Strange Adventures of Cinnamon Ch. 14

Chapter 14: A Strange Massage

"I hope you don't mind bunking with me." Sharmon said as she held the flap of her tent open for Cinnamon to crawl through.

Cinnamon crawled into the tent just far enough to sit down, then turned around to look back at Sharmon standing must outside the tent. "Oh no, I don't mind; thank you for sharing."

Sharmon gave her a small smile and waved her off. "Go ahead and put your boots in the corner and then give me your towel and I'll hang it up with the rest."

When Cinnamon realized she would be losing the bottom half of her clothing, she blushed and looked down intently at her boots as she took them off.

"Oh...uh...ok."

She placed her boots in the corner of the tent and then crawled further in, to avoid another embarrassing showing like the night before. Facing away from the entrance she untied the towel and handed it back out to Sharmon.

Sharmon said "I'll just hang this up and check on our clothes. Go ahead and get comfortable. If you want I can give you a rubdown when I get back."

"Uh...okay. Thanks." Cinnamon replied uncertainly, then looked around the tent. It was pretty dark inside but enough light from the fire came through the canvass walls to let her see one bedroll and a couple of blankets. The blankets and bedroll overlapped each other. Cinnamon flipped the blankets back and sat in the middle, not quite sure what to think about the arrangement. They would be sleeping very close to each other since Sharmon's tent was smaller than Muriel's. Cinnamon knew she had a tendency to roll around in her sleep and that would likely disturb Sharmon in such close quarters. It would also be the first time she'd slept this close to anyone since she'd been a child, and that made her nervous. She knew she wasn't a naive child, but she wasn't an adult either; Sharmon was. That thought didn't help her nervousness any.

Cinnamon sat thinking for a few minutes while Sharmon checked on the clothes and verbally spared with Harnley. Cinnamon decided it would be okay. She trusted Sharmon, despite the fact that she'd been aiming a loaded bow at her just the other night. She trusted the others not to harm her, but after her adventure in the pool, she wasn't sure about anything else. She didn't think Muriel would try anything but she wasn't completely positive. As for Vanessa, Cinnamon had a feeling a night alone with her would be an adventure in itself.

"I'm not sure I trust myself to stop her either." Cinnamon thought as feelings of warmth flooded through her body. Her shared bath had opened up new desires. She felt a strange new attraction to Vanessa and Muriel. And Sharmon was just as beautiful and attractive in her own way as the others.

"And her touch felt so good." Cinnamon admitted to herself trying unsuccessfully not to blush. But she knew Sharmon wouldn't take advantage of her; she could have done so earlier in the bath but hadn't. Also Cinnamon's feelings of attraction for the older woman felt different from how she felt about the others. They weren't any less strong, just different.

Cinnamon shook her head to clear it and flung back the top blanket so she could get into bed. At that moment, Sharmon opened the tent flap and stuck her head inside.

"I thought you'd be under the covers by now. Why don't you take the bedroll?" She offered, crawling into the tent. "I've got the watch next and the blankets will be easier to get out of."

"But won't you need it later when it's Muriel's turn?" Cinnamon asked, not wanting to push Sharmon out of her own bed.

"Nah, I'll borrow her bedroll. That way it's already warm." Sharmon replied with a grin. "Besides that way I won't have to climb over you to get back in" She said, crawling into the tent and forcing Cinnamon to scoot over onto the bed roll.

Cinnamon had just slipped her feet and legs under the covers and was reaching to pull the rest over her when Sharmon asked "I noticed your legs seemed a bit stiff. Would you like that rub down now?"

Cinnamon gave her a wry grin and look down at her legs. "Yeah, now that we've stopped moving they're sore and don't want to move any more."

Sharmon responded with a quiet chuckle. "I know that feeling." she said. "Why don't you lay down on your front and I'll get started."

When Cinnamon hesitated she said "It's ok. Besides if we don't get the kinks out now it'll be worse in the morning."

Cinnamon groaned and rolled over.

Sharmon looked down at the nervous girl and knew she'd have to be very cautious. She also knew that since she didn't have any of the oils or lotions that she normally used, she couldn't give Cinnamon a vigorous massage. "Thankfully Muriel's showed me a few things so I won't have to use them." she thought.

