I woke early and fumbled in the dark to find my jeans and sweater. We had had an argument last night, so our sleeping bags weren't zipped together. I sighed with frustration. I don't know how to avoid hurting her sometimes. I dressed quickly and as quietly as possible. The forest was still dark around our tent, with just the first hint of false dawn making the night gray rather than black. It was cold, and my breath rose in misty trails. I started down the path to the lake.

The night insects were already silent, and in the distance, I could just hear the first of the morning birds awakening and trying out his voice. I could smell the damp pines around me; they loomed as tall silhouettes along the path: sentinels and guardians both. The air was cool and soft against my skin like my lover's breath. And the mist shrouded everthing, softening outlines, muffling sound, making me feel as though I was alone in the world.

The colorful tents of other campers rose in ranks like the pavilions of Camelot. I expected to hear the snorting of the knight's horses as they were saddled for tourney, or the clank of armour in the squire's hand as he armed his lord. A single dog came over to investigate the intruder, but even he was silenced by the mist, and after smelling my hand, he wandered back to his guard post tail wagging. As I passed through the encampment, I felt as though I was slipping back through time to a world who's only reality was in the romantic imaginings of poets.

The ground began to slope down to the lake shore. I could see a few boats parked on there trailers, and my imagination built up the dragon prows of the Viking raiders. Ahead, I could see a break in the trees, and my pulse quickened in anticipation of the new adventure that lay before me. I quickened my step and pushed through the dripping bushes that guarded the shore, and at last stood before the gently steaming bowl of the lake.*** I expected to see Excalibur rising from the waters: a gift from the gods to the once and future king. Or for the waters to swell and break as the engulfed cathedral rose on the isle of glass, the bells tolling out the coming of the new day. Or perhaps the prow of a ship breaking the mist coming to bear me away to legendary Avalon. I breathed in the magic of the moment when night surrendered it's power to day, and the sun touched the horizon painting the mists pink and gold and violet.

The mists swirled and danced as a breeze played over the surface of the water. Tendrils began to rise higher as if in greeting to the infant sun who's power was not yet sufficient to dispel the magic of dawn. There were nyads dancing in the water now, painted in shades of delicate pink, deepest rose, softest lavender. They swayed to a song more ancient than any written by the hand of humans. A tune so soft that it barely touched the ear teasing the senses. I spoke her name softly then, as a litany and a supplication. And as if I had conjured her, she was there beside me.

We turned towards each other with words of apology on our lips, but the morning song took the sound away giving us absolution. I touched her then, feeling the morning dampness on her cheek as tears; vowing to let the strengthening sun burn away my jealousy once and for all. It was not her fault that I could not believe that one such as she could love me. We embraced then, and the mist seemed to swirl around us shrouding us from mortal eyes. It welcomed our love as a chorus to the morning hymn, a song of praise and glory.

When I kissed her, I tasted the dew on her lips and felt a softness that welcomed my questing tongue. I felt her smile against my lips, and looked deep into her eyes to see the power of the goddess reflected there. I had feared her; feared that she would take my love and leave me empty and alone. As others had done before. I feared that she was mocking me for even aspiring to be loved. But these were shadows of my past. I saw love in her eyes, and tenderness and concern. And, in that moment of magic, I learned to trust.

She took my hand then, and led me along the lake shore to a spot watched over by a willow. We sank down on the soft mosses, and the trailing branches made a filigree curtain through which to watch the sun's progress through the trees on the opposite shore. I prayed then for the power to stop time so that the rising heat would not banish the dancers. But they seemed to sway in laughter at the thought. They were children of dawn; they had been since the beginning of time, and would be until the end of time. And it was only a mortal like me who wished to stop the progression of day and night.

Her hands were reaching under my sweater now, weighing my breasts, stroking fire into my loins. I leaned forward to kiss her, and she pushed me down on the soft ground pulling up my sweater in her urgency to taste my nipples. I had always had to be in control before, but today I surrendered to her passion. She ran her tongue over one nipple and then the other, and the morning breeze hardened them. She took a moment to just gaze at them, and I marveled that she could delight in a body that I had always hated. Perhaps I had been wrong. She used her teeth then, to bite softly around each areola. I ached for her to take my nipples in her mouth, to suck. But she teased me with touches and kisses around, but never quite touching the most sensitive spots. I moaned and called her name. "I love you" I said, and the pain of it was like giving birth. "I love you" she answered, and the balm of it healed my soul. She smiled at me then, and bent to take my nipple in her mouth sucking hard and deep so the my hips rose up in response and I felt my vagina spasm.

