Chapter 17: Of Two New Friends & One New Home

The plain offers its own form of beauty. It is very large, and to the north and east where the glaciers have receded, the far off landscape is dotted with clusters of trees called the steps woodland. During the rains, the plain becomes covered with an abundance of grasses and other ground covers sustaining numerous varieties of grazing animals.

We walked at a slow pace hunting small game for food as we traveled. The trip was uneventful until our forth day out when we came upon the carcass of a wolf. Whatever had killed it hadn't been gone long because the body was still warm. The strange thing was that it held a scent none of us were familiar with. It was some kind of cat, of that we were sure, but the exact type escaped us.

As we stood there with puzzlement, a snarl erupted from behind us.

I spun, quickly, and saw a small cat standing several feet away. The color of its fur was tawny with some indistinct black spots. Its tail was short and stubby with two black bars, a black tip above and white below. The cats face had broken black lines, which radiated onto its broad cheek ruff. Even though it appeared fully-grown, it could not have weighed more than thirty pounds. I had never seen a cat this small or with such distinct coloring before. Evidently, it wasn't happy with the thought of losing its dinner to scavengers.

I hand signaled the girls and we all took a few steps backward watching with caution. The cat growled again as it approached slowly. Caution was evident in its every step. Deciding I didn't want to find out what would happen if I allowed it to get any closer I yelled out savagely while drawing my spear and taking on a defensive stance. The cat retreated its small cat's green eyes fixed on me and its muscles tensed, then the small cat turned and ran.

"What kind of cat was that?" Treeya asked to no one in particular.

"Don't know. I've never seen one like that before." I responded honestly.

Both Sheel and Roya shook their heads indicating they had no idea either.

"I don't know what it was, but it's highly unlikely anything that small could have taken down a full grown wolf." Roya commented looking down at the wolf carcass.

"You're right, but it looks like this wolf was just about starved to death. And look there, I think one of its rear legs is broken?" Sheel said pointing toward the wolf's right rear leg.

I bent over and took a closer look. The animal's leg was indeed broken and it appeared the break had probably occurred before any cat attack. "Yeah, as weak as the wolf was from starvation, compounded with a broken leg, well, maybe even that little cat could have taken her down." I said straightening up.

"Her?" Treeya questioned.

"Yeah. See her teats are still extended. She must have given birth within the last few weeks."

"Then why is she out here, and not with her babies?" Sheel asked.

"You know," Treeya answered, "When I was little I was fascinated with wolves. I used to watch them whenever I had the opportunity, you know, when we went out gathering or traveling. At the time I couldn't comprehend their behaviors or anything, but now that I've mated with Dac my mind seems to be able to put some of the things I saw together."

"Yeah," Roya interjected, "we've all experienced the new Dac mind opening, you, me, Sheel, Martreen and even to a lesser extent, the men Dac has been in contact with. Isn't Dac wonderful?"

They all giggled, and then Treeya continued, "Well anyway, about the wolves I use to watch. In the winter when food was scarce the wolves would hunt in packs but a lot of the times in the summer some wolves took a single partner and they seem to stay together for forever. She-wolves have their cubs in the spring, but these cubs can't maintain their body heat for several weeks of life, so the she-wolf needs to stay with them in the den the whole time to keep them warm with her own body heat. That means her male-wolf partner does all the hunting for about the next eight to nine weeks and brings food back to her. The only reason this she-wolf would have left her den is if the male-wolf had not returned for some reason. She must have been very close to starvation to have gone out to hunt for herself and leave her cubs all alone."

"I guess it was just bad luck that she broke her leg and became dinner for that little cat." Sheel commented.

"Can we look for her den?" Treeya blurted out excitedly.

"Why?" Sheel questioned.

"Her cubs! They could still be alive." Treeya answered.

"So?"

"Well..." Treeya looked down and her voice became small, "I... I want to save them. Maybe I can raise them."

"They're wild animals! You can't raise wild animals." Sheel pointed out.

"I know. But I'd at least like to try." Treeya voice sounded apologetic.

"This is silly. What do you think Dac?" Sheel asked me.

"I think I'll do what ever you three come up with." I answered her staying out of harms way.

"What about you Roya?" Sheel asked.

"I don't know." Roya curled her upper lip, "For whatever reason, doing this seems important to her, and it probably is silly, but if Treeya wants to try, I don't see the harm."

"Humph!" Sheel snorted, "Okay, let's go find us a den then."

"Thank you Sheel." Treeya smiled happily.

"Sure," Sheel returned Treeya's smile.

We split up so we could cover a larger area and spent the next three hours looking in and around every crevice, hollow log, dirt mound and hole in the ground.

