mountain play

The tree stood tall, right in the middle of the clearing. It was early yet, they had the mountain to themselves.

“Give me your hands,” he said.

She looked up, through her lashes. Her whole body was shaking, but a fire burned in her core. The air was warm, the sun strong, even for summer, but –

“Trust me,” he said.

She’d always presumed the metal D ring was set in the tree for a horse. Silly, really, she told herself. After all, he was the only one she’d ever seen riding on the local trails.

She thought back to that day, when he’d found her, reading by the river.

Slowly, she took one step and then another. The breeze danced over her skin, but it wasn’t the breeze that made her nipples stand out, and it wasn’t the sunlight that burned inside her.

Now she saw it, there were too other rings set in the huge tree, both around the same height as her ankles, but set wide apart.

“We can go home,” he said, gently.

She looked up, into his eyes, and smiled as she gave him her wrists.