Eunoe

The older woman stepped forward and Mida noticed that she wasn't truly old, simply bent. She gripped Mida's shoulder in a surprisingly strong yet knobby hand and steered the younger woman toward the blanket-draped platform as Imadi faded into the corner of the room. With a gesture, Eunoe signaled for Mida to climb on the platform. Mida sat on it, paused, and took off her sandals before swinging her feet up and laying back on the soft blankets.

Eunoe took a small jug of oil from the altar and poured it over her hands, then walked to the end of the platform nearest Mida's head. With the tips of her oiled fingers, she pulled the tense muscles of Mida's forehead outward, outward, outward until they relaxed. The hands moved to her temples. Again, the fingers moved, not in circles but in straight lines. A gentle pressure, soothing, coercing the muscles into relaxation. Mida could smell the fresh tang of olive on the oil as Eunoe moved her hands again and began massaging her nose and cheeks. Her jaw. Behind her ears, down her neck, and into her shoulders. The strokes continued smooth and constant. Mida felt as soft as warm candle wax.

The oil ran low and Eunoe replenished the lubrication on her hands before moving to Mida's arms. The gentle, encircling pressure pulled the stress from her limbs with every stroke. Eunoe moved to Mida's calves, then her thighs. The strokes became longer, more insistent. The bulk of Mida's skirt bunched up over her wide bronze belt. Under it, a heat pulsed deep within Mida in time with each upward stroke of Eunoe's hands.

The knobby fingers brushed her labia and Mida felt a tingle race from the spot, along her spine, to the base of her neck where it bloomed and faded. Eunoe brushed her labia again. It wasn't an accident. It wouldn't be.

With one hand, she took two fingers on each of the large outer lips, slowly rubbing, still in strong, straight lines. Mida made a sound like "uhnjuhnjyu", but less articulate, and slid further down the platform toward Eunoe as she felt the warm wet lubrication seep from between her legs. Eunoe brought her fingers together and rubbed her hand along the split.

Mida shivered and hopped at the sudden, strong sensation, then pushed herself closer. Her clitoris was hard and poking out curiously beyond the protective folds of her labia. She could feel her own heartbeat in it with each pressing rub of Eunoe's fingers.

The fingers began to move faster and Mida found herself breathing in short, shallow pants as each drag of a fingertip over her clit sent fresh sparks of pleasure through the bones of her arms and legs. Eunoe's fingers moved faster, slipping quickly over the tip. Flick. Flick. Flick.

Suddenly, the fingers pressed down, just their tips, and moved in small fast circles.

There was a knot below Mida's bellybutton, in the place protected by her wide bronze belt. Or there had been a knot. Mida didn't notice the knot until this remarkable movement by Eunoe triggered its release and, like a spent candle, Mida went out dripping hot liquid.

"Oh... Oh!" she cried, arching her back and curling her toes as the pleasure shot through her. "Oh, goddess!" She dug her fingers into the rough wool of a blanket as the final spasms coursed through her, then slowly lowered herself back to the platform as her split returned to its usual shape.

Mida lay among the blankets and pillows, breathing hard and feeling as though her heart would break through her ribs. Eunoe stood up from the platform (Mida hadn't noticed her sit down, but supposed she must have at some point) and walked to the altar where she cleaned her hands on a piece of linen.

"Good job!" Imadi said. "Wow!"

Mida turned her head toward the younger woman with the round face. The two large laenai next to her glowed with a warm light that pulsed slowly and faintly. She held the smaller one in both hands and offered it toward Mida as she sat up.

"This is your share," Imadi said. "Great donation." She turned to the older woman. "I always learn so much when I watch you."

Eunoe had simply shrugged, then left.

Imadi sighed. "Yeah, sorry, we can't stick around. You can wait here for a few minutes, then head out the way you came in past the courtyard." She ducked out the doorway after Eunoe.