I had just stepped out from around a boulder when I thought I heard someone calling my name. I looked around and spotted Roya some distance from me calling out while waving her arm for me to join her. I picked up the travois and quickly headed in her direction.

Fifteen minuets later I joined Roya and she told me that Sheel had found the den and was off trying to locate Treeya.

Roya insisted on taking a turn with the travois and we made our way eastward skirting the plain, then a half hour later I could just make out the forms of Sheel and Treeya briskly walking southeast heading in the same general direction as Roya and I were. They both waved. We waved back.

A while later after we had all joined up Treeya announced happily, "I'm so excided! Thank you all so much for doing this for me. I know it's silly but..."

"Posh, it's not silly," Sheel interrupted her, "I'm sorry I even said it. If this is something that makes you happy, then it isn't silly, it's worthwhile. Okay?"

"Okay," Treeya smiled.

Sheel led the way for some distance then told us the den was just up ahead in a small open area with a depression in its center, surrounded by thickets on three sides and boulders on the fourth offering good cover for the cubs.

As we quietly as possible approached the den area Treeya whispered to Sheel, "Did you see any cubs?"

"Yes, there are two of them. They heard me approaching and put up quite a racket but I left quickly so I wouldn't disturb them too much." Sheel answered.

We all silently crept up to the edge of the thicket then looked over the shrub onto the den. The two pups were huddled together sound asleep.

"Oh. They're so cute. I think they're about seven weeks old, see how their ears, snouts and bodies have stretched out and have begun to lose that rounded baby look. They almost look like very small adult wolves." Treeya whispered.

My old mind did not have the ability to recognize "cute" in any animal, be it adult or infant, but I had stumbled over an emotion I'd never felt before, my new mind did find the two cubs very cute. This same "cute" sentiment must have also applied to Roya and Sheel's minds based on the muffled "Ohoo's and aw's" they were uttering.

Treeya made a hand motion indicating she wanted us to back away from the cubs. We slipped back several yards then Treeya looking puzzled asked, "What do you think the best way to get them is? Even as small as they are, I'll bet a bite from their sharp little teeth won't feel very good."

"We could throw sleeping furs over them. They won't be able to bite through that." Sheel offered.

"That should work," I agreed, "but first we should use some of the saplings around here to fashion a cage. We're going to have two little bundles of sharp teeth on our hands, and we'll need some place to put them."

The girls didn't know what a cage was but they had long since stopped questioning me about new things, so I explained its purposes to them, since none of them had ever seen or heard of such a contrivance before.

Working together we cut several saplings then tied them together crisscross fashion using rawhide strips. The top portion I hinged for an opening. Once the cage was finished, I affixed it to the travois then Treeya lined the bottom with a piece of sleeping fur.

Treeya took half of a sleeping fur and Sheel took the other half then we all silently approached the den once again. While Roya and I remained outside, Treeya and Sheel used a narrow break in the thicket to move closer and closer to the two young sleeping animals. Then as if it had been rehearsed Treeya and Sheel simultaneously pounced on the two unaware cubs wrapping both of them inside the furs. The cubs yelped and struggled with fright, flailing wildly under the furs, twisting and turning trying to escape, but both women held each of the young pups down, ignoring their exuberant squeaks. Then standing up, both girls quickly carried their wrapped up charges to the travois and dropped both of the pups into the cage, then just as quickly, Sheel secured the lid.

The two pups were obviously very confused and very frightened. They both rolled and tumbled around while constantly calling out with shrill yelps, probably calling for their mother. Treeya covered the cage with the sleeping fur and they calmed down a little, and their insistent crying out even lessened somewhat.

It was getting dark so we set up camp and stayed the night. Treeya stayed up most of the night caring for the two pups, talking, watering, feeding and cleaning their cage.

We let Treeya sleep in the following morning and while Roya and Sheel cooked breakfast I overheard Roya commenting to Sheel, "Treeya is really taking good care of those pups. Almost like they are clan babies."

"I know," Sheel responded turning some meat strips over the fire, "she's taking excellent care of them, they even allow her to change their bedding. Did you notice how fine she cuts up the meat before pounded it into a mush for them to eat. I would never spend that much time on animals."

"She doesn't seem to mind though. Hey, how about you and me cutting and pounding some meat for her to give her a break?" Roya asked.

"I..." Sheel stuttered then she laughed, "Sure, right after breakfast."

Over the next three days I watched Treeya as she patiently coaxed the pups into believing they were joining a pack, a clan pack, where their inbred tendency toward subordination would find a 'natural' place in the whole. She feed them, talked to them, and calmed them, luring them into thinking everything was right under the Earth Mother.