She softly laid her palm on the small of Cinnamon's back and felt her immediately tense up. Sharmon silently prayed to her Goddess for guidance as she had not done this for a very long time and said to Cinnamon "It's alright. Just take deep slow breaths?"

"Uh...alright." Cinnamon replied, her uncertainty evident to Sharmon by the tone of her voice.

"And be sure to tell me if I go to fast or press to hard, ok?" she instructed.

Cinnamon nodded her head in agreement and then moved her arms so she could lay with her cheek pillowed by her hands.

"Ready?" Sharmon asked quietly.

"Uh-huh" Cinnamon replied, a bit nervously.

"Ok." Sharmon said and then gently began to rub Cinnamon's back, over her nightshirt. Her strokes were firm yet gentle with just enough speed and pressure to calm and sooth the tired girl. Sharmon smiled in the dimness as she felt Cinnamon's body relax. As Cinnamon relaxed Sharmon changed from simply rubbing up and down Cinnamon's back to making light circles.

Cinnamon wasn't sure why Sharmon was rubbing her back when it was her legs that were stiff but she wasn't about to complain. It felt so nice.

Sharmon went back and forth from Cinnamon's right side to her left and back again. The more Cinnamon relaxed the more pressure she used. She was careful not to use too much pressure with the broader strokes since it would have irritated Cinnamon's skin; she was doing this to ease Cinnamon's discomfort, not to increase it. Firm broad strokes would also cause Cinnamon's night shirt to ride up, undoing all her efforts to get Cinnamon to relax. That's not to say Cinnamon's night shirt didn't ride up at all, as it did, but not as much as it could have.

When Cinnamon sighed with contentment Sharmon used even firmer strokes that amounted to no more than pressing firmly and making a small circle on that spot before easing off, moving slightly lower, and starting again. Occasionally when Cinnamon would twitch she'd ease off the pressure but continue to work that spot more until the knot of tension eased.

As she worked Sharmon smiled. Each of Cinnamon's happy sighs brought a flash of joy to her heart. Once she had reached Cinnamon's lower back, she frowned slightly. She knew she should continue but going further would increase Cinnamon's nervousness.

'Goddess please help me. Help us.' She prayed silently. Then summoning up her courage and nodding to herself she began to lightly rub the outside of Cinnamon's right hip with her right hand.

She felt Cinnamon tense up with her left hand as soon as she did and regretted it. But she knew though that if she didn't Cinnamon would be sore in the morning. She turned her head to look at Cinnamon's and saw her looking back, the young girl's eyes wide and filled with uncertainty, and fear. She immediately moved her hand back of to the small of Cinnamon's back as she leaned down to speak softly to her charge.

"I am sorry I startled you. I know this is new and scary for you, but please do not fear Cinnamon. I will not take advantage of you. However, you have done a lot of walking and climbing and this will help, but if you wish I can skip down to your legs or stop altogether. It's your decision."

As she looked into Cinnamon's eyes Sharmon prayed that she would continue to trust her, as the girl looked back at her rather skeptically.

"You'll really stop if I say?" Cinnamon asked very softly.

Sharmon gave her a tender smile and said "I have already done so. Have I not?"

When Cinnamon gave her a reluctant nod Sharmon said "I simply await your permission to continue or your instruction to stop completely."

Cinnamon was silent for a long while and Sharmon began to fear she had completely lost the young woman's trust when Cinnamon looked back at her again and asked. "Are you sure it'll help to rub me there?"

From the tone of Cinnamon's voice Sharmon could tell that Cinnamon wanted to trust her but that she still wasn't sure she should. It hurt but knowing there was still hope lessened the pain. "Yes, I'm sure." she replied and then asked, "May I?"

Cinnamon looked at her guardedly but nodded her head slightly.

Sharmon nodded back and placing her hand on the outside Cinnamon's left buttock, she began to gently press the heel of her hand into Cinnamon's flesh. She pressed no more firmly than she had on Cinnamon's back however Cinnamon reacted much more strongly by scrunching up her face with pain and saying "Ooo" as the sore muscles were forced to move.

