Music Festival Hookup

 

You wake up on Saturday of a holiday weekend and scroll on your phone looking for something to do. “Get up sleepy head.” Your sister Abby says as she bursts in and throws a T-shirt at you. “There’s an open-air concert today. Mandi, Hailey, and Misty are going. They’ll be here in a bit.”

Before you can answer, she is gone and getting ready. You get up, clean up, and get dressed. You put on a blue and white bikini. Everyone says it ‘matches your eyes’. Then you pull on a t-shirt and shorts. Checking your phone, you see the weather will be hot and sunny. Perfect for an outdoor concert. You then search for EDM events in the city. Nothing really pops up, so you widen the search, but don’t find anything for the kind of music you like. “Hey Sis, where’s this concert?”

She comes back with a blanket over her shoulder and a six-pack of water in her hand. “I dunno, Misty said she’s driving and it’ll be fun.”

Just then you hear a car horn honk. A Jeep with the top down pulls up, with Misty in the front seat, Hailey riding “shotgun”, and Mandy alone in the back. 

“Let’s go Ladies”. Hailey yells. You grab your beach bag, which has everything you think you’ll need for the day in it. Abby sees the cooler behind the bench seat and puts the water in it. There’s already bottles there but more is better than less. You place your bag next to the cooler, and Abby’s blanket on top. 

You climb in and buckle up. When Abby gets in, she says “Let’s go.”

The warm wind blows your long hair as you go on the highway. “Where are we going?” You ask loudly over the noise of the road.

Mandi shows you an image on her phone, “Holiday Free Concert in the Park — Dozens of bands in the 2-day event”

You grab your phone and try to find it. “I don’t see it anywhere near the City.” You say.

Mandi laughs, “No its out at…” she scrolls on her phone. “Farmville, Farmington…it’s something like that.”

Hailey and Misty laugh. “It’s a good thing we know where we’re going. Relax, we’ll be there a little after things start.” 

You pull your hair into a ponytail with a scrunchy and lean your head back on the seat. The sun and wind feel great.

Soon Misty takes an exit leading to a small town. You see banners saying “Summer Weekend Concert ”. She parks the jeep and you all get out. Abby grabs the blanket and you take your bag. Misty and Hailey carry the cooler.

Its still early and the first band is onstage. It’s a classic rock band playing oldies to get the small crowd excited. Between the drums, electric guitars, and bass, the air just vibrates. You can’t believe how this feels in the morning air.

Abby finds a shady spot and lays out the blanket. You set everything down in the shade. It’s a little bit back away from the stage but you all agree that you’ll rotate who stays with the stuff and who goes up to the stage to have fun. It also will allow whoever needs, can come back and relax in the shade.

You don’t recognize the band but they are doing a great job of playing cover songs. You move closer to the stage and dance with the rest of the crowd. Songs change from hard rocking to power ballads. You move and dance along with the music. You feel energized and alive.

The lead guitarist is a good-looking woman, but the bass player really catches your eye. Black leather pants, tight t-shirt and muscular arms that make powerful notes thunder from his bass. As you dance, bodies move against yours. The mid-morning air, the music, and the warmth of the other dancers just feel so good. Your skin is electric and your nerves are buzzing.

The singer tells the crowd that they only have a couple more songs, and then the next band will take the stage. You don’t know what’s next because you haven’t seen a schedule. The next song is a slow power ballad. You really wish you had a date to dance with. You know you came for the music, but listening to this song, you just want to hold a guy close. Instead of grabbing some random guy, you decide to take a break, have some water, and cool down in the shade.

Abby asks where you are going, as she slow-dances with Hailey. You tell them that you are getting some water and taking a break.

Misty is sitting in the shade, guarding the cooler. “Want to relax?” she asks you as you pull out a cold, water bottle. You nod as you take a sip. The water feels so good going down. You didn’t realize how warm you got out there.

Sitting on the blanket, you stretch out your legs. Misty stands up “Will you watch things for a bit?”

“Of course. Go and have fun.” You tell her.

You notice that your skin is starting to burn a bit, so you pull some lotion from your bag and rub it on your legs and arms.

A couple of guys walk near, carrying a blanket and tote bag. One of them looks to you. “Do you mind if we set up here?”

You shake your head. “Go ahead, there’s plenty of room.”

One of them is wearing ‘board shorts’ and a loose shirt from one of the local colleges and his buddy is wearing a pair of cut-offs and a band T-shirt.

You notice the music stops. Glancing to the stage you see the classic rock band leaving. They are followed by a group wearing jeans, western shirts, and cowboy hats. They start playing some old school country music. Abby, and Hailey come back to the blanket. You think you see Misty and Mandi still dancing.

As your friends get some water, you toss Abby the tube of sunblock. “Hey Sis, you don’t want to burn.”

Your friends are wiping the sweat off of themselves with some of the baby wipes you packed. “It’s getting warm out there.” Hailey comments.

You notice that the guys near you are checking you and your friends out.

As Abby applies lotion to her skin, the guy in board shorts, pulls lotion bottle from their bag. He slowly rubs it into his deeply tanned skin. He tosses the bottle to his buddy. You hear the wet ‘fffftt’ sound as he tries to get lotion from the now empty bottle.

You giggle at the noise, and he says “It’s from the bottle, not me.”

You smile at him. “Do you need some?”

“If you can spare it.” He responds. You nod at Abby to toss them the tube of lotion when she is done.

You notice his tattoos as he rubs the sunscreen on his skin. The tattoos are a variety of animals, symbols, and colors.

As he turns you notice his t-shirt says “SKRILLEX”. He comes closer and hands you the tube of sunscreen. “Thanks.” He says as he smiles at you.

Hailey and Abby point out food trucks have pulled into the parking lot. “I’m going to see what they have.” Hailey says.

Abby says “Mmmm I’m a little hungry.” She turns to you. “Do you want anything?”

You shake your head, “Not yet. Why don’t you check them out. I’ll get something in a bit.”

They leave once again so it is just you on the blanket.

“Thanks for the sunscreen. By the way, my name’s Scott.” says the guy in the Skrillex tee. He notices the tattoos on your arms. “Cool ink.” he says. He then nods to the crowd, “My buddy Zack convinced me to come. I like live music, but I haven’t heard anything I really like yet.”

“What kind do you like?” You ask, genuinely curious.

He points to the band on his chest. “I really like EDM. I saw SKRILLEX when he was in town. How about you?” He asks as he moves a little closer, still lying on his blanket.

The country music band leaves the stage and a Jazz trio sets up. The Jazz drummer is playing a hard, fast, rhythm that you feel in the ground and the air vibrates with wailing sax.

Scott ignores the music and is focused on listening to you. “What music do you like?” he asks again. Looking deeply into your eyes. His brown eyes look so inviting as he listens to you.

“Subtronics is my fav.” You tell him.

“Maybe we’ll both luck out and someone will play some EDM.” He replies.

The two of you talk for a bit. He tells you about the various EDM acts he’s seen live. He shows you a couple of tattoos he added after the shows.

“I love that you put so many on with intention. What’s the story behind your favorite?” you ask.

Your friends come back with a variety of foods. Burritos, sandwiches, and chicken wings. “There’s lots to choose from at the food trucks.”

Scott stands up. “That smells good. Maybe I should get something. Can you watch our stuff?”

Abby agrees to it, as you stand up. “I’m hungry too.”

Both you and Scott head to the food trucks. He talks more about his tattoos. “Yeah, Everything I put on for reason.” He points to a tiger. “This was for my ex-girlfriend.” He then points to a stylized university mascot on the other arm.

You get to the food trucks. “What are you hungry for? I could really go for a spicy taco.” he comments.

“Mmmm, look at that hot thick sausage.” you respond while pointing to the picture of a sausage sandwich on the side of a truck.

Scott gets three freshly made soft tacos, with lots of cheese and lettuce. You go for the Italian on a bun.

“You really like a thick sausage.” Scott jokes. “By the way, you and your friends look like models.”

You give him a sly smile. “We make internet content. You might have seen us. What do you do?”

He uses the tip of his tongue to lick the cheese and lettuce from the top of the meat, between the soft tortilla folds, then swallows and says. “Post-grad work at College.”

You want to make a comment about his tongue use, but decide against it, for now. You instead slide the sausage into your mouth, then slide most of it out before you bite the tip off.

“Yes, you like thick sausages.” He mutters before he licks the meat suggestively from his first taco.

You get back to the blankets and take a sip of your water. “That’s what I forgot to get, something to drink.” Scott says.

You reach into the cooler and get him a water bottle. “All we have is water but you can have one.”

“Thanks.” He says as he opens and drinks from it.

