Daily life again

Tilda and I have been virtually confined to the walls of our house for a week by now. We have both caught a bad cold, but this time it was much easier for Tilda to cope with everything. For me too, because her breathing was not nearly as bad as the first time. We were told to slacken off  and so we did, with a few short trips to get fresh air. :) The worst of this infection is over and the real problem for us was more like that we were (are) not allowed to visit granny under any circumstances. Her immune system is too weak at the moment due to the chemo. She is strong and has even managed two calls this week and we are happy about it. There will be better times for us to spend time together.But the hugs are missing. :( I know I am greedy. But at the moment things are actually getting much much better for her, so we feel like everything goes the way we hoped it would. 

Tilda is 20 weeks and 2 days old today. :) Imagine that, it almost feels like she has been here with us forever, almost. I wouldn't want to miss any moment with her and when you have time to think about these things ... wow. We are grateful and happy.

We definitely have been kept busy here. :) For the last week our honeybee has also started chewing like mad on her hand or any toy she could grab. I thought she might be getting closer to having her first tooth, but I am not sure as there are no other signs yet and at the moment I think her slightly uneasy nights are due to the infection. Well, besides, I could wait much longer for her first tooth, because of nursing (and because nip-torture is supposed to be hubby's department). 

We are talking and singing an awful lot throughout the day, and I do not mean that I am the only one talking then! Tilda replies and tells her own stories in her own style of chatter. She even comments when I do some of the dishes in the kitchen. It is a kind of ritual for us and I do that simply because she loves it at the moment. Our dishwasher would usually hold more, but that would spoil the fun for Tilda. :) I put her into the baby carrier so that we face the same direction (kitchen sink), and I can smell her all the time because her hair is right at my nose. :) And when I do the dishes, we talk. She is always pretty excited about plates. She is ok with cups or glasses, spoons are fine,  but for some reason she enjoys plates, anything round and big. Maybe because she can put them into her mouth and chew them? Maybe it is that I have praised the advantages of plates too much? Dunno, but she wants them in her hands, no, in her mouth. Tasty! ;)
She cannot even really chew, because we have not started solid food yet, but she munches away on a good old plate, chewing, savouring the delicate flavor of clean pottery. Yummy.

I hope you all have a wonderful second half of the week!

My reading experience of Prague Counterpoint (Zion Covenant book 2); authors: Bodie and Brock Thoene

Now, let’s have a complicated start. I write primarily about Prague Counterpoint here, because this one was available for my Kindle. Vienna Prelude, the first book of the Zion Covenant series is available for Kindle in the US and the UK, but the German amazon only had the paperback edition and not the ebook. So, while I was waiting for the first of the series, I peeked into Prague Counterpoint and later found myself on the bed, reading and reading until I finished book 2. By now, I have read halfway through the first book of the series, too, and I also have read the first pages of book 3 (Munich Signature). I am not paid for this, nevertheless, something positive is to follow. :-)

Originally I got the suggestion for the books of the Zion Covenant series from Anastasia Vitsky. Since I enjoy reading her reviews and know she has an eye for the important bits, I thought I’d give the Zion Covenant books a try. I did not regret that I did, and I say that even though the historic topic covered in Prague Counterpoint is not exactly mine.

The plot of the series starts in 1936, in the early years of the Third Reich, and you can follow the development in Germany and her neighbours primarily through the eyes of two jewish women, musicians, and an American journalist. You see with a lot of detail, how the jewish people are degraded and humiliated systematically and continuously, how racial hatred takes over and only the basest instincts and immoral behavior rules and how jewish people suffer because of this.

The historic background must have been researched in great detail and it sounded convincing and accurate to me. I remembered some of German history under the Nazi regime from school and found all that in the books, too. Some of the historic descriptions went into greater detail than I would have cared for, but leaving them out would not always have been easy either, because the historic events are intermingled with the plot. I think this is a matter of personal preference and it did not reduce the positive reading experience for me.

What I found absolutely well done, is how in many scenes the main characters are tossed around, often victim-like helpless, unable to change much, unable to influence major parts of their own or their loved ones’ fates. There were some cruel scenes, though they were by far not as cruel and horrid as they could have been. But for me, they were more than enough. I could virtually feel how helpless and humiliated the characters must have felt. Their suffering is described in a convincing way, at least for me. And even against all odds, these characters go on. While reading I felt several times how they drew me with them and I felt as lost as they must have. They do not give up, nor do they find ways easily to solve the problems they have to face. Their sorrows are heartbreaking and touching and in a way, how they cope is one of the reasons why you want to read on. 

If you are looking for a fully fledged love-story, you will be disappointed. This is a family and friends drama with a little bit of a clean love-story included. The characters often enough act out of love and out of a selfless sense of responsibility and there are romantic moments, thought they are few. The lovers in the book have problems, too and don’t find to each other easily, but the interpersonal problems of them appear actually rather small, compared to those they have to face just because they are in the wrong city in the wrong moment. Sometimes it reminded me of a ship that is lost in a severe storm and can only move to and fro helplessly, as the wind dictates. Still, this is not a negative point, because it fits well into the plot. The historical development is interwoven with it and all in all, this combination with characters who have to face enormous problems, a believable plot and the historic background of a cruel time, definitely made it a good read for me.