Sharmon slowly eased the pressure of her hand off Cinnamon's buttock before moving her hand back to Cinnamon's back. "I used no more pressure just then than I have on your back."

Cinnamon nodded and said in a small voice "I know. I'm sorry I doubted you. It's just that..." and she trailed off.

Sharmon gave her a smile as she felt her own tension ease and said "I understand." and reached to brush a strand of hair from Cinnamon's face. "Would you like me to continue?"

"Please" Cinnamon replied in the same small voice.

Sharmon smiled tenderly and tried to keep the tears in her eyes from falling as she nodded to her. "Be sure to tell me if I use too much pressure or if I become to personal, alright?" Even in the dimness of the tent Sharmon could see Cinnamon's blush. She gave Cinnamon a grin and said "It's alright. I'll be careful."

As Sharmon began to gently stroke her back again Cinnamon tried to relax but she couldn't help thinking that this was the first time she'd given someone permission to touch her butt. She been grabbed, patted, slapped, and pinched a few times before but never with permission. Now her butt was being massaged with her permission.

Cinnamon had to admit that felt kind of nice to be asked. She felt her face get hot when she admitted to herself that what Sharmon was doing to her butt felt nice. Except when Sharmon pressed too hard, that is. Cinnamon also had to admit that massaging there would be good for her after a day of hiking. She had been sore and stiff getting up from the fire. She shuddered at the thought of how she'd feel in the morning without a massage.

At her shudder Sharmon paused and asked "Are you alright? Am I using too much pressure?"

Cinnamon replied "Oh no, I'm ok. It feels nice." Then her eyes went big and she buried her face in her arms mumbling softly "I can't believe I said that." when she realized what she'd said.

Smiling wryly to herself Sharmon reached over and pulled the top of the bedroll over Cinnamon's back and then briskly rubbed the young woman to warm her. "Is this better?" she asked.

Still mortified by her admission that Sharmon's hands on her ass felt good, she said "Yes thank you." from the safety of the pillow.

Sharmon's grin widened at Cinnamon's muffled "Thank you." as she went back to making Cinnamon feel nice.

When she'd finished massaging Cinnamon's buttocks she moved down to her legs, much to Cinnamon's relief. However, between the efforts of the day, the lateness of the hour, and Sharmon's gentle soothing touch Cinnamon was asleep by the time Sharmon finished the back of her right leg.

Sharmon smiled and moved on to Cinnamon's left leg. She was not as skilled in the healing arts as Muriel but she was skilled with her hands and she used them to listen to Cinnamon's body as she continued to working to ease Cinnamon's soreness.

Once finished Sharmon decided that would have to be enough and that anymore would have to be taken care of by one of Muriel's prayers or in the morning when Cinnamon awoke. She covered Cinnamon's legs and then looked down at Cinnamon's sleeping face. Sharmon thought she looked more relaxed than she had earlier. The fact that she let her self fall asleep and be so vulnerable when she'd been so fearful earlier warmed Sharmon's heart.

Sharmon softly caressed Cinnamon face, tucking a few strands of hair behind Cinnamon's ear. Then noticing the angle of Cinnamon's neck began to softly call her name.

After softly calling her name several times Cinnamon responded sleepily, by saying "Hm?", without even opening her eyes.

"You should turn over or you'll get a stiff neck." Sharmon warned softly.

"Hm? Ok mom." Cinnamon replied in her sleep and rolled over as Sharmon strangled a cry of surprise and disbelief.

With hand over her mouth and tears streaming down her cheeks Sharmon looked down at the sleeping young woman as she brought her knees up to her chest to sit like Cinnamon had earlier in the bath. "She called me mom." Sharmon thought as a wide mix of feelings coursed through her. She knew it was only slip of the tongue and that Cinnamon would never have said that if she'd been awake but even so Sharmon could not help but be touched very deeply by it. It had been so very long since she'd been called by that name.

Cinnamon slept peacefully on while Sharmon silently wept tears of grief and hope. Somewhere deep inside her, the ice in which Sharmon had encased her heart, which had already began to melt, now cracked.