The Jazz band leaves the stage and a guy with a guitar sits on a stool. Misty and Mandi come back. Zack is with them. He apparently knows a bit about Jazz and Mandi is listening.

Scott looks at them, “I swear I’ve seen them online.”

You comment. “Probably on TikTok, Instagram, or Facebook. We post all the time.”

As you finish eating your sausage, you notice that the crowd around the stage has changed. Where there had been dancers are now older people and kids. The singer is doing a mixture of old folk songs and kids tunes.

You and Scott finish eating and talk. He tells you why the tiger tattoo represents his ex-girlfriend. You tell him about your lotus flower on your shoulder.

A few minutes later, you both see large roller boxes on the stage behind the singer. As he finishes up, the boxes are unpacked and a couple of turntables are hooked up. A rack of large speakers flank the turntables.

“This looks promising.” Scott says.

The DJ starts a strangely familiar electronic tempo. A voice comes through the speakers. “The Grid… A digital frontier. I tried to picture clusters of information as they moved through the computer….What did they look like? Ships? Motorcycles? Were the circuits like freeways? I kept dreaming of a world I thought I’d never see….. And then,… one day…I got in.” It’s the intro lines from “Tron: Legacy” done by Daft Punk. The crowd changes from older people and children back to younger adults. The DJ then transitions to a variety of songs by various groups. Swedish House Mafia, Hardwell, The Prodigy, and deadmau5. You feel the electronic bass thump against your skin and you pull off your t-shirt. You notice a few other women also only wearing bikini tops.

Scott moves and grooves next to you. He looks and feels good too.

The DJ transitions to a Skrillex song. Scott shouts for joy. You are both moving with each other. So hot. So electric. So good.

You both are sweating by the end of the last song. Scott and you head back to the shade for some more water.

“That was amazing.” You say.

“Yeah.” Scott says as he lies on the blanket. As the DJ packs up, a rock and roll band sets up. They take a few minutes to tune up then start playing some hard rock from the ‘70’s. They play well and sound really good. You lie on the blanket, close your eyes, and feel the music through the ground.

You feel Scott lying next to you. He moved his blanket right next to yours. “I really like you.” He says. “Do you want to find a quiet place to be alone?” 

You open your eyes and look around. Zack has already gone back near the stage, along with Abby, Mandi, and Hailey. Misty is relaxing on the blanket again. Scott gets up, holds out his hand for you. As you stand up he picks up his blanket. He asks “Can you watch our bag again?” Misty nods, and gives you a knowing wink. You smile, raise your eyebrows, and take Scott’s hand.

You find a spot where there seems to be plenty of cover. You still hear the rock and roll band playing hard rocking songs. This time it’s something from the ‘80’s. Scott lays the blanket out. He then kisses you. You feel his warm lips against yours. You taste a little of that spicy taco flavor still on him.

His hands caress your shoulders as you reach under his damp t-shirt and feel his firm muscles. He pulls off his t-shirt and you more clearly see his tattoos. You feel his fingers untying your bikini top and it falls down. He stops kissing and looks down. “I love that ink on your chest.” He then bends forward and softly licks the pattern between your breasts. The slow moving feeling of his wet tongue on your skin makes you tingle.

You reach down and feel the outline of his hardening shaft. His hands cup your breasts as he continues to lick around your nipples. The tree shaded air is cooler than you expected. Between his warm mouth and the cool air, your nipples harden. You unfasten his shorts and pull out his cock. It feels nice and thick, like the sausage you had for lunch.

As he licks and sucks your nipples, your pussy is getting so wet. “Let me lie down, so you can lick my pussy.” you tell him as you keep stroking his shaft.

You let go of him, and pull of your shorts and bikini bottom. “Mmmm so nicely trimmed.” he says when he sees your pretty pussy.

Lying on the blanket, you spread your legs and raise your knees. He gets down, puts your legs on his shoulders and grabs your hips. You feel the soft beard and mustache rub against your thighs as he kisses and lick his way to your damp pussy.

You feel the tip of his tongue slowly lick around and between your sensitive lips. The same movements you saw him doing to the taco, he does to you. Slowly he licks up, around, between, and in. It feels so good. 

He thrusts all the way into you, and his mustache rubs your clit. I very different sensation than what you expected. Back and forth he rubs it. You feel tingles build and move through you. “Oh God, that’s good.” you say louder than you expected. You place one hand over your mouth, and the other on his head.

You feel his mouth move up and cover your clit. He licks and sucks it. Pleasure rolls though you, as you feel vibrations of the music through the ground. “I…want.. you…in me..” you say as you cover your mouth. You bite your knuckle as you cum again.

He stops licking and sucking. Moving your legs, he crawls up your body. He kisses you again. This time you taste your pussy as you feel the tip of his cock rubbing between your ready lips.

As he slides into you, his chest rubs against yours. Both of you are already slick with sweat. It feels so good with him inside of you. It doesn’t take long for you to cum again. Your pussy pulses around his hard cock.

“You are really enjoying yourself.” He whispers in your ear. “Where should I finish?”

“I want to taste you.” you quietly respond.

He nods, pulls out, and rolls onto his back. You move over top of him, straddling his face. His cock is wet with your juices. Grabbing it, you lick around the tip and then take it into your mouth. He starts to moan but quickly you feel him moaning against your pussy. Removing it from your mouth, you stroke it and say “That’s it lick me again. Lick my pussy. Lick my ass.” You stroke and suck him as you feel his tongue move from your pussy to your ass and back.

The tip of his tongue slides into your tightest hole. You stroke him faster. “You’re good.” you say. You stroke him harder keeping your open mouth right above it, as you feel him spread your cheeks wider and thrust deeper. You cum once more at the same time he thrusts up against your hand. He shoots his hot spume into your open mouth. His briny flavor isn’t bad. Sort of what you expected. You suck and lick him clean as he licks you clean too.

You climb off of him and get dressed. “We should get back.” you say. 

He pulls on his clothes and nods. “Yeah, before Zack notices I’m gone or leaves without me.”

Picking up the blanket, you guys walk back to the concert. Misty sees you. “Is everything good?”

“Better than I expected.” you respond with a wink. 

Your sister and friends come back from the stage. “This is the last band for the day. I say we go. If you want, we can come back tomorrow.”

You look at Scott. “We’re heading out. I had fun. I hope to see you again.”

He takes his phone from his bag, “Can i get your number?” 

You grab yours “Here’s my ChatApp.” He copies the link and sends you a text. You kiss him and leave.

Mandi leans close to you as you are walking to the Jeep, “Did he recognize you from your Cam site?” 

You shake your head and smile. “I don’t think so. If he tells his buddies we hooked up, no one will believe him.” You laugh, and enjoy the ride home.

The Healer and the Scout - The Separate Spell - Part 2

By the time your shift is done, you have pages full of notes. The Junior Healers let you work in peace. It could be that there was nothing in the Recovery Tent that required your attention, or more likely, the items they normally would have brought to you, they discussed among themselves for answers.

Both Helane and Georgina enter the tent. “You have been busy.” Georgie comments.

“I was going to talk with you at dinner, but I think here might be better.” Lanie responds.

Before you can comment, both of the Senior Healers check on the outgoing shift. They tell them to go get dinner and to bring back three trays of food. The three of you have work to do.

Georgina checks on patients to verify what the Junior Healers told her, while Helane moves a small table next to the desk along with two chairs. She then gets a large teapot and three fresh mugs, taking away your empty one along with the small pot.

As you finish writing, you smell food as a plate is put in front of you. Your colleagues sit, and give a moment of Thanks, before filling their mugs and taking bites of stew.

You close the Texts and set them aside, your notes pages sticking out of one of the books. Looking at Georgie and Lanie, you say “Thanks. I appreciate this.” As you take a bite of food.

After a few minutes of eating and drinking, Georgina asks “Are you going to tell us what you found?”

You nod as you swallow a mouthful of the spicy, seasoned meat then wash it down with more tea. “I had forgotten…No, I thought I knew better.” You say.

Both women watch and listen.

“When I did the Merge, before I broke physical contact, I was supposed to do a Separate spell.”

“But” Helane interrupts “If you remember, you passed out after you closed all of his wounds.”

You nod, wipe your hands and mouth with a cloth, and pick up one of the Texts. “Here is another note I found.” You pass her the book, pointing to where you underlined a passage. “When using Merge in conjunction with other Repair spells, the healer needs to either be tapped into Healing Energy Focus or have Energy flows directed at them by one or more additional healers.” She reads aloud.

Georgie comments “We’re no where near a Focus, and you reacted too fast for us to organize a Flow conduit. Marge, you really didn’t think about this at all.”