Who is meant to read the Zion Covenant series? I assume that the Zion Covenant series is meant to be read by youths and young adults, starting around the age of not younger than 15. The assumption is based on the level of understanding you need to see the immoral and cruel behavior of people in the book, to understand the systematic reduction of rights for jewish people and to understand the implications of it all. The book has a section with questions which help to understand what was read before. This is pretty helpful for younger readers and readers without any background knowledge. The language that The Thoenes use in all three books I know about, is very clear, as are the descriptions. The language is also very easy to understand, which I think I am allowed to say as a non-native English-speaker. But that does not mean that you can only enjoy this book at that age.

All in all I found this a very captivating read and not at all boring. Prague Counterpoint surely is not a difficult book, and in the past I have stopped reading books by other authors because the plot was too obvious, combined with a too basic language, even for me. But Prague Counterpoint is different. The characters move through the historical events in a way that you want to know what is going to happen next. And for me, it was not clear if they’d survive all this or not. Therefore, even though the appropriate age of when to start reading the Zion Covenant might be 15 and up, I could not see that it would be boring for adults. I am 35 and enjoyed reading it. … I might even smuggle my kindle into the labour ward, if the latter books of the series are as good as the first three. :D (=clear recommendation)

 This entry is scheduled for 18th July, 2.00 AM Pacific Daylight Time. I hope it works

I hope you all have a nice and wonderful weekend !

Sue and Martin III – The journey northwards

This is the next attempt of a sequel to Sue and Martin.

Part one can be found here

and 

Part two can be found here.

Sue felt every inch of her poor bottom. She winced every time her skirt made the slightest move. But this was what she had needed and she felt at peace as a result. If her bottom had not hurt that much, she would have smiled. She looked around, to catch a few more impressions of the Irish sea, from the Scottish side. Apart from the old fishing boat that went south, only the motor boat that came quickly closer, was to be seen on the water. As they moved towards Angus' lorry, she gave Martin a hidden smile from the side "You are a real meanie sometimes, you know?!".

 

Sue loved it when Martin was so strict with her, because she simply enjoyed the strength and this display of assertiveness he showed then. What she could not stand, was him being seriously mad at her, though. Nevertheless, she found that she absolutely deserved an answer. “Martin, I am not a little girl. I want to know what is going on here. Please. I will be good, and do all you say, but please, tell me. I can see that this is serious, because you are so tense. You can barely speak a word. Do you think I don't notice that you are worried?” Sue was sincere. She needed this answer from him now. No fussing, no excuses, just the plain truth. And Martin pondered whether he should tell her or not. He seriously didn’t want to tell her because of the implications his news would have. She’d be hurt and devastated, if not worse. But one glance into her direction also told him that she would not be fooled. Maybe, if he had not spanked her to her senses this short time earlier, she would have let that topic rest; not now, though. In addition to that, she was right, she was involved and therefore she should know, even more so, since he couldn’t be sure that he’d always be around to keep her safe. Sue waited patiently, and Martin’s obvious worry made her nervous, in return. 

He stopped, looked at her and sighed. “Ok, I’ll tell you what’s wrong, Sue. Your actions in Belfast have caused a lot of problems. Everybody who is still holding a weapon over there thinks that you have brought offers meant to weaken those groups that have not been disarmed up to now. You know, you are the only person ever in the history of the city who has managed to bring those sworn enemies together. If only to bring you down for some stupid assumption that you, out of all women, are a serious threat to them. This is the result of your colourful display in the streets of Belfast. You went through the different quarters, wearing the wrong colours, stopping at the wrong places, looking at the wrong people. I still have no idea how you survived this stunt first of all, and if anything, I am as happy as can be that you are still alive, even if I have trouble showing this to you right now, because this whole affair drives me crazy.”

Martin halted his barrage when he saw that Sue had understood what he had told her. He took her arm and drew Sue with him. “Girl, they are hunting for you all over the British Isles and I am going to make sure they won’t get you.” Tenderly, he brushed a streak of her soft blond hair out of her face. “Come, we have no second to lose, we have been lingering around far too long.”

Sue was dumbstruck. She had not followed anything of what Martin had said after ‘hunting for you’. He was joking. It must have been a prank. Maybe it was a goodbye-joke from his military friends? No. She knew that were futile hopes. Martin had been too serious and tense lately. One look into his direction told her that he was not up to any kind of joke at all. She wanted to sit down, because she felt her legs falter. Now she understood. This was real danger and no fun trip. Unable to remain standing on her own, she felt Martin catch her, as her legs gave out. He simply took her and went on to Angus’ lorry. Martin would not have waited if she had fainted now. “We have to get away from here. Now!”

Sue saw everything that followed in a haze. She was in the lorry’s cabin. From there, she saw the sea all the time as they drove north, but she could not have said if it was five minutes or five hours. ‘I have caused such trouble? Did that mean everybody I have talked to was in danger?’ They stopped now and then, went on. She heard ‘Edinburgh is blocked’ but did not comprehend what they meant. Sue was too shocked. She couldn’t even notice Martin’s concerned face as he saw her ponder the implications of what she had learned from him.

