1 comments/ 12164 views/ 0 favorites Strange Adventures of Cinnamon Ch. 06-10 By: sam_177 Chapter 6: A Strange Morning It was a seemingly normal morning when Cinnamon woke up. She smiled to herself as she heard the birds chirping their morning songs. 'It was just a dream.' She thought. Then she brought her hands together and stretched them down and then up and out in front of her on their way up over her head. She gave a quiet moan of pleasure as she stretched. Only as her hands were directly out in front of her she felt her something brush against her. Or rather she brushed against something. Her "Mmm" turned into a "Hmm?" and her eyes sprung open. Instead of seeing her ceiling, and the wolf howling to the full moon poster that was above her bed, there was canvas. The canvas of a tent. Cinnamon groaned. It was real. She'd been sucked into a magic portal in her toilet and brought here. Wherever here was. 'Where is here any how?' she thought. Before she could ponder that thought any further a hand brushed aside the tent flap and a twenty something year old woman stuck her head in. "Good morning Cinnamon." she said seeing Cinnamon awake. "Did you sleep well?" "Oh...uh...yes. Thank you... Muriel?" Cinnamon replied hesitantly. Muriel smiled and said "That's good." Cinnamon carefully sat up and gave her a shy smile in return. "Thank you for letting me sleep here last night." she said gratefully. "Oh you're quite welcome. May I come in?" "Oh! I'm sorry!" Cinnamon exclaimed. "Of course you can come in. It's your tent after all." Muriel gave her a wry smile. "Well after last night, we thought you'd appreciate a bit of privacy." Cinnamon looked down as she felt her face flush with embarrassment at the memory of the night before. Not wanting to embarrass the girl further Muriel changed the subject. As she crawled into the tent she held a bundle to her in one arm. "Harnley found some things that I think belong to you." she said waving the elbow of her arm holding the bundle at Cinnamon. Cinnamon looked up surprised. "He did?" Muriel nodded and settled down facing the bed roll. "Yes, we believe these belong to you." and she held out the bundle in her arms. Cinnamon gasped and took them. They were the clothes she'd planned to wear yesterday to school. She hugged them to her breasts while pressing her face into them. She could still smell the scent of the fabric softener on them. "Oh Muriel!" she cried. "How am I going to get home?" Then she broke into tears. Muriel moved forward and embraced the sobbing young woman, pulling her to her breast. Cinnamon wrapped her arms around her and cried harder. "I want to go home!" "I know Cinnamon. I know. And I promise we'll find a way to get you home. There, there, shh shh. It'll be alright." Muriel told her while gently rocking her and stroking Cinnamon's long hair down her back. "It'll be alright." When she'd run out of tears, Cinnamon slowly pulled away and rubbed the tears from her eyes. "I'm sorry." She said. Muriel looked at her and gave her a gentle smile. "There's no need to be." and gently kissed her on the forehead. Cinnamon blushed and gave her a shy smile. "Thanks. Muriel what's going to happen to me?" "Well, if you're agreeable, we plan to take you to High Priestess Ila in Avondelle" Muriel replied. "Can she help me get home?" "I'm sure she can." Muriel told her. "And if not, I'm sure she knows who can." Then at Cinnamon's crumbling look she took both her hands and said "Don't worry Cinnamon. The Goddess works in mysterious ways. We may not know the reason why you are here yet but the Goddess does have a purpose for you here. So do not worry. She watches over you." Cinnamon just nodded her head reluctantly and sighed. "I'll try." Muriel kissed her on top of the head and said "Good girl. Now how about some breakfast?" At that Cinnamon's stomach rumbled in agreement. Cinnamon blushed with embarrassment. She crossed her arms over her stomach while Muriel laughed. "I'd say that's a yes." She turned and looking back over her shoulder added with a grin. "Hurry and get dressed. I'll save some breakfast for you if Harnley and Sharmon haven't eaten it all already." The tent flap closed behind her. Cinnamon hurriedly looked through her clothes. They were all there. Cinnamon sighed with relief. She didn't want a repeat of the night before. She quickly grabbed her panties and pulled them on under the covers. Then feeling more covered, she crawled out of the bed and tied the tent flaps closed. She paused for a minute listening to make sure no one was near and then, with her back to the tent door, she hurriedly lifted off her nightshirt and grabbed her bra. She hooked the straps under her breasts and then spun it around her body until it was the right way round. Then she slipped her arms into the shoulder straps and lifted them to her shoulders. She quickly settled her modest breasts into the cups and then pulled on the pink t-shirt she'd planned to wear followed by her favorite pink pullover sweater. The one her mom hated and kept trying to throw out because she'd worn holes in the elbows and cuffs. After her sweater was on she pulled a thick pair of white cotton socks onto her feet. Then she wiggled into her favorite pair of jeans. They weren't skin tight as you would suppose, merely comfortable. However putting on jeans in a small tent that you can't stand up in does require some wiggling no matter how tight or loose the jeans are. Once dressed Cinnamon lay panting for breath for a minute and then sighed happily. While she was far from over being worried she at least felt less exposed, and a lot more comfortable now. As she lay there she tried to imagine how her clothes had managed to come with her. She'd placed them on the edge of the bathroom counter by the toilet. She gasped. "That's it!" she thought. "They were on the edge! And I must have pulled them in with me when I lost my grip!" She giggled insanely at that thought and then immediately sobered. "Oh Lord please don't let me lose my grip!" she prayed. Then Cinnamon turned over and got onto her hands and knees and, after undoing the ties on the tent flaps, crawled out of the tent and stood up blinking in the bright morning light. As soon as she stood up she heard Muriel call, "Cinnamon we're over here." Cinnamon quickly walked over the dry grass and up onto the large slightly sloping flat rock they had their camp fire on. She was still a little nervous around them but since they hadn't harmed her she was beginning to trust them. Vanessa and Ernon smiled at her in greeting and moved to make room for her. Cinnamon smiled back shyly. Lancos smiled as well and said "Good morning sleeping beauty. Ye ouch!" as Muriel accidentally spilled something that smelt like coffee on his hand. He jumped away from the fire and Muriel waving his injured hand in the air. "Oh dear! I'm so sorry!" she apologized, quickly putting the kettle down and grabbing for his hand. "Let me heal it for you." He yanked it back and said "I think I'll just soak it in the stream." He said. Muriel frowned. "Are you sure? It's just a quick spell." "No it's ok. I'll be right back." he replied backing up before turning and making his way down the rock and through the trees. Muriel stood there shoulders slumped looking dejectedly before taking a deep breath and shaking herself