Lanie pulls your notes from the book and looks at them.

“Yes, I over reacted.” You pause, and sip your tea. “Looking back, I mistook Kerry for Tomas.”

“But Tomas has been…” Georgie starts to say, but you hold up your hand.

“I know that.” You sigh and compose your thoughts. “We had just spent weeks of healing battlefield wounds and making sure that this field hospital worked as efficiently as it could.” You take another sip of tea. “Things quieted down, and I was remembering quiet times. Times with Tomas.”

Lanie interrupts “So when you saw a scout who looks like him, with wounds similar to the ones he died from, you overreacted. You already told me that.” She continues reading your notes. “So you found a way to do the Separate spell, and end this?”

You nod. “Yes, but I need the help of both of you and of course Kerry.”

“When do we do it?” Georgina asks.

“Lets finish eating, clean up, and then do this in my tent. Georgie, you’ll have to have let your shift handle things without you for a bit.”

She nods “Give me a few minutes after you leave to organize things and I’ll join you.”

Helane reaches for the other Text. “I’d like to have Diana there too. If for no other reason than to let her observe powerful magics first hand.”

You nod. “Of course. I think there is a role she can play. This has been a lesson I learned the hard way. Maybe she is a better student and can learn without making such large mistakes.”

After you carry the dirty dishes back to the Dinning Tent, you ask Helane “Were you able to alleviate his menstrual cramps?”

“Oh, Yeah. I should have told you. You were right. Once he cleared his mind and focused on his body, the pain went away. I told him to find you if they returned.”

“That was good.” You say as you head for the Scouts’ command building.

You talk with the Scout Commander and tell him that Kerry will be ready to report back tomorrow morning. There is a last healing spell needed to complete his treatment. He needs to report to your tent as soon as possible. The Scout Commander thanks you for the update and tells you that Kerry will be there shortly.

Inside your tent, you move the cot to the center and put meditation cushions all around it. Helane and Diana arrive shortly. You take your notes from Helane and look at your sketch. “Can you place the lamps and candles in a circle around us?” you ask. She nods and does it as you open a trunk and pull out some incense and a small brazier. Then you take a small bowl and fill the bottom with water.

“Why do you need all of that?” Helane asks. “It looks like you are doing old-style witchcraft. Should we ask Harcourt to join us?”

You shake your head when she mentions her sorcerer lover. “No, we don’t need a mage. But because I waited so long to close the Merge Spell, I’ll need to do a ritual that will look like witchcraft.”

“Why?” she starts to ask but is interrupted by Georgina entering the tent.

“What in the Creator’s Name are you doing now Marge?” Her robes moving around her curvy body.

“Good. You’re here. Now we just need Kerry.” You hand the brazier to Diana. Then light a small piece of charcoal and sprinkle some incense on it. “Hold on to this, and when I say, I will need you to walk in a circle three times, Praying for protection, strength, and Guidance from the creator.” You hand her a prayer you copied down. You then get a small surgical knife and set it next to the bowl with water.

“Marge, are you going to explain what we are doing?” Georgie asks.

“As soon as Kerry arrives, I’ll explain everything. I only want to go through this once.”

You sit on a meditation cushion, open both Texts, and flip through your notes.

“Hello Margaret, you wanted to see me?” a familiar masculine voice asks as you feel that strange double heartbeat in your chest.

“Come in Kerry.” You answer.

He enters wearing only a bathing robe. “Oh. I thought you wanted to feel me in person tonight, so I cleaned up and came right over.”

You smile and shake your head. “I want you in-person, but not for the reason you think.”

He looks at the other healers, still wearing healing robes. “I would ask if this is some weird sex thing but you all look too professional.”

“Don’t I wish.” Georgina says. “I don’t think we’ve properly met. I’m Mistress Healer Georgina.” She extend her hand which he gracefully kisses the back of.

“It is a pleasure to meet Margaret’s other colleague.” He says with a gentile bow.

“Now that the niceties have been observed, Kerry I need you to lie down on the cot. On your back and face up.” He does as you ask. Your double heartbeat continues, as it is trying to match his, but you are fighting to keep yourself alone inside you right now.

He tries to relax but you can sense his arousal, which is very evident by the lower part of his robe opening and his hardening member showing.

“Oh my” Diana comments, but Helane gives her a stern glance.

“Focus, Healer Diana.” She then asks, “What do you need us to do?” 

You take the knife, jab the tip of you finger and drip three drops into the water. You then stab Kerry’s finger and also drip three drops of blood. You swirl the bowl so everything is mixed together. Then you hand the bowl to Helane. “You hold this and when we begin. You pray to the Creator to Protect and separate the fluids in the bowl. As you do it, you need to use the energy flow to carefully sever one from the other and then seal each in a bubble.” You turn to Georgie. “I need you to place your hands on my back, feed me healing energy and remind me that ‘I am Margaret, separate and different from Kerry’. Can you do that?”

She nods. You remove your robe and fully open Kerry’s. You feel an electric jolt that hardens your nipples and moistens your pussy. You bite your lower lip and concentrate. “Ok, Ladies, lets begin.”

You place your hands on Kerry’s chest and close your eyes. Immediately the double heartbeat syncs into one. You feel his desire and longing, or is it your longing and desire? You recognize the smell of incense and murmured prayers around you. On your back you feel hands. Healing energy is flowing into you. Desire for sex tries to shape the energy. “We have to end the Merge. We need to be Separated.” You softly say. Thoughts in your head sharply say “No. We belong together. Feel how good we are together.” Excitement and arousal try to pull you in but you inhale sharply. “I am Margaret. You are Kerry. We are separate beings. We do not belong together.”

As you say it, you guide the healing energy to sever the ties between you. You have to delicately cut each merged tie. It’s like slowly pealing the skin off of a piece of fruit but trying to keep both intact. The edge of the Healing energy slowly separates you. His emotions try to fight to keep you, but you feel the razor sharp, shallow cuts Separating you into two. As more is separated, Kerry’s hunger to keep you together increases. It becomes a suffocating darkness trying to swallow you. As you focus the Healing energy to separate you, you feel a blast of Healing energy light up and fill Kerry’s dark hunger. He audibly moans in a mixture of pleasure and satisfaction. You can’t feel him. It’s almost done. You guide the energy to finish severing the last of the ties. Then you diffuse the energy so it heals and seals all of the cut ties, like the skin of a bubble. Your heartbeat is yours alone. Your hands feel his heartbeat in his chest but there is no connection to yours at all. “It is done.” You say as you open your eyes.

Looking over to Helane, in the bowl there are three bubbles, one of water, and two of blood, each separate and not touching. Georgina stops sending energy into you and hands you your robe.

Kerry sits up, and covers himself. Tears are in the corners of his eyes. “Why did you do that? We were good together.”

“No, Kerry. That was the spell. Give it a few days, and if you still want to be with me, we can be lovers, but the sex won’t feel anything like what we had.” There is a cold emptiness. It’s the same emptiness you felt when Tomas died. You look closely at Kerry. He is so young. He and Diana must be similar ages. “Scout. You are fully healed. You may report to your commander for further orders. Return to duty.” You say in your most professional voice.

Helane and Georgina just stand and wait. They have questions but don’t involve him.

He gets up, ties his robe, and formally bows. “Thank you Mistress Healer. Your skills and knowledge serve you well. May the Creator continue to guide you.” Then he leaves.

Helane tells Diana to take Kerry back to his barracks. She’ll meet her back at their tent shortly.

The three of you put your tent back in order. While you do, you answer their questions and thank Georgie for the Healing energy blast that satiated Kerry’s lust. Once you are done, they hug you. “Marge, what have you learned from all of this?” Lanie asks.

“Use my knowledge and experience, not my ‘thoughts and feelings’.” You reply.

“It’s a pity you didn’t give him ‘one for the road’.” Georgie says with a sly smirk.

But you look directly at her. “No, it wasn’t pity. It was to protect the memories of what we shared. I was honest when I said that sex won’t feel like it did. I wish I could… Wait a minute.” You pick up the Texts and scan through extremely advanced spells until you find “Share Memories”. You carefully read the warnings and procedures. It is a variation of both Emotional Bonding and Merge, but is centered on memories. “If you want to see what I experienced, I’ll show you.”

Both Helane and Georgina look at each other, then read the Text. “No. Maybe some other time. When we are not so close to the fighting.”

You chuckle as you give the Texts to Helane to return to Diana. “You’re right. I need some sleep. You should get back to your shift,” you say to Georgie, “and you have a lovely young healer to teach.” You tell Helane. “Goodnight Mistress Healers.”

You lie down on your bunk and soon fall asleep. No strange dreams, no phantom sexual experiences, just sleep.