Martin saw her drift away and couldn’t do anything against it. She retreated inside herself and her eyes lost the typical vividness that only Sue had in this intensity. Usually, her eyes would shine, sparkle, leave the impression that you could lose yourself in them. And even when she was angry, she wouldn’t lose it. On the contrary, Martin found her incredibly attractive and sexy when her eyes flared and flashed in anger. She was able to let you feel every ounce of her displeasure, just by looking at you. ‘You are more alive than anybody else I know. Don’t lose that. Don’t let me regret that I told you the truth’, he thought while he watched her. Martin felt as if he had doubled his sorrow by telling her the truth.

He took her hand, which was suddenly as cold as ice. Her vividness was gone. Martin had seen this happen to young soldiers when they had killed for the first time. Some of them broke and never recovered. How could Sue cope? She had no training to help her absorb the shock and she was one of the most peaceful beings he had ever known, maybe not suited to life-threatening conflict. He took her in his arms, held her, but felt no reaction from her side, for the first time ever. Even anger would have been welcomed. Martin tried to keep her warm, because she felt like ice in his arms. He knew that even though the lorry’s cabin was overheated, none of that reached Sue.

Although Martin had not told a word about her friends, Sue had absolutely realized that they could not have survived, ‘If the others have the means to stop us from reaching safe ground, then what will be with my friends? They lived right in the lion’s den.’ She felt her tears running as she accepted responsibility for everything that had happened. Up to this point it had only been one of her many silly escapades. But with two dead friends it had turned into the worst nightmare ever. She had no idea how she should be able to cope with this guilt. She was desperate, lost and lonely. She couldn’t look into Martin’s eyes, but was happy that he held her in his arms throughout the journey. He was the only support that meant anything to her and in this moment of utter despair, Martin was the only one who gave her enough strength to live on at all. Two had died because of her.

Beautiful as it was, Sue did not notice anything at all from the outside world any longer.

Nevertheless, Martin was there. She felt him, envisioned him, though not in a lorry. She saw him right in front of her, in a hotel room in Belfast. She remembered that moment after the spanking there. It was wonderful, because he had freed her from all that was a burden. She waited for him to free her now, but he did not react, in fact, he did not even move. She had his picture visualised, but he did not speak and he did not respond at all. She spoke to him, ‘Hold me tight’, but couldn’t hear her own voice either. Sue held him tightly at his lower arms, though she found he was less existent than she remembered. But his smell was there. His lovely smell was for real, therefore everything was real. She would find a way to talk to him. Sooner or later he would understand.

When the lorry finally reached their destination, a rather utility-like white hotel, which looked as if it had been there for ages, with some local architect adding here and there, Sue was completely unresponsive. She didn’t see the middle class comfort the hotel promised for the coming and going tourists. A construction site with an almost finished bridge loomed further back.

“We have to get to the ferry, love.” Martin took a long look at her, then shook his head. “Can we risk staying here for a while? Sue needs a break.” Angus nodded. “One night is safe, they don’t know where you want to go, but tomorrow morning you’ll have to leave again. And stay away from the road.” With that he left them. Martin and Sue went into the hotel. Sue was more or less sleep-walking and Martin led her into their room.

Martin kept looking for signs of Sue’s old self returning, but to no avail. She sat where Martin had seated her, at the corner of the bed. Her empty eyes saw the streets of Belfast again, her friends, her, walking along, looking at people, the pubs, their way across the Irish sea. She even remembered that she was in Scotland, Martin was with her and then her thoughts went back to Belfast again. She imagined explosions, gunshots, screams, dozens of possible deaths her friends might have died. She had the feeling that she’d experience the fear that her friends must have felt when they died. This pushed her over the edge. Sue felt desperate, as if she was drawn down into the deep. Her memories of the short sea voyage returned. Maybe they had been pleasant pictures, but where she had experienced blue sky, a warm breeze and Martin, who had been with her, she now only saw everything turning into darkest grey. She felt as if she’d drown in pitch black sea water. ‘Help me! Anybody!’, but she was alone and nobody heard her screams.

Martin had fed her and his grave face showed all shades of concern for her, but Sue had not noticed any of it. He had held her in his arms, tucked her in, so that she would sleep, and went downstairs into the hotel lobby. If anything, Martin knew that Sue would not move an inch for the time being. He would use this time. When he came back into the hotel room, it was as he had left it. Sue had not moved, as Martin had known, but at least she slept. Martin’s hopes were that some sleep would help her to process the events. ‘I shouldn’t have told her. I am an idiot and should have foreseen what the truth would do to her. Oh Sue, I’d do everything to protect you from harm. From now on that includes lying to you, when I am not sure about the outcome of things. I should have handled this affair differently from the start, even more so, since you are involved. You want to be tough enough, but what happened is not part of your world.’ 
Nobody saw how much his face reflected his inner turmoil and self-reproach. The others were still at their heels and would very much enjoy seeing them both perish. His hands moved up across his face and through his hair as he tried to wipe away their sorrows. His hand went to his pistol, about the hundredth time this day. 