out of it. Then she put her hands together and began a quick prayer. As Cinnamon sat watching all this with amazement and concern, Vanessa leaned over and whispered, "Don't mind them too much. They're like this all the time." Cinnamon turned to Vanessa, her eyes wide. "They do this all the time?" she asked. She heard Ernon sigh behind her and say, "It seems that way." Vanessa giggled and said "I think it's sweet." Ernon just grunted and went back to his breakfast. Before Cinnamon could say anything more Harnley broke in, "Jus don sit there lass! Git yor self somthin to eat. I'm starvin and Muriel won let none of us have seconds until you've eaten." Cinnamon jumped, startled by his out burst. "Oh! I-I'm sorry!" She stammered and reached for a tin plate. At that Muriel hurried over. "Oh let me do that Cinnamon. Would you like eggs? They're fresh. We also have sausages and oatmeal." "Oh! Um...yes please." Cinnamon replied not knowing what she wanted but wanting to hurry to keep Harnley from getting angry at her. Muriel smiled and began to dish up her plate while Harnley laughed. "That's the spirit lass! Eat up! We've got a long walk ahead of us!" Cinnamon gave him a shaky smile and then smiled gratefully at Muriel and thanked her as she accepted her plate and sat back down. Just before she started to eat she apologized to Harnley for crashing his tent and thanked him for finding her clothes. Harnley seemed to blush and said "T'weren't non yor fault lass. Wizards outta know better. And I weren't able te find yor shoes." Cinnamon looked confused at this news and then she slumped as she remembered her mother's rules. "It's ok. They're still by the front door. Mother won't let us wear them past there." Ernon nodded. "Many households are like that." "Don't worry about shoes Cinnamon." Muriel told her. "Sharmon is making you some." "She is?" Cinnamon asked surprised. "Yes. She may not look it but she's actually an accomplished cobbler." Muriel replied. "Oh! That's cool." Cinnamon said uncertainly wondering what pies had to do with shoes. Muriel and the others looked quizzically at her. "Don't worry she apprenticed under her father who owns a shop in Avondelle." Muriel said. Cinnamon arched her eyebrows at that. "Oh. That's cool?" she said again. "Are you cold Cinnamon?" Ernon asked, confusion in his voice. Cinnamon looked back at him confused. "No. I'm ok." "Uh...yeah. That's good." Ernon said, although his tone of voice said he doubted her. Muriel and Vanessa just looked at each other and shrugged. Harnley paid none of them any attention as he helped himself to thirds. Cinnamon had just finished her seconds, Harnley was starting on his fourths, when Sharmon came walking up out of the forest to stand in front of Cinnamon and said, "Give me a foot." Cinnamon looked up startled. "What?" "I said give me your foot." Sharmon repeated a little crossly. "Um...ok?" Cinnamon said uncertainly and lifted her right foot. Moving incredibly fast Sharmon grabbed her by the pants leg and lifted her foot higher, forcing Cinnamon onto her back with a startled cry. Fortunately for her she had finished eating or she'd have had her breakfast all over her. Sharmon inspected her foot for a few moments and then dropped it saying, "Alright. They're a little rough but I think these will suffice until we get to Morovale." And with that she dropped two objects in to Cinnamon's lap. Cinnamon held one up and gasped. They were hand made boots. They were made out of a soft yet tough leather with a flat sole that felt like tree bark but was flexible like rubber. Cinnamon looked at them over with awe for several minutes before Sharmon said "Well aren't you going to put them on?" Startled Cinnamon said "Oh! Oh, yes! Of course! Thank you! They're beautiful." Indeed they were, despite they're being crudely made just that morning. Cinnamon quickly dusted her feet off and began to put on her new boots. Sharmon seemed to blush at the praise and looked away uncomfortably. "Yeah well I just hope they fit. We don't have time for me to make another pair. It's past mid morning already." Cinnamon looked up from pulling the boots on and apologized but Sharmon just waved her off. She quickly finished pulling them on and then laced them up. They came up to about mid calf, a couple inches higher than her socks, and they felt so soft and comfortable. "They feel great!" Cinnamon said as she smiled happily at Sharmon. Sharmon looked off to the side and ran her hand through her hair. "Try walking around in them." Cinnamon immediately obeyed and started to walk around the campfire. She even jumped off the two foot drop on the other side of the rock. Then she walked through the grass a bit, before she climbed back up and ran over to Sharmon and gave her a hug. "Thank you Sharmon! They feel amazing!" Sharmon stiffened in surprise and then relaxed a little, letting her arm go around the younger woman and saying "You're welcome." Then quickly blinking away tears Sharmon said "Now why don't you help break camp. We need to get going." Cinnamon took a step back and said "Um, ok?" Ernon and Vanessa stood up. "Come on Cinnamon. You can help us take down the tents." Ernon said. "Um, sure ok." Cinnamon said following. At the edge of the rock she turned and said "Thanks again Sharmon." and waved a foot. Sharmon just nodded and waved her off. "That was a very nice thing you did, Sharmon." Muriel said softly. Sharmon grunted and asked, "Is there any breakfast left or has the pig eaten it all?" "Pig?! Ha! We dwarfs naturally must eat a lot to keep up our strength." Harnley told her. Sharmon grunted again and replied, "We'll if you ate my breakfast I'll have to eat you." "Sure thing lass!" Harnley replied with a laugh. "I'll feed you my meat anytime!" He then had to dive to the side as a frying pan flew past his head, narrowly missing him. Chapter 7: A Strange Walk As Cinnamon followed Vanessa and Ernon to the tents she mentally slapped herself. "Idiot!" She thought. "It's no wonder Muriel looked at you like that. She meant cobbler as in shoe maker, you dummy! Pies indeed!" "Ugh" she grunted in disgust to herself shaking her head. "Are you ok Cinnamon?" Ernon asked. Cinnamon looked up startled. "What? Oh! Yes, I'm fine. So what do I do?" "Well, let’s start with rolling up the bed rolls. Then we can take down the tents and pack up." Ernon said. "We’ll start with our tent." said Vanessa holding out her hand, "I'll show you how to roll them tight, so they make a smaller bundle." Putting her hand in Vanessa's, Cinnamon said, "Um ok." and together they walked over to the tent she'd slept in and then crawled in. A short while later, although longer than if Ernon and Vanessa had done it themselves, everything had been packed up and they were ready to go. "Are you sure my pack isn't too heavy for you?" Sharmon asked concerned that it was. Her pack was not the largest of the group's, it was about the size of a large school back pack, nor was it the heaviest, that one being Harnley's. However it still held all the things she needed to survive in the wilderness for weeks at a time, both in the various pockets, or strapped to the outside of it. And now it also included Cinnamon's nightshirt and sweater as well. Cinnamon wiggled and bounced a bit to settle the weight on her hips more evenly. Then she pulled