Below the Bow

Before the first minute was up, another figure, a blond girl in jeans joined in and the pair danced for the gods as she played. More figures flowed in until there were countless women dancing a slow intricate dance. Beyond the dancing figures she could see robed figures standing in a semicircle and swaying slowly as Gaelic flowed from their lips. Calling for the gods to come and be entertained by her. As the song ended and another started, she saw the gods, larger than life, come to listen to her music.

By the first song ended, Janet knew that her sisters under the bow had been called by their mistress to entertain the gods. She could feel their presence and danced for their pleasure. She could see the confusion in her sisters' eyes and with little touches and glances towards the gods watching, calmed their fears. By the third song all were dancing in joyful worship.

She played until she was too tired to play anymore. When the last song ended she bowed to them and felt their pleasure at her entertainment. What more out of life can you ask than having the gods smile down at you, she wondered as she came back to herself. Patty realized that there were better than one hundred people watching her play entranced. They slowly dispersed as she put up her violin. Turning she looked at Janet and was shocked to see her and the other dancers kneeling with lowered head before her.

Almost as one the girls looked up at her and Patty stepped back in shock. She knew all of them. In a past life she and her dancer had played for the gods and these young women had all scoffed at her and the gods she served. Before she could speak Janet stood and looked at them. "You are bound under the bow. Set your affairs in order and come when called."

The girls looked at her and she nodded. She watched as they all got up and walked away unspeaking. All except one girl who knelt with her head lowered still. The girl looked up and Patty said, "Hello Cleo. Did Aunt Sara send you?" The girl was her aunt's daughter and they had grown up together.,

"Patty, I was to bring you and your dancer to the gathering tonight. But like the others I now bow below the bow and give myself fully to you." Cleo replied dipping her head. "Mistress, if you go something bad will happen, if you refuse something bad will happen."

"Nothing bad will happen, the high priestess and I have danced this dance before," Patty replied looking at Janet. "Haven't we pet."

Janet smiled, "Yes mistress." She looked at the other girl, "We are safe under the bow. Do not fear sister."

"You must be protected," Patty said to Cleo. She looked at Janet, "Soulmates?"

Janet looked at Cleo and then back to her mistress and lover, "Yes mistress. Little sister needs to be one with you also."

Walking back to the dorm room seemed strange to her. It was as if she was walking from one worked to a different one. Once in the room she and Janet stripped without thinking and as she got the packet of pink powder she looked at Cleo, "Are you sure?"

Cleo stripped and knelt before Patty, "Yes mistress" She closed her eyes and stuck out her tongue. She heard Patty chanting and waited as she chanted along in her mind.

Touching her slick cunny, Patty touched the pink powder and put it against Cleo's tongue. "Suck and be mine," she commanded. She waited until the girl had licked her finger clean and then said, "Look up at your mistress and lover Cleo."

Cleo opened her eyes and looked at Patty. It was as if the world took a step to the right and clicked into place. This was her destiny to be a hand maiden to the musician and her dancer.

Patty smiled down at her and then Janet, "Together we will face come what may." The smile slid off as she continued, "I need you to both remain kneeling for me. Do not dance, or speak unless I command it." For the third time today she pulled out her violin and closed her eyes, My lords, I cannot bare to lose these two. Please, your musician begs for your guidance."

She raised the bow and began to play. Instead of uplifting, sorrow and the idea of loss filled the room with her music. She found herself standing alone on a hillside looking down at the burned out remains of her village. All that she knew and loved had been there. They had died at the hands of the barbarians. She alone survived. As she played out her sorrow and hurt she felt the gods come and felt their hurt mirroring hers. Suddenly Patty became aware of soft crying behind her and turning she saw two women from the village who had traveled with her kneeling and grieving in their mutual loss.

Before she could act she saw first one and then the second pull a dagger and plunge it into their hearts. "No" she screamed and stopped playing. In an instant she was back in the room and clinging to them. "There has to be another way. I cannot lose them, not again!"

Without playing, Patty was returned to the spirit world and her memories. They were in the woods somewhere at night. She was clinging to both and protecting them as archers shot her. She felt each arrow as it slammed into her and said with her dying breath, "My life to protect yours."

Again she was in the room, "Is there no way for us to live?" she asked knowing that this night they would die together if they all went. Instead of revenge or even love, she only signed the death warrant for the other two along with her own death. She put the violin and bow back in the shabby case and handed placed it between herself and them. "You both will remain behind. Tomorrow, Janet you will take up the bow and violin." She looked at Clio, "Clio you will dance for her under the bow."

Janet felt as if her heart was being ripped out as she watched Patty get dressed slowly. "Please love, better to die together than live a lifetime without. Let me go with you."

"Let us go with you," Clio corrected.

"I am borrowing your car Janet. Your sister can show you where it is tomorrow." Patty said not looking at them. As she opened the door to the room she said, "May the gods watch over and protect you my loves." As the door closed behind her she heard their wails and mentally she cried with them at the loss.

Reaching the gathering place, she noticed she was the first and stripped before walking before the rough stone alter. Kneeling before it she waited with lowered head. Even when she heard other arriving in the dark she remained still and calmed her mind. 'My life for theirs,' she said mentally to the gods who were watching dispassionately. She still didn't move when she felt and heard others kneeling to her left and right for fear of who she would see. When she saw the violin and bow placed before her did heart truly sink.

Patty knelt with her head down as her aunt moved to chant before the alter. She listened to her invoking the gods for good fortune and health. She had to stop it and looked up, "You can't have them. They and I belong to the gods, not you Aunt Sara."