“Sweetheart, wake up, we have some things to do”, Martin whispered with a soft and hoarse voice. He was afraid that she would not even hear him any longer. But she woke up, though her eyes were as empty as before. She was still lost in her own maze. Seeing her in such a state almost broke him, since she was the one who mattered for Martin.

If he had left her standing there, she would have stayed where she was, for hours, and then? Maybe shock therapy would help her? He rejected his idea immediately. He was no psychiatrist and shouldn’t dabble with that. And for one day he had made enough mistakes. Instead of following his gloomy thoughts, he led her to the bathroom and undressed her. He tried to bring her back by caressing her, by massaging her lightly where she liked it, but finally gave up, since she did not show any reaction at all. It was as if she was numb. She'd need time to heal. He took out the hair dye and went to work.

Finally, she was done. Instead of her wonderful golden hair, hers was dark brown now. She looked like a beautiful Spanish Flamenco dancer. Her fiery eyes would have completed this impression. But they remained empty.

He put her into the shower. Cold water gushed down on her. Sue did not even flinch and only stood there, as if she was a marble statue. But her warm body showed goose bumps all over. ‘At least one reaction’, Martin thought. He took her out and dried her. Like a sleepwalker, Sue was led back to their bed. She did not notice any of it, nor did she notice that Martin tucked her back into the cozy bed. She did not notice that he changed his clothes into the typical backpacker style, nor that he had taken the clothes she had worn in Belfast and thrown them away. It was summer, it was tourist season, so they’d look like those. He had organised a backpack and put his ammunition, clothes and what else they might need, into it. Wary as he was, he did not bother to undress for the night. He considered it wise to be ready and to keep watch till they could leave inconspicuously in the early morning hours. The ferry across would not take more than five minutes and he wanted to go as early as possible.

At sunrise, Martin had a plain breakfast and fed Sue again. He had washed and dressed her, but yesterday’s apathy was still there. She ate all he fed her, but she never showed any reaction to what he did or said. She was so vulnerable, and even though her face remained blank, he could see her wince and distort her mouth slightly in some moments. He heard her sigh repeatedly and once he thought she’d come back to reality, but she didn’t. He tied her shoes, reciting The rabbit goes around the tree and down through the hole. He remembered it from his own childhood days and hoped that she’d react, but to no avail.

His guilt lay heavy on him. ‘Oh God, what have I done to you.’ He regretted each word of the truth he had told her. Nevertheless, they had to leave. When they were ready, Martin knelt down in front of Sue, as parents do, when they want to explain their children something important. “Sue, we have to go now. We’ll go into hiding, in a safe place. Nobody will find us there.” He caressed her, waiting for any reaction, but without much hope for that to happen. He took her cold hand and led her out of the hotel, into the early morning.

Sue and Martin II - The morning after

That’s my attempt of a sequel for ‘You didn’t go there wearing these colours’.

When Sue woke up the next morning, she needed a moment to remember where she actually was. As she sat up in the cozy hotel room bed, she smelled strong, black coffee. Martin sat on the bed’s corner, switching off the tv-set. He smiled at her, “Good morning my love. What about some coffee?” He held his cup close to her nose and she followed every move he made with the deliciously steaming cup until she finally laid hands on it. After her first sip her memories returned, and the unpleasant pain in her bottom. ’I have been such a stupid cow. Matching colours are overrated!’ It all returned, her failures, the disappointment she had caused, and how stupid she had been. But she also felt a certain kind of peace, because she had been made accountable for her stupid mistake. In the back of her mind she relived last night’s punishment, every single stroke of it, and also the sweet caress that followed. She had made amends, more was not possible for her, and she knew it.

Sue thought about her two friends and hoped they were ok. “Martin, thank you for last night. I understand how silly I have been. But I’d like to call my friends to see if they are all right.” Martin looked a moment too long at her, which Sue found queer. “Sue, they are ok. It is early and they’ll be asleep. Instead of worrying about them now, you should rather get dressed and have a quick breakfast before we leave.” She nodded. He was right, it was only six am. ‘Why was he up that early anyway? Why did he wear yesterday’s clothes? He must have had a bad night.’ Sue felt a sort of tense restlessness around Martin this morning, and her wondering whether she had perceived that correctly, let her forget to ask about his night. She considered her options. Shower, breakfast, airport, London. “Yes, ok, I’ll be quick. I can’t wait to go back to London. I haven’t been there for ages.” 

She stood up, naked as she had been when she went to bed. She quickly grabbed a hair ribbon and tied her hair together in a lose bun. Absorbed by her morning routine, she did not even notice that she was enchanting him with her naked, delicate skin, and that Martin’s gaze followed her, scrutinizing her from head to toe and stopping at her bottom as she turned to the bathroom. Her buttocks were still rather bruised. ‘What a cute reminder. I’ll enjoy watching her bum even more for the next days, until the bruises vanish again’, Martin mused as he followed her every movement with his eyes. He had been hard on her and hopefully she had learned that lesson. There would still be lots of trouble ahead until they disappeared forever. Sue had no idea yet. If the others found her, they’d have him as well, because he would not let them harm her. His face became fierce and animal-like as he thought about the others. 