the waist strap a little tighter before tightening the shoulder straps some more. Once she had the pack settled comfortably, she looked up at Sharmon and said "Yes I think it's ok." Then she took a few careful steps around. "I think I'll be ok" she said with a small smile. Indeed, although it was heavy the pack felt much more comfortable than her school pack at home which was filled with all her text books, a couple of binders, gym clothes, and other needed school supplies. In fact Cinnamon was almost convinced Sharmon's back pack was lighter than her school pack. It was, almost, but the weight of Sharmon's pack being on her hips, and not her shoulders, made it feel much lighter. Sharmon, not quite convinced, just nodded her head and said, "Alright, but if you need to rest let one of the others know." Cinnamon nodded her head, in agreement. Just then Harnley came puffing up from the stream with his pack on, several, pots and pans, and a couple of axes, were clanking and clunking as they swung to and fro with his every step. He waved his hand in greeting and said "Ah there you are lass. I've been meaning to ask ye, what manner of weapon be this?" With that he held up a slightly bent shower door handle. Cinnamon's eyes widened and then she giggled and told him. "Ah, I thought it be mighty strange looking to be a weapon but see'en as it's not from these parts I wasn't sure." Harnley said. Sharmon gave him a look and said "Right" very slowly. Harnley gave her a look that said he'd like to take his battle axe, which was within easy reach, and take a swing at her. Instead he growled, "Ye didn know what it was either wench." Sharmon's eyes darkened and Cinnamon looked back and forth between them alarmed. Fortunately she was saved from being in the middle of a fight when Ernon came up and said, "Let's not start that now. We have a long walk ahead of us." Lancos hefted his pack to settle it more and said, "Ernon's right. You can kill each other later." Then he jumped and stumbled a bit as Muriel discreetly kicked him in the shin with the side of her boot while walking past. Cinnamon bit her lip to keep from giggling at Muriel's completely innocent expression. And with that, they began to walk. Sharmon quickly out distanced the other's to scout ahead, to make sure there was no trouble waiting for them. Other than to point out some sites or plants to Cinnamon, they walked mostly in comfortable silence for a couple hours, since holding a conversation wasn't easy when walking single file. When there was room for two or more to walk together quiet conversations broke out. It was during one of these that Cinnamon got another shock. She and Muriel had been quietly talking and comparing their homes when Cinnamon asked, "Oh, how I forgot to ask. How long will it take to reach us to reach Avondelle?" Muriel looking uncomfortable didn't answer, however Lancos who was walking in front of them did. "Avondelle? About two weeks." Cinnamon stopped in shock. "Two weeks?" The thought shook her to the very core. Muriel who had looked away didn't notice Cinnamon stop. Neither did the others ahead of them. It was only when Harnley walked into Cinnamon, sending her stumbling forward and him into a fit of swearing, that Muriel turned and saw Cinnamon's terror stricken face. "Two weeks?" She whispered, tears streaming down her face. Then louder with fear and anger. "Two weeks?! I can't stay here two weeks! I've got to get home!" she cried and started running. She quickly passed Muriel, who was cried out for her to wait, and Lancos, who looked rather stunned by her outburst. On she ran past Vanessa who'd stopped to take a drink from her water pouch. On she ran, panting as the others hurried behind her, until she had just passed Ernon, who'd grabbed the hilt of his sword and asked if they were being attacked when she stumbled and fell onto her hands and knees in the soft dirt, sobbing. Muriel was there in an instant later pulling her into a hug. Cinnamon sobbed, "I have to get home!" while Muriel stroked her hair and made soothing sounds. "I know Cinnamon. I know. I promise we'll get you home. It's just going to take some time. We're heading to Morovale for supplies. Perhaps the head priest there can help us." Muriel told her trying to comfort the crying teen. Cinnamon sniffled. "Do you think so?" "I'm sure he'll try." Muriel replied trying to sound hopeful while knowing what the priest would tell her. "But it will still take time to get to him, so please don't worry Cinnamon. The Goddess will help us." Lancos hurried up to them and then bent over, his hands on his knees, panting to catch his breath. Harnley also panting, leaned against a nearby tree and demanded, "What's all the running about for?" Muriel looked up at him and replied, "Cinnamon just realized how long she's going to be traveling with us and got scared and felt she needed to hurry." Strange Adventures of Cinnamon Ch. 06-10 Harnley gave a loud cry of frustration in reply. Lancos looked up still panting, but breathing easier. "What's the hurry?" He asked, oblivious to the daggers Muriel was staring at him. "I thought you said your family all hated you." Muriel bit her lip to keep from screaming at him. Lancos's comment stunned Cinnamon. "Well...um...yeah... but..." she trailed off suddenly wondering why she was rushing. Seizing the opportunity Muriel spoke. "Perhaps this is the reason the Goddess brought you here?" Muriel watched as Cinnamon looked up at her, a mix of emotions crossing her face. "Perhaps this is the reason you are here." Muriel said again. "So that your family will learn, by your absence, how important you are to them and in doing so, realize how much they love you." Cinnamon looked at her skeptically. Muriel gently brushed Cinnamon's tears away while softly cupping her face. "The Goddess has a plan. She does nothing without reason, Cinnamon. I know it can be hard but trust in Her, ok?" Cinnamon sniffled again and said "I'll try." she scrubbed the tears from her face with the backs of her hands and then said "I guess I don't have to study for the Civics Exam this Friday." Muriel chuckled. "I guess not. Can you stand up?" When Cinnamon nodded Muriel with Vanessa's and Harnley's help stood and helped Cinnamon stand and then brush off her hands and knees. Lancos, shrugging his shoulders trying to get his pack resettled asked "What's a Friday?" Cinnamon started to turn to answer him when Vanessa asked if she was hungry. Distracted Cinnamon said, "Uh...I guess so." Vanessa took Cinnamon's hand and pulled her along behind her, "Good I'm starved. Let's catch up to Sharmon and see if she's caught anything for lunch." "Um, alright?" Cinnamon said letting Vanessa lead her up the trail. While Cinnamon was being led away, Harnley calmly handed over a small frying pan, handle out, to Muriel, who nodded her thanks, took it and whacked Lancos on the back of the head with it. Cinnamon turned at the noise and Lancos's cry of pain but she was quickly distracted again by Vanessa who started telling her some hunting story while Ernon followed behind blocking her view and adding small details to Vanessa's story. Chapter 8: A Strange Lunch They walked for about an hour until they were came out onto a large meadow. Like earlier, the walk was mostly quiet sprinkled here and there with light