Book One: Chapter Six

Sins and Starlight

    The oak trees around the small temple near the Bausheiv manor were covered in green leaves but the grass beneath was beginning to fade to yellow. The weather was still quite hot as the sun above reached its zenith nearly an hour before and was continuing its path in the sky. Inside the stone structure, in between the manor and the village, the Meikell twins knelt down on wooden platforms along with those from the village and manor house. They wore matching canary-yellow dresses with embroidered white vines along the sleeves. As was the style of the region, the dresses completely covered ankles and wrists with long sleeves and high collars. The skirts were loose and embroidered with a spiral pattern along the hem. Their heads were covered in a white wimple, hiding their raven-colored hair. 

            An old man with a hooked nose and hair tucked beneath a square cap stood in the back of the temple on a dais and spoke with a slightly shaking voice to those in attendance. His pale blue robe brushed against the dirty stone floor.

            “In this time of Mitryarfaer, on this Teilesfaer day, we welcome our neighbors into our homes and the Baron and his family to our village. It is my responsibility to remind you of your duties. To that end I read from the fifth chapter of the Faitome."

 

My faithful servant, instruct your woman to follow you as you do me, without question, and with total devotion.

Let her never object to your teachings, just as you obey me without fail. It is in your power to force her respect, for she is the one that will bear your offspring and raise them in my laws.

            Show her the strength of your might,

 By the force of your hand will she understand her place beneath you. She will not begrudge you, but respect and follow your rule, as you do mine.

     I will give you the instructions for your daily life, that you might impose my will upon your woman, who will in turn instruct your forebears.

 

            He continued monotonously reading off a list of rules and commandments for men to enforce over their wives. It was nearly 10 minutes before he was done with the list.

Adalla seemed to be listening intently to what the priest said, but Allora was quite the opposite, looking off through the window. Next to them was their mother Farnei and on the other side their cousin Suetaera.

 

            "So says the the book of light,” he droned, finishing the reading from the large tome on the lectern.

            “Fareik illuminates all,” they said in response.

            “You may be seated.”

            The stone temple was simply constructed; the only notable features were the windows, tall narrow on the sides and in the back a singular stained glass solar. On the dais, below the solar window, were several large containers with yellow flowers and a lectern in the middle where the priest began a prayer and another sermon in a dry tone.

            After the teaching, the men filed out of the church first and then the women. The majority of the people went back to the village. The twins and Suetaera returned to the manor, the twins behind their mother, she behind their father, while Suetaera followed closely behind her husband. 

    When they reached the great stone hall they sat down on couches near the empty fireplace. Suetaera excused herself to aid in preparations with her mother-in-law for the celebration later. The twins mother Farnei sat next to them. 

“Stand up straight,” she said to Adalla, who was slouching slightly.

“Yes mother,” she said.

“Don’t speak.”

“Sorry mother.”

“Adalla!”

“Sorry.”

“Shut your mouth,” she said furiously, her fingers squeezing Adalla's plump lips with her hard nails.

“Ow,” she said quietly, as her mother released.

“I swear…” Farnei muttered. “Why don’t you and your sister play your recorder? At least get your mouths doing something useful.”

“Yes mother,” Adalla said. She went to a satchel in the corner with her sister and pulled out their wooden recorders.

“What should we play?” Adalla asked nervously.

“Leiba Heisommer,” Baroness Farnei instructed sternly.

The twins stood straight in a space central to the hall and began playing a melody on their tenor recorders. It started quiet, but as those around them stopped their conversations to listen it became clear that their skill with music was quite good. The song they played was nuanced with highs and lows, quick and slow notes and all in between. It was a long song and when they were done there was a cheerful-

“Heya!” said the few in attendance.

"Adalla and Allora!" Aldageir said excitedly as he approached. "Your music playing was divine."

"Thank you," they said gratefully with a curtsy.

"It's so good to see you. Lord Edvin has finally let me have some reprieve today.  It's been very busy because of Mitryarfaer and planning for all the food and festivities."