… And he brushed his thoughts away, because Sue’s bruised bottom, her slender, feminine shape, her gorgeous breasts and the gaiety of her steps worked their magic on him. “Nice bruises, nice bottom. If we had no boat to reach, I’d not let you out of here until you cried for mercy and for more at the same time.” He grinned at her as she paraded along the bed. Teasingly, she let her hip swing once more, before she disappeared into the bathroom and closed the door. An instant later, she opened it again and viewed him with round, innocent but questioning eyes “What do you mean, ‘a boat’? I thought we’d go by plane and we had some time left?” Martin shook his head “Change of plans. The flight is cancelled and we go by boat. You’ll love it, it’s a fisherman’s boat, and he is a really nice guy. We can trust him. It will take a little longer to get to London, but it will be worth it.” He breathed in deeply, as if he was inhaling cigarette smoke. ‘And it will be safer’ he thought. Satisfied, Sue just nodded with a tantalizing smile and closed the bathroom door. Martin noticed it, looked at the closed door and considered his options. She was such a tease at times, sometimes deliberately, but most times unintentionally.

He shook his head with a hidden smile and used the time to check the contents of his black bag. There was enough ammunition in it to defend against an army. He put one of the pistols from the bag under his shirt. This would only help if the others had to improvise. Though, if Sue and Martin remained in this place much longer, the others would just use a bomb and his pistol would be useless.

A short time later the two of them left the hotel. Martin had made sure that there was no colour on Sue that could raise suspicions or anger. She was wearing a simple black dress and her black sandals. Sue was not too happy about this outfit early in the morning, but she had also seen Martin’s face, when they left the building. Something was not the way it was supposed to be and if he had a worried look, she should be close to panic, because Martin was rarely visibly worried. “Martin, what’s wrong with you? Did I do anything? Are you angry with me?” He looked at her quickly and gave her a quick kiss that was meant to reassure Sue, before he scanned the surrounding area with his eyes again. Sue felt insecure, as if she was walking around in a maze, blindfolded. All she knew was that she could trust Martin. But he had never been that taciturn before. Accordingly, his behaviour made Sue more nervous than before, though she trusted him enough to push most of this away again.

The streets were still empty, as it was so early in the morning. Martin nodded to the concierge as they entered the taxi that was waiting for them. It was a safe one, Martin had cleared the details and if it had been possible, he would have stayed in this car until they had reached England, because the driver and the car were there for inconspicuous military personnel transports only. They’d need this safe car, and Martin knew that their hunters were close. But if they did not want any additional attention, they had to behave like tourists. Therefore, they drove through Belfast, leisurely, like tourists did. Silently he wanted to curse the city for a moment, but then again, he had always been thrilled by the atmosphere of it. No, he couldn’t curse it. He loved Belfast and he had enjoyed every minute of being here, though now everything was different, because he had his loved one with him, in unexpected danger.

While Martin was lost in his thoughts about her, Sue looked out of the window. As was her habit when thinking about events that troubled her, she had problems with focusing on one topic. ‘What a lovely city. Full of life and excitement, well, and obviously with some danger, too. What was it that worried Martin?’ She looked at him, only to see that he had studied her closely. “Hey, what is it? Why are you so troubled? Martin, if there is anything wrong, you have to tell me. I am not a small child and want to know what’s going on. Please.” She added quickly, because she knew exactly that he’d not allow her to push him, and she did not want a second round with the belt either. Not even a romantic spanking by hand, until her bottom felt much better, she conceded.

Martin pressed his lips together for a moment and nodded, as if he had finally reached a decision. “Sue, we are not safe until we have reached the boat. I am just a little overcautious, because I don’t want you to be hurt. If you do as told, we’ll be safe and away in no time. 
Look there, the boat is almost in sight. We can go on board immediately and leave. You’ll enjoy the trip, because we’ll have great weather. And once on board, we’ll do fine.” He smiled at her, and Sue observed with pleasure that his confident self returned. Sue loved and adored him this way. A little more of it and he’d have her beg for making love, even if the whole world watched, or a fisherman.

Martin could distract her thoughts so easily, and she was always so willing when it came to that, at least that was one of his ideas about her. Sue, on the other hand, was always willing to play along, although she had noticed that sudden change of topic. But she had also long accepted that she simply could not resist this man in any way. She was an open book and absolutely defenceless, and both of them knew it. Well, in a way it was part of the attraction that he felt for her, this knowledge of unlimited trust from her side, this deep love and greed for being with him. Martin had not found out so far why she was this way, because she also had a characteristic that he had only observed by soldiers who had survived deadly attacks almost unscathed. She was greedy for life to the extreme. A rollercoaster ride? She’d take it, although she hated them. Climbing mountains? She’d do it, because she hadn’t tried that. Scuba diving? Absolutely hers, even more so, with sharks around her. Then again, she’d see a spider and run from it. He could read what was going on in her and he knew how she functioned, but then again, he was aware that she was a mystery and he understood nothing.