The Healer and the Scout - The Separate Spell - Part 1

It’s been almost two weeks since you used the Merge spell. During the day, you are okay. Healings, schedules, and updates to the Chronicles all help to keep you focused. While doing those things, “you are you”. Nights are different and you try not to think about them while you are working.

Recently there have been more skirmishes on the border. Instead of you jumping in and healing the wounded, you remind yourself that you are one of the Senior Healers. Let the junior healers do the work. The herbalists and the surgeons are good at what they do, so you use this opportunity to teach the junior healers how to work better as a team. Sitting at the Senior Healer’s desk at the end of the Recovery tent, you update the Chronicles with the day’s events.

‘Members of a cavalier unit were brought in. Most were treated for minor wounds. Their armour protected them from the worst of the damage. The exceptions were a rider whose leg was crushed and another whose spine was damaged. For the crushed limb, two junior healers worked in tandem. Healer Esme’s job was to use Pleasure charms to counter the pain, and Healer Heath’s was to evaluate the damage to the bones.’

You place your pen down and grab your teacup. You sip the warm herb infused liquid. It is nearing the end of the day, and you just want to relax. But you are the Lead this shift, and you don’t want to turn things over to Georgina, incomplete. You glance at the long shadows cast by the setting sun. You’d better finish writing. It’s easier to brief her what happened if you can also hand her the completed daily log. You set down your cup and pick the pen up.

‘For the spinal damage patient, junior healer Okal was used. They did the initial evaluation and treatment.’

You leave a space on the page and write ‘Treatment results, observations, and recommendation: Shattered leg — Use of two healers in conjunction with an herbalist and a surgeon was good. Healer Esme kept the patient calm and relaxed by focused use of the Pleasure charm, boosted with an Emotional Bonding spell. Healer Heath focused on the bones of the leg. Working with the surgeon and the herbalist, they straightened the leg. Heath Looked at the damage, ensured the bones were aligned and used a Joining spell the fuse the broken ends together.’

You think how you oversaw what they did. You didn’t need to do anything aside from minor recommendations, but that’s not needed for the log.

‘The surgeon stitched closed the wounds on the leg and the herbalist wrapped the leg in infused bandages. The patient’s leg will continue to be immobilized until it heals further. It will have to be evaluated later to determine what follow-up treatments are needed. Both Esme and Heath did excellent work along with the herbalist and the surgeon.’

You take another sip of tea. “I really should get the names of the people working with our healers.” You say aloud to yourself.

“What’s that Mistress Healer?” Junior Healer Diana asks.

You shake your head. “Nothing. Just finishing up the Chronicles. Is Mistress Georgina here?”

“Not yet Mistress. Shall I get her?”

“No. I’m almost done with the Chronicles. I’ll brief her when she arrives. Are there any changes to the patients I need to know about?” You ask

“No Mistress.” She turns, “If that’s all, I’d like to get some dinner. They started serving the evening meal.”

You nod. “Go eat. Tell the other healers on shift to get some food too.”

She gives you a pleasant smile and leaves.

You continue writing about how Junior Healer Okal evaluated the spine, used magic to see the bones and nerves, and with the help of a surgeon and two herbalists, ensured the spine was straight, while strengthening the nerves. The spine hadn’t been severed, thank the Creator, but there was damage. Rest and daily treatments of healing magic will be needed to ensure the nerves repair themselves. You write that Okal also did an excellent job and only required minimal assistance from the Senior Healer.

“Anything interesting?” a familiar voice asks as Mistress Healer Georgina walks into the tent and sees you finishing your updates.

“A few things.” You say and then give her a quick briefing on the day’s activities.

She nods and grabs a clean mug off the nearby shelf. She pours herself a cup of tea, then pulls up a chair. “Marge, how are you doing?” she asks in a quiet tone.

You know what she’s talking about. Almost every day she or Helane ask about lasting effects of the Merge spell. “Today, I’ve been focused on work. I didn’t feel any echoes, and nothing distracted me during my shift.” You answer with an almost bored tone.

She takes your hand, “We are worried about you. Sometimes you still show lingering effects. They really should be gone by now.”

You think about it for a moment. “We haven’t heard anything from the Collegium. Maybe there is something I forgot or did wrong.”

Georgie leans closer, “Have you had sex with him again?”

You shake your head. “Every time I’m close, I want him deeply inside of me. But I know it’s wrong. He’s my patient. Until he’s returned to his unit, I’m responsible for him.”

“Hasn’t he recovered yet?” She asks.

“Almost. The tightness and pain are almost gone. Most of his strength has returned.” You pause for a moment and reflect. “Maybe I should have returned him to duty already.”

She gives your hand a friendly squeeze. “If you need a second opinion, either me or Lanie can help.”

You give her a smile and a nod.

“You aren’t having physical sex with him, but are you still having those dreams?” She asks.

You knew she was going to ask but you still feel the warmth rising in your cheeks. “Yes. Some nights stronger than others.”

“But they don’t feel like dreams?” She continues, “And you have physical reactions?”

You lean in closely and keep your voice low. “Yes, my vagina feels like it’s been vigorously fucked and my nipples are sore. My clit feels like it’s been pulsing and throbbing, as I gush fluid in waves of orgasm.”

“Your bedding, its wet from ejaculation, and not urine?” Her tone is professional again.

You nod. “When I finish, I wake up and have to void myself, so it’s definitely not urine.”

“Marge, I think we need to still keep an eye on you. That doesn’t sound right. The sex is right, but I mean the fact that it’s ‘dream sex’.”

You hold her hand for a moment. “Georgie, It’s not like any sex I’ve ever had. I’ve got a vagina and a penis. My nipples are on my chest and also on a chest with small curly hair. I’m fucking and being fucked at the same time.”

Georgina has a strange smile on her face. “I’ve been to seasonal gatherings like that.”

You shake your head. She grips your hand reassuringly. “I’m trying to lighten the mood. I know this is serious.”

You both stand up and hug. “Now go get some dinner. I’m on shift and you’ve been relieved.” She says in a professional tone. “I have to brief the junior healers soon.”

You head for the dining tent and see Helane talking with Diana as you fill your plate with whatever the cooks made tonight, some sort of stew, cooked vegetables, and the ever present travel bread. By the time you head to the table, Diana has left.

“Greetings and Good Evening Mistress Healer, how fare you?” You ask formally. Lanie smiles and dismissively waves at you. “Just sit. You’re coming off shift and my shift doesn’t start for hours.”

“You don’t want to know the status of the Recovery Tent?” you ask.

She shakes her head and sips her tea. “No, I’ve already heard as much as I need.”

You cock your head to the side, thinking about Diana. “Oh really? She’s your source of information?”

Lanie leans in closely to you and in a low tone says, “If I don’t ask her now, how her day went, then she’ll be up half of the night telling me about it. I’d rather engage in more pleasurable pursuits before I start my shift.”

You knew Helane was sleeping with a female healer, but you didn’t know it was Diana.

Both of you spend the rest of the mealtime updating each other. You give her a more detailed report about the day’s healings, and she tells you a little of what she has been teaching Diana, both as a healer and a lover.

In your tent, you do some relaxation stretches before meditating. Your body has been giving you some subtle hints that you’ll menstruate soon, so you put on your absorbent underwear.

As you drift off to sleep, you feel that strange double heartbeat. You try to clear your mind and relax your body. Soon there is only one heartbeat but your body has that strange yet familiar feeling to it. Your hand caresses your breasts. But is it because you miss Tomas rubbing your nipples or because Kerry enjoys the feeling? Neither of you are awake, but you feel his thoughts and desires as much as he feels yours. That empty feeling left by Tomas is trying to be filled by Kerry. You want him to pleasure you as much as you want to pleasure him in return. You feel a hand slowly move down your body. When you get to your pussy, your fingertips slowly rub your clit. But is it your clit you feel or the tip of his hard cock? Fingers rub and circle around the mushroom head. It feels so good. Fingers stroke the length of the shaft as fingers thrust into your wet, hungry pussy. That weird double pleasure feeling echoes in your brain. As the shaft is stroked to the base, your pussy is filled completely. This strange mirror ‘in and out’ feeling continues until he/you thrust deeply. You feel it pulse inside of you as your cunt pulses around it. Your fingers are wet. The orgasm is intense. You wake up, with your hand in your underwear. That strange double heartbeat is in your chest, and you gasp for air as you catch your breath. 

You sit up, and inhale deeply. “I need you with me.” is Kerry’s thought in your head. You feel desire and longing you haven’t felt all day. 

“It’s not me” you tell yourself and force your mind clear of Kerry’s thoughts and emotions. The second pulse fades, and you feel alone in your body again.