conversation, mostly about the beautiful forest they were walking through. When they emerged from the forest Cinnamon gasped at the beautiful flower filled meadow. Across the meadow Sharmon stood atop a triangular pile of rocks waving at them. They all smiled and waved back before hurrying along the narrow path through the tall grass and flowers. When they got closer to the rocks Cinnamon could see they formed a kind of natural fireplace with three large boulders, pushed up out of the ground at irregular angles. The largest boulder had the gentlest slope. The other two each being taller and shorter than the bigger boulder were thrust up at much steeper angles against the larger one with the smaller one directly on the other side from where they were approaching. Cinnamon could also see that since the smaller boulder in the back didn't rise up as high as the other two boulders it left a gap for the smoke from a small fire to escape instead of filling the area with smoke. And there was a fire going, with food being cooked over it. "I see you made it." Sharmon said when they got close enough to talk. "Any problems?" "No, not really." Muriel said glancing back at Lancos who brought up the rear. "Any trouble with you?" Ernon asked leaning his pack against the boulder and turning to help Vanessa. "None." Sharmon said and then went over to help Cinnamon who'd just sat down on a small boulder when Lancos walked up and said "Gee Sharmon. You sure know how to pick a campsite. Sharmon's eyes narrowed while her hands stopped in the middle of undoing Cinnamon's waist strap. "What's that supposed to mean?" She asked looking over her shoulder at him. "Nothing!" He said quickly holding his hands up and backing away. "It's just a nice spot is all." "Hmm" replied Sharmon. "It is a beautiful spot." Cinnamon said and then blushed as Sharmon turned to look at her. "Yeah" Sharmon said softly before looking down to undo Cinnamon's waist strap. Then she moved behind her to lift the pack off her shoulders and put it on the ground. "Thanks." Cinnamon said gratefully and stretched. Sharmon came back around and asked, "Are you holding up ok?" "As much as I can I suppose." Cinnamon answered. Sharmon nodded in understanding. Then she patted Cinnamon's shoulder and said, "Come on. Lunch is about ready." Lunch consisted of roasted fish and sweet root, which Cinnamon thought tasted like sweet potato but was white inside instead of orange. Both the fish and the root were very good and all enjoyed them. However, other than giving their compliments to the chef, in this case Sharmon, lunch was eaten mostly in silence. Lancos kept trying to get Muriel to talk to him and she was having none of it. As for Cinnamon, she was too busy thinking about what Lancos had said earlier on the trail to talk much. And he had given her a lot to think about. The others, sensing her need for thought let her be. 'Lancos is right. Why am I in a hurry to get home?' she thought. "It's not like anyone there misses me. Okay, Miss Abernathy will miss me,' she though fondly of the head librarian and her boss. She was more than her employer though. She was also her only friend and surrogate mother. It was to her that she went whenever she had problems, which was all too often, or just had something to talk about. Cinnamon sighed, 'At least I hope she'll miss me. I know I miss her, but I don't think anyone else will miss me. So other than Miss Abernathy what other reasons do I have to go back?' Several minutes later she was still thinking about that question. "Okay Cinnamon. Think! What will you miss at home? Come on! Think!' Slowly ideas came to her but so did arguments against them. 'My job at the library and my books.' 'I'm sure there are libraries and books here though.' 'I'd have to learn a new language though.' 'Maybe not. They do speak English so I'll probably only have to learn about the things that aren't at home and the different names for things that are here.' 'Of course for all I know their alphabet could be more complicated than Japanese.' Cinnamon sighed again. "I heard about what happened on the trail. Have you figured out what you're planning to do yet?" Sharmon asked startling her. "What? Oh...not really." Cinnamon said after she'd recovered, "Every time I think of a reason to go home, I think of one to stay." "And for every reason to stay, you have a reason to go home. I understand." Sharmon said nodding. Cinnamon sighed, "Yeah. I feel like I'm going in circles." "Well you don't have to decide anything today." Sharmon told her. "Yeah, I've got at least a week. Longer if the priest in Morovale can't send me home." Cinnamon said quietly. "Yes. That's true." Sharmon replied just as quietly. They sat in silence for several minutes enjoying the serenity of the meadow before Sharmon stood saying, "Well we've got to get a move on if we're going to make the next camp site by night fall." "Oh ok." Cinnamon said a bit surprised. "Will there be anywhere to wash?" Her nose wrinkled. "I'm starting to need a bath after all the walking I've done today." Sharmon gave her a grin. "Yes, there's a stream with some pools that are good for bathing. If you don't mind cold water that is. Of course after today I would think you'd find cool water refreshing." Cinnamon grinned back and nodded in agreement and then stood up slowly, as her muscles had stiffened up from sitting so long. "Ooh" she winced as her muscles protested against her. Sharmon gave her a knowing smile. "If you think you can make it, I'll give you a rub down that will help later." "Um, ok." Cinnamon said surprised. "That sounds nice." Sharmon nodded. "I'll also ask Muriel to say a healing prayer for you." "Thanks." Cinnamon said uncertainly and started to stretch some of her kinks out. After stretching a little, Cinnamon followed Sharmon back to the others. "Will it take long to get to the next campsite?" She asked, catching up to Sharmon. "Not long. Only a couple hours. Are you in that big of a hurry for a bath?" Sharmon asked with a smile. Cinnamon blushed. "No, I was just wondering. That's all. Will you be cooking again?" "You're hungry again already?" Sharmon asked. Cinnamon blushed again. "No, I'm still stuffed. I just wondered because lunch was really good." Sharmon, looked both uncomfortable and pleased at the praise. "No, ah... It's Harnley's turn. He said he was planning to make meat pies." She said. At the mention of pies Cinnamon flashed back to that morning when Muriel told her Sharmon was a cobbler and started giggling. "What's so funny about Harnley cooking?" she asked, a little perturbed. Cinnamon waved her off. "It's not that it's just you reminded me of something that happened earlier." "Oh? And what was that?" Sharmon asked. "Um...well...um...this morning at breakfast Muriel said that you were a cobbler, and...um..." "And that's funny?" Sharmon asked, feeling insulted. "Oh no!" Cinnamon denied waving her hands palms up at Sharmon, very worried she'd offended her. "It's just that when she said it, for some reason I thought of a fruit cobbler instead of a shoemaker." "A fruit cobbler?" Sharmon asked, not sure whether to believe her or not. "It's a kind of pie, so when you said Harnley was making meat pies I remembered about earlier and it made me laugh." Cinnamon said quietly while looking at the