The twins nodded.

A young man with light olive complexion approached them. He had a hooked nose and a dark brown birthmark the size of a quarter beneath his right eye. His face was round and his eyes were cobalt blue.

"Hey Aldageir, would you play me in dasha? I'm getting real good."

"Uh- yeah Failux," he smiled. "Excuse me ladies," he said with a bow of his head. He sat down at a small table near the couch set with an eight by eight checkerboard. Aldageir and Failux moved wooden tile pieces on the board so that the darkly stained brown pieces were on one side in front of Aldageir and the light colored pieces were in front of Failux on the other side. The pieces had symbols on the front such as crowns, swords, shields, and roses.

Failux grabbed one of the dark and light tiles with a sword symbol and held them behind his back briefly before presenting his clenched hands to the corpulent young man. Aldageir picked one, revealing a light colored tile. He sighed in frustration, while Failux grinned and turned the board so the light pieces were closer to Aldageir. Failux immediately slid one of his pieces marked with a sword, three spaces orthogonally.

The twins watched for only a few moments before becoming bored with the affair. Sitting next to their mother was a girl knitting with vermilion yarn. She was a bit younger in age to the twins, who sat down next to her.

"What are you making Leina?" asked Allora with curiosity.

"Gloves for my baby brother. He'll be two next spring. Did you want to finish what you were working on yesterday?"

"Might as well," she said laconically.

"And you Adalla?"

"Yes, thank you," she yawned in unison with her twin sister. Leina handed them both a cerulean yarn with knitting needles.

"What are you making Allora?"

"I don't rightly know," she admitted.

She held up the fabric showing a short length with a couple holes in the pattern.

"Oh, I must have moths in my bag," Leina said with concern.

"No…, I think this is a sweater. Those are the arm holes."

"Oh. Hmmm, and you Adalla?"

"A scarf. At least that's what it started out as. It might turn into a dishrag though, that's what happened to my last attempt."

The girls knitted, watching the the boys play until-

"Offal," Aldageir said with resentment. The twins looked over to see Failux had captured another of Aldageir's tiles and he had yet to capture any of Failux's.

"Now young man, don't resort to uncouth words," said Deinmag. He was observing the game.

"I've taught you better haven't I?" said a man standing behind Aldageir. He was of similar age to Deinmag, wearing an elegant red doublet and floppy hat with a plume.

"Yes Lord Edvin, he's simply a better player."

"Nonsense. You weren't concentrating, my young ward."

"Adalla and Allora, play Leiba Heisommer again," their mother commanded firmly. "Keep at it until I ask you to stop."

"Yes mother," they replied in unison, putting down their knitting. 

They played the song they had done previously over and over five times. Their mother, halfway through the last time, leaned against the couch, her eyes closed and she began to snore. When they finished the twins looked at each other knowingly and quietly walked away, setting their recorders down on their knitting.

Aldageir came over excitedly.

"Would you like-"

"Shhh," the twins said in unison, placing a finger to their lips, and motioning to their mother.

"Sorry,” he whispered. “Would you like to go out riding? I'm friends with the stableboy, maybe we could ride horses for a bit?" he said softly.

"That sounds fun," Allora said.

"Adalla you could ride with me," he said with a wan smile. “And my friend will bring someone else to ride with Allora.”

"We don't each get a horse?"

"Uh well… that's because… we… we don't want to draw too much attention." He said with sudden self assurance.

"Alright."

"I'll go talk to him. Meet you at the stables in just a moment alright?"

Adalla nodded.

"Let's go outside and look at the horses," Allora said.

"Sure."

The twins walked towards the manor door and suddenly a man blocked their path.

"Hello Twins," he said with a large smile. "It's so good to see you."

"Hello," Adalla and Allora said as they curtsied politely. They looked dubiously upon the short man. He had a high forehead and thick black hair, but was otherwise unremarkable.

"Do you not remember me?" he asked with a sense of disbelief. "I'm Martein, son of Lord Edvin."

