Aella (manxman) - ON HOLD - Chapter 5: Chapter 5

"Three days??"
"Euuuh... Y-yes! You need to stay still for at least three days for these herbs to take effect"
I winced when he applied some pressure on my hurting ankle. He smiled at me apologetically, then continued to cover my foot with the warm herbs that he brought with him. He pulled a cloth and wrapped it nicely around my foot to keep it warm.
Three days...
I was supposed to leave the mountain for a few hours only, yet here I am a day after, and I need to stay three more days.
My eyes gazed at Ithel who was inspecting my foot. He's a fine Aello indeed. I doubted there would be any Aellos like him; charming, kind, and generous... He's a sight that will certainly haunt my dreams for months to come. The mere thought of it made me blush.
I was drawn out of my thoughts and I chuckled: "Ithel! Please don't tickle my toes!"
"Heheh, sorry. I couldn't resist"
"Oh-Oh my, stop it!!" I laughed as I pushed his ticklish fingers again, but then I moaned in pain when I twisted my ankle a bit
"Sorry! Are you ok?"
I shook my head and moaned again. I pretended to be in pain and he caught the bait. He apologized again and cupped my face to get me to look at him. I took that chance and pushed him back then straddled his waist: "Revenge tickles!"
I tickled his sides like I did with the children back at the mountain. I was aware I was acting like an infant, but it was the only way to play that I knew of. Instead of laughing loud, he smiled and cocked his head
"I'm not ticklish, Ceri"
"What? That's not fair"
He laughed and his hands settled on my thighs: "So... you will stay more, right?"
"I want to. But..."
"But what?"
"I promised my aunt I'd be home yesterday. Even if she's at her Agape, I don't think she'll like me being down here"
"Do you think you're safe here?"
I looked around us. The big gray rocks lead to Ithel's den, and then to the forest behind it, and beside us, the rocks dipped in te crista water of the sea. I smiled: "I feel safe. It's also very beautiful"
"Then there's no need for your aunt to fear for you. Just a few days more, ok?"
I bit my lower lip, remembering Drita. I think she'd get mad at me if she knew
"Hey, what are you thinking about?"
"...... My aunt might not know about me not going home since she's at her Agape, but Drita..."
"Drita?? Who is that?"
"Drita is an Allea-hunter. She's actually one of the most feared hunters in my clan. But she's nice to me! She's my friend"
"Is that the one who caught you when you tried to escape?"
"Yes, it's her. Usually no one comes back from their Agape before the end of the month, but last year, Drita came to check on me"
His hands caressed my thighs again as he laid back: "If she's your friend, then she won't tell on you"
"I don't know... she might get worried, or maybe mad. If she finds out, I'm not sure if she'd tell my aunt or punish me herself"
"Punish you?? Would she hurt you???"
I went to next to his waist and I shook my head repeatedly not wanting to dive into that subject. It was something I was too happy to think about right now
"Nothing to worry about"
He didn't look convinced, so I offered him a smile and leaned slightly forward to touch the line of his sculptured chest: "If you'd have me, I really want to stay here with you"
His face lit and he grinned widely: "Nothing would make me happier"
I chuckled and moved so my elbows rested on his chest and my chin in the palm of my right hand
"Just for three days"
He pouted and wined in disappointment, making me laugh.
We stayed like that for a while; him relaxing, caressing my waist or playing with my curls, and I reveled in the warmth that I felt being close to him.
Three days. Three days is all I had to make enough memories for a lifetime.
But before I knew it, time ran so fast and it was the third day already! My foot actually felt better since yesterday, but I didn't say a thing. Instead, I enjoyed the way he sat before me, pulled my foot in his lap, and carefully caressed it before wrapping it with the healing herbs. His gentleness was a sight to be admired!
Besides, if he knew I wasn't hurting anymore, it would've probably been expected of me to leave yesterday. That was obviously out of the question; I'm squeezing my three days to the last minute!
Which was the reason why we almost didn't sleep last night; we kept talking and... well, like every night, we hugged and kissed and... Yaaaa! I almost wanted to hide my face and squeak at my line of thought!
Sadly though, time was bound to pass even when I prayed for it to halt. Unlike last night, Ithel was oddly silent today. For a moment, I wondered if he wanted me to leave already. Yet the way he held my hand tightly in his as we sat in front of the fire, the way he refused to let go of me even though it was easier to stir the skinned rabbit on the fire using both hands, the way his finger caressed my knuckles, it suggested that he was actually feeling the same.