ground, waiting to be pummeled. Sharmon stared at her for a minute or so and then said quietly "So when Muriel told you I was a cobbler you thought she was calling me a pie?" "Yeah, kind of stupid of me, huh? Cinnamon said dejectedly and then looked up in astonishment as Sharmon giggled. Then her mouth dropped open as Sharmon's giggle turned into a laugh. It was a full, rich, boisterous laugh that soon had Sharmon in tears, bent over, gasping for breath and holding on to Cinnamon with one hand for support while the other slapped her thigh. Sharmon's laughing quickly caught the others attention and they stared at the pair of women in stunned surprise and amazement. It had been many years since they had heard Sharmon laugh like that. Bewildered by Sharmon's laughter and embarrassed by the others stares Cinnamon shrugged and waved cluelessly while Sharmon continued to laugh. Finally Sharmon's laughter died out and she straightened up, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Pie indeed." she said, more to her self than to Cinnamon. "Muriel will just die when she hears about this, for she knows very well what my pie tastes like." With that she began laughing again. Cinnamon was too surprised at Sharmon's laughing to realize the possible connotations of what she had just said. When Sharmon's laughter died down again, she leaned in and whispered to Cinnamon, "Keep this between ourselves. I'll tell Muriel later." "Um...okay?" Cinnamon whispered back, bewildered. Then here eyes widened with surprise as she saw the change that had come over Sharmon. Before Sharmon had seemed cold and hard but now there was a warmth to her smile, and her eyes, once filled with pain and bitterness, were now filled with mirth and joy. And it had appeared she had dropped in age while gaining in beauty. Sharmon quietly said "Thank you." and gave the astonished Cinnamon a kiss on one cheek while gently holding the other. Then she stepped back and gave her a wide smile and turned and walked with a spring in her step past the stunned others to grab up her quiver and bow. "I'll take the point." She informed Lancos merrily as she passed by him. It had been his turn. "Er...alright?" Lancos replied, as he and the others watched Sharmon disappear up the trail. As soon as Sharmon was out of site they all rushed towards Cinnamon, demanding to know what she’d said to make Sharmon laugh. They nearly made her fall backwards over the boulder as she backed away from them. "She...she told me not to say." Cinnamon said haltingly. "Oh come on girl! Spill it!" Vanessa demanded. "I-I-I can't! Sharmon said not too!" Cinnamon stammered. They protested and even threatened to tickle her to get the information they wanted. "Oh no! Please don't!" Cinnamon begged wrapping her arms around her middle. Then she added, "She did say she'd tell Muriel later." hoping that would keep them from tickling her. They whirled on Muriel making her flinch. "You are so going to tell me what she tells you." Vanessa told her. "You're telling me too." Lancos demanded. "Only if Sharmon gives me leave to tell." Muriel insisted. "Is that so? You know I have ways of making you talk." Lancos leered. "So do I." Vanessa said, licking her lips sensuously. Muriel blushed. "Don't even try it." She ordered, unconvincingly. Cinnamon also blushed at the direction the conversation had taken and felt a strange feeling deep in her belly. Ernon, with a wide smile said, "We should get moving." The others reluctantly agreed and moved off to get their things. Muriel was the last to move away. At the last second she turned back to Cinnamon and grasped her hands. "I don't know what you said to make Sharmon laugh, but thank you. It has been a long time since I heard her laugh so." Muriel told her and then gave Cinnamon a kiss on the cheek before hurrying off to get her pack. Cinnamon was so dazed by these events that she didn't even realize Ernon had stopped to help her put on Sharmon's pack. "Get your head out of the clouds little one." He said gently, with a smile. Cinnamon blushed, said "I'm sorry." and moved to let him help her with the pack. As she was pulling the straps tight Ernon leaned over her shoulder and spoke softly. "As Muriel said, thank you." and then he moved off and began to walk up the trail. Harnley followed. "Aye lass, thank ye for that. It did me heart good to see her laugh again." Cinnamon looked at him and they began to walk towards the trail. "Harnley, why hasn't Sharmon laughed?" Harnley just should his head sadly. "It is not my secret lass. She will have to tell you that herself." "Oh." Cinnamon said and then fell in behind Harnley when the trail narrowed. Chapter 9: A Strange Hike As they walked along a grassy path through the forest, Cinnamon marveled at the beauty around her. Occasionally she would quietly ask one of her companions, whoever was closest to her at the time, more about some of the unfamiliar sights in the forest and about two cities they were traveling too, Morovale and Avondelle. She had learned some things earlier that morning but there was still much she didn't know. They in turn would ask about her home. When not asking each other questions or answering them, they walked in companionable silence and enjoyed the beauty of the forest. As they continued to hike through the forest Cinnamon was reminded her of vacations with her dad and of summer camp, not that she had liked summer camp. In fact she hated it, and had been thrilled to get out of it this past summer even if it meant more school work. However as much as she had hated camp, she loved being in the forest, when she could get away on her own. She thought she could come to love this forest, filled with tall Redwoods, Douglas fir, and Pine trees. It was so like home; home meaning Earth, not her home in the city. Even so this forest was unlike any on Earth that she knew of. Tall Blue firs with their blue leaves and soft bark and dark Iron Wood trees that looked like they were forged instead of grown were proof of that. So were other plants and animals that were similar, yet so different from home. There were Nana Bushes with their small yellow banana shaped berries, and tangles of Rash Weed that looked similar to Poison Ivy. Cinnamon was sure to stay away from those. They'd been walking for a couple hours now. Cinnamon wondered how high they were as they'd been slowly climbing. There were times when the trail sloped downhill but the downs were never as long as the ups, and the spaces between the ups and downs were getting shorter. Cinnamon stopped to rest under one of the mighty Blue Fir trees. She took off her pack and leaned against the tree to catch her breath. They'd just reached the top the steepest climb since they'd left the flower filled glade. And she was out of breath. When she'd gotten her breath back she turned and ran her hand over the soft bark of the tree. It was much softer than a Redwood. So much softer in fact, it was almost as if the tree were wrapped in a blanket. Absentmindedly she continued stroke the tree as she gazed up in wonder into branches filled with blue leaves. The colors were amazing. They ranged from a deep purple blue to a pale sky blue. As she looked, a small animal that reminded her of a squirrel ran across one of the big limbs. It stopped and looked down at her. Then it