A Kind Of Magick

<<Closed for myself and karnelman>>

The candle was almost spent. It had burned throughout the night and now, as dawn approached both its life and hers were almost over.

A few well constructed lies and some devious plotting was all it had taken to have her arrested. Her trial had been little more than a staged farce and now, her sentence hung around her like a shroud, waiting for the rising sun to make it reality.

She half smiled in the darkness of her cell, her bright, summer sky blue eyes sparkling in spite of the lack of light.

It was funny how one word could invoke such hatred and fear in people.

Witch.

Whispered in corners and behind closed doors, then later yelled to her face, each time dripping with venom and detestation.

She couldn't help who or what she was.

Shifting her position, groaning a little as the stone wall scratched against her back through the thin white dress she'd been given to wear. Raising her bound wrists to push some of her jet black hair out of her face. Sat on the floor of the cell, she could just see out of the room's only window. Outside, the tops of the trees beginning to glow with the light of the dawn, the sky was streaked with cloud, each edged in gold.

"Seems a good day to die..." She murmured quietly, closing her eyes and taking a deep, steadying breath.

Her mind full of a million and one thoughts, all jostling and tumbling around like leaves in an autumn breeze. But those at the forefront of her mind were of what had gotten her into trouble in the first place.

Adam.

The son of one of the local land owners and promised in marriage to the daughter of the head of the village council.

She smiled to herself and felt a wave of warmth rush over her as her mind began to replay the images within it.

Broad shouldered and tall, with piercing brown eyes and an unruly mop of dark brown hair falling into them, he had most of the women in the village lusting after him. He was soft spoken and modest by all accounts.

She had to admit she'd caught herself staring at him more than once whilst walking through the market place, but that was as far at it went. Until one day, she had noticed him staring back.

That day he'd followed her home to her small cottage just outside the village. Loitering in her doorway as she'd headed inside, emptying her basket of vegetables. Occasionally glancing towards the door to see him watching her, his arms folded across his chest, his gaze serious, bordering on the curious.

He had heard the rumours of her and her 'mysterious' beliefs. He knew as well as nearly everyone else in the village of at least someone who'd gone to see her for some herbal remedy or other advice. But something else had drawn him to her cottage that day. If he was honest, he'd always been aware of her. She had arrived in the village suddenly one day in the early spring, her past a mystery that no amount of questioning would reveal. She looked like no other woman he had ever seen. Hair as black as a winter's night and blue eyes that were both icy cold and burning with a kind of inner fire all at the same time. It was true that her womanly figure, narrow waisted with gently rounded hips and a more than generous chest, had intrigued him as much as her entrancing eyes had done but it wasn't the graceful sway of her hips that had convinced him to follow her. Part of it was curiosity, why was she as mysterious as was, what was in her past that she didn't want to share. Part of it he knew was lust, pure and simple, a human need he couldn't completely ignore. But part of it, the largest part of it, he couldn't explain. He was as if some unseen force was drawing him to her cottage.

He'd stood there all afternoon, not speaking a word to her. Just watching as she picked some herbs from the plants growing on her window sill, while she sat by the window and sewed up a tear in one of her dresses. Every now and then she'd look up to see if he was still there. He stayed until the sun began to set and then he wandered away.

Every day for the next week he did the same thing. He'd appear at the end of her garden, almost hanging around like a shy boy, too timid to talk to her.

And she let him stand and watch, occasionally leaning against one of the trees next to her home. He was doing no harm and, even though there was no conversation of any kind between them, she felt a kind of completeness when he was there.

Then after a week of standing, waiting and watching he spoke to her for the first time.

She had been tending to the plants beneath her window when he had approached. Sensing him drawing closer she had stood up, brushing her dusty hands on her dress as she turned to face him.

There had been a pause, his eyes looking across her upturned face before,

"You've been traveling for a long time, haven't you?" His voice was gentle.

"Yes, yes I have," She replied, a little surprised by the question.

He looked away for a moment, glancing at the surrounding countryside before looking back into her eyes.

"They say you're different," His tone wasn't accusatory, it was almost sad.

"Everybody's different," She'd smiled softly, fighting the urge to reach up and brush some of the hair from his eyes. A smile had twitched the corners of his lips for a moment or two.

"Some people say you can do things...magical things..." He eventually replied, stepping closer to her.

"I like to think there's a little magic in everyone..." She'd whispered, suddenly aware of how close their bodies had become.

"They say you're a witch..." His voice was low as he had moved even closer, only an inch or two separating them now.

"What do you think I am...?" She had asked huskily, desperate to know the answer.

There had been a moment of silence, both of them just looking deep into one another's eyes and then he stepped forwards. His strong arms wrapping tightly around her smaller frame, drawing her forwards, his mouth claiming hers in a hungry kiss. They stumbled back inside the comparative darkness of the cottage, their hands exploring each other's bodies.

The kitchen table had prevented their movement further inside but neither of them noticed. Landing against it, his body on top of hers, his strong hands began carefully sliding her dress from her shoulders and his mouth kissing every inch of skin as it was revealed. She had sighed as his mouth had found her breasts, moaning as their bodies had become one in the warm sunlight of the afternoon. Their mouths locked in an endless kiss as they embraced tighter and tighter, sharing something more passionate and intense than a mere physical act. It felt as if it was meant to be.

After that magical afternoon they made love every night, every morning...every chance that they managed to sneak away together, away from prying eyes. Then, as was inevitable, one day they had been careless...they were seen...and, of all people, by his fiancée's mother...

She had followed him to the cottage and walked in to find them in a most compromising position next to the fireplace that no amount of creative storytelling would get them out of unscathed

Then the rumours about her having 'bewitched' him and having 'cursed' others in the past had become rife. He had been sent away, to deal with family matters it was said. She knew he'd been sent away to be kept away from her.

But it didn't matter, she had the memories to keep her warm at night against the cold stares of the villagers and their bitter, sniping comments in her direction whenever she ventured into the village.

Memories of their bodies entwining in the light of the setting sun, sharing a passion for life that they hadn't found with anyone else...

Then there was water. Icy cold water pouring down on her.

The door to the cell had been opened and a boulder like man stood in the doorway with a now empty bucket in one hand.

"No time for pleasantries this morning, I see," She shook her head slightly, shaking some of the water from her face and hair.

"C'mon girlie," The boulder grunted, stepping forwards and unceremoniously yanking her to her feet. "Time to meet your maker..."

"Not unless you meet yours first..." She smiled, one dark eyebrow arching ever so slightly as her eyes began to glow. A sudden breeze began to rush through the cell, whipping her hair back from her suddenly serious expression. His eyes widened as the temperature in the cell rose dramatically.

"What...what's going on...?" He tried to demand, although his voice was more of a frightened gasp than his previous rumbling tone.

His grip released on her arm and he stumbled back, his face suddenly pale and his hands clutching at his chest. She barely blinked as he hit the doorframe and slid silently to the floor.

"You...you bitch..." The words faded on his lips as his life's light faded in his eyes.

