The Lady and Lord

         Walking through the dense forest I feel the still of night surrounding me. Excitement coarses through me and pushes me onward. I move with the sound of the summer's insects and the breeze rustling the leaves of the trees on either side of me. But I am most pulled to the sound of a bubbling stream. I follow its midnight laughter with mounting anticipation. Finally I begin to see glimpses of moonlight ahead of me and I know that I will soon reach a clearing. I come to the edge of the trees and all sounds but the beating of my own heart stop.
         There before me in the milky light of the moon stands the most beautiful woman that the earth has ever held. It is not her physical beauty that defines her, but her radiance and grace.
         Her hair is a blonde the color of wheat under the moon and her skin is a perfect white, nearly as white as the surface of the moon itself. Upon her head rests a simple silver circlet that shines with a radiance that matches her own. And her small smile lies not only on her lips but also in her eyes, mirrors of the clear blue waters that pass before her.
         She wears a gown that flows more smoothly than the water she watches. A gown shimmering shades of blue and grey and silver all at once. And beneath the folds of her gown, her feet are bare on the soft grass. She is the Goddess; the Lady.
         She turns as a man as beautiful as she emerges from the trees without a sound and steps into the moonlight. Her light.
         He is her equal in every way, but her opposite. Where she is pale, he has skin tan from days spent basking in glorious sunlight. While she is blonde, his hair is a brown so dark it is the color of a raven. She is slender and delicate, while he is muscular and strong. Her eyes are the clear blue of water and his are the warm amber of honey.
         He wears fabrics rough in comparison to the liquid-like material that covers her. His tunic is white and loose fitting and his trousers are brown and extend to his calves. Although he just left the harsh ground of the woods, his feet are bare as well. He is the God; the Lord.
         Looking into eachother's eys, they step towards one another and share a kiss so caring and so passionate that even my heart feels the neverending love between them. The two break apart and the Lady steps past him, towards me.
         Gliding, she comes to the edge of the clearing, and takes my hand in hers. She leads me forward and the Lord takes my free hand in his own.
         "Child," she calls me, her voice playful yet serene. "You are blessed and you are loved. Know that you are my child and that you are protected."
         The Lord then speaks, his voice deep yet soft, "You stand at the start of a Path. A Path that has been followed by many before. You now must walk this Path alone, yet not alone."
         "You are young, but you are wise," continues the Lady in her rich tone. "Know that your journey, though just begun, has begun before, and so shall it begin again. As you live now, you have lived before, and so shall you live again."
         "On this journey, you will learn much about the power of the world around you," tells the Lord. "You will become One with Nature and Nature will become One with you."
         "So too will you learn about yourself and the power you already hold. And we will guide you and teach you on your Path," the Goddess says nurturingly.
         The God informs, "All that you do is for the good of others. And in all that you do, there is but one law we ask you to keep, An' it harm none, do what ye will."
         In a voice ringing true the Lady speaks, "Know thyself and rejoice, for you are a child of Nature; a child of the Lady and the Lord!"
         My hand that she has held so affectionately, she releases to the Lord. He holds both of mine within his and looks into my eyes. He smiles and leans forward to kiss my forehead. "Blessed be, my daughter."
         He turns away to watch as the Lady takes his place before me. "Blessed me, my daughter," she repeats. She places her hand on my cheek and I close my eyes as she leans forward to kiss the other. Her touch is so light it feels like nothing more than a breeze on my skin.
         When I open my eys they both are gone and the sounds of the night return. I am left standing, watching the moonlight reflecting off the surface of the water and dancing among the leaves.