chittered, waved its twin tails and scampered further up the tree. Muriel came up to stand next to her. She offered Cinnamon a water bottle and said, "Beautiful, aren't they?" The water bottle was not a plastic bottle like you can get just about anywhere here, but more like a pouch or bladder with a stopper at the end. Cinnamon had to be careful with it to avoid accidentally spilling it all over herself or dropping it. "Yeah they are. The whole forest is." Cinnamon agreed, and carefully took another drink. "Do you have Blue Fir trees at home?" Muriel asked. Cinnamon shook her head. "No. It'd be nice if we did though. They're beautiful. And so soft." Muriel nodded her head. "Yes they are. They're great for making blankets and cloaks. Cloaks are especially nice as they keep out the rain. Sharmon and Ernon's cloaks are made of Blue Fir bark. Maybe they'll let you try one on later." Cinnamon smiled and said. "That'd be nice, though I think you're cloak is nice too." Muriel smiled. "Thanks." Her white cloak was made of a blend of cotton and wool. "I think you're sweater is nice." Muriel said, returning the compliment. Then she said, "I love the pocket in the middle. Does it go all the way through?" "This one does." Cinnamon replied as she pulled her sweater out, and stuck her arm all the way through the pocket. "It looks like you've had it a while." Muriel commented, as Cinnamon held it up. "Yeah. I've had it a few years. It could use some patching." Cinnamon said indicating the holes in the elbows and cuffs as she pulled it on. It was getting chilly. "Beloved things often do. And that sweater looks very well loved." Muriel said with a smile, as Cinnamon pulled her hair up out of it. Cinnamon grinned. "Yeah is it. I can't imagine being without it." Her grin faded. "My mom hates it though. She's always trying to get rid of it. But I love it. My dad gave it to me. Mom hates it though, so I need to keep rescuing it from the trash." Her grin came back. "Besides I'm still growing into it!" she said holding out her arms. Only the tips of her fingers could be seen at the end of the sleeves. Muriel laughed. "How long have you had it?" Cinnamon thought for a bit and then said "Six years or so." Muriel eyes widened and then she laughed harder at the image of a much younger Cinnamon in a much bigger sweater. "It must have looked like a dress on you!" Strange Adventures of Cinnamon Ch. 06-10 Cinnamon laughed too. "It did!" she agreed. The sleeves weren't the only thing big on her. The bottom of the sweater still came down to about mid thigh on her. And the hood, when it was on, could be pulled completely over her head to cover her face, without pulling the strings. The two smiled at each other. Then Muriel said. "Well, we'd better get going. Are you ready to go? I'll help you with your pack." "Oh...yeah. Thanks. Will we be going much further?" Cinnamon asked. "Only about another hour." Muriel replied. "If I know Sharmon, she'll have started setting up camp a little ways past the next big climb." Cinnamon paused as she started to put her arm through the strap. "An hour?" she thought. Then looked at Muriel and asked, "Um...can I have a minute? To...um..." she trailed off blushing. Muriel smiled. "Sure. Go ahead. I'll wait for you." "Thanks." Cinnamon replied gratefully and reached up to pluck a soft, pale blue, palm sized leaf off the tree. "I'll just be a sec!" She told Muriel and then ran around to the other side of the tree. While the bark of the Blue Fir Tree was water repellant, to keep the water inside the tree, their leaves were very absorbent. They had many uses such as napkins, handkerchiefs, as well as other more personal uses. Cinnamon had learned that earlier in the day at a previous rest stop. Cinnamon came back a minute or so later, blushing. "Thanks. I didn't think I could wait another hour." She said embarrassed. Muriel smiled and said, "It's alright. I understand. And it's a good idea. It's a long climb and there's not really any place to stop once we start up again. That's why I went earlier while I was waiting for you to catch up." as she helped Cinnamon into the pack. Cinnamon frowned and spoke. "I'm sorry I'm slowing you all down." "Oh Cinnamon, please don't think like that." Muriel said softly lifting Cinnamon's chin, forcing the young woman to look up at her. "None of us think that." she told Cinnamon. "In fact you've surprised us by how well you're keeping up. And besides, you've been a big help to Sharmon by carrying her pack for her." "Really?" Cinnamon asked uncertainly. Muriel smiled. "Really. When we started off this morning we thought we'd have to camp in the meadow but you're still going. And by carrying Muriel's pack you're allowing her to go further faster, as well as giving her more time to hunt and gather food for us. So don't fret. You're doing very well by us." Cinnamon, blushing, gave her a shy smile and thanked her. And with that they began to hike after the others. Forty minutes or so later the path they were walking leveled out and came to a fork. Cinnamon slowed down to take in her surroundings. They had come to a fork in the trail. The wide path that they'd been walking on continued off to the right. Cinnamon had learned earlier that instead of a trail, this was actually an old and little used road. Letting her gaze follow the road she saw that the road actually doubled back on itself and continued it’s gentle climb back in the direction they had come from quickly disappearing into the forested blue and green growth as it rounded a bend. On the left side of the fork was a narrower path that climbed up rather steeply, turned sharply to the left and disappeared into the forest. If Cinnamon could see a map of the area she'd have seen that the road climbed the mountain by a long series of switchbacks that maintained a gentle slope to the top. The smaller trail was a much short and steeper switchback that went in the opposite direction of the road. It was in the middle of this smaller switchback that the bathing pools were located. Sitting on a mossy tree stump at the base of the narrower trail sat Ernon with a long pole leaning against him. He stood up at their approach and after greeting them, said to Cinnamon "Here, this may help you." and tossed the pole to Cinnamon. "Oh!" she said with surprise as she caught it. It was a walking stick, or a staff, that appeared to have been recently made from a sapling. It's blue wood smooth to the touch, and just the right thickness for her hand. There was also a knot, just the right size and at just the right spot, that would keep her hand from sliding down when she leaned on it heavily. It was quite study and could be used as a quarter staff if needed, something that Cinnamon would discover later on. After looking it over and feeling the wood, she looked up at him and gave him a smile. "Wow! Thank you!" She said quietly. He nodded to her and said "You're welcome." He then nodded to Muriel. Muriel smiled gratefully and with more than a little relief. She had just been ready to offer Cinnamon her own walking stick. Unlike the blue fir sapling that Enron had found and given to Cinnamon, hers was made from redwood. Long and straight, the top end of the pole had been modified to include the head of a hammer with a large single claw. From the top of the hammer head protruded a short spike. Muriel had not wanted to part with the pole arm which had seen many years of use, even thought the loss would be temporary. But she knew that Cinnamon would need it more on this climb, than she did. Cinnamon missed seeing Ernon's nod to Muriel as she looked over the blue wood. 