"Life's a bitch, I'm just a witch..." She smirked as she stepped over his body, now slumped in the doorway. Shaking her mane of hair back behind her and squaring her shoulders, she walking calmly from the cell and out into the village. Before she left town, she had one or two other 'debts' that needed repaying, one or two wrongs that needed to be put right. Then she would leave, her time in this village had passed, it was time to move on. Maybe she would meet Adam somewhere down this road, then again, maybe the road after that. It didn't matter when or where, she knew they'd meet again. It was the way things were...the way things had always been...

Smiling in the early morning sunshine, she headed to her cottage, packing a small basket with the few personal items she cared deeply about, some crystals and a small hand bound book, the cover well worn, a square of purple cloth wrapped carefully around a deck of cards and a few other bits and pieces. Not too many clothes, nothing too big or too heavy.

It was always the same.

Eve had always traveled light.

Three weeks earlier...

It was a beautiful morning, the sun was still rising in it's graceful arc above and the air was slowly growing warmer. The cloudless blue sky above mirrored the colour of her eyes as she made her way to market. Eve sighed contentedly, her basket in one hand and a handfull of flowers in the other, it was mornings such as this that made one happy to be alive. The air was sweet and fresh and light birdsong drifted to her on a light breeze that toyed with strands of her hair, causing the midnight black strands to dance behind her as she moved.

As she entered the village Eve smiled at the faces she passed, some returned the expression, wishing her a 'Good Morning' and asking after her health. Others turned aside, almost as if they hadn't even noticed her, some sneered, some turned and whispered amongst themselves. Such people didn't concern Eve, she'd known their type all her life. Small minded, selfish and self-righteous. In every village, in every town, there were people like them. Eve paid them no more attention than they deserved, instead smiling brighter at those who smiled back and asking about their families, their health and their businesses.

Eve had arrived at the village a few months before, in the early Spring. The fields and hedgerows had been decorated with crocuses and daffodils as she'd moved into the abandoned cottage just beyond the village. She had worked long and hard to rescue the garden from choking weeds and wild grasses, planting herbs and flowers which she used to create herbal remedies. Teas and poultices, salves and lotions. She sold some occassionally at the market when she found herself in need of funds but usually she made them for those that came to her for her assistance.

The market place was filled with stalls, selling all manner of produce, fresh fruit and vegetables, linens and silks, stalls with meat and fish brought in from the local farms. Children laughed and skipped amongst the people, chasing one another, their calls and songs making Eve's smile even wider. There was something about the innocence and sheer freedom within a child's laugh that touched something inside her. Their minds had not yet learnt to judge others around them, they were free of prejudice, they were pure. Something Eve was rapidly discovering was a rare thing among adults.

She bought some fruit from one seller, apples and pears she intended to turn into a pie that evening, and was in the middle of buying some vegetables from another when she found herself faltering.
A pair of dark eyes met hers through the throng of people milling around in the square. Eyes she'd seen from a distance many a time before but had never found aimed in her direction. She smiled shyly, almost awkwardly, before continuing with her purchases. Her mind buzzing as to why he would be looking at her, him of all people. Was it a joke, was he another with a small mind and a sense of being better than those around him...?
She hoped not. She couldn't believe that of him.
Not of Adam.

Adam had never seemed to desire what the other boys and then young men his age wanted. He certainly had no interest in what his parents wanted for him. From before he knew why young men took wives they had his future mapped out for him. They had made a good bargain with one of the most influential and wealthy families in the village. It sealed his family’s place in the close-knit society. He would someday inherit his father’s land and she would care for his home and have his children. There would be money for servants as her dowry was large. He knew that far too often meant his bride would soon become fat and lazy. The girl though not ugly was not at all his type. In addition to her plain looks she was haughty and had the airs of one far wealthier than she. Her expensive dress and makeup did not completely hide the ugliness inside her. The biggest problem he had was that she was simply uninteresting.

From puberty through young adult hood, Adam had been blessed with ever improving good looks. He was no stranger to the hayloft and the freer young ladies of the village. He often wondered if his future wife would be anything like them in bed. She of course guarded her virginity as if it was worth more than a monarch’s fortune. The poorer girls willing spread their legs for him asking nothing in return but the pleasure of his company. They well knew they could not even hope to somehow become his wife. The entire village knew that he was betrothed to the second daughter of village elder. They of course thought she was a very lucky to be getting such a handsome man. Most of the young men of village thought him lucky to be marrying the daughter of such an important and wealthy man.

Adam would have preferred to be allowed to pick his own wife. He was a romantic and thought that one should be allowed to fall in love before becoming engaged to a person. He had once made the mistake of falling in love or at least he thought he was in love. When he confessed to his mother his feelings for the stable keeper’s daughter his father soon had the girl’s entire family sent away. He still carried that pain when the new one came to the village. She was different than anything he had ever known. He was at once fascinated and frightened by her. His grief over the loss of his love and the coming of the new one to the village began the course of events that led to his laying awake as the sun began to rise on a dark day.

Adam had been unable to sleep the entire night. Each time he closed his eyes horrible images invaded his head. The villagers with torches ablaze shouted witch as if the word itself was a foul tasting, putrid morsel of rotten meat. They chased her in his dreams finally catching her and confining her. Her trial was a contrived show before the council with a forgone conclusion. When out his small window he saw the orange glow of rising sun to the east he panicked. His flesh crawled and he was soon covered in a cold sweat. What had always been a most welcome sight, the dawn of a new day, was now the most dreaded of things. He tried to will the glowing orb to cease its ascent into the heavens to no avail.

He knew well that when the sky was once again lit the light in her sparkling eyes would cease to be forever. He wanted to go and somehow free her from her fate. But to even attempt such a thing would mean sharing the gallows with her. Though he would gladly do so were there even a glimmer of hope he could in fact save he could not bear to be there when the breath left her body. He knew before he himself was allowed to die the good folks of the village would insist he be given a fair and true trial. He would of course be found guilty and follow her in death. But first he would be made to watch her end. He could not bear to see such ugliness. Still he rose and dressed. He would try; he had to try. He carefully hid a dagger that would be used to end his own life if he failed in his attempt. He would not watch her die.

As he made his way along the path form his family’s land to the village he thought back many months to the day he first saw her. Her arrival was a rather memorable event. Though strangers often passed through the village, seldom were they unaccompanied females. Even more memorable was her choosing to settle in their community. Outsiders rarely felt welcome enough to remain in the village for long unless they had come already betrothed to one of the existing citizens.

Adam had been on an errand for his father, trading some early spring produce for finished goods in the market. He sensed right away that she was different from the girls he had known all his life. She certainly seemed far more interesting than his intended, Evelynia. But then there were goats that were more interesting to him than his future bride. There were many more occasions when he watched the new one secretly. He found himself making excuses to go into the village. When he had no other reason he claimed to be visiting Evelynia. Though that excuse meant he would in fact have to spend some time with the dull girl as his father might ask her father about the meeting, it always worked. He was so curious and enthralled by the new comer that he would endure the extra time with his fiancée. Besides the idea that he enjoyed visiting their future daughter-in-law delighted his parents.