Martin always felt how much she loved him, and he knew that she was trusting him beyond reason. He was no saint, had done things in his job that let him detest himself. And then there was this awesome beauty with her sweetness, her doe-eyes, her willingness to believe in him, with her unconditional love and her zest for life. That was the core of her being. She did everything for him, and it was unconditional. He also knew that he held her soul in his hand, because of this ocean of love that she had reserved exclusively for him. On this warm summer morning in Belfast, with deadly danger closing in as they were on their way to the harbour, he looked at her from the side again and realized just how lucky he was and to what lengths he would have to go to protect her from harm.

Martin’s idea about her was that she wasn’t aware of how easily she could be harmed because of her too trusting nature. She had been harmed in the past and she wore a few scars on her soul from that. But he was surprised every time they spent time together, how well she healed. For him, she was awesome, she was magic, and he would make sure she’d be safe, no matter what it would take. As he looked along the row of shabby, grey city buildings, they passed, he admitted to himself his willingness to wade through a pool of blood that he had filled with the blood of those fools who dared standing between Sue and himself. He had the means and he had the will. What he underestimated was Sue’s willingness, to do exactly the same for him. They were two lovers in their own little world. And currently this world was threatened by ‘the others’.

As they left the car, Martin tapped the driver on the shoulder and signalled to stay there until the boat was gone. If there were signs of the others, the driver would call Martin, because then the boat would have to go elsewhere. He hoped they would be spared from changing their plans again. They left the harbour. There were some vessels preparing to leave, but theirs was the only fishing boat that left the area at this time. Martin cursed his stupidity. ‘I should have sought out another way. The boat was out too late. The airport had been no option, because they would have recognized Sue. They would have seen me. They would have found a way to stop us, either in Belfast or in England.’ He had seen that happen once. It never made it’s way into the news as an assassination. The report only spoke about a tragic car accident, in the middle of London. Martin would not let that happen to her. She didn’t even know what avalanche of sectarian violence she had set off, and as far as Martin was concerned, it would stay that way. If only he had an idea what Sue’s two friends might have told their torturers before they had been killed.

Sue enjoyed the cool breeze of a day that promised to become very hot. As they passed the remains of Belfast’s once so glorious shipping industry, there were only the noises from the boat and from the docks. She had always wanted to go to the docks and watch the workers. Now, she had doubts that would ever happen. With a little bit of melancholy, she looked at the mix of old reddish brick buildings and a few new, but rather out of place workshops along the pier. At that time of the day there were only few workers, some just stood there and followed them with their eyes as they left the harbour slowly.

She heard Martin’s mobile ring. “Yeah? Ok, good to know, thanks, bye” Sue asked Martin “Who was it?” but he did not answer. Ah, she saw Martin’s professional face expression. His was a poker face, whenever he needed one and she knew she barely stood a chance at even guessing what he thought when he shut her out like that. Sue usually loved it when he was business-like, but here, she felt ignored in this moment, and that was something she hated, though she also knew he would not act like this without reason. Not towards her. Therefore, even if he did behave strangely, Sue always had the feeling of love and could trust Martin completely. And she never felt in danger with Martin around, just like she was never afraid of being left by him. Sue was not good at assessing people, but she knew Martin well. In fact, this man was the only man she understood. When she needed help, he’d be either there, or had died trying. She knew that, because she’d do the same for him. Their love to each other ran so deep, it would outlast any problem. This was all reassurance she ever needed and nothing else could bother her with Martin as a backup.

He had this focused attitude which she also loved, went to the fisherman and told him something. The man nodded and Sue felt how the boat changed direction. Almost directly into the sun. How romantic. As Martin came back to her, he was finally smiling, though still with his professional reserved attitude. “To the south there will be bad weather. We’ll have to take another route across. It’ll be a bit shorter than I had thought.” Sue didn’t worry. If Martin had a plan, all would be ok. After all, she knew well that he planned almost everything and therefore always had alternatives at hand. So, if the plane was cancelled, the weather in the south was bad, it was only to be expected that he’d have another route to England. What a nice trip this could be. Actually, their delay would give her plenty of time to seduce him. She smiled when this thought popped up. “Martin, I only have city clothes with me, but I have a short top and skirt in my suitcase, and it is getting really warm here, could I change, please?” Martin grinned at her, his open self was back. “Love, downstairs you’ll only find dirty smelly places, you’d have to do it here, on deck. Do you want that?”

