Creating something new, day 28

Sailing to Ackerek

My body appreciates that it gets some respite from riding and combat lessons when I take another trip to my islands with Ciara, Alith and Gunhild. It still feels wierd when I kiss Iselin and Kari goodbye, and leave, saying I'll be back in a few days.

I don't like traveling, but I get a couple of days where I can't do much work and just think. Iselin was unexpectedly pleased that I asked if she wanted to help with the installation and alignment of sundials, instead of asking for example Kari who already is somewhat known. Since I'll be away, Iselin undertook to solve and do it by herself. I don't think its just so that Iselin have something to do, and make important people recognize her, it's more sneaky than that. On the one hand, a bit of Sejdmann Robert Arnesson's mystique is retained, and on the other hand, I can continue working and avoid having to deal with people - which I appreciate. But Iselin and Kari also seem to prefer it because, the buyer may use the sundial installation as a pretext to introduce me to their daughter. Iselin will need to take a trip with the ship when we return, for an installation located 2 days south, and combined, our trips will be the longest time we've been apart since we met. Not unexpectedly, Kari and Ciara are looking forward to it, so my bed will not be empty.

So Iselin will be away during the days for sundial installations, while Kari takes care of our household, not that there is a lot to take care of. Kari also isn't someone who cleans or cooks, even though she can. I wonder what she'll do with her free time? Chess? Visiting friends in the city? Eliminate threats or rivals I don't know about? Do I want to know? I can imagine her expressing; 'No Mr Bond, I expect you to die!', and unfaced leave. I don't think she would have fallen for Bond's desperate words about 'Operation Grandslam'.

It was a bit entertaining to see Kari's decision anxiety whether she should come along on my trip, as Ciara will now have me for herself, but she really seems to dislike sailing, and I completely understand that.

In any case, Ciara's happy with that decision, and even though I spend most of my time on the verge of seasickness resting in the hammock, she and I know something that works. It's been a month since she became my concubine, and we use that excuse to motivate experimental lust both in and out of the hammock. Ciara now loves her breast rings, and I'm happy to help her with the appreciation. But it's good that Ciara can find such pleasure and satisfaction in sex, given how men have treated her last year. She's so enthusiastic that we can have vaginal sex without a condom, even if we will continue to be careful, especially at certain times during the month. I'm so very glad she never became pregnant during her horrible last year, and that she's now my cuddly special friend and concubine, and I'm impressed with how much she's changed and how positive she is, even though she's restrained in showing it.

Not counting my huge lifechange from Midgard, in just two months I've gone from being mostly alone on weekdays and weekends and deciding my own life, to first having two maids and a couple of guards around me all the time, and now to a fiancée, two concubines and four guards. I feel like I need a vacation. But my life isn't likely to change until we move in and hire servants, which means even more people in my vicinity. But what kind of vacation can I have? To the farm in Skiringsalr? How nice will that be during autumn? That's a bad vacation. Feels like my first real 'vacation' will be when we've moved in, and I can make myself permanently at home, with relative seclusion from others. The farmhouse feels so crowded.

I'm happy only Ciara came on this trip, and I like to lie and hug her in silence, or while we talk about everything, listen to music etc. Honestly, it feels really good between us at least from my side, and it's nice to have someone who doesn't seem to have a big agenda, ambition, plans, career or even real interests or desires - besides being in my vicinity, do something worth-while and occasionally have sex. However, Ciara is on the verge of being a troublesome clingy girlfriend, but even though she sometimes has stalker tendencies, which has begun to diminish slightly now, a couple of weeks after the duel, its only because she wants to know that I'm safe and nearby, so she can relax. Its no real jealousy, control issues or not trusting me. Our relationship works here, where I don't have a job to go to, where she couldn't follow along. Me working 7 to 16 would probably have been very difficult for her, and in the end me because of it. I still wish she could have a life of her own, with family and success, but she really deep seems to think that everything is well in her life, as long as she's in my vicinity and it feels... emotionally stable and comfortable?

A psychologist might have been able to buy a new car for the therapy both Ciara and I probably needed. But it feels nice just slowly swinging in the hammock, hugging Ciara, and we're both just silent, listening to the muted sounds from the sea while we're letting time slowly drift away.

Someone - most likely Ciara - has told Alith about my camera that saves memories. She really wanted to see herself, and understand more about Midgard, so I introduced the camera to her and partly gave her the same introduction the others received. I even let both her and Ciara take a couple of photos too, of us and the surroundings. It might be useful if they can handle the compact camera, as I often need to have minimal nearby people, but for some reason or another can't take pictures myself or use the timetrigger. They both tend to be close by most of the time.