During the months following Eve’s arrival as he soon learned she was called, he of course heard the rumors. She was adept at the art of preparing healing potions from herbs. At first the villagers thought she was just a practitioner of the healing arts. But soon they began to whisper other things. It seemed her concoctions worked a bit too well. The villagers had never known anyone to possess such talent. There was also the matter of her turning the foul soil of the dead garden surrounding the cottage where she squatted into a thriving patch of herbs and flowers. She of course could not have known the cottage’s history.

The former owners had spent the last years of their lives living on the charity of the villagers. Their land had not supported the growth of useful plants for some time. Finally the well had fouled. None had claimed the place in the years since the couple passed because it was feared the land was cursed and useless. It seemed odd to the villagers that the water had once again become potable and the land restored. At first it was attributed to providence. Eve had needed a place and the Lord had provided. The more skeptical amongst the villagers circulated other ideas. It was those ideas that took root, even when cooler heads tried to stem such talk. If indeed the new one had some sort of magical gifts that only made her more interesting to Adam. She did not seem like the type to harm anyone. He presumed just as there were good and bad people there well good be good and bad witches. Though nothing he had ever been taught allowed for such thoughts.

So he watched her and wondered. The more he watched the more he wanted to know her better. But there were far too many complications. She was not one of the free and loose village girls who he could take to hayloft and know well that it would be no more than a bit of fun between them. If he was seen alone with the new one, there might well be rumors about him. If a shadow came over her it might envelop him. His fiancée’s father of course would not tolerate him sporting with the stranger. His own father would likely beat him and then see that Eve was cast out if word came to him that his son was jeopardizing his future with the likes of her. No matter his feelings he did his best to resist them.

Eve concluded her business at the market and headed back out of the village, her basket full of fresh produce and her face tilted up towards the sunshine, sighing as it's warmth kissed her skin. She stopped at two homes on her way, at the first to visit a new mother and her baby. Giving a small jar of calendula ointment with a smile and a brief explanation that it's a very good herb to have around babies and young children.
"It's good for cuts and scrapes, rashes, burns and abrasions and is also soothing for sore skin..." She had finished with a rather pointed look at the woman's chest. "Apply it once you've fed him and it'll ease the pain in your nipples..." Eve smiled softly, running a finger around the baby's cherubic face before leaving.

The second house she visited was one that she spent a lot of her time inside. It belonged to Rose, one of the oldest women in the village and a woman Eve believed was of a similiar background to her own. She too knew the best qualities of herbs and flowers and Eve had noticed one or two other things around her home that led her to believe the paths of their lives did not run too differently. Eve called in to leave Rose a blend of camomile and catnip tea to ease the headaches that she suffered with. They talked for a little while, stood in the doorway of her small house, revelling in the sunlight. They talked of nothing in particular, the recent good weather and the hopes for a good harvest as a result come the autumn. Yet the eyes of those that past them were full of doubt, some even making a point of almost averting their eyes as their path brought them closeby. Eve wanted to laugh but while once she would have done, times had changed.

She had left her last home and the one before that in a hurry. A hurry induced by the crazed actions of those around her. Villages consumed with suspicion and hate, villages she had managed to escape from before the pointing fingers and accusations had been aimed at her. But more and more villages were falling under the same wicked spell. A curse for which Eve could think of no cure. More and more young women being turned into scapegoats and victims, so many lived being cut short thanks to prejudice and narrow mindedness. Rose and Eve were single women, two single women who were apparently without the need for a man in their lives were to be suspected above all others. The fact that Eve openly dealt with herbs did a little to keep those with evil thoughts away. She reasoned that if she did have something to hide, why would she flaunt such a thing...?

Bidding Rose a good day, Eve turned away from the village and slowly made her way along the winding road back towards her cottage. Pausing to sit beside a gently running stream, one of her favourite places to enjoy a quiet moment alone where it was unlikely she would be interrupted as it was a little way off the roadside and hidden from view by the greenery, Eve let her mind drift back to Adam. She'd seen him more than once during her visits into the village, in fact she found it hard to think of a visit during which she had not seen him.

A delicate smile curved her lips as she sat upon the sandy bank beside the steadily rippling waters, leaning her back against a tree and letting her now bared feet dangle into the coolness of the stream. If she was honest she had almost made a point of looking for him when she visited the market. He was exceedingly handsome and he had a way about him, a simplicity that she hadn't seen in a long time, almost a kind of purity of his spirit.

Eve knew he was promised in marriage and had been certain his eyes would never wander in her direction but then she'd seen him looking at her. She was certain it had been her that had been the focus of his gaze, she had seen the depth of his eyes as they met hers. Something had almost jolted within her and she'd felt a warmth spreading to her cheeks, forcing her to turn away and break that enchanting moment when their eyes had been connected. She had almost chided herself for such a reaction. There was not a young woman in the village who wouldn't want to be with him but Eve considered herself different, somehow, from the giggling girls that almost brazenly presented themselves to him and others like him.

She doubted Adam would be thinking about her, although somewhere deep inside she wished that he might be. Eve let her sky blue eyes drift up towards the matching blueness above, looking at small, bright clouds gently rolling past, her fingers idly playing with the soft, delicate blades of grass beside her and she let her mind wander back to the market place, reliving that moment again and again when Adam's eyes had met hers.

Adam saw her smile and felt an odd sensation as if they had somehow connected across the market. He knew he had been caught and quickly turned toward a group of males that were milling nearby. Though he wished he could have simply walked across the village square and spoken to the beautiful young woman he knew that would bring trouble to them both. Ever since the incident with the stable keeper’s daughter, Adam had been very careful about such things. He had even been more cautious about his romps in the hayloft, even though he doubted his father would have objected to him attending to his manly needs with the local trollops. They truly were no danger to his marriage. Even Evelynia’s father would likely understand a young man needing carnal relief.

But Eve was different. Even though he had yet to speak to her he felt things toward her he had not even felt for the one he had considered his true love. Then of course there were the rumors about things magical. He did not fear those things the way most of the villagers did. She had done no harm to anyone. She had not been seen consorting naked with the devil or his servants. Truth was none of the horrible things that were said of witches could be attributed to her.

His family though not particularly religious in their daily lives attended church regularly. He had long ago figured out it was for convention and to keep their place in village society. His father clearly was not god fearing and never preached to him about the fearsome evil of Satan. By example he learned that a man made his own destiny without any divine intervention. Neither his mother nor father talked of witches at all. So he was left to form his own opinions which differed with those of the church elders and the villagers in general. He knew if Eve be a witch then there was such a thing as a good witch. Because he knew in his heart that she was a good person.