'Wow!' She thought. 'Blue Fir trees really are blue inside.' She had wondered about that but didn't want to sound like a complete idiot by asking. She thanked Ernon again and he responded with a mischievous grin. "Don't thank me too much yet. You still have to use it." Muriel prayed that Cinnamon would not need to use it for anything but walking. Cinnamon looked up at the trail behind him and groaned. Ernon chuckled. Muriel sighed and then asked Ernon. "Has Sharmon set up camp in the usual spot?" Ernon smiled and said, "Yes. The others are already there getting things ready." "Do you come through here often?" Cinnamon asked. "Occasionally, when our travels bring us this way." Ernon replied. "You must travel a lot." Cinnamon said. Muriel sighed "It does seem that way sometimes. Still the scenery is beautiful." Cinnamon agreed. "Well, I suppose we should be about it." Muriel said adjusting her pack. Cinnamon looked up the trail again and groaned. "Wouldn't be easier to go that way?" she asked pointing to the path/road with her new walking stick. "Yes, but only if you want to add another day to your travels." Ernon said over his shoulder as he started the hike up. Cinnamon sighed and said "That way." as she pointed to the steep narrow trail. "Besides, you'd miss the pools if we went the other way." Muriel said with a grin and then waved her onto the trail in front of her. Cinnamon smiled and started up the trail thinking, "I wouldn't want to miss the pools." When they'd finally reached the top Cinnamon leaned heavily on her staff panting from the exertion of the climb. Muriel was also leaning against her staff breathing heavily. Even Ernon was sweating and winded from the climb. When they'd caught their breaths some, he said, "Come on. It's only a few minutes more." Cinnamon groaned. She was still panting heavily and her leg muscles were still twitching from the exertion of the climb. It had been a very steep climb. The last few yards she'd had to almost crawl up the trial, it had gotten so steep. Her staff had more than earned it's keep on that hike. She hoped the camp wasn't too far ahead because she wanted to sit down before she fell down. "There aren't any more climbs like the last one, I hope?" she asked stumbling along being Ernon. "A few, but none this long, and no more today." Ernon said. "Oh. That's good." Cinnamon said with false cheer, making her two companions chuckle. Several minutes later they left the trail as it curved to the right, and descended down a short dusty slope to their camp site. The ground sloped down into a small bowl, providing a reasonable amount of level space for a campsite. Since the trees were spaced further apart here, it left more open spaces for tents, making it a natural camp site. Indeed as Cinnamon dragged her way through the soft dirt to their camp, she could see several places where camp fires had been. On the opposite side of the camping area was a row of bushes and smaller trees. Sharmon stood up from where she was sitting at the camp fire talking to Harnley as he cooked and came up to her as they came into camp. "I see you made it." she said with a grin. "How do you feel?" "Tired." Cinnamon replied wearily. Sharmon gave her a small smile. "Well you did good to day. Turn around and let me help you take this pack off." "Thanks." Cinnamon said gratefully and turned to let Sharmon take her pack off. Then she went over and sat on the ground with her back against on old log. "My legs are so tired." she complained. Muriel sat on the opposite side of the log after Lancos helped her remove her pack, and said "Mine too." Lancos patted her thigh and said "Well babe don't get too comfy. We still need to get the tent set up. Muriel groaned. Cinnamon groaned too, at the thought of getting up again. She wanted to sit there for the next week. Then Sharmon knelt down next to Cinnamon and asked "How are your feet? Any problems with the boots?" Cinnamon shook her head. "No, they're just really hot from all the walking." Sharmon grinned. "I'm glad to hear I guessed right about the size. I was worried I'd make them too big or too small." Cinnamon grinned back at her. "No they're perfect. Thank you." Sharmon looked down, avoiding Cinnamon's gaze, and gently patted Cinnamon's leg, below her knee. "Since you're feet are hot why don't you go soak them in the creek for a bit. We'll come and get you when it's time for a bath." Cinnamon smiled and struggled to get up again. A nice soak sounded great to her. For a nice soak and a bath she would get up again. Sharmon patted her leg again and gave her a small smile as she stood and helped the younger woman up. Muriel stood up also, groaning as she did so, and held her hand out to Cinnamon. "Come on. I'll show you there the creek is. Lancos gave Muriel a discreet pat on her back side and a grin as the two walked past. Cinnamon, not seeing Lancos' love pat, was a little startled and confused when Muriel jumped with a squeal, turned to look behind her and then turned back with a smile and a blush. She quickly put that out of her mind when she saw the creek. The creek turned out to be on the other side of the bushes. There was a little path through them just behind a big pine tree. The path opened up to a small little creek. The creek was shallow were they stood but further up the creek to her right was a small pool fed by a short waterfall. Cinnamon thought it was beautiful. The opposite side of the creek was lined with bushes that gave way to a rocky cliff as they got closer to the waterfall. The path she was on continued until it reached the edge of the pool where it turned right and disappeared up the hill. Muriel left Cinnamon there, and went back to help with the tents and gather the bathing supplies. Cinnamon sat on a large rock at the edge of the creek and slowly took off her boots, followed by her socks. Then she tucked her socks into her boots. Then she rolled up her pants' legs and leaving her boots on the shore, waded into the water. The water was cool, but not cold, and very refreshing. She waded out into the middle of the creek to a large flat boulder. She lifted her self up and sat on it her feet dangling in the water Then she leaned back, with her arms out behind to support her, her long brown hair just brushing the rock, and looked up into the evening sky, at the tall trees, and the occasional small bird flying about. It was so quiet and peaceful. Cinnamon gave a happy sigh as she watched a bird that reminded her of a Blue Jay, except that it was red and had four wings, fly from one tree to another. To her eyes, it was a very strange-looking bird, but still beautiful in its own way. She was still in the same position a short while later when Sharmon, Muriel, and Vanessa came down the path carrying towels, robes, a small bag containing their bathing supplies, and a length of rope. They stopped when they saw Cinnamon and were amazed by what they saw. A single ray of light from the fading sun had fallen directly upon her, as if the Goddess had singled