It was very weird for me. I've never felt this attached to someone before. Of course, I loved my aunt a lot, and I cared for many Aellas and children, but this was different. This was a feeling that was happy and sad at the same time. It makes me laugh like a child without care of the world, and it fuels my hopes like a spell. It was like...... a sweet torture
This was much more than anything I hoped for. And if this was the feeling the Aellas had during their Agape, then them talking about it all year long was way insufficient.
But right now, knowing that I'm about to part with this feeling made my heart feel sensitive and sad. Like, I could cry if I imagined not seeing Ithel again. So yeah... we both remained silent. And I pretended I didn't notice the way Ithel kept moving the rabbit over the fire, despite the fact that it was already cooked and ready to be eaten.
I understood. It wasn't that I wasn't hungry, it was that I didn't want to eat because... well, I told him that if I wanted to be home before dark, I should head out after we finish our meal.
I had to leave, I kept telling myself. But it no longer felt like a good choice.
"Ithel..."
"I know...... Here," he let go of my hand to pull out a knife. He cut a piece of meat and handed it to me: "I'm not going to send you home hungry"
I took the piece of meat and watched as he set the prey close to the fire and stared at the flames.
"You eat too"
"......... I'm not hungry"
He wiped his hands on a cloth, then stood up. I thought he was going to leave the den; instead, he stood at the entry and leaned on the wall. He watched the other way. I couldn't see his face from where I sat, but his discouraged stance broke my heart. The contrast between his strength and his soft heart amazed me. I wanted to soothe him, to make him smile. I wanted to learn more of this admirable Aello.
I stood up and walked closer to him. I brought the piece of meat to his lips: "You want me to eat before I go home, I can't leave you hungry either"
I waited for a smile and for him to take a bite. Instead, Ithel turned fully to face me; his arms pulled me into a hug and he buried his face in my neck.
I stood there, awkwardly holding the piece of meat for a moment. Then I brought my clean hand to caress the back of his head. He was taller that I was, and yet he leaned down to hug me close.
"Please don't leave"
"I......" I was out of words. All I hoped for was to visit the island for a few hours and to see the Aellos that I heard so much about. My wish was generously granted... so why does my heart feel so sorrowful and unfortunate?
Ithel pulled back and looked at me, his arms still laced around my waist. With a hopeful smile spreading on his lips and a glint of determination in his eyes, Ithel said what I never even dreamt of:
"Ceri, will you be my Agape?"
I was stunned out of my mind. My mouth opened several times to answer him only to close again. Eventually, I answered him, but even I didn't like what I said: "I don't have the right to-"
"Why not? You're an Aella... a perfect Aella, and I'm an Aello, a very handsome one"
I chuckled at the way he complimented himself. He laughed too, and continued: "I'm choosing you for my Agape, and I want you to choose me too"
That instant, I should've thought about my aunt, about my Leader who didn't explicitly give me such permission, about Drita who could go visit me... I should've thought about so many things, yet the only thing that crossed my mind was how happy I was during the past few days and how I would give ANYTHING to have more
"Yes, Ithel. Please let me spend my first Agape with you"
His lips immediately found mine in a heated kiss that didn't break even when he lifted me off my feet and crushed me with a heartwarming hug.
When he set me down, we were both smiling. He reached to pull my hand and bit into the piece of meat
"Hey! That's mine", I protested teasingly. And he shook his head and took another bite: "Not anymore"
There was still almost a whole rabbit by the fire, yet we enjoyed wrestling for the piece in my hand. He snatched the rest of it from my hand and held it higher. And as I laughed and jumped in front of him to get my piece back, only one thought filled my mind,
Agape...
I'm having MY FIRST AGAPE!!!
~~~~~~
Every day was a new adventure for me. He took me with him wherever he went. He showed me so many places with beautiful views. We even passed a few dens of other Aellos, and whenever we came across someone, he'd know when and how to hide me so I wouldn't be seen.
We had the best times ever. We laughed and cooked and played together. He even lets me watch him when he went to catch some fishes. He gathered me more fruits than what I could eat, and he even gave me the best deer skins he had. Every time he said that if he knew he was going to meet me, he would've prepared better things to offer me. I didn't really care about things as much as the time we spent together, but the thought of him wishing to give me more made me so grateful, a bit indebted even.
I used one of the deer skins he gave me to make some clothes for myself. And he complimented my skills, which earned him a set of clothes for himself as well.