That day in the market he resolved to investigate the mysterious young woman a bit more. He cautiously followed when she left the market. Having spent all the years he could remember honing the skills of a hunter he become a rather adapt woodsman and tracker. He found following her undetected far easier then a hunt for forest creatures. He watched from a distance as she talked with the unfortunate Mrs. Johansson whose husband had died in logging accident only days after Adam’s mother had helped birth the baby. Then she disappeared inside the house of a woman everyone seemed to call Aunt Rose. Until her hands had become shaky and her eyesight dim Aunt Rose had been the village midwife. The Aunt moniker had come from her having helped birth half the village. There were some rumors about her too. But she kept fairly quiet about her skills with the herbs and had saved many villagers lives, therefore few had bothered her. Adam thought that if Aunt Rose was a witch she must be a very good witch.

Adam followed her after she left Rose’s cottage. Eve walked along the path as he crept though the woods. When she stopped to rest at the stream he was able to easily conceal himself nearby. As he watched he felt a bit embarrassed to be intruding unbeknownst upon a private moment. It seemed almost to him as if he was witnessing an intimate part of Eve’s life, one she likely did not share. In a way it was almost more intimate to him than being under the skirts of a giggly hayloft mate.

He was mesmerized as he watched her cast aside her shoes and stockings. From the short distance between them he found her bare toes enticing. He had never much given thought to a woman’s feet before. He recalled spring days in his youth when boys and girls alike would frolic in the meadow barefooted and careless. They would laugh and roll about and generally romp whenever their parents freed them from the drudgery of chores. Some of those same girls were the ones he now took to the hayloft. He could not recall if they even shed their stockings when he lay with them there. He thought of the stable keeper’s daughter and how she enjoyed a foot massage when they were intimate. Her feet were not delicate like Eve’s though. He wished he was a fish in the stream as he watched her dangle her sweet toes in the cool clear waters of the stream.

Adam had to shake his head to try to come to his senses. He knew he was thinking nonsense. His thoughts were odd. It was what lay between her legs that a man should want and focus upon. But he was lost in thoughts that were no doubt born of some strange perversion. He could actually imagine caressing and even kissing Eve’s delicate looking feet and tiny playful toes. He had lustfully fondled and kissed the breasts of his female playmates and had heard that it was not unusual for man in a time of lustful abandon to kiss and lick and woman’s pussy. But he had never heard any tales of placing one’s mouth upon the feet of a lover. To even think such thoughts must be a sign of abnormality he feared. Never the less the idea definitely excited him in Eve’s case. Of course the idea of just talking to the mysterious and beautiful new comer excited him.

Eve lingered by the stream, enjoying it's peace and tranquility, gently moving her feet to and fro in it's sparkling, swirling waters. It was a beautiful spot, the kind of place a person kept secret, the kind of place one shared with someone special, with a lover. Eve's smile grew a little wider at the thought of being there with someone like Adam. She was not as innocent as most young unmarried women should be in the eyes of society, she had taken a lover during her early adulthood. He had been a man she had hoped to share her life with but who had been snatched from her by fever. Whose untimely death she was then blamed for. That had been the event that had started her life's road. Ever since then she had been wandering, from town to town and from village to village. Hoping one day to find somewhere to settle down and live out her life in health and happiness and peace.

Eve pulled an apple from her basket and, after dipping it into the stream, she bit into it. Wiping at the juice that dripped onto her chin, savouring the simple, sweet taste. She sighed softly, wondering for a moment how Adam would look bathing in the crystal clear waters before her, blushing a little as she imagined his broad shouldered frame would be more than a little pleasing to the eye. Eve often brought herself to this point in the stream to swim, usually during the night. There was something almost enchanting about swimming in the moonlight. As well as there being less chance of someone discovering her habit of swimming without her shift as was the usual course. To be naked in the freely flowing water felt amazing, it was one of her many secrets, a secret pleasure she indulged in now and then. Eve bit into the apple, sucking gently at the juice, her lips carressing it's rosy skin as she broke off another piece of the flesh. Another of her secret pleasures.

After a little while longer had passed and her apple had been finished, Eve decided it was time to head back to her cottage. She left her feet bare, choosing to walk amongst the grass and flowers rather then upon the dusty road, carrying her shoes and stockings in one hand and her basket in the other. She wandered home lesuirely, the soft grass almost kissing her feet as she walked. Soon enough she was back at her cottage. Eve almost skipped up the path to the front door, the stones she had placed to form a path through her now flourising herb and flower garden were warm from the sun's rays. Leaving the door open a little, she slipped into the cool shadows inside and placed her basket upon the table.

Once it's contents were laid out upon the wooden surface and she was about to put the basket away, a sound outside made her frown and put it back down almost instantly. She padded towards the door, grabbing at a cloth she used for taking hot pots off of the range in preparation. It was probably the cat that crept into her garden, hunting the birds that picked at the overripe fruit in the trees. With a loud "Hah!" and waving the cloth in one hand, Eve flung open the door.

Adam continued to watch her as she happily dangled her toes in the water. He was enthralled as she began to eat the luscious looking red apple. As her teeth sunk into the juicy fruits flesh it seemed her soft lips were caressing its skin. He imagined what it would be like to touch her lips with his own. He want so much to taste the sweetness he somehow knew her would find on those lips. He was drawn to her. It was unlike anything he had ever felt. He loved cavorting in the hayloft. But it was just lustful exuberance, fun and exciting in its way, but in truth not much different than some other pleasures in his life. It was simply no more than fulfilling a natural need, like breathing in the clear air. He felt rightly or wrongly that in Eve’s case things would be very different. He imagined that holding her in his arms would a special thing.

For the first time he saw himself wanting more than a quick romp. He could see himself with Eve, naked, cuddling, lingering long after nature’s needs had been satisfied. In all his visits to the hayloft he had never even been fully naked with a woman. Most had opened their bodices and aloud him free reign to enjoy their breasts. But generally skirts remained on; sometimes entry was gained only by pushing aside an undergarment. He himself seldom did more than lower his trousers enough to free his manhood. Once his seed had been expelled there might be a polite simple kiss before a quick parting. A few of the girls insisted he stay for a bit of hugging. But there always loomed the danger of getting caught if they lingered long so he was able to easily make short the goodbye. But he felt that if he was ever to lay with Eve he would not likely want to ever say goodbye.

He watched her and contemplated such things all the wile that she remained by stream. When at last she decided to move on, he carefully followed along. This time she stuck to the grassy areas making it a bit more difficult for him to hide his presence. He had to allow more separation between them. But since he knew she was heading for her cottage it was still quite easy to track her. Once she disappeared inside he thought to leave. However, the slightly ajar door called to him like an unspoken invitation.

He crept perilously close to the cottage hoping to catch another glimpse of the enticing young woman. Though he managed to remain concealed from view his curiosity caused him to be a bit careless about making sounds. When Eve came running from the cottage, shouting and waving a rag about the sight both startled and amused him. He simply could not contain his laughter. Knowing his boisterous glee had certainly betrayed him he stood up in full view and shyly faced her. He was unable to speak and certainly had no good explanation for his presence at her cottage or for being hidden behind the bushes.

