Date: Sun, 30 Aug 2009 00:04:10 +0200 (CEST)
From: ARTFITZ <artfitz@orange.fr>
Subject: the druid chapter 11 (Not a joke)

Out into the sweet sunlight and air they went, each with his happy thoughts
of a job well done. Stefan was amazed at what had happened in the cave. His
memory of the insults to his person were vivid but seemed to be enclosed in
a bubble. He remembered but was not concerned. The magic light which salved
the raw scars of the whip had also made the memories of the monsters a
thing which could never hurt him again. It was an experience which made him
bigger, more mature and the fact that he saw the vision of the Dagda, the
Good One, was splendid. He equally treasured the memory of when he had
lifted himself in great pain to see his beloved standing four square in
front of the chief of the Firbolgs and defying him. He was so proud of his
man that he turned to him and touched his arm in the sunlight, he faced the
man he loved and touched his ageing lined face, which still held some of
the magic light that had suffused it in the dark cave making him shine like
the sun at midday. Looking into his eyes he kissed him on the lips closing
his eyes and feeling the power of the man, gentle, firm, solid and real for
him. He was further into the valley of passion and love than he had ever
imagined possible between two people. He felt the powerful cock of his
master respond to his kisses. He touched the spot where the solidifying
hard and beautiful cock protruded under the white linen shirt of the
druid. He felt so good that he held his breath for a while.

The druid pushed the boy gently by the shoulders backwards noticing as he
did that the whole area around the cave had bloomed into a great field of
long stemmed bluebells, the sun shone warmly and the trees waved to them as
a gentle breeze caught their branches. Birds sang to add music to the love
that permeated the air. The druid laid his boy on his back, his beautiful
face, framed, looking up at him from a pillow of blue bells. The old man
smiled and laid himself down so that he was parallel to his younger
companion. He touched the boys lips with his long fingers feeling its soft
mobile flesh reacting to his soft touch. "You have been through much today
my beloved boy". He whispered into the boys ear. Stefen did not open his
lips to answer but to take the druids finger into its warm sensual moist
space, he just looked over at the man and nodded. Sucking the man's finger
he moaned and moved his lithe body close to his lover. Their two cocks
sought each other under their clothing. They touched and an electric shock
went through them both making them shudder and pull closer together. They
rested together without making love. Happy in the knowledge that they were
safe and had traversed a hard task together. Their love was magnified by
the events and they knew they could trust each other to the full.

In the dreamy atmosphere of the bluebell field the two slept until a wren,
the smallest of the birds and the King of the birds to the Celt came and
nestled by the ear of the druid.

The little wren was called the king of the birds because when the bird
populations of the world were choosing their King after the creation, the
small wren put his claim to the kingship in at the same time as the others
only to be laughed at and derided by his fellow avian creatures. When the
race started he tucked himself under the wing of the great Eagle and the
birds all flew into the heavens to see who could mount the highest. Of
course the Eagle reached the highest but became tired and when he stopped
the little wren shot out from under his wing and flew the extra few feet
which made him King.

The bird pecked at the druids ear and woke him. He looked into the little
birds eyes and stood quickly wakening Stefan. They both stood dazed but
rested. Stefan told the druid he would have to go back to search for his
shield and sword and spear as he felt naked without his arms. The druid
explained the direction and Stefan raced like a wild animal in that
direction only to return a short hour later fully equipped and ready to run
another hundred miles if necessary. He smiled broadly as he reached the
bluebell dell and saw the druid sitting on a tree trunk with the wren on
his outstretched finger. The wren flew off on seeing Stefan and the druid
looked up to see his lover arriving fully armed and looking quite the
warrior. Stefan looked upwards as the bird flew off. He looked at the druid
and said, 'The messenger of the Dagda has spent some time with you master'.

The druid nodded his agreement. 'She has given me some important
information as to our likely reception at the rath of the King of
Connaught'. 'We must be on our way if we wish to arrive on time'.

On the road to the the rath of Connor Og the atmosphere became almost
jovial, Stefan sang a lot as he walked, the druid was surprised by the
number of love songs he knew and which he sang with a beautiful tenor
voice. They passed few people on the road but those they did looked at the
odd pair with wide and curious eyes once they had bowed and let them
pass. They reached a blacksmiths hose and farm with several beautiful
children of varying ages playing outside and asked to entered the house to
have some water. The man of the house, a powerful man used to wielding the
hammer stood and looked at the warrior and then at the tall druid. He bowed
and offered them a place by the hearth, asking his wife and elder daughters
to provide some water or buttermilk for the distinguished guests. The girls
giggled a lot and stared at Stefan who became embarrassed. The younger boys
came close to examine his sword and shield and make comments about the
beauty of the workmanship. The wife of the smith brought some apples for
them and asked if they would like some bread and home made butter. Both men
agreed and thanked her as they drank and ate. As if by magic the room
filled up with brothers, sisters, cousins ad neighbours all appearing out
of nowhere. The news had spread that a druid had arrived in the home of the
smith and everyone for miles around wanted to see the holy man. Some to ask
for favours and for his intersession with the Dagda.

The smith was a very happy man, honoured by the presence of such a high
born priest and his noble guardian. He admired the bronze worked sword and
shield and discussed the methods used to rivet the pieces together and the
excellent quality of the workmanship. Stefan told him that they were
inherited by him from his father and his father before that and the arms
had never left the family or been used in any dishonourable acts. All of
the men nodded wisely together as they listened to their smith discussing
such important and technical topics with the young warrior and the noble
priest. One of the women asked the priest if there was truth in the acorn
test of true love worked. The druid raised his white bushy eyebrows and
smiled at the woman. She was a big ruddy faced red headed girl with a very
comfortable bosom and good childbearing hips. She wore her hair long which
proved she was a virgin and looked across the room lovingly at a young lad
of the same age who reddened visibly at the question.

Silence ensued as the people all turned their faces towards the druid and
awaited the answer. The Druid cleared his throat and told the crowd the
story of the Irish Celtic form of the zodiac based on trees. The tree he
told them was the great link between the heavens and the earth, having its
roots deep in the ground and its crown in the skies. The Oak was the master
of these trees and had magical powers which was why the druids held their
meetings in Oak groves and taught their students under the wide branches of
this majestic tree. Indeed the first tree was the oak and two acorns fell
from that tree and sprouted, grew and took root and became the male God,
Dagda and the female God, Bridgid. All druids carried an acorn with them at
all time for protection and he pulled his well worn seed from his pouch to
show the assembly. They all looked with amazement as if they had never in
their lives seen an acorn in their lives. There was a rumble of
satisfaction around the room and laughter when the druid told them that the
acorn kept you young looking. The ladies all giggled and swore to
themselves that they would collect one or two and hide them in their skirts
the next day. The men hoped it would work. 'So to get back to the question
posed by the beautiful Grainne over there', he pointed at the girl,
everyone surprised that he knew her name. 'If you take a cup of pure spring
water and each partner drops an acorn into it', they held their breath.

'If they float and stay together it is the sign of a good match if they
drift apart then better look elsewhere. If they sink then there is nothing
to be done'. The crowd all nodded, most already knew the test and having it
confirmed by the holy man made them happy. Mead and beer appeared and it
was not long before the company had become quite playful, merry and
musical. Each of the men sang their favourite songs or recited a poem to
the delight of the children who laughed and jumped about in glee.

Eventually everyone slept on the floor or made their way back to their own
homes in the dark, lead by the star and moonlight. The druid and his
guardian slept chastely side by side in the glow of the forge fire.
Tomorrow was another day and they would need their rest.