As an answer Sue opened her suitcase took out her clothes and slowly hitched her dress up, until her stocking tops were visible. “Why not?” she saw him interested, and for a moment he stopped breathing. ‘If you want a challenge, you can have it!’ Smiling seductively, she never let her eyes wander away from him, as she slowly undid her stockings, rolled them down in slow motion and took them off. She stood at the ship’s bow and could see the fisherman behind Martin, steering. His eyes rested on her, just like Martin’s, who leaned against a box and waited what she would do next. ‘Would she undress completely? Nah, she wouldn’t, not with the captain present’, Martin told himself, but her movement spoke another language. Sue enjoyed Martin’s attention. She had him and knew it. Instead of putting on the short red cotton skirt, she slowly undid the zipper of her dress. Very slowly she peeled her left arm out of the dress to present naked skin. She turned around, away from Martin and the fisherman. With slight, wriggling moves she peeled her right arm out and felt her dress sag down. She still held it high enough, and she was also wearing a bra, but her back and parts of her suspender belt were visible. Very slowly she drove the fingers along her naked skin and opened the suspender belt with two fingers, shook her hip and let it slide down. A quick glance to Martin showed her that he was focused on her. Oh, the fisherman was focused, too. ‘Well, why not? He is in his little captain’s cabin and can only see me. Martin could come over and touch me. If only he would’, Sue thought. She turned away, so that Martin and the fisherman would only see her backside. She let her dress go and it fell down. She heard Martin clear his throat, accompanied by the soothing sound of the boat’s slowly working machine. Very slowly she took up her top and put it on in slow motion. Sue wished for Martin to come over and caress her. And her wish came true, as if he had heard her thoughts. She listened to his slow steps coming closer and felt his embrace from behind. A wave of pleasant heat ran like a ripple from her most vulnerable spot away into the tips of each hair. He caressed her breasts which were sort of directing the ship’s way to safety. Slowly, Martin kissed his way up, from the neck to her ear, to the cheek and as she turned to him and put her arms around him, her lips found his. She felt this peculiar tingling in her stomach and inhaled Martin’s smell. Masculine, fresh, now salty, as his smell mixed with the air, there was this smell of old, worn leather on him. This was from his old leather jacket which he had let fall where she had seen him only seconds earlier. She dug her nose into his skin to get more of this exquisite mix. She caught a little bit of his cologne, a very volatile smell that reminded her of what the blue sky possibly could smell like. She tried again. She wanted to breathe Martin in completely, forever. Sue felt that Martin did the same with her. But unexpectedly early he took his head slowly up to her ear and softly whispered “Sue, you are a tease. You know that we can’t do anything here on board, but over-exciting the poor captain was not nice. If you hadn’t worn a bra and turned around then, I would have given him an additional show, by spanking you for indecent behaviour, my love.” “Ouch!” Martin had just given her a single sample of what could have been, and Sue was not sure if she should not go to some length to get right then what Martin had suggested. As the pain from the single swat ebbed away slowly, she reconsidered again, because her bottom was still far too sore to accept Martin’s hidden offer.

Throughout the following three hours on sea, they only saw a few ferries and transport vessels. There even was another motor boat, far away and sometimes bopping in and out of sight. For Martin this motor boat had been following them too long on a route which normally nobody would use to cross the sea from Belfast. They couldn’t do anything but wait and see. For Sue, everything was very picturesque, and she used the time to sun bathe while Martin talked to the fisherman. When they finally reached a tiny little harbour, somewhere in nowhere, on a warm and pleasant mid-morning, Sue was as disappointed as could be. There were a few old shabby industry buildings, an old ship’s landing, a huge, dirty car park and a road that came out of nowhere and led away into nowhere. At least there were pleasant hills everywhere in the background and created a scenery that would have been charming and adorable, if there hadn’t been the old buildings and the car park, that is. 

“Where are we? What place is this?” Sue frowned. 'Not exactly a holiday resort. This looks more like the end of the civilized world.' They left the boat quickly and as they waved goodbye to the fisherman, they were greeted by a bear-like, red-haired man with a strong Scottish accent. The man looked like the cliché of a Scotsman, the only thing that was not cliché was that he was wearing a pair of dirty jeans instead of the traditional Scottish kilt. ‘Too bad, I’d love to know what he’d wear under it. If everything was as big on him as his hands and arms…’ Sue smiled broadly, in the right moment. One smile was all for herself, as she imagined herself lifting up this man’s kilt, getting red cheeks and afterwards being led away for a spanking by Martin, for indecent behaviour and just so naughty thoughts. 

She sighed deeply as she gave this friendly bear her hand and smiled the other smile, the friendly contact smile of hers. As she greeted him back, she saw another one of those familiar tattoos, half hidden under his t-shirt. It identified this man as being of Martin’s kind. She did not know much about tattoos, but if there was a dagger, wings, a sword, or even a crown in it, she had learned that those meant ‘hardcore military’, as she referred to these soldiers. They’d hide such tattoos in unsafe environments, but among friends, it was a symbol of identity. She had seen that working in different places with Martin and other soldiers. Even if they had never met before, this symbol made them sort of friends, or at least a tight-knit community.

“Welcome to Scotland. My name’s Angus. I am going to bring you away from here.” What a pleasant, sonorous voice he had. They shook hands and Martin immediately inquired about the roads. “Well, the roads south are currently blocked. We can only bring you northwards. But it should be reasonably safe there.” Sue hesitated, felt angst rise slowly and forgot to breathe. “What? Why safe? Why ‘reasonably’? Martin, I want to know. NOW!” She stomped her foot like a little girl having a tantrum. Indeed, she was having one. Martin took her hand tightly and looked at Sue, seriously and sternly, with anger maybe not too far behind. He only gave her a second to calm down. She shut her mouth and tried to refrain from pouting, but her eyes were aflame with anger and frustration because she had no idea of what was going on in a place somewhere in Scottish nowhere.