Waking up in the morning, there’s a familiar but unwelcome cramp. “It’s that time of the month again.” You think, as you get up, wash, and put on fresh absorbent undergarments. “I’ll pay a little extra to the laundry workers to make sure they clean them well.” You don’t always get cramps, but when you’ve been under stress, they seem more noticeable. Once you are dressed, you head to the Recovery Tent to relieve Helane and start your shift. On your way, you are stopped by Kerry, who is doubled over, with his hand on his lower abdomen. “Mistress Healer.” He groans.

“Kerry, what’s wrong?” you ask, moving close but not touching him.

“It hurts. I’ve never felt anything like it.”

Helane comes from the Recovery Tent. “What’s going on?”

He looks at her. “It hurts Mistress Healer.” He repeats.

“Lanie, can you check him? I have a thought, but if I touch him..” you start to explain.

She nods and Looks at him. After a moment she says, “Wow! I’ve never felt that on a man before.”

“What? Make it stop.” He whines a bit.

You bite your lower lip to stifle a laugh. His pain isn’t funny, but the situation is. “Should I have the herbalists make some menstrual tea and a warm compress?” You ask your colleague in a professional tone.

She slowly shakes her head in amazement. “Yes, I concur. If he was a woman, I’d ask how often she feels this and if this one is out of the ordinary, but..”

You nod. “He’s feeling mine. It’s not the most painful ones I’ve had, but I was going to have some medicinal tea before shift change brief and try to relax during breakfast.”

“I’ll take him back to his bunk. Go fetch the tea for both of you, and a heated pad for him.” Helane directs.

“Of course, Mistress Healer” you respond in a professional tone to help hide the ironic laughter you want so badly to let out. “A Strong, tough, manly scout, doubled over with a light case of monthly cramps.” But you keep this thought to yourself. Then realize “Something must have gone wrong with this spell. He shouldn’t have felt it, or he should have been able to block it and clear his mind.”

You bring a heated cloth, and a small tea pot and cup. Helane stands by the entrance to the Scouts’ barracks, as you mention “After he drinks some of this, and places the pad on his abdomen, try to have him sit up, and clear his mind. Remind him that he is separate from me.”

“Do you want to do it? You’ve had to do it multiple times.” She asks.

You shake your head. “I think you should. I have a feeling he wants us to be closer. To be lovers and joined. I think it is the spell that is pushing that. Me being close to him, just makes things worse right now.”

She nods and enters the building. “We need to read more up on the Merge spell. I think you’re right. Something went wrong.”

In the Recovery tent, you look at the Chronicles and flip through a few journals, but nothing has what you want. What you need is one of the Healer’s Texts. You haven’t used one in years, and your old one is leagues away at your cottage. During breakfast you ask both Helane and Georgina but neither have their texts. Once you are a senior healer, you trust your knowledge and experience.

After you finish eating, Helane asks “Have you talked with Diana? She is fresh from the Collegium. She hasn’t even finished her first year.”

“If things are quiet during our shift, I’ll talk with her.” You respond.

After you checked on all of the patients and ensured that everyone is doing their part to help with their recovery, you call Diana over to the small Senior Healer’s desk.

“Is there a problem Mistress Healer?” she asks nervously.

“No. Please pull up a chair.” You say as you set out a pair of mugs and a pot of medicinal tea. “You’ll have to excuse me, but I’ve been cramping today, and the tea helps. Would you like some?” You politely offer.

She looks at the empty mug and the small teapot. “Can I fill this with water instead? I don’t need any tea right now.”

You smile at her honesty. “Of course. Go fill it and return. I have some questions for you.”

She takes the mug to the large communal waterskin, fills it, and returns. Sitting on a small chair, she tries to hide her nervousness. “What are your questions Mistress Healer?”

“How long were you at the Collegium before you came here?” You ask as you tap a small graphite stick on a sheet of paper.

“Not long. I was there a few months before Head Mistress sent all of us to field hospitals. She said that we would learn more after a month of fighting, then we could in years of simply studying.”

You nod and take a sip of tea. The warmth slowly moves down your stomach and softens the dull pain in your lower abdomen. “Do you think you have learned a lot?” you ask.

She holds her mug with both hands and tries to keep them from shaking. “I’ve learned some. But there is so much I still need.”

“Is Mistress Helane helping with your studies?” you ask in a relaxed tone.

She looks nervously at you. “Is this what this is about? Is she in trouble?”

You set down the graphite stick and place a reassuring hand on hers. “No. Actually it is appropriate for a Senior Healer to find a Junior Healer to mentor and train. If you were both on the same shift, I’d worry about favoritism, but you work on my shift.”

She looks relieved. “She is teaching me how to feel the magic. How to slowly apply the power.”

“Has that been helpful during your rounds?” you ask as you pick the graphite stick up again and make a couple of notes.

“Yes, Mistress. When working with the surgeons, as they are doing follow ups to the patients, I can put a trickle of power to slowly help the tissues heal. I also can feel when infection is trying to enter an unhealed wound.”

You write down a couple more notes. “Have you consulted your texts since you’ve been with Mistress Helane?”

She nervously chews her lower lip. “No Mistress.” She lets out a sad sigh. “I’ve neglecting my book work.” She takes a sip of her water. “When I watch you and the other Mistresses, I never see you consulting the Texts. You write in the Logs and Chronicles but not the Texts.”

You give her a smile. “A good observation. Do you have your Texts? Can you bring them here?”

“Of Course Mistress. It will only take a moment.” She says, standing up.

You try to estimate how long Lanie has been asleep and comment, “Be quiet about it. Don’t disturb Mistress Helane if she’s still asleep.”

She nods and leaves.

In a few minutes she is back with a small stack of books. She brought everything that a first-year student is given. Good.

She sets them on the desk. You look at the titles. You don’t need “Anatomy”, nor “Biological Processes”, so you set them aside. “The Power of Healing” and “Power flows in the Body” are the ones you are looking for.

The books look almost brand new. You open “The Power of Healing”, and ask. “Have you read this one?”

She looks embarrassed, “I opened it but it didn’t make much sense.”

You notice that she is still standing, so you have her sit again. “As a Junior Healer, you need to have a good understanding of what Healing spells do and what they can’t do.”

You point to the basic ‘Repair Torn Tissue’ spell. You have her read when to use it. “Do you see what it’s limitations are?”

She shakes her head, then she stops and reads “This should only be used when a surgeon is unavailable, and the Healer has time to rest and recover afterwards. The energy for this spell uses the Healer’s life essence to direct what will be repaired. If the wound is too large the Healer can use too much of their own life force to repair the tissue, causing them to be weak and depleted.” She pauses and thinks about it. “Oh, is that why you and Mistress Helane keep having us use small amounts of power?”

You nod. “That is part of it. Learning to ration your power is important, especially when there is battle going on and people are getting wounded as fast as you can treat them.”

You take the book from her and flip through some of the more advanced spells near the back.

“Mistress, is that why when you healed the Scout, you were exhausted? You depleted your resources?”

You slowly nod. “That is part of it. I used a spell that I probably shouldn’t have. It took too much power.” You pause and take a sip of tea. “I overreacted.”

You find ‘Merge spell’. “Good. This is what I’m looking for.” You scan through the initial warning “This is a spell of last resort and should only be used in conjunction with a Separate spell.”

“Oh Shit.” You say aloud.

“Is there a problem Mistress?” Diana softly asks.

“Let me borrow this for a bit.” You hand her back the books you don’t need and hold on the two you do. “When you come back, please make the rounds to check on the patients.” You don’t hear her response as you read warnings you had completely forgotten.

(Come back tomorrow to read what ‘You’ forgot when you did the Merge spell. And see how you are going to fix things. If you enjoyed this, Leave a comment. )

The Healer and the Scout - The Scout's Recovery - Part 2

You feel that strange double heartbeat in your chest, and that achy, strained muscle across your upper back. “Kerry’s near.” You think, then you move to the edge of the tent, to see him rubbing his chest and rotating his shoulder. “Mistress Healer, you mentioned exercises?”

You look to Diana, “I’m going to show him some recovery exercises, so we are going to my tent. If there are any emergencies, please get me immediately.”

She nods “Of course, Mistress Healer.”

You motion for the scout to follow you. Your robes flow around you as you walk. “Let’s do these exercises in a place where we won’t be disturbed.” Inside your tent, you move pillows and cushions on the floor so the area will be comfortable. “Tell me specifically what you are feeling.”

He nods and rotates his shoulders and winces a bit. “I know you healed the wounds, but my chest still feels tight. I tried to string my war bow but I just don’t have the strength.” As he moves his arms and shoulders, you feel the echo cramp within you.