"Oh yes," Adalla said.

"Who?" Allora asked with confusion.

"Martein," he enunciated clearly. "Son of the Knight Edvin, lord of this manor."

"Oh… right."

Martein smiled.

"I don't know who that is," Allora admitted to Adalla.

"He's the one that mother said to avoid," Adalla said in a loud whisper.

"Why?" 

"His last two wives died in childbirth. She said he's bad luck."

"Oh right."

The short man walked away, crestfallen and they continued their way outside. From the stables came a fat young man with a clean gray skullcap, tunic and trousers. He had a fleshy nose and clear blue eyes. He was leading a brown mare on which sat an attractive young woman with a slim figure and plain clothes. Her hair was braided in a circle on her head with small yellow flowers. Next was a gangly and exceedingly ugly young man, in dirty brown clothes, leading a gray mare. Aldageir came out a few minutes later with another gray mare.

"These are the girls you were talking about?" the young fat man exclaimed. "I can see why you were so eager to ride." he said looking the twins over.

"Feinhiet!" the young woman on the brown horse said angrily as she kicked him in the back.

"Ow, what?"

"Let's go," she replied.

"We shouldn't rush," said the gangly serf, adjusting his skullcap with a smile. His teeth were in nearly impossible angles and his face was glistening in sweat over his pimply complexion.

"Did one of the horses kick you?" Allora said, making a pained face when she looked at him and raising her hand to his cheek in concern.

"What… no."

"Just go with it Dreasolf," Feinhiet whispered. "This is the most attention you've got from a beautiful girl in… well ever."

Aldageir pulled Feinhiet aside.

"Do we have to bring him?" Aldageir asked Feinhiet in a whisper.

"You know what will happen if we don't. He'll complain to his father that we took the horses without permission. We have to bring him. He's the stablemaster's son.

"I know but… jeez I can hardly look at him."

"Just do what I do, look at his hat."

"Really?"

"Yeah, see that smudge of dirt? I just pretend those are his eyes," he laughed.

"I'll try," Aldageir smiled.

"You two are piles of offal! I heard everything you said," the gangly young man complained.

"Sorry Dreasolf. We invited you didn't we? At least that's something?"

"Can we go? If I'm not back to help with supper, my mother will take it out on my bum," the young woman said. 

"Yes of course, sorry Deineina my sweet," Feinhiet said. He mounted the horse, sitting directly in front of her.

Aldageir put his foot in the stirrup and hopped on the top of the horse's back.

"Let me help you," Aldageir said, looking down at Adalla.

"Uh, alright."

Aldageir grabbed her hand and pulled her up by the waist and with a huff. She sat behind him.

"It's so high," she exclaimed.

"Hold onto me," he advised. 

Dreasolf mounted the gray mare easily, even without a saddle. He pet the animal's long mane lovingly. 

"Come on the horse fair maid," he said with an outstretched hand.

"Thank you," Allora smiled and got up right behind him.

"Hold tight, we'll be going pretty fast."

"Alright."

Dreasolf smiled when she wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Ha!" he said with a kick to the horse's flank and it started forward. Allora held fast with concern.

As the horses trotted, Adalla grabbed Aldageir's wide midsection. They rode from the manor through a western trail in the woods, following Dreasolf. Wisps of Adalla's twins hair stuck out of her wimple (hair covering), flowing in the wind as they rode through the woods.

It was only a few minutes before they rode out of the forest and into a large meadow.

As Aldageir pulled on the reins the horse slowed and came to a stop.

“We made it just in time,” Delneina said loudly.

“For what?” Adalla asked.

“The sunset,” Aldageir replied, pointing to the horizon. The sun’s light spread over the forest in orange hues as it began to dip further below. 

"Beautiful," Adalla said. She turned to see Delneina and Feinhiet, their bodies close together as they embraced intimately. Adalla blushed as she turned away to meet Aldageir's steady gaze. She smiled at her cousin and now it was his turn to blush and looked away in embarrassment.