Eve froze as Adam rose up out of the bushes. For a few brief moments it felt as if the rest of the world had paused, as if it was watching the scene in her garden slowly unfolding. The bird's and their songs faded and even the gentle breeze that carried the scents of the flowers growing around them appeared to pause. She wasn't sure whether she should trust her eyes. Had her daydreams gotten the better of her mind...?

Stood in the warm summer sunlight, in her garden, Eve found him even more handsome than she had done in the village. With the closeness of his position to where she stood she could appreciate his height and the breadth of his shoulders. She let her eyes wander over him, taking in every detail, the shadow of growth across his chin, the tanned hue of his skin. His hands. They looked strong and large and yet they looked smooth. Her mind filled with a series of flashed images. Those hands in hers. Those fingers running through her hair, down her neck. Cupping her breasts and drawing her closer...

Eve realised she was staring and looked away for a moment, a light flush filtering onto her cheeks.
"Good day..." She said softly as she looked back up. Her bright blue eyes meeting the warm, dark depths of his squarely. her voice breaking the bubble that had surrounded them, the soft sounds of the fields almost deafening as they slowly returned.

“Er..um..good day, Miss, sorry to disturb you,” He replied awkwardly and then quickly followed up with an obvious lie. “I was out hunting wild mushrooms, for my mother. She is making a soup this evening. I was not paying proper attention and did not realize that I had intruded upon your fine garden.”

The normally confidant young man was reduced to a nervous boy in her presence. He had always been quite forward with the other girls. His good looks combined with his confidant almost arrogant charm was the key to his success in bedding the giggly girls of the village. In contrast at that moment he stood bouncing from foot to foot, wanting to flee. But at the same time hoping she would accept his silly tale and engage in conversation. He had long wanted to actually speak to her, but never had the nerve to approach. This was as close as he had ever been to her openly. He blue eyes seemed to sparkle and he could swear she was actually looking him over in what seemed to be a lascivious manner. But she was not like the girls he dallied with in the haylofts. She was a lady. Surely, her examination of him was to determine if he was a danger to her. After all she had come rushing out as if frightened.

"Er..um..good day, Miss, sorry to disturb you...I was out hunting wild mushrooms, for my mother. She is making a soup this evening. I was not paying proper attention and did not realize that I had intruded upon your fine garden.”
The corners of Eve's lips twitched as a smile longed to break out across them. His story would have been convincing had it not been for the tone in his voice and his apparently nervous demeanour. Why he would be nervous she could not fathom.

"I would hardly call my garden fine..." She replied softly, leaning back against the door frame, idly running the cloth between her fingers. "...And I'd hardly call your presence an intrusion...just an un-announced visit..."
She let her eyes run across his frame once more before asking, almost impishly,
"Have you found many mushrooms yet...? Only you seem to have mislaid your basket..." She paused, to see if he had an explanation, but she continued before he could reply, deciding to discover his true intentions another way.
"...Perhaps I could save your mother's anger at having nothing for her soup...there are mushrooms growing close to the garden wall and I'm sure I have a basket you could borrow..." Eve tipped her head to one side slightly, her long ebony tresses hanging down around her face.

Adam reached for his hip, hoping to find the burlap pouch her usually carried. It was small but at least it would explain why he had no basket. As he started his explanation he realized that he had either left at home or lost it in the woods.

“Um well I do not use a basket. I have a pouch here; er oh I seem to have lost it as I crawled through the thicket. It is of no matter, my mother will have started her soup before I can get home now. Truth is I am glad to have wander so far off and had a chance to talk to you. I have seen you about the village and heard some things. I have been remiss in my manners by not calling to introduce myself. I am Adam, my father has a farm on the other side of the village from here. He knows many important people and therefore has some esteem in the village. So you see I am of good stock So you need not fear I am here to prey upon you, Miss. I am just well curious. In all my life you are the only newcomer to settle among us. I dare say that you are different from the girls I have known all my life. Anyway, I am sorry to have made an unannounced visit, but you see as I am betrothed, I could hardly have arranged a meeting in the usual way,” He said haltingly as if he was a shy lad and not a confidant strapping young man who had bedded a fare share of village girls.

“Um well I do not use a basket. I have a pouch here; er oh I seem to have lost it as I crawled through the thicket. It is of no matter, my mother will have started her soup before I can get home now. Truth is I am glad to have wander so far off and had a chance to talk to you. I have seen you about the village and heard some things..."
Eve sighed inside her head, she could guess quite easily the 'things' he would have heard about her. Although the fact that he was there, even after having heard the ridiculous rumours about her, and those like her, spoke volumes to her. He wasn't gawking or hurling abuse. Perhaps he was not like the others.

"... I have been remiss in my manners by not calling to introduce myself. I am Adam, my father has a farm on the other side of the village from here. He knows many important people and therefore has some esteem in the village. So you see I am of good stock So you need not fear I am here to prey upon you, Miss..."
Eve laughed lightly,
"Believe me I have no fear of being your prey, Master Adam..." Her blue eyes sparkled mischeivously at thought of him pursuing or hunting her in any fashion. "I too have seen you around the village and know of your family...they seem like fine people..." She finished smoothly, hiding the sarcasm from her tone. People like Adam's family were usually the first to light their torches when the hunts began. Perhaps he would turn out to be a hunter after all...

"...I am just well curious. In all my life you are the only newcomer to settle among us. I dare say that you are different from the girls I have known all my life. Anyway, I am sorry to have made an unannounced visit, but you see as I am betrothed, I could hardly have arranged a meeting in the usual way,”
Eve felt a twinge of embarassment as he compared her to the other girls in the village. It was true even just by looking at her, one could tell she was not from around the local area. All the residents were brunette, ranging from sandy to dark, rich mahogany tones, or blonde. Her jet black locks singled her out immediately. Along with her icy blue eyes and fair skin, she definitely stood out from the villagers.

"Well, I am flattered that you would go to such lengths to visit me, Master Adam...very flattered..." Her tone lowered almost to a whisper as her eyes found his once more. "...But I hope that your visit will not get you into trouble...I would offer you some tea...if you're not in a hurry..." An eyebrow arched slightly. "...Or will your mother be waiting for you...?"
She knew she should have said 'Good Day' and let him go on his way, why was she talking to him, almost flirting with him, and offering for him to come into her house. She knew if they were seen even talking it would land them both in serious trouble. He would be branded a fool for visiting her, she would be branded a seductress, an evil woman trying to steal him from his doe-eyed fiance. But she couldn't stop herself. She wanted to talk to him, to hear his voice, low and rich, talking back. She wanted to find out everything about him.

“I would be most pleased to share some tea with you. As to my mother, well Miss I am a man after all. Though I do my best to honor my parents I am not chained to her apron. I come and go as I please generally. It indeed pleases me to be in your company,” He replied as he walked tentatively toward the cottage.