“Yes, we need to do some stretching exercises. But let me examine your chest first.” You explain.

He pulls off his shirt and for the first time you can clearly see his bare chest. The soft, curly chest hairs, and the magically faded scars, one on each of his pecs. He looks so much like Tomas. Smooth skin over muscles that are used to hard work in rough conditions. You pause as he asks, “Why are we going to do exercises instead just using more magic?”

“Magic can knit and repair items, but once they are fixed, exercises and stretches help to ensure the body is working as it should.” you say in an almost academic tone. You then look closer at the scars. As you touch one, there is an unexpected sensation. You shutter as you feel ghostly fingers touching your own chest. The double heartbeat echoes in you, and your breathing catches. Your and his nipples both harden. You aren’t sure if it’s because of the touch or the spell trying to synchronize your bodies.

You caress along the scar and then around his nipple. The mirror sensation on your own skin makes you tingle. You try to focus on the scar, but the touching feels so erotic. He’s getting hard. You don’t need to look down to know, you feel a similar arousal in your clit. Your pulses match, your breathing is in rhythm. Both of your bodies feel electric.

He licks his lips. “Your touch is magical Margaret.” He says softly.

Part of you wants to break contact. Sever the connection and focus on teaching him exercises, but there is an empty longing. He is so much like Tomas, and you so badly want sex right now. You’ve never felt desire, lust, and longing mix together like this. You lick your lips too and think, “My training be damned. I want you.” 

His voice echoes in your head. “I want you too.”

Your crotch is damp and ready. You place your hands on his shoulders and push him to his knees. You feel the soft meditation cushions as he kneels on them. You continue standing and open your robe. “Softly kiss my thighs.” You quietly command.

His strong hands and calloused fingers grip your legs. His warm breath caresses your skin before he softly kisses just above your right knee. His lips are surprisingly smooth. Each kiss is delicate, the way you want it. Thumb-length by thumb-length he moves up the inside of your right thigh. A shiver moves up your spine with each kiss. As he gets closer to your crotch, your pussy feels so damp. You want him inside of you so badly now.

Looking down, he smiles up at you as he feels your lust. He winks and you immediately know he is going to kiss your left knee instead of your pussy. His kisses on the inside of your left thigh are maddeningly delightful. Soft and delicate like a butterfly landing on your skin. As he gets closer, your crotch is so hot with desire and you feel how hard he is. Your clit throbs with a longing ache.

You feel a cooling breath as he playfully blows across your pussy lips. You can’t take the anticipation anymore. You grab his head, pulling his hair and command, “Suck my clit.” A lust more powerful than you’ve ever felt grips you as you press his mouth on you.

You feel the wet, warmth of his mouth as he sucks you. There is a strange echo feeling in your mouth as you feel like you are sucking too. You can’t tell if it’s a ghost clit or the tip of a ghost cock. You lick and suck as you are licked and sucked. You both moan in pleasure. He grips your thighs tighter as you press his face harder against your crotch.

Waves of orgasm move through both of you. Your clit and pussy pulse against his mouth as his cock spurts in his pants. As his semen shoots, you feel your own release. Orgasm after orgasm jolts though both of your bodies. He grips you so tightly as you grip him.

You want more of this, but your Training kicks in. The memory of your mentor telling you “Pleasure to counter pain is not for sexual purposes. Do not have sex with patients.” Her voice echoes loudly in your head and counters your desire and reminds you of your duty. You let out a frustrated sigh. “Heal him first, then later he can be a lover.” you remind yourself.

You break contact, pushing him back. You are both covered in sweat as your hearts move out of sync. Your breathing is ragged as it no longer aligns with his. You stagger back and sit down on a meditation cushion. Your robe is still open as your pussy drips with pleasure. You close your eyes and concentrate. “I am me. My body is mine. His body is his. We are separate.” The echoes aren’t fading as quickly as usual. So you look at Kerry, sitting on pillows, and tell him. “I want you to focus on your breathing. Empty your mind. Remind yourself that you are in your body.” You watch as he closes his eyes, steadies his breathing, and you feel the echoes fade.

You both continue this for a minute and then you have him stand up. You adjust your robe closed and have him put on his shirt. “Ok. Let’s start with some stretching exercises.” You run him through a series of stretches and rotational exercises from his neck to his ankles. Once he is warmed up, even though you realize that sexually, you already warmed him up, you then concentrate on arm, chest, and back exercises. “We need to strengthen and support the muscles we repaired.”

“So every day do as many of these as I can?” He asks eagerly.

“No, Kerry,” you reach to touch him but stop. You don’t want to accidentally trigger the Merge again. “You need to slowly and deliberately work the muscles. Today you’ve done enough, but tomorrow, when you wake up, I want you to do the ‘warm up stretches’, then do 3 short sets of the exercises. If you ride your horse for exercise, then do that afterwards.” An image of his firm, muscular ass, moving back and forth in the saddle, creeps into your mind. There’s a tingle between your legs as if you are riding the saddle, or more distractedly, riding him. You close you eyes for a second, let out a centering breath, and think “Focus on healing him. He is your patient.”

“Yes, I ride my horse every morning. It helps her stretch her legs and allows her to work more quietly when we are on a mission.” He says with a knowing grin.

You need something else to help him. You make sure that you look like your professional self again, then say, “Follow me.” You lead him to the Armourer’s tent. You speak to the Armourer for a moment, and then turn to the Scout, “Kerry, as part of your recovery, you need to help operate the bellows, and carry metal.” You turn back to the Armourer, “He is recovering from chest wounds. I want him to increase his strength, like you teach your apprentices.”

He nods. “Of course Mistress Healer. Build up his strength. How long will he be helping?”

“Let’s try a week at first. I will evaluate him and if he needs more, then we’ll go on a week to week basis.” You explain. “Kerry, remember, you are still recovering. If you need me to explain this to your leaders I will.”

He grins at you. “That shouldn’t be necessary Mistress Healer, but if something changes, I’ll tell you.”

You thank the Armourer for his time and Kerry understands what time to report tomorrow. Then you both leave. “I need to check on the Recovery tent again.” You explain. You want to touch him, to kiss him, or maybe just hold his hand. But you don’t want to activate the spell again. “Do what I told you. If anything feels wrong or out of the ordinary tell me. Hopefully in a couple of weeks, you’ll be fully recovered. Or at least at a point where improvement is all on you.”

He nods knowingly, and you feel a rushing of lust and desire. Then he looks around, hugs you tightly, and kisses you passionately. The spell flares into life again as your bodies try to synchronize once more. The kiss feels good, your arms around him, or is it his arms around you, feel so good. The strength of the embrace and the warmth of the body being embraced all mix together. Then you mentally shout “STOP”, as you break his hug and push him back.

“Margaret, I thought you’d like that.” He says with a sly grin.

You center yourself again, then with a reactive anger that he feels too, you say. “We can’t be like other couples. One, you are my patient. Two, this spell mixes our feelings together in ways we aren’t prepared for.” You curse under your breath for a moment. “Yes, I feel your lust. I want it too.” You step very close to him and pour every ounce of frustration into him. “But right now, we can’t do this. When you are no longer my patient, maybe we can be together. But we need to also see if this is what we want, or if it is just the spell trying to keep us together.”

He looks pained as he feels your emotions and understands clearly what you are saying. “This might all be just the spell? The most amazing sex I’ve ever had might just be the magic?”

You slowly nod and step back. “I will do some research and consult people at the Collegium. Until then we need to be careful. Do you understand?”

“Of course, Margaret, I mean Mistress Healer. I will do as you say.” He then turns and heads for the scout building to report to his leaders.

You head for the Recovery tent. “I’d better add what we learned to the Chronicles. This spell carries far more consequences than I thought.”

The Healer and the Scout - The Scout's Recovery - Part 1

Mistress Helane enters your tent before the sun rises. “Get up, sleepy head. You’ve been resting long enough and should be able to do your shift.”

You blink your eyes at the lantern light. For a second you want to say, “My Chest…” You stop yourself before finishing the comment about your chest and the healers’ recommendations. You realize those are Kerry’s thoughts. Apparently, you both were dreaming together. You cough loudly to clear your throat and sit up.

Helane holds the lamp to your face. “Look at me.” She pauses as you focus your eyes. “Who am I?”

You look at her the best you can with the glare of the lamp, “You’re Helane, one of the three senior healers assigned to this field station.” Your voice has a little edge of frustration to it.

She grabs one of your storage chests and uses it as a seat. “How are you doing?”

You shake your head for a moment, making sure that the thoughts are yours and yours alone. Then you let out a slow exhale. “Lanie, I’m sorry. Give me a minute. I’ll be dressed and ready for my shift.”