“Excuse us, Angus, we’ll be back in a moment and can continue our journey then. Just a word, please!” This was getting serious. Martin led her away, a few meters closer to the calm Irish sea. Sue felt herself shrinking as she saw that Martin would scold her right now, with Angus being in earshot. She thought about trying to pull away from him, but didn’t, because that would be so silly and would only let her appear more like a little girl having a temper tantrum. She knew the rules but could not think clearly for now. It was probably the effect Martin’s tense behaviour had. Maybe others would not notice his change in behaviour, but she would.

“Come with me, unless you want to be seen by Angus. It’ll be bad enough that he’ll probably hear you in a minute! But I am surely not willing to accept your disrespectful behaviour and you’ll be spanked now. Here, right on the shore and in the presence of anybody who cares to see you squirm and cry. You think the spanking in Belfast was severe? You have no idea what the next one will feel like, if you go on behaving like a brat. I hope I made myself clear, young Lady!” Martin let out his breath, gazed at her with this strict and serious look that would ultimately turn her on, turned away and pulled her with him further down to the little stretch of brown-earthed beach. Sue never made a sound. She simply followed Martin’s lead, because she wouldn’t do anything to make him angry now. She still felt her bum being tender from Belfast and now she would get another lesson. Inwardly, she scolded herself for behaving like a silly cow, and in the presence of a stranger, to make matters worse. All the same, if it hadn't been for her tender bum and Angus, she would have embraced the way it would undeniably reconnect them.

Martin steered them to a group of rocks, right at the waterfront. Under different circumstances, this corner of Scotland would have made a nice spot for a romantic time. And Sue could even see the motor boat again. But now, it was only the spot of Sue’s first punishment, ever, in Scotland. Martin sat down, pulled Sue’s skirt up and her knickers down. “Over my knees!” he commanded strictly. Sue did as told and Martin was not waiting long for her to settle down. She was barely in position, when she felt the first swat swat and almost shattered to pieces from the pain. Her still tender bottom couldn’t possibly take that. “Nooo, Martin, owwww, this is too much!  Ooowwww, I. can’t. take. It. OOOWWWWW! Martin spanked on. She heard the peculiar sound of the spanking, swat, swat, swat, mixed with the noise from the sea and the gulls. Or was it her? The strokes were rapidly falling on her bottom, as she tried in vain to relax all muscles. Her tears were all over her cheeks, dripped down on the ground. She heard herself groan repeatedly and Martin’s breath, as he continued working her tender bottom. Sue made every effort, not to wriggle too much, but to no avail. Martin held her tightly, he did not lecture her and she would not have understood a single syllable if he had. She felt her bottom in flames. Painful explosion after explosion gave Sue the feeling to faint. If only! She felt every bit of pain far more than usual. Sue accepted the inevitable. 

It would go on, until Martin had decided that she had understood. The pain was harsh and made it harder than usual for her, but something inside lost its sharp edge. In this pain, she felt growing peace. Her acceptance was there for good. She did not consciously notice it, but Martin felt her whole body relax. And he knew so well what that meant. This was the signal he had waited for. It was not a sign that he had beaten her into submission, because he would not do that to her. Instead, her growing limp, her relaxing was the sign she would not hide from him. She was her real self again. No anger, no resentment, no tantrum. He might have to face a fierce discussion, because he had seen the lovely bruises of hers and she might scold him for spanking her in this moment. But she would do it like a reasonable woman, not like a spoiled brat, and in return, he would accept any verdict she’d deem appropriate. He grinned inwardly. This would not mean him being spanked, but if she demanded a sort of amends, he would give that to her, in recognition of the difficult situation and because he loved her and wanted to see her happy in the long run.

He mused on, with Sue still across his lap, though he had stopped spanking her. Both of them needed a moment to recover. Martin used the time to assess how long the motor boat would take till it would be here. Finally, he helped her up and held her tightly. After a short while she drew her knickers up, with her bottom so much on fire that she was not sure whether she really wanted to pull her skirt down and add to the effect. But she did, as Martin waited for her. She had winced from the pain as she pulled her skirt down, and she had her peculiar ‘severe spanking’ walk, as Martin helped her back to the road. Martin marvelled at the transformation that he had seen happen in her within the last few minutes. If anything, Sue was at peace. Her eyes sparkled, full of life, even more so, after Martin had wiped away her ruined make-up around the eyes. “Thank you, Martin. I am sorry for my tantrum. But you have been mean to my bottom! Hey, I’d like to go swimming, to cool it. Could we go here? No?” She couldn’t help it but had to smile and gave him a tender kiss. Finally, they’d go on, away from danger. Angus had been waiting patiently and tried ostensibly to remain neutral about what had happened.

Ooops, it's a bit lengthy. Sorry for that