Dreasolf untied a thick wool blanket from his horse's side and asked for Aldageir's help. They set it out, flattening the tall grass and creating a large flat space.

"Sit down," Feinhiet suggested. 

Everyone complied. On the edge of the blanket Delneina and Feinhiet continued to hold each other tightly. They were smelling deeply the scents of their partner. The young woman giggled and Feinhiet laughed. Adalla looked uncomfortably away. Aldageir was unable to draw her gaze. He lay down and looked up into the sky.

"What is your name?" Dreasolf asked Allora, pushing his oily black hair out of his bulging eyes and back behind his large misshapen ears.

"Allora."

"Allora, may I smell you?"

"Smell me? Why?"

"I can't see too good, so I rely mostly on smell."

"You're blind? Oh poor baby," she said.

"No I just-"

"Go with it," Feinhiet said from nearby.

"Uh… I use smelling to get a sense of how people are. So I can recognize them. With horses I can smell if they are sick or hurt by smelling their breath or hooves. So can I?" Dreasolf asked.

"By all means. Smell away," Allora said with confidence.

Dreasolf nearly jumped on her. She fell back and as he sniffed over her body starting at her waist and around her armpit as she giggled.

"That tickles," she laughed.

"The Beahteis", Aldageir said laconically pointing up to a pair of bright stars.

"What?" Adalla asked, looking up to the darkening sky.

"Those stars," he said, pointing again. She looked, but couldn't determine which ones he was talking about. "Tis easier to see if you lie down," Aldageir explained. She complied and then he pointed again, his arm close to her.

"See that bright one?" he asked.

"Hmm, yeah," she replied. "What's that one?"

"Hmm, I think that's cotette raisos."

"Coat raisins?" she said dubiously. He smiled.

"Cotette raisos," he repeated. "It's Trocano."

"How many others do you know?"

"Well...," he said, looking across the sky. "Only a few," he confessed.

"Do they all have names?" she asked with innocence.

"I think so," he replied.

"How do you remember them? They look... the same."

"Well the Beahteis are pretty close together and right below a triple set of stars," Aldageir explained. "See right there?" Aldageir asked.

"Ah yes." Adalla looked back towards the couple besides her when she heard sounds of Dreasolf sniffing Allora loudly. 

"You smell like fresh milk and roses," the ugly young man said libidinously.

Allora giggled as his nose moved across her shoulder.

Adalla turned back to Aldageir and gave a wan smile.

"Would you like to take a walk?" he asked.

"Yes, that would be fine," Adalla agreed. 

He stood first and held his hand out. She grabbed it and he pulled her up. 

"Thank you," she smiled.

They walked through the tall grass, looking up at the sky.

"Adalla... how long is it until you are married?"

"It's the 2nd of Weiterbstmonat."

"So soon."

"Yes," she said laconically. Her gaze was suddenly downcast.

"Still, it's a beautiful night isn't it?"

"Yes, but a bit chilly," Adalla replied, rubbing her arms.

“Here take my coat,” he said, unbuttoning the thick fabric of his doublet.

“Thank you,” she replied as he put it on, buttoning it for her. She smiled up at him and he at her.  He looked away suddenly and blushed.

“Maybe we should go back,” Adalla said. “It’s so late,” she said, rubbing her arms over his coat.

“Alright.”

They quickly returned to the blanket. Dreasolf was still smelling along Allora, now along her arms. Adalla tapped her sister, who was still laughing as Dreasolf sniffed closely over her clothing with his large fleshy nose.

"It's time to go," Adalla said firmly.

"Already?"

"Yes the sky is nearly black."

"Ok, stop then.. sorry I- Haha. I don't know your name, but could you stop serf?"

"Stop smelling the beautiful girl Dreasolf," Aldageir said.

"I can't, she's just divine!" he said, continuing with fervor. 

Aldageir flicked Dreasolf's ear.

"Arg! That really hurt," said with ire. He stood up and clenched his fists. "That's it. You can walk," he said. He gave a sharp whistle and the horses who had been grazing suddenly trotted towards him. He gathered their reigns in his long fingers.