She places her lamp down, and reaches for your hands. “Marge, are you really ready?” She asks in a quiet tone.

You take a slow, deep breath. Feeling echo pains in your chest from Kerry. You take another breath, thinking “My chest wasn’t pierced by arrows. My muscles weren’t cut. My skin wasn’t broken.” As you slowly release that breath, the echoes fade. “I’m okay.”

Her hands are still holding yours. “Should I ask, or just scold you?” The tone of her voice is soft but still firm.

You look into her eyes, “I should have known better.” You pause for a moment. “We train specifically for those kind of emergencies.” For a second you think of both Kerry and Tomas. The scout leather armour, the arrows in the chest, and their bodies lying on a table. Their images shift and blur in your mind.

“Why did you do it then?” she softly asks. “You knew the dangers and the risks. What if an artery had severed while you were Merged? You could have gone into shock or worse.”

You nod your head. “One almost did. I repaired it before we removed the arrow.” You pull your hands free from hers. “Let me make an official report. The alarm was sounded as the scout was brought into the tent. I used the Seeing spell to look inside. He had two hobgoblin arrows, one cleanly pierced his lung and the other cracked a rib, his breast bone and sliced an artery. I stabilized him before we removed his armour. When the breastplate was removed, the arrow near the heart shifted and instead of using a pleasure charm to counter the pain, I used Merge. I felt like I was better able to control the situation from within.”

Helane slowly nods. “Yes, Georgie and I already took statements from everyone and added them to the chronicles. But the question that we can’t answer is ‘why’.”

You take a moment and tell her about Tomas. You also realize at that point how much Kerry physically looks like him. When you finish, she places a hand on your shoulder. “I’ll leave the ‘he looked like my dead lover’ part out of my report. I’ll write that you made a judgement call. One, that you would reprimand a younger healer for doing.”

You both stand up. She gives you a reassuring hug. “Marge, I have one last question. Have you thought about how much older you are than him?”

You are struck by that for a moment. You release the hug and look at her. “What? No. We’re similar age. I left the Collegium and he joined the Scouts at the same time.” You pause. “Dammit. That’s Tomas.” You close your eyes and look carefully at Kerry’s memories. He was just becoming a man. Gabriel was a teen. He’s only been a scout for a few years. You are 10 or more years older than him. “Oh Lanie, what have I done?”

“You’re my peer. You taking a younger lover isn’t a problem, if that is where the Merge leads. But I caution you, make sure you both actively choose each other outside of the spell.” She picks up the lamp, “Clean up, get dressed, and go to work. We can talk again over breakfast. Georgie will have a few questions too.

You stifle a groan at that thought. “Great. I can imagine it now. ‘So what did it feel like when you both ejaculated? How badly do you want to be Merged when he fucks a camp follower?’ or something equally blunt and embarrassing.”

Shortly you are walking through the Healing Tent as the sky lightens at the horizon. There are a couple less patients than you remember. You review the chronicles, and see that no one had died, and a few were returned to their units for either duty or medical release.

A sliver of the bright edge of the sun is on the horizon as your stomach grumbles. It’s time to ‘break the fast’ and have a little something in the dining tent. You make sure that the younger medics have all had food first. The field cooks have large pots of porridge. It’s nutritious, but not what you are in the mood for, so you fill a bowl with sliced fruit, and a piece of travel bread. Mistresses Helane and Georgina are sitting at the small round table near the edge of the tent. A third seat is empty and waiting for you. An empty earthenware mug is marking your place.

You give a formal nod and say “Greetings and Good Morning, Mistress Healers, how fare you?”

They respond with “We are doing well, but have much to discuss.” Using the code phrase that you will be talking official business at the table. They both nod and motion for you to take your seat.

A cook’s assistant brings a tea pot. “Do you require anything else Mistresses?”

Georgina takes the teapot. “No thank you. That will be all.” You set down your bowl as she fills the empty mug. The younger medics at the nearest tables quickly finish and leave, to give you privacy. You give a sly smile to your fellow Mistresses who cover their smiles with their steaming tea mugs. You close your eyes and offer a prayer to the Source of all healing power, and thanks for the strength that food provides.

When you open your eyes both Lanie and Georgie are looking at you. “Marge, are you just you?” Helane asks.

You nod. “Yes. I was just praying for a moment.” You take a bite of fruit. “Is there really something we need to discuss or did you just want to clear the area for a bit?” you ask in a low tone.

Georgina leans in. “I have so many questions.”

You chuckle and slowly shake your head. “Of course you do. But can you keep them unrelated to sex?” you reply with a grin.

She gives you a mock shocked expression. “I’d never…It’s simply out of medical curiosity, and to add to the chronicles.”

You chuckle at that. “Of course Georgie, its so important to write down that, ‘during the mutual orgasm that occurred as the arrows were thrust through the body, the healer’s clitoris felt as though semen was spurting out of it as it throbbed in time with the patient’s erection.’ Or should I make it sound even more clinical?”

Her eyes widen at that. She moves her chair closer. “Is that really what happened? You are the only one of us to have used a Merge spell like that.”

You sip your tea and nibble on your travel bread, trying to think how you want to answer. You look around and then lean in. “The emotional Bonding spell that we’ve used during sex is similar. But Merging is not just the matching of heartbeats and emotions, but also full joining of memories and physical sensations.”

Helane slowly nods, “I know. I’ve been watching you as you recovered from the spell. Does your chest hurt?”

Georgina waits in anticipation for your answer. You square your shoulders and slowly rotate them. Just under your breasts there is a slight echo pain. Less intense than this morning. “There’s still something, but less painful.”

Georgina raises her hand just over your chest. “May I?” She asks. You nod and wait as you feel her hand lightly press on your chest. Even through your robes you feel the tingle of magic as she peers into you. “It’s there but it’s not.” She mutters. “Physically there are no marks or scars. But…” you feel a gentle finger of power probe the muscles. Pain echoes flair along your breasts and back.

Your hands tighten around the mug of tea and you bite your lower lip to stifle a moan. You almost instinctively start thinking “Not my pain. Not my body. The echoes are not real. I’m me, not him.” You are so focused, you don’t feel Georgie when she withdraws her spell.

“Oh.” You softly hear as you maintain your focus until the echoes are gone. When you open your eyes again, she says. “I’m sorry. Lanie said they were there. I had to see for myself.”

“It’s okay Georgie. It is a reminder that I need to find Kerry and teach him some exercises that will help with recovery and rebuild his strength. I knitted things back together but there’s more to do.” You have another mouthful of fruit.

The rest of breakfast is spent just talking about what you missed while not on shift. Georgie keeps hinting that, maybe while you teach Kerry exercises, he repays you with some personal time and pleasure sharing. “Young men have lots of stamina and need to be properly taught by an experienced hand.”

“And how many herbalists and surgeons hands have you been guiding after shift lately?” You ask with a sly smile.

“Well if you really must know there are a couple of them. One with a nice piece…” she hold her hands up leaving about gap about the diameter of a lunch plate.

You place your hands over hers. “I thought you were interested in mentoring young women while we’re supporting the military.” You notice that Helane gives a nervous cough at that. You look at her. “Oh, really Lanie. I thought your sorcerer lover was enough for you.”

“He’s been occupied with the war, and there is a young healer who I’m giving special lessons to.” She says in an almost conspiratorial tone. “She’s eager to learn and helps me after a long shift.”

You push your empty bowl next to the empty teapot. “So apparently while I’ve been focused on coordinating healing and recovery efforts, both of you have found some ‘after hours’ entertainment.” They both start to protest but you respond with a broad smile. “Good. Just don’t let it interfere with operations. If things get serious on any front, then end things and focus on the mission.” They both nod. “I’ll have to figure out to do with my scout.”

“If you need some suggestions. I know half a dozen positions..” Geogina says with a sly grin.

You sigh and shake your head. “I’m on shift until tonight. Go rest. I’ll get either of you if I need.” You head to the Recovery tent. In there, you take time to visit each patient. You take a little magic power and strengthen each person you visit. It’s just a general, laying of hands. As you ask each one feels, you send a trickle of energy to aid their natural healing whether it is to help with wound closure, assist with fracture repair, or just boost the immune system. You want to give lessons on gentile healing to some of the younger healers, but are interrupted.