It was really odd how generous he was with me. He would give me whatever he had, and anything I asked for without anything in return. All my life I was taught that I had to give in order to get. It was true that the Aellas who knew me well liked me enough to let me play with their children or help them with anything, they even invited me to eat with them sometimes. But in general, I had to clean, sew, and help carry water or wood for the fire. I had to work in order to be given clothes and food. Even Drita who could get whatever she wanted since she was allowed to go anywhere on the island, Drita would bring me things, but she always made me pay for it.
I shook my head when disturbing thoughts threatened to come back again.
I gazed at the horizon and the sight made both good and bad thoughts fade away. We were sitting on a branch of a huge tree. I loved this spot because I was actually the one who chose it. It's not far from our den... oops, his den. I almost giggled at the mind slip. I looked down to appreciate the way Ithel laid on all the length of the big branch; he was wearing nothing but a sexy piece of leather around his waist, his right foot was dangling on the side and his head rested on my thigh.
I nudged him with my hand that was resting on his chest and touching his muscles: "Look, it's almost sunset"
Since I found this place, we came here every day to watch the sunset. It was even better than the view from up the mountain; here, the last surviving rays of the sun would reach and color the water beneath us. This tree was special because it was huge and this branch reached outside the forest and above the sea. Besides, unlike my home on the mountain, here I had Ithel.
The Agape is coming to end. We only had a few days left. I had decided to go back home to see if Drita came to check on me, but I actually forgot. Completely forgot! It's as if I was on an island far away with no time or rules to worry about.
That's the way Ithel made me feel.
Since he invited me to stay, we fought only once. Well, not really a fight. It was a couple of days ago. I wanted to visit the neighboring island to see the tigers. But he said it was too dangerous for me and that he would go hunt a tiger and bring it back to me. I've seen a dead tiger before, never a breathing one. I begged him and when he didn't waver, I pouted and refused to eat or talk to him for the rest of the day. Frankly, it was only at the end of the day when I felt hungry and lonely without him, that I realized how stupid I was. I was sulking not too far from the den, when I went back, I didn't know if he'd let me in. Drita didn't want me to go anywhere near her when she was mad at me. So I stood in front of the den fidgeting uncomfortably, not knowing what I was allowed to do.
A minute later, he simply called for me saying that the meal was ready. I walked inside hesitantly, and when he didn't chase me away, I sat beside him. He had his usual smile, even when I was arguing and insisting on seeing a tiger, he didn't actually get mad or yell. It was as if he didn't get mad at me, which proved even more that he was simply acting for my own sake.
But it still hurt that I was never taught to hunt like all fathers taught their boys.
I made sure to apologize to him properly. He ruffled my hair and kissed my forehead: "All I wanted was to keep you safe and happy, Ceri. But, in that case, safety is more important than happiness"
I smiled when I remembered his words, especially how many times during the night did we... Yaaaa!!!!!! I think I'm blushing from those memories!
"Is it that beautiful?"
"What?" His question brought me out of my thoughts
"The sunset, is it so nice that you're grinning widely"
I blushed even harder and he reached to touch my curls with his laugh echoing around us.
"I'm so glad I found you in the woods, Ceri"
"I'm the one who should say that. I'm not certain I would've survived the night alone. I'm lucky you weren't at the gathering like everyone els-" I interrupted myself and bit my lower lip when I realized what I said.
"I-I'm sorry... I shouldn't have said that"
"Don't worry about it"
"I really didn't mean to offend you"
I peeked to see if he was angry, but he looked as calm as earlier. However the way he spoke again and said "It's really ok", he sounded a bit... sad?
"Ithel......... why weren't you at the gathering of the Agape?"
Ithel looked surprised at my question, and then he looked away and sighed heavily. I immediately regretted voicing my curiosity.
I started pulling my hand back. It would be really rude to be nosy and leaning on his chest. But he grabbed my hand to keep me from it. And without looking at me, he sighed again and answered me:
"It's not that I don't want to tell you, Ceri. It's just... I don't want you to look at me any differently"
"I'm curious to know more about you. And nothing would change how amazing Aello you are"
He snorted lightly. I leaned in and kissed him: "I mean it, Ithel. I'm a fatherless man, who's an Aella! I don't think you can beat how weird I am"
"You're not weird"
"Whatever, I'm still way ahead of you"
"Is that a challenge?"
I scoffed: "You better back down, Aello. You can't win this one"
"Oh really?"
"I tell you what; the loser will jump from his branch"
"What, this one??" he lifted an eyebrow at me, like jumping wasn't challenging enough for him
"This is pretty high! And there's the SEA beneath us!"
