and pushing, more and more she drove them both to the edge. Finally seeing that she could not be controlled Robin surrendered and came into her harder than he could remember. “Yes, fill me, fill me, come in me. Oh my. Yes, yes, here it comes… fuck me, I’m coming!!” Her orgasm was titanic and Robin struggled to hold her through it until her huge breasts quivered slowly to a stop until swaying they, like she, came to rest over him.  

Soon after Robin drifted off, though it was more like passing out than any gentle lull. Caleigh, meanwhile, stayed awake stroking his chest in and watching his snoozing features. Before, she had climaxed out of empathy; this time it was from the physical sensations as well as the feelings from without. She felt cleansed now as though all the desires floating around the hall that had bloated up inside of her were finally released. Looking over and her bunched up dress on the floor she thought of the phial in her pocket that she had surreptitiously drunk from while Robin lit the candles. Dana’s potion had found a use tonight, even if it was not in the way Caleigh had originally intended.

There was no lesson the following morning due to the hangover Gideon was nursing from his excesses the night before. Instead, he sent Caleigh away with an armful of scrolls and bid her to research. Few of the scrolls made much sense to her as they were written either in very old or esoteric language.  Three items were of interest however; the first was an illustrated description of the shield spell that Caleigh had been due to practice with Gideon, the second, folded inside a protective sheath, was a very old letter addressed to Caerddyn himself and signed by one Ranevark, the last item was a map.

From the description the shield spell seemed simple enough, or at least no more complicated than most of what she had learned thus far. At heart it was a reverse of the principle when trying to project her charm. Rather than emptying her mind to allow imagination to flow into the space the skill was to remain focussed on the mundane, in effect to determinedly block out inspiration and be truly blank of thought, which was simple enough in theory.