He was more taken with the pretty stranger than ever. In all the weeks he had stalked he had not ever once imagined actually speaking with her, let alone being invited into her home. He knew that what he was doing was dangerous. It was not at all like sneaking into the hayloft for a romp. His fiancée’s father would never allow the marriage if it became known that he was cavorting with Eve. None of that really mattered to him at that moment though, he wanted to get to know the alluring newcomer and saw nothing wrong in it. He could not imagine that such a lady would give him a tumble and therefore what could be the harm in sharing a cup of tea. However, he did take a look about for witnesses before going inside. Once inside she offered him a chair while she busied herself making the tea.

“I should like to be friends with you Miss and I am thinking you are not so old as to be my elder..I was wondering if it would be too very forward if I was to address you by name?” He managed to ask in a tentative shy manner. “I mean no offense; it is just that it has been the custom among the younger folk of our village to be less formal when the elders are not about. We find it more comfortable to relax such things.”

"I would be most pleased to share some tea with you. As to my mother, well Miss I am a man after all. Though I do my best to honor my parents I am not chained to her apron. I come and go as I please generally. It indeed pleases me to be in your company,”
Eve bowed her head slightly, partly to welcome him into her home and partly to hide the grin that curved her lips at his comment towards his mother.
"Then please do come inside, Master Adam..."
She noticed the nervous edge to his step and could not fail to see how his head swept the surrounding area looking for anyone who might witness his entry into her cottage.

Her kitchen was modest, as was the rest of the cottage, a large room downstairs that served as kitchen, dining room, washroom and anything else that came to mind, a single room upstairs for her bedchamber. The large range in the kitchen warmed the room quite nicely and even with her own modest attempt at fixing the strawed roof, the room was very comfortable even on the coldest of nights. A large wooden table dominated the kitchen, with four high backed chairs around it. Shelves filled with small jars and boxes covered one wall, shelves on another crammed with cooking pots and pans. There were small jugs with wildflowers on the windowsills and another on the table.

Eve filled a kettle with water from the butt just outside the door and set it to boil upon the range. Selecting two jars from the shelf she plucked a few leaves from each and set them into two tankards.
"I have no sugar, Master Adam, but I think you'll find my tea sweet enough...although there is honey should you wish it..."
“I should like to be friends with you Miss and I am thinking you are not so old as to be my elder..I was wondering if it would be too very forward if I was to address you by name?”

Eve turned to looked at him, head tipped ever so slightly to the side giving her an inquisitive appearance.
“I mean no offense; it is just that it has been the custom among the younger folk of our village to be less formal when the elders are not about. We find it more comfortable to relax such things.”
"I see no harm in doing so, Adam..." She stressed his name ever so slightly, the smile curving her lips once more. "...I feel strange being referred to as Miss...my name is Eve, no title is necessary...and I should like to be friends with you too..."

The hissing of the kettle interrupted her and she quickly set about filling the tankards with the water. After leaving the leaves to steep for a minute or two, she carried the tankards to the table, sitting opposite Adam.
"So...Adam...I do hope you enjoy my tea...it's a secret family recipe..." She added teasingly with a wink. It was a blend she had been taught by her mother but she mentioned it mainly to see the reaction it garnered from Adam. He had admitted to hearing 'things' about her, now she would see if he believed them.

Her mention of a secret recipe set the hairs on the back of his neck on edge. Though he did not believe such a pretty sweet girl could be evil the stories of witches and their deeds were well ingrained in his imagination. He did not want to appear to be a superstitious dolt, but at the same time he did want to be turned into a toad.

“Eh Eve, I must ask you something. I think you are enchanting. You are so pretty and seem so sweet, but in the village there are those that whisper things. Things I am sure they ought not to even think. But secret special teas set me to wonder. You see I am not a worldly man. I have not seen anything that lies beyond our small community. There are things that I do not know of personally and there are many tales told in the village. Some so fanciful that even inexperienced youth can hardly imagine they could be true. Still they have been a part of my education. Even the church elders seem to believe some of these things. Some of them though I think may be wrong. I have heard things said about you. There is talk of magical things. I have been taught that magic is only found in the realm of witches and that witches are evil beings that mean harm to good Christian folk. I do not have experience in such things and the words do not seem to make sense. If you do have magical skills I can not see how all magic is evil. If you do not than why do so many wise folk seem to believe you do? Tell me please, do you possess knowledge of the magical arts?” He blurted out, in a sincere desire to know the truth of who or what the alluring girl he had become so enamored of really was.

Eve saw the slight hesitation as his hand curled around his tankard, the flash of concern dancing in his eyes for a moment.
“Eh Eve, I must ask you something..."
She felt something akin to disappointment as he spoke, perhaps he wasn't so different to the others in the village after all.
"You may ask anything you wish, Adam..." She smiled over the top of her tankard, sipping at the sweet tasting mint tea.
"...I think you are enchanting. You are so pretty and seem so sweet..."
Eve nearly choked on her tea, her eyes widening as her cheeks flushed with warmth. This was not what she had expected to hear.
"...Thank you..." She murmured softly, lowering her eyes from his for a moment, not wanting to interrupt him but wanting to say something.

She listened as he talked, noting his lack of belief in some of the stories that fed the hatred within people and created it in those who did not already doubt people like her. Eve glanced back into his eyes as he mentioned her. He said he had heard things said about her, but not that he necessarily believed them. She sipped her tea.
"...There is talk of magical things. I have been taught that magic is only found in the realm of witches and that witches are evil beings that mean harm to good Christian folk. I do not have experience in such things and the words do not seem to make sense. If you do have magical skills I can not see how all magic is evil. If you do not than why do so many wise folk seem to believe you do? Tell me please, do you possess knowledge of the magical arts?”

"I like to believe there is a little magic in everyone..." She smiled, putting down her tankard and leaning back in her chair slightly. "When a woman gives birth to a healthy baby, is there not something magical about it? Or when a child overcomes a fever or survives an accident, is that not miraculous too? The God they preach about and the Bible they so devoutly read, does that not contain stories of healing and of miracles...things unexplainable...magical things..." She asked almost coyly, her head tilting to the side slightly. "Because I can make plants grow in apparently barren ground, does it make me a witch, or does it simply mean I might know more about gardens than the previous residents of this house...?"

"I grow herbs and flowers, Adam, and I use them to help people as much as I can...I wish upon evening stars and whenever I blow out a candle...are such things to be feared...?" She leant forwards, propping her elbows on the edge of the table and cushioned her chin in her palm. Looking across the broad table at him. "Have you never made a wish, Adam? Have you never believed in things you cannot see or explain...things you just...feel...?"

“Eve to be honest, I don’t give such things much thought. I don’t really know what I believe; except that there is no way that you could be evil. When the preacher stands up on Sunday and talks about God and the devil and all those old miracles, well it all seems not too much different than the fairy stories my mother read me when I was very small. Only difference was she never claimed those stories were the real truth. The preacher though, he says those stories are true and he talks as if the devil comes up out of his fiery place trying to get our souls so that we will have to join him,” Adam said haltingly.