"Exactly! It's not like we'd be landing on rocks"
I looked down... Nope, this was high enough for a challenge. This was actually a bit scary for me, so there was no way I'd bet any higher
"Are you backing down, Aello?"
"Have it your way..." he leaned his head back down on my thigh and sighed, again. I didn't urge him; I just waited until he spoke himself.
"My father passed away from an illness years ago. But before he died, he took care of me since I was seven. He taught me everything he knew..." he took my hand in his again and gave a hesitant look. He was afraid I'd get sad because he was describing how good his father was to him. Well, it did stir something inside me, but I knew that was the way he was raised. Every Aello was raised the same way, and I'd never wish for anything less for anyone.
I gave him a reassuring smile and he continued: "On my first Agape, my father helped me find a suitable and gentle Aella. He chose well. The Aella was nice and patient with me. She'd remind me if I forgot to get anything for her or her child, who was accompanying her at the time. She waited for me to take the initiative, and when I didn't, she asked if I wanted to bed her. My father had explained those things to me, but I was actually so uninterested that I didn't pay attention. My first trials were obviously very insufficient; she said all I did was kiss her and it was far from enough"
"What else is there?"
"Sorry?"
"You said your father taught you things? What things?"
"Euuuuh..." he looked flustered to answer me, "Well... in order to have children, people need to... you know"
I cocked my head in confusion: "We did all those things, right?"
He chuckled uncomfortably: "Actually... almost......... ANYWAY! The Aella continued on being patient with me and she taught me the proper way an Aello mated with an Aella."
I didn't understand what else could 'mating' imply. But I didn't want to interrupt him again.
"Eventually, we mated. But in the end, she got tired and told me that I didn't satisfy her enough. I didn't understand. I did everything I was taught; I cleaned my den, I hunted and got her good meals every day, I kept her child fed and even took him with me whenever I went to gather fruits or check on the traps I set, I even did everything she asked when I mated with her! Eventually, the Agape ended. I was young and it was my first Agape, so she didn't tell father or the others about her real opinion of me."
He sighed and continued: "I was physically and mentally exhausted after the Agape. It didn't feel like a month of happiness, more like a whole month of pretending and obedience. The Agape is part of Aellos' honor, my father had told me. I didn't even know why! To me it made no sense.
The next year, I didn't get an Aella to approve of me. I didn't really try much, no matter how many they were, no one looked remotely attractive to me. It felt like the best I would do with them was having a nice chat about their lives. Nothing beyond that really interested me. Besides, I was yet to develop the manly muscles I have now. No Aella even looked at the skinny me"
"Didn't your father help you to get one?"
"Fathers only helped the first time. The rest is for my own honor and the responsibility laid solemnly on me. My father died a few months after that. He was a very strong and brave Aello, and I wanted to make his spirit proud. So the following Agape, I prepared myself the best I could and even got a beautiful Aella to join me. She was pretty and young, and young ones are the hardest to please. I tried my best though, but........."
His hand squeezed mine like he remembered something painful. I couldn't wait to hear the rest so I urged him, as gently as possible: "What happened?"
"I... I couldn't"
"Couldn't?"
"I just couldn't... it was so damn odd and frustrating! She wanted to mate, but whenever we tried, I couldn't... please her... I tried to make up for it by feeding her properly, but she started asking for so many things! Like dried fish, rare plants, and a tiger's skin! I actually managed to get her all she asked for. She was using me and I knew it, it was like she was making me pay for not pleasing her in bed! She kept telling me over and over how bad my den was, how empty and difficult it was for her to walk on the big rocks to get here. She wanted me to go find another den, but I liked my home! I'm actually close to the sea which means food and also a beautiful view, There are three sources of sweet water about five minutes away, I'm beside a part of the forest that is filled with fruits even in winter, and very few Aellos are around here so I can set as many traps as I want and no one would step into them!
She was unreasonable. She just wouldn't understand how much I searched to find somewhere calm and satisfying. It felt beyond demeaning, but having a successful Agape was part of my honor as an Aello, I HAD TO MAKE IT WORK! After the second week, she said she wanted a pearl. I dove for three days straight at a reef of a neighboring island. I had asked around and was told that I could find pearls there if I looked well enough. When I told her that, she asked for it to be a black pearl!! She said that another Aella was gifted one and that she wanted bigger!"
My eyes widened when I realized he was talking about my aunt. She actually had a beautiful black pearl that the Leader Aello gave her years ago.