her out. They stared, open-mouthed, at the beauty of the sight before them. Muriel breathed "It's a sign from the Goddess." so softly her two friends were not quite sure she'd spoken, but they believed she was right. Vanessa, who was a good artist, said very softly, "I'm going to do a painting of that someday." And indeed, she was destined to do several. One depicting the sight as it could seen from her vantage point at that moment; the other, much to Cinnamon's eventual embarrassment, was to be of her gazing back along the ray of sunlight, with her left arm outstretched, as if reaching for the Goddess, her left leg bent at the knee with her foot on the rock. The painting would appear hauntingly similar to the one painted by Michelangelo on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel with Adam reaching for the hand of God, except that this was one of Cinnamon reaching for the Goddess. Cinnamon would later be amazed by the beauty of both paintings, although the second one would cause her to blush every time she saw or heard mention of it, for not only was she nude but the painting would be very accurate in its details thanks to Vanessa's excellent memory. But all that would come much later. For now the three just stood there transfixed by the scene, waiting in quiet reverence until the ray of light flicked out as the sun set behind the hills. Once the scene had darkened, they gradually shook themselves out of their daze and called out to Cinnamon. Startled, Cinnamon sat up and looked around until she spotted her new found friends on the shore. She smiled and waved. “Bath time” called Muriel. “Ok”, said Cinnamon as she carefully slipped off the rock and waded back to the group of admirers standing on the bank of the stream. Chapter 10: A Strange Bath Cinnamon accepted Vanessa's hand of support as she stepped out of the creek and onto the path. "Thanks." She said with a smile. Vanessa smiled back. Muriel handed Cinnamon a towel and her nightshirt. "These are for you." She said. Cinnamon thanked her and then leaned her head to one side in a questioning manner and asked Sharmon what the rope was for. Sharmon shrugged her shoulders and simply said "Laundry." Vanessa grinned and told Cinnamon, "It's her turn to wash." "Oh,…ok?" Cinnamon replied not completely understanding but unwilling to ask another question. And with that they walked down the path to where it turned to the left, away from the creek. The path continued for several yards and then turned to the left again at a large tree. It quickly became steeper and rockier, almost as if the steps had been carved into the hillside. Fortunately for Cinnamon's bare feet, the rocks were well worn and the path surprisingly free of small rocks, sticks, nuts and the like which would have hurt her feet had they been there. After the "steps" the path turned left again back towards the direction of the creek before turning to the right after a few paces. At the point the path leveled out and opened onto a beautiful vista. When Cinnamon came out of the trees she stopped to admire the beauty of the scene. The top edge of the waterfall she had seen from the stream was to her right and before her she could see the creek winding its way through the trees. Cinnamon stood there taking in the view, not noticing anything else until Sharmon called her name. Cinnamon turned and her eyes widened with surprise. There was a large irregularly shaped five sided pool that ended on one side at the waterfall, and to the side where they were all standing was a small grassy area. The other three sides were mountain rock with small waterfalls emerging from the far two sides. It was a breath taking site. What was even more surprising for her however was the sight of her three companions disrobing. As she watched Vanessa threw off the last of her clothes and began to wade into the water. Cinnamon couldn't help but admire Vanessa's lithe body and the contrast between her long black hair and flawless pale skin. Then Cinnamon's eyes widened even more and she felt her face flush as Vanessa bent over to splash water up onto her breasts giving Cinnamon an inadvertent glimpse of her sex. Cinnamon stare of amazement and shock was torn away when Muriel stood up saying "I am so glad to be out of those grimy clothes!" and then took a big stretch. The kind where you go up on your tip toes with your hands clasped over your head back reaching with your back arching, leaving you almost dizzy after the tension is forced out. Cinnamon felt her mouth drop open as she watched Muriel's big, milky white breasts, capped with their rosy pink nipples, rise into the air as she stretched. Nor could she help but notice that the light patches of hair covering Muriel's underarms and the larger patch of hair between Muriel's legs were several shades darker than the honey blonde hair on top of her head. Her stretch complete Muriel rocked back off of her toes and let her arms drop, causing her breasts to wobble and bounce with her movements as she sighed. "Ah! I needed that." Then she looked up to see Cinnamon still fully clothed. "Aren't you coming in Cinnamon?" she asked concerned. "The water is a little cool at first but you soon get used to it." she said encouragingly. Cinnamon wasn't sure what to say, not that she could at the moment anyway. Her mind was still trying to grasp that two of her friends were naked and that they wanted her to bathe with them. She'd assumed they'd take turns or find their own bathing spots. Somehow she'd missed the possibility that they'd bathe together. That was something she'd never done, not even at summer camp. She always waited until everyone was asleep to shower. She didn't even use the showers after gym class at school but hurried home to wash. The fact that she had not been naked in front of anyone but her own reflection since she'd been in diapers, had her frozen with fear, embarrassment and something else she didn't understand. Then Sharmon stood up and began to push down her trousers. She was already topless, her breasts swaying as she bent over, pushing her clothing down her well toned legs. Cinnamon could see the scars of several injuries marring Sharmon's tanned arms and legs as well as a few marking the paler skin of her torso but the neither the scars or the tan lines made her any less beautiful. Indeed they were each beautiful in their own way. Vanessa was like a creature of the night, Muriel like an angel, and Sharmon like a bronzed statue of an athlete. They made Cinnamon feel very plain, even though she wasn't. Sharmon looked up to Cinnamon and said "Hurry up if you want your clothes washed.". Then she sat down to pull her pants legs off her feet. She reached over and then tossed a small cloth bag to Cinnamon's feet. "Here put your socks and underwear in here. That way they won't get lost. Cinnamon went pale. "Uh...um...sure...ok..." she stammered as she hesitantly began to play with the hem of her sweater. Muriel walked over to her, her breasts swaying with each step, and asked "Are you ok Cinnamon? You're look kind of pale." "What?" Cinnamon asked startled and then squeaked "Oh! Um...I'm fine!" While trying to find some place to look without seeing her naked friends before settling on the ground in front of her feet. The she gasped as Muriel's breasts came into view.