She undid the zipper of my jeans, and I lifted my hips so that she could slide them down. Her hands strayed a moment on the sensitive backs of my thighs making me gasp with pleasure and want. The she continued her journey stroking down my legs to my ankles, freeing my feet from my shoes so that she could even love my toes. I was naked under her gaze now, and I felt a happiness I had never experienced before: there was no self-consciousness this time, only joy that the sight of my body could please my lover. "Can I see you too?" I asked. And she pulled her sweater over her head and quickly stepped out of her jeans. I couldn't help but reach for her then. She was so beautiful limed by the golden morning sun. She leaned so that I could cup her breasts and then arched over me so that I could taste each nipple drawing them in and hardening them in my mouth.

We lay kissing for some moments, she on top of me. Then she began to explore my body with her tongue tracing wet circles around my breasts, making paths along my torso to my navel, kissing sweet patterns across my abdomen. She seemed to delight in filling her hands with my breasts, squeezing and kneading them, playing with their softness. She pressed one knee between my legs, and I obligingly opened them so that she could kneel there. She began brushing her finger through my triangle of hair, pushing up against my belly so that she could trace the outline of my mons. Her nails raked fire into me, and I unconsciously spread my legs further in invitation. She smiled, and reached her two fingers inside of me drawing out my wetness to lubricate my slit. I rocked gently against her fingers, and she laughed softly enjoying her power to give me such pleasure.

I had never felt such arousal before. It was frightening and exhilarating, and I was softly chanting her name. She spread the lips of my labia, and stroked her tongue along the length of it teasing my clit taking small bites along the inside of my lips. She dipped her tongue inside of me, and made sounds of pleasure deep in her throat. "I love the way you taste" she whispered as her tongue flicked in and out. I reached to guide her head higher; I felt tensed beyond control aching for release, but wanting to prolong the moment. She teased my clit slowly with her tongue, and my hips began to thrust urgently. She sped up to match my rhythm, and I began groaning and tensing my hands leaving bruises on her shoulders. I didn't even realize when her fingers first entered me, but soon she was thrusting deep inside and the double stimulation brought wave after wave of orgasm. I felt my toes curling, and I was shuddering and shouting my exultation in release. After awhile, I lay still, and she lay on top of me, her warmth blanketing me in contentment.

She was softly kissing my neck tracing my jaw line with her tongue, her hips thrusting gently against me. I started to turn so that I could love her as she loved me, but she pushed me back against the ground and raised her torso so that her weight was pressed against my mons. I reached around and stroked her back, running my nails gently up and down, and I could feel her shiver with delight. I reached down and cupped her ass, squeezing gently and separating the halves. As I traced her crack with my fingers, she increased the urgency of her rhythm. I probed gently with my finger, and she groaned "yessss", so I pressed inside of her trying to time my thrusts with her own. She rocked faster and faster, her breath coming in gasps until she came with a sudden surge of wetness and a long shudder of tension. For a while her hips continued rocking, and she sighed her contentment. Finally, we lay still together languid and replete.

I dozed for awhile and woke to find her nestled against me her breath caressing my breast as earlier the wind had. The sunlight painted a dapple pattern of the willow branches on our bodies, and for a while I just looked down at the pattern of light and shadows marveling at the beauty of it. The voices of the other campers began to intrude on our peace, and slowly, reluctantly, we began to disentangle ourselves and hunt for our clothes. "Do you think they heard our love making" I asked. "Dear heart, I expect we woke everyone on both sides of the lake." I blushed then, but for some reason, I felt pleased instead of embarrassed.

"I love you." she told me again, and this time I believed her. The dancing nyads had gone back to their watery world for the day, but I felt privileged to have observed there morning devotions. When we walked back through the camp sites, we received some curious glances, and even some hostile ones: we were holding hands. But if the spirits of the dawn had sanctioned our union, no mere mortals could deny it.