"I didn't find her what she wanted. Instead, I brought her more skins and some beautiful corals. I felt like I was becoming crazy. I was used to hunting and taking care of myself. But I couldn't understand why did I have to give EVERYTHING I had to a woman who didn't even smile at me? Why did I have to share what I worked hard to get with someone like her, just because she was supposedly pretty??? Of course, despite everything I gave her, she got angry. She threw the corals in my face and called me pathetic. She said she was losing her time and beauty with me. I asked her why she was acting so hateful towards me. And she said.........
She said I wasn't a man. She said I couldn't perform well enough for the spirits to bless her with a baby. After that, she insulted me further, words I don't even want you to hear. I went to clear my head. Despite her atrocious behavior, I went back to try and talk to her calmly. I didn't do well with yelling and throwing things. But when I went back to my den, it was almost empty. The Aella had taken whatever she could carry and she left me."
I gasped: "That's... that's so horrible of her! And it's against our laws!!"
He scoffed bitterly: "All she cared about was mating and having a baby"
"But did she get punished?? Did you not tell on her?"
"No, but that wasn't all. When she left me, she went back to the beach of the gathering. She walked around until she found an Aello and spent the rest of the Agape with him. Of course, I only knew of that later on. I frankly didn't care where she went. I just assumed she went back to her clan's territory. But a few days later, I accidentally met the Leader, he asked and I didn't lie or hide the truth. He insisted on finding her and making sure she was well. And that's when we found her with the other Aello."
He went silent for a heavy moment. My heart bled for him and I patted his chest and caressed his hair.
"An Agape so bad that the Aella risks her honor by going for another Aello?  It seems like no one can remember the last time something like this happened in our clan.  Eventually, the Leader decided not to report her deeds to her clan in exchange for her silence."
"But that's wrong! She should've been punished!!"
"Punishing her would mean revealing what happened. It would also tarnish my clan's reputation and belittle us at the eyes of the Aellas who are known to stand by each other's side. Only the Leader and a few other Aellos know about this......... and you"
"How old were you when this happened?"
"Fifteen, I think?"
Too young... At fifteen, I was so bratty and childish... He was expected to deal alone with so much!
"Ithel, what happened next?"
"Nothing, really. I didn't want to discover if the Aella revealed to her clan about my... incompetence. I didn't even go to the Agape after that"
We were silent for a moment. I looked at the sky that was already darkening. What he said was too much to take in, but no matter how I looked at it, it wasn't his fault.
Just like it wasn't my fault that my father didn't claim me... it was just bad fate
I leaned down to kiss his forehead. I remembered how happy and cherished I felt every time he kissed me the same way, so I kissed him again and again until he chuckled
"I'm probably not the typical Aella, but I had the honor of being your Agape, and I have to say, you are the kindest and most generous person I ever saw. You are brave, honorable and very handsome. You've taken care of my ignorant self during a month, not once did you complain or make me feel unwelcomed. You should be very proud of who you are, Ithel. I'd give anything to be free and strong like you"
He was staring up at me with a small frown that dissipated for a smile to take place. He lifted himself up and turned to me. He was on his hands and knees on the branch, so I grabbed his arms to keep him from falling over. But he didn't seem to care about that as he approached me:
"See? With you, Ceri, I didn't even have to force myself to provide food or to show you around. I was happy just being with you, and I wanted to do all those things!"
I leaned in to kiss him and said, trying to sound as seductive and teasing as I could: "And you made me feel really good every night"
"That's the thing!! With you, I get aroused!"
I blushed hard at that and tried to look away in embarrassment, but he didn't back down. Instead, he continued talking while walking his hand further until I was lying on my back and he was hovering above me: "Ceri, whenever I kiss you or even look at you, I get a burning urge to touch you and take off all your clothes... I want to make you moan and leak in my palm. I want to lick every part of your skin and make you pant in my arms... I want to mate with you and make you explode in pleasure. And without any instructions, I actually feel confident that I can make you roar my name as you squirm. The only thing that keeps me back is your sweet unrivaled innocence"
I was panting at the way his words traveled my body like sweet waves of shivers. His lips grazed mine to torture me and I opened mine to lure them in.
He chuckled and smirked at me: "My, I think I got myself the most innocent Aella on an Agape"
Our lips met and I immediately threw my arms and legs around him. I kissed him and wandered my hands on his back. He pulled back to say in a voice that sounded more playful than sad: "See, I told you my story was awful"
I tried to even my breaths as I answered: "Well, unlike you, my first Agape is really amazing"
He laughed and then whispered in my ear: "I guess I won this round then"
Before I could answer, I felt his weight tilting dangerously on the side. And before I knew it, we were diving into the water.