“Truth is it all seems a little silly and very odd to me. On one hand he talks about this powerful God that loves us and wants us to come to his kingdom, but we can not come there is we are not good people. Then he talks about this devil as if he can make us stray. Well then I always think that if God is so mighty and loves us so why doesn’t he just take care of this devil fellow so we will all be safe from evil. I guess I only really believe what I see with my eyes and well I decided something from what I have seen of you so far.”

Adam paused. He was not sure if he should continue his thought or not. He had already said words that could well get him whipped as a blasphemer. Now he was about to speak of witches as something that could be good. Those words could get him banished or worse. But for some reason unknown even to him he trusted Eve.

“Fact is if what they are whispering about you is true and I am not saying it is, well then Eve being a witch is not necessarily a bad thing. So witch or not, I think you are a good person and I hope to be your friend.”

Adam fell silent. He sat there smiling at Eve and fidgeting in his chair. He really did like her, more so than he had ever liked any girl before. He also was quickly realizing her wanted her in a way eh had not wanted girls before. He subconsciously glanced over at the curtained alcove that held her bed. He had not meant to do something so overt and obvious. But he simply could not help himself or his lurid thoughts. He wanted to get up and run to stop his mind from thinking such thoughts about a good woman like Eve. She was not one of the village trollops to dallied with and forgotten. She was a rare flower; on he wished he could properly court. That however, could not be, he was promised and he would have to marry the one his parents had chosen.

“Fact is if what they are whispering about you is true and I am not saying it is, well then Eve being a witch is not necessarily a bad thing. So witch or not, I think you are a good person and I hope to be your friend.”
Eve had listened attentively, blushing at his compliments and feeling an ever increasing sense of relief that he didn't think the way so many did. A tiny part of her mind would not give in so readily, suspicious that it could all be an act, an attempt to get her to confess something that would lead to her demise, although that part of her mind was rapidly being overcome by the other feelings rushing through her. Adam was hardly the first man to hand her a compliment and yet his words seemed to affect her so deeply, her cheeks pinked and warm to the touch, her eyes shy and sparkling.

"I should like to be your friend too, Adam...I should like that very much..." She said softly, noticing his eyes move from her to somewhere behind her. Eve turned slightly and noticed the curtained passageway leading upstairs to her bedchamber. She lowered her eyes as she turned back, biting her lower lip slightly as she raised her chin until their eyes met once more.

"I..." She began in a slightly trembling voice, her voice low and slightly husky in tone. "I should like to get to know you much better, Adam, but I fear that to do so would place you in a position of danger..." Her meaning was obvious she hoped. She wanted to know him in every way a man and a woman could know one another but she knew as well as everyone in the village he was promised. Not only that, she was suspected of something more than sinister. To be seen drinking tea together could land them both in trouble. To be seen doing anything more intimate would result in her death and god knows what punishment for him.

She paused awaiting his response, her heart already racing as she watched his strong hand cupping his tankard and for a moment, imagined it holding her body, stroking her skin, cupping her breast, drawing her closer...
Her eyes bored into his as the silence hung around them.

"I should like to get to know you much better, Adam, but I fear that to do so would place you in a position of danger..."

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He looked at her cautiously. He was not quite sure if he was taking the correct meaning form her words. She certainly was not like the silly girls from the poorer village families who were free with their bodies. She was an angel to him, though he surmised that she was indeed much worldlier than any person he had ever known. But she was indeed a lady, not that he had any illusions about proper women not enjoying carnal pleasures. He had seen how the girls enjoyed such things in the hayloft. He was wise enough to figure that if those females felt pleasure in such things than despite what some would have you believe they all were at least capable of carnal pleasures.

However, he could not imagine that Eve might be proposing that they couple after so short a friendship. He looked first to her eyes. He thought them to be deep blue pools of shimmering cool water. To him they were a window they were a window to her kind and gentle soul. But the answer did not lie in her eyes. He shamelessly allowed his gaze to go lower. He saw the rise and fall of her bosom as he snuck a look over the lip of his tankard. He wondered if her deep breathing was in fact like that of the village girls from a quickening of the heart beat due to arousal. Still he could not know and certainly did not fathom that such a beauty would feel such things for him. Though he knew he felt things for her he had not ever felt before. His own heart seemed to beat so hard that his ears were pounding. Finally he managed the voice to speak.

“Eve, I see no danger in getting to know you better. But even if I did that would not deter my desire to do so. The glow I feel from your presence seems far more than a man needs to embolden him. I can not think of a danger so great that I would fear to face it for the chance to know you well. If you think as I do, which I now hope with all my heart, then would it not be unnatural for us to deny such things? Does not the clergy tell us that God ordains all things? Perhaps it is his wish that we know each other better. But even if it be not God’s wish, or the elder’s wish, it is my wish to know you as only a man and a woman such us can. Eve tell me is your meaning that your wish matches mine. Tell me your desires so that I may fulfill them,” He blurted out breathlessly.

He was trembling, fearful that he may have misunderstood. He would have at that moment sooner been struck dead than have her reject him. His face flushed, he was embarrassed having made what any proper lady would have immediately taken as an indecent proposal. He had only to that point lain with trollops who would soon be wed to laggards or brutes. What eh had just suggested was far different. He knew he would not want to merely raise Eve’s skirts and climb upon her. He wanted far more of their coupling then just to thrust into her and her to allow him to writhe and grunt atop her. He wanted to make love to her and to give her pleasure.

“Eve, I see no danger in getting to know you better. But even if I did that would not deter my desire to do so. The glow I feel from your presence seems far more than a man needs to embolden him. I can not think of a danger so great that I would fear to face it for the chance to know you well..."
Eve felt as if she couldn't breathe for a moment or two. She hadn't imagined having such passionate words spoken to her, her teeth caught on her bottom lip for a moment.

"...If you think as I do, which I now hope with all my heart, then would it not be unnatural for us to deny such things? Does not the clergy tell us that God ordains all things? Perhaps it is his wish that we know each other better. But even if it be not God’s wish, or the elder’s wish, it is my wish to know you as only a man and a woman such us can. Eve tell me is your meaning that your wish matches mine. Tell me your desires so that I may fulfill them,”

A thousand words jostled for position in her mind. Part of her knew things were passing far too quickly between them. She barely knew him although she knew enough of his activity in the village to know his thoughts may well tend towards the physical and yet she somehow sensed his desires towards her were far from a playful romp between the sheets. She wanted to feel him, every part of him, pressing against her but she knew she too would want more than a mere snatched moment of passion. Another part of her wanted to kiss him. Just to kiss him, feel the warmth and the softness of his lips that she was certain she would find upon them.

"I believe our desires run along similar paths Adam..." She met his eyes, holding his gaze for a few minutes. "And I also believe that perhaps, for today, you and I should bid each other 'Good day'..." It was so hard to say the words, harder than she'd imagined it would be. She wanted Adam to stay, wanted to listen to him talking. Eve felt as if she could listen to his voice for hours on end, enjoying the rich depth of his tone.

"But I would desire your company again...perhaps tomorrow...? You are a strong young man, Adam, you could help me in my garden and in return I could provide you with a meal...just two friends, helping one another..." Her smile became almost coy. "There's no harm in such a thing...is there...?"