Feinhiet and Deineina lifted their heads from the tall grass. His hat was sideways and the braids on her head were partially undone. They were red-faced as they straightened their clothes and walked towards the blanket.

"What's going on?" Feinhiet asked with annoyance.

"Your friend Aldageir flicked my ear," Dreasolf said between haphazardly clenched teeth.

"He wouldn't get off Allora," Aldageir explained.

"The sky's almost completely dark. Let's go home before we get caught," Deineina said.

"Fine," Dreasolf said flatly. He got up on the gray mare in one clean motion. 

Aldageir picked up the blanket and folded it with Adalla's help.

"We didn't even get to finish."

"Oh stop," Delneina said with annoyance as she mounted the horse.

“Oh ok, how about you ride me on the way back,” Feinhiet said.

“Haha, you’re no horse,” she laughed.

“Just move up a bit more, I’ll show you.”

“Ok,” she smiled. "Like this?" she asked, moving high on the horse.

“Perfect,” he grinned as he mounted the horse behind her. “Now lean forward a bit,” Feinhiet said as he unlaced his codpiece. She did so as he pulled out his erect phallus. It was about four inches long and sticking up and out from his body as he lifted up her skirt. “Now sit down slowly,” he said.

"You tricky- oh!" she moaned as the tip pressed against her pussy lips. "So that's what your plan was."

"Yeah right there,” he said as she sank down on top of him.

Aldageir was already mounted, watching them begin their coupling when-

"Aldy!"

"What? Oh," he said, turning to notice Adalla asking for help up.

Allora had already mounted behind Dreasolf and he was leading the way, while Feinhiet and Delneina were next along the trail.

Feinhiet tapped the horse a bit with his heels and the mare started to trot forward. Delneina was moaning as her hips bounced up and down on the horse and Feinhiet. Her dress skirts fell down and hr held her hips tightly with his hands.

“Delneina looks so happy riding in front. Maybe I should too?” she asked Aldageir. "Then I can clearly see the stars while I ride."

“Oh.. uh. You desire to?” he replied nervously. "I thought that you will be married soon so…"

"It's just riding. That isn't forbidden. Wait, is it?"

"Well yeah of course," Aldageir's eyes shot wide.

Adalla laughed. "Aldy don't you worry I've ridden with my father too he didn't mind."

"Your father?"

She didn't respond, she just climbed up quickly and he helped her get in place although she almost fell a couple times.

"Uh you… ready to do this?” he asked dubiously while holding tightly to Adalla’s small waist. 

“Sure, let’s have fun,” she smiled. Aldageir looked uncertain and she kicked the horses flank slightly so it began to trot rather quickly. They were soon next to Feinhiet and Delneina as Aldageir began to untie his codpiece.

“Fareik! I can’t believe you’re letting Aldageir have you,” Delneina said.

“I saw you guys having so much fun, so I want to do it too,” she said.

“If it was that easy, I could have-” Feinhiet began, but the girl in front of him elbowed him.

"Shut it you," she threatened 

“Ack, I was merely jesting,” he said nervously. “Careful the stream is close,” he said as they past nearby.

Aldageir pulled Adalla's skirts tighter, his hands touching her leg.

“What are you doing?” Adalla asked. She accidentally kicked the horse too hard and the horse reared up and they were both tossed into the stream.

Luckily it wasn’t very deep, but the others laughed at their misfortune. 

Adalla and Aldageir both got their butts wet. Aldageir looked sullen at first at his misfortunate falling until Adalla laughed along with the others. He finally joined them when he saw how happy Adalla looked. He got up onto the horse and pulled her up behind him. They dried off as best they could and wrapped the blanket around themselves. She fell asleep on the way back. He smiled holding her hands against his waist as they arrived at the manor.

Preface     B1.C01     B1.C02     B1.C03     B1.C04     B1.C05     B1.C06     B1.C07     B1.C08     B1.C09