The Healer and the Scout - The Merge Spell - Part 2

 

Your mind is full of images. Some are yours and some are the scout’s. The most painful and clear is that of Tomas, your first lover. A scout, brought home with arrows sticking out of him. He was too close to death to be saved. Sorrow and pain weigh on you. “If I can save them I will. No matter the cost.” An unfamiliar face of a girl crying and saying “Kerry, you don’t need to enlist. Let’s get married. Others can fight.” The images shift to the Collegium, and a healer teaching you “Orgasms while using pleasure spells to block pain are common.” Your classmates giggle like children. “This is serious and not an excuse to use pain to bring forth an orgasm.” There is another shift, and a man who you feel is ‘Father’, gives you a disappointed look. “Son, we are merchants. Marry Gabriel and work the store. Let others serve.” Next image is of your mentor telling you “Use an emotional stimulation charm if you can. The Merge spell should only be used in extreme cases. The bond lasts well beyond its use.” You yell at your mentor in pain and frustration “If I could have Merged, I would have saved him.” Her disapproving scowl is the last image as you wake. “He was too far gone. You can’t heal them all.” You hear as her voice trails off.

There is a warm pot of herbal tea and a cup on the stand next to your cot. You pour a cup and sip it. Diana, A junior healer comes in. “You’re awake, Mistress. I was going to replace the pot if you were still asleep.” You move to sit up. Your muscles feel stiff from lack of use. “How long was I out?”

She slowly shakes her head, “Almost two full days. You pushed yourself harder than you allow us.”

You lean back against the canvas wall of your tent. “It was a mistake, Diana. I used the Merge spell.”

She nods and hands you a small unwrapped piece of travel bread. “Here, eat this.” As you take a bite, she continues. “We all saw.” She unwraps some more and places it on the stand. “Mistress, during the worst of the fighting, you wouldn’t let any of us use it.”

You swallow and then take a sip of tea. The warm herb infused water feels good going down your throat. “I shouldn’t have used it either.” You softly admit. You rub your chest and feel where the arrows hit the scout. There are no scars on your skin, but your muscles feel like they tore and then stitched together. “If I let any of you do it, most of you wouldn’t have survived a month.” You finish the piece of travel bread and wash it down.

“Mistress, why did you do it then? Wouldn’t a pleasure charm have worked?” She asks genuinely curious.

You lean forward to sit up straight, and your muscles scream. You bite your lower lip in pain. Diane pours another cup of tea for you. “Here drink this.”

You nod, resting your elbows on your knees. You take another deep drink. You call on magic to remove the echoes of the scouts wounds, but you are still too weak to direct it. You place the empty cup on the stand. “This, Diana is why we can only use it as last resort. It drains you and riddles your body with echo pains from your patient.” She gives you another piece of travel bread. “Please eat Mistress. Food gives strength. I’ll have the herbalists make another pot of health tea.”

She grabs the small teapot. You place a hand on hers. “You’re right a pleasure charm would have worked. I should have done that, but I just reacted. The opposite of what I tell all of you to do.”

She gives you a weak smile. “I understand, Mistress.” She stops, “Mistress Helane has been making your rounds. I’ll have her brief you when her shift ends. I’ll be back with more tea and some pemmican to go with the travel bread.”

You stand up, move to your meditation cushion, and sit. Closing your eyes you focus on your breathing and circulation. You feel a strange echo of mismatched pulses. “Mine…My pulse…. Not his…..” you think. You lick your lips as you feel your heartbeat. You concentrate on it. The echo seems very close and hard to block.

The smell of freshly roasted game pulls you out of your meditation. The flap of your tent opens and the Scout comes in carrying a large plate and a tea pot.

“You’re awake.” He says as he sits down on the floor of the tent. You notice that he winces a bit as he extends the plate to you.

“Are you in pain?” you ask.

“I’m alive. All because of you.” He pours some tea into a little metal cup and then fills yours.

You take it and say “I accept what you offer in the spirit in which it was given.” Using the scouts’ standard diplomatic phrase.

He nods and takes a sip. “Marg…I mean Mistress Healer, is that a leftover from the spell?”

You shake your head, “My lover was a scout.” You want to tell him about Tomas, but a lump rises in your throat as you think about him.

The scout sits in front of you, placing a reassuring hand on yours. “But that’s from the spell.” You nod, feeling his comforting emotions too.

“I’m Kerry” he says as he points to the plate of food. “I felt that you were hungry.”

You look at the roasted game and cooked root vegetables. “These are from the cook?”

“No, they are still serving travel rations.” He says as he uses his knife to spear a chunk of potato. “I woke up, surprised that I didn’t have stitches and bandages. So I hunted up something fresh.” He slowly bites into it. “I have memories of seeing through your eyes.” He then shifts a little uncomfortably, “And how do you thank you for one of the strangest sexual experiences of my life?”

You take a knife and fork, then slice into the meat. “This is more than enough.” You say as you bite into it. “But why rabbit? A plate of pemmican would be good enough.”

He smiles broadly. “Because of you, I can still shoot a bow.” He flexes his arms, expanding his chest.

You wash down the bite with some healing tea. “A game bow isn’t a war bow.”

He rotates his left shoulder. “I know. One of the healers mentioned something about special exercises to help return me to full ability.”

You smile as you feel the desire to rotate your shoulder too but fight against it. “If the surgeon had stitched you, then you wouldn’t be able to fire a bow for a couple of weeks until everything was healed. Then you’d have to do exercises to recover your strength and flexibility. By using magic, I sped up the healing but you’ll still need to do the exercises.”

He takes another bite of food and leans in closer. “Why did you use magic to heal me? Is because of…” he pauses and thinks for a moment, then says “Tomas? I think that’s the name that keeps echoing in my head.”

Just hearing his name said aloud causes another lump in your throat. Kerry reaches to comfort you. “I don’t want to cause you sadness or pain, but I don’t understand it. We saw so many soldiers and scouts brought off the battlefield. Many of them are still recovering. But you healed me with magic because of someone named Tomas?”

Tears well up in your eyes. You want to run away. You want to tell him to leave. You want the pain to end. Kerry’s hand softly holds yours. “I’m causing this, I should leave. Thank you for saving me.” He starts to stand up. You keep hold of his hand.

“No. Sit. We’ve been in each other’s minds and bodies.” You wipe your eyes. “I haven’t talked about him to anyone.” You shake your head. “I haven’t really dealt with it myself. Stay. Eat and drink with me. Let’s learn about each other like we should have.”

He sits and continues to eat while listening to you tell about, your scout; your love; Tomas. How you and he were stationed together on a border outpost. Both of you new to your positions. You worked at the Healing House under your mentor. Tomas was just a member of the scout platoon, protecting the border. It was during a time of peace. Times when you both learned to enjoy quiet of the sunrise and the calm of the sunset. He taught you how to read the weather, standard code phrases and greetings, then some self-defense. You taught him how to feel the magical energy around him. He didn’t have the gift to use it, but he could recognize when it’s there which was helpful with magical traps and items. You also taught him basic healing techniques that didn’t require magic. Beginner herbalism and basic life saving skill that are taught to all who work in the Healing House.

As you tell Kerry all of this, you see that he’s clearly seeing this in his mind. The images that you shared during the Merge spell. He doesn’t interrupt but smiles, knowingly.

“Then there was that day.” You start to say.

He places his fingers to your lips. “Margaret. I see that day clearly. Don’t say it. I see the arrows in his chest. I feel your panic and frustration as he dies before you. I, too, feel that empty pain.”

You exhale, center yourself, and then smile. “So it’s ‘Margaret’ now, not ‘Mistress Healer’?” you say with a wink then take his hand. “Of course, Kerry, I’m Margaret to you.” You kiss the back of his hand as your fingers interlace his. “You saw me and Tomas, just like I saw you and Gabriel.” You pause and look deeply into his eyes. “Tell me about her.”

He talks about how they were to be married. He was going to work in his father’s store and she was the daughter of a traveling merchant. But when bandit attacks were on the rise, he felt it was his responsibility to enlist and fight back. He was good with a bow, a good rider, and knew how to negotiate. All skills needed by scout units. Without him saying it, you see the disappointment of his father when he leaves to enlist. The tears of Gabriel along with the angry words of her father.

You hug Kerry. “I’m sorry that I forced you to share those memories.”

His arms hold you too. “You did what you thought was best. Now I know why.”

You want to kiss him, but stop. “This closeness isn’t real. The magic made it.” You release him and sigh. “You should go. We both need to rest more. I need to meditate.”

He kisses you. His lips feel good on yours. “As you wish, Margaret.” He says as he stands, taking the empty plate and teapot. He stops at the door flap. “Who will help me with those special exercises?”

You smile, and slowly shake your head. “Come back tomorrow morning. I’ll help you.” You close your eyes and prepare to meditate. “See you then, Kerry.” You hear the flap rustle as it closes. You softly breathe as you try to clear your thoughts. You softly say to yourself. “Yes, I will see you then.”