"And I also believe that perhaps, for today, you and I should bid each other 'Good day'..."

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As quickly as her first statement had sent his heart soaring her suggestion that go nearly laid him flat as if he had been kicked by a mule. He was confused by her seemingly contradictory words. He wondered if in fact their thoughts were anything alike. If she felt as he did how it could be that she wanted him to leave he question silently as he continued to listen.

"There's no harm in such a thing...is there...?"

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“Eve, I suppose there are those in the village that would find harm in any unmarried couple keeping company without a chaperone. But I do not see how there can be sin in a man helping his neighbor and then accepting only so much as a meal in return. Though I do think that I may suffer a bit in the waiting to be with you and then again in being by your side feeling as I do. I think perhaps we do not have the same desires. However, if the only way for me to be near you and speak with you is as a friend helping in your garden then that is what I shall be. Good day to you my new and dear friend,” HE said as he stood to leave.

Eve saw the obvious disappointment on his face asnd felt a stab of guilt at having caused it to appear there.
“Eve, I suppose there are those in the village that would find harm in any unmarried couple keeping company without a chaperone. But I do not see how there can be sin in a man helping his neighbor and then accepting only so much as a meal in return. Though I do think that I may suffer a bit in the waiting to be with you and then again in being by your side feeling as I do. I think perhaps we do not have the same desires. However, if the only way for me to be near you and speak with you is as a friend helping in your garden then that is what I shall be. Good day to you my new and dear friend,”

As Adam stood to leave she saw something like resignation filter onto his face and feared her attempt at protecting them both from possible scandal and the resulting retribution had pushed him away. She stood, the chair scraping loudly on the tiled floor and making them both tense in response.
"Please...please do not think I wish you to go because I...it's that I only wanted..." Eve's voice was edged with something akin to panic. No one had touched her soul the way Adam had done in their brief encounter and she hated the thought of never feeling that magical connection again. "I want to see you again, please, believe me, but I fear you may well get yourself into more trouble than you realise...I have known too many villagers who have taken whispered rumours as gospel truths and taken matters into their own brutal hands...please, please say you'll come back tomorrow...?"

Walking swiftly and with purpose she moved before him and pushed herself up onto her toes, pressing her lips against his cheek, the corner of his mouth brushing hers as she kissed him. It was a soft and gentle kiss, innocent and genuine.
"Friends should part with a kiss, do you not agree...?" She asked hesitantly, her hand on his arm holding herself steady as she remained up on her toes before him, her face inches from his, their bodies all but touching.

"Friends should part with a kiss, do you not agree...?"

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He smiled at her, though he was still unhappy about her talking of parting. Her tone and her talk of what people would think and her wanting to see him again just confused him further.

“Eve, if we kiss then I do not think I could part your company easily. A kiss would make as far more than friends. As for what others may think, I care not. My father is an important man. Few would dare even speak ill of one who bears his name. As for tomorrow, I will come back then and all the tomorrows after that if you wish. I will see you any and every time you like. But if truly the only desire you have toward me be friendship then be kind and do not bid me to come. I am too weak to resist nature’s demands upon me for long. The sadness at being near you and knowing all there can ever be is a friendship such as I might have with miller’s son would be unbearable. I offer my hand in friendship. If you again offer your lips then I will know that you desire as I do much more than mere friendship,” He said haltingly as his trembling hands reached for her. “I do not fear the consequences for surely the fates have sent you to me. If I could I would publicly court you. But circumstances make that all but impossible. Eve, I know I offer so little in return for something so great. But still, I can not lie to you and hide these feelings. So kiss me now and bid me stay or send me on my way so that I may hurry to sleep. For in sleep time shall pass quickly and I soon will be back here to help with your garden.”

“...As for tomorrow, I will come back then and all the tomorrows after that if you wish. I will see you any and every time you like. But if truly the only desire you have toward me be friendship then be kind and do not bid me to come. I am too weak to resist nature’s demands upon me for long..."
Eve blushed, suddenly aware of how close they were stood. She could feel the warmth of his body, almost sense it's solidity.

"... I offer my hand in friendship. If you again offer your lips then I will know that you desire as I do much more than mere friendship,”
She felt his hands moving towards her and felt a surge of light headedness.
“I do not fear the consequences for surely the fates have sent you to me. If I could I would publicly court you. But circumstances make that all but impossible. Eve, I know I offer so little in return for something so great. But still, I can not lie to you and hide these feelings. So kiss me now and bid me stay or send me on my way so that I may hurry to sleep. For in sleep time shall pass quickly and I soon will be back here to help with your garden.”

"I would gladly give anything to be lucky enough to be courted by you Adam..." An unrefutable smile curved her lips as her hands slid up his arms to rest lightly upon his shoulders. "I desire your company as a friend, as a companion...and as much more...if you would grant me the honour..." She finished, almost whispering as she pressed her lips to his once more.

This time he eagerly accepted the kiss, knowing that they were done with words, at least for a time. He pulled her into his arms as their lips seem to melt together. Hers were soft and warm and drew him in like the song of the sirens had attempted to draw Ulysses to the rocks. As their bodies came together his lips parted to allow his tongue freedom. He felt his heart flutter in his chest and his lungs struggle a bit to fill. Though this was not his first kiss, it was the first that held any meaning for him. He gently tasted her lower lip with the tip of his tongue. His hands held her, cradling her gently while conveying the strength of his body. He wished that moment would go on forever. He knew at once he was where he belonged.

He wanted to deepen the kiss, but thought better of it. Things were moving too fast. Eve was not a trollop to thrown upon the hay and taken. Besides something was nagging at the corners of his mind. Thoughts he wished he could banish. The elders were in his head. They whispered to him that he was bewitched, under her spell and could not trust his feelings. He knew that was not true, but still he was a product of people who thought like that.

“Eve, I feel strange. I have never before wanted a thing so much as I want to be close to you. I will not lie, I am a man and I have had those kinds of desires which men have toward women. But this is different. In the past such things have only been physical. They were desires easily quenched without meaning or care afterward. What I feel now is far more. It is … well like a spiritual thing,” He stuttered as he looked into her beautiful eyes. “Eve I know it may be wrong for me to speak to you of such desires. But there is a fire within me. It is a fire you have ignited. It is a fire that only you can cool, if indeed it can be cooled at all. May god and my fathers forgive me!” He added as he fell to his knees. “I want you desperately, Eve. Please come and lie with me! Make love with me as surely the fates must intend. No power would inflict the torture of these desires upon a man that did not wish him to act upon his feelings.”

He looked up at her shaking. He had just begged for something he could have gotten from a dozen others just by casually asking. He did not care that it was not manly to be on his knees begging a women for anything. He did not care that it was improper to seek such a thing from a lady. He did not even care if it be a spell that drove him to such a position. He thought that if Satan was to take him he had chosen an odd way to accomplish his purpose. He felt no sin in the request as he knew he would feel no sin in the act were she to grant him his heart’s desire.