Sara looked down at Patty and the pair kneeling with her. That one was her daughter didn't bother her a bit. "No you and the others belong to me." She began chanting the binding spell.

Before her aunt could finish Patty lifted the violin and bow. Pulling the bow across the strings the violin screamed in rage and defiance. That stopped the other woman long enough for Patty to stand and began playing her death song. As she played the pair slowly stood and danced. As the song progressed they stripped and placed her aunt on the alter. Each girl held her down until she stopped fighting. Together the pair, their eyes glassy, took the stone dagger waiting on a small pedestal and offered it to her.

"Is this your will my lords?" Patty asked as she handed Cleo the bow and Janet the violin. She then took the dagger from their hands and walked to stand beside her aunt. "You have corrupted the gathering for the last time. It ends here." She slammed the dagger into Sara's chest so hard it broke at the handle. "You'll not corrupt my song anymore." Turning she walked back to where Janet and Clio stood waiting. She looked at the others in a semi-circle around them and then up to the sky. "My lords, judge me now so that these fools can see your will." Though she expected it, the flash behind her and loud bang of thunder caused her to flinch slightly. Turning she saw the cracked alter and burnt body. Looking back at the others she said, "You all are guilty of perverting the gods' celebration. Kneel below the bow." She gave Janet the dagger handle and collected her violin and then bow.

She closed her eyes and began to play once more in celebration of life and her devotion. One song flowed to the next and she played as her dancers danced and pulled the others watching into the dance. Wien she last finished all were dancing to her songs and as one they knelt with lowered head before her. Only one figure hidden in the shadows did not dance. Looking at it she bowed and said, "Are you pleased my lord?"

The figure moved forward and she saw an old woman' her red hair shot with gray. Her walking stick had a vine wrapped around with little deep green arrow pointed leaves waving with each step she took forward. "Forgive me my lady," Patty said dropping to one knee when she realized she was looking at the goddess of nature. "I had not expected your attendance."

"What and miss my musician's song?" The woman replied with a laugh. She rested her hand on Patty's shoulder and said tenderly, "I knew that given time you would solve it. Now you must return home and complete the circle." She went to the pair kneeling behind Patty and said, "I charge you pair, who have lived with my musician all these lives, to be strong for her. My little Patricia will need your strength and support when she faces her ancestors."

"It will be as you command green mother," Janet said looking up at the woman. She looked at her sister under the bow as she added, "We will protect your musician."

Cleo was mind blown. But she managed to say, "Yes goddess with my very life if needed I will protect Patty." What the goddess did next would have sent her into shock had she not already been there.

"Take my staff child. Between it and the stone dagger, you pair have all you need to protect her."

The moment Cleo put her hand on the staff, the woman disappeared. With a shock she realized they were standing together looking down at the burned out village. With a whimper she asked, "Mistress?"

Patty saw the shift at the same time and about peed her panties. She looked at Cleo, "It will be okay dear." Turning towards Janet she asked, "Ready?"

Janet reached out and held Cleo's hand and nodded, "Yes mistress."

Turning towards the village Patty didn't wipe the tears away as she walked down to the town square. Dropping to one knee she bowed and said in a broken voice, "Forgive me for failing you." Standing she began playing a slow song filled with her sorrow and pain. After a minute the other two began dancing slowly mimicking her sorrow in their movements. As the song progressed she could see ghostly figures coming forward to circle around them. The song ended and she looked out at the ghosts and said, "Please take me and allow my dancers go free. I left and took them with me. I am the one at fault." Patty set the violin down and laid the bow across it. Kneeling she bent forward and swept her hair off her neck. "Let it end here and now with my death."

"No," Cleo said softly. She faced the ghosts and drove the staff into the ground with all her force. "Brothers, sisters, enough blood has been spilled." She stepped between Patty and the ghosts and looked around, "Let this staff, given from mother nature grow into a mighty tree so that all will know her love." Behind her the staff took root and turned into a sapling. "If you have to take a life, you must take me first." She went back to Patty and knelt and bent over her. Reaching between her legs she slid her finger against her cunny and chanted softly, "I will not live if you die. Let our souls become one," she said as she pressed her finger to Patty's lips.

Patty kissed the finger and closed her eyes. The friendship she had with Cloe blossomed into love and she sobbed softly. "I'm sorry Cleo... So many times I failed you..."

Janet moved forward with the broken stone dagger and drove it into the ground next to the sapling. "Ancestors', may this dagger taken form the evil one become a marker." She looked at them, "Let all who understand, know this is a holy place." Like Cleo she went to Patty and protected her with her body, "If you must have blood, take mine and spare my sisters."

When there was no reply the other two sat up and Patty looked up. She saw the stone alter shattered and a pile of ashes on it. They had survived and were back in the present time. As she reached for the bow and violin she saw the green mother, the goddess of the forest and earth watching them. Lowering her head, she asked, "Goddess, please guide me. What do I...we, do now?"

Musician, return from whence you came and continue playing." The goddess moved forward and bent down to lift Patty's head so they were looking into each other's eyes. "Patricia, there are still many who need to kneel below my bow."

"Below the bow," all three girls said softly sealing their fates.

"And yet, there is one, whose bow I will soon kneel below," The green mother said looking towards the north. She looked back at Patty and saw confusion in the girl's face, "You will understand in time Patricia." With a slight smile she added, "Until then, keep music in your heart and love in your soul."