By the forth day the pups were freely taking food from her hand and letting themselves be stroked. That night Treeya cut two long strips of leather and fashioned a noose on one end of each. The following morning, Treeya slipped a noose over each of the pup's heads easily, and as the other three of us watched in utter amassment and amusement, Treeya inched the pups slowly forward. Initially the pups yelped and circled Treeya, who in turn spun in smaller circles. One pup, standing on his hind legs, lunged forward and draped his front paws on Treeya's shin, while at the same time the other squeezed in between her feet, yipping and prancing in place. It took a while, but soon, with some yanking, pulling, and straining on the leather straps, both pups were walking on their own. It was obvious the pups had adopted Treeya as their own.

Nine days after we had left Martreen's clan, and just before the sun had fully set we made it back to our winter camp. We dug out the hidden supplies and re-outfitted our arrow quivers and gave Treeya one of the extra bows, replacing the one we had left behind with Martreen.

Treeya let the pups loose inside the hut and they: Wag tails... sniff... lick Treeya's face... sniff... play solicits... bark at me... leap, leap, leap... sniff... play with the bed furs... , they had us all laughing aloud. It seemed they had become members of our 'our pack, ' and their only role as wolf pups in that pack, who are fed, doted on and generally protected from danger is to act as a subordinate.

A while later Treeya coaxed the pups back into their cage with food, but somehow, I didn't think it was the food as much as it was their willingness to please her. It was as if she had some kind of special gift with animals. I wondered if this was the hidden insight from the Earth Mother Martreen had spoken of. I would have to ask Martreen about that once I saw her again.

The girls cooked a quick dinner then soon after we had eaten Treeya took the pups out for a walk.

"Dac," Roya said, "It is time for you to show Treeya making love."

"What!" I exclaimed, "It isn't her woman time yet."

"It is her time Dac," Sheel concurred with Roya, "women know these things."

"Well... I... If you say so." I couldn't say it wasn't something I had not been wanting to do.

"Good." Roya said, "If you were even half as observant about some things as you are about others you would have noticed that Treeya made sure she washed up every night of the trip back here, no matter how tired she was after tending to the pups."

"Now," Sheel added, "I'm sure as observant as you are that you also noticed we heated some extra water while cooking tonight, right?"

"Oh... Ah... Yeah. Right." I lied.

"Then clean yourself up so Sheel and I can send her in to you. You will make a young woman very happy this night. We love you my man." She kissed me.

Then remembering what Roya had told me when we were at Martreen's camp I turned to her and asked, "Are you and Sheel going to help... you know with Treeya?"

"We talked about it and decided the two of you alone would probably be better. Treeya hasn't even done much woman to woman and it will be more personal for her that way. However, we did talk to her, telling her what to expect. Oh... and we taught her the new words," then she smiled mischievously and nudged Sheel in the ribs, "and even gave her a few tips on some other things. Now go my man," Roya smiled sweetly pushing me in the direction of the hot water.

After they left I undressed, washed, then after wrapping a thin rawhide cloth around my waist I patiently waited.

Several moments later I heard Treeya's soft voice from outside the hut, "Dac? Dac are you in there?"

"Yes. I am Treeya, come in." I answered.

Treeya pushed the covering aside and entered.

She stood nervously looking at me, "Did I do something wrong? Roya and Sheel told me you wanted to see me right away. They even offered to care for the wolf pups."

"No my beautiful young spring blossom, you have done nothing wrong. I just wanted to finally show you how much I love you."

"Were you washing? Did I disturb you?" She asked obviously referring to how I was dressed, or undressed as it were.

"No. Not washing."

"Oh, is this the time? Am I to learn making love?" Her voice sounded scared, but also excided.

"Come closer."

She came promptly and stood in front of me, waiting for me to say what I wanted, displaying the subtle signs of her virginity, a flush across her cheeks indicating embarrassment, a hint of awkwardness revealing a lack of full awareness of her own body. I looked her over. She started to blush even more from the intensity of my gaze, but her bright green eyes never left my face.

"Undress yourself," I said.

She didn't hesitate, with one swift motion she pulled her shirt over her head, then bending over she removed her boots, and then her pants, pushing them over the curve of her thighs, and finally her jumpsuit, causing her large breasts to bounce up and down. They stood out from her chest just as I remembered them, almost perfectly round, and had very little sag considering their size.

Between her legs a light, silky covering of red-orange pubic hair, unable to hide her blood engorged, sexually aroused nether lips, guarding her virginity.

She stood fully erect and slowly turned a full circle. "Do I look alright to you? My breasts aren't too big, are they? I hate them, being so big. You don't think I'm deformed do you? You still want me don't you? You weren't just being nice when we did the spear straps and you kissed them were you?" she asked nervously with downcast eyes as her face flushed a bright red.

I lost myself in the beauty of her nakedness for a moment as she fell silent. Timeless questions leap to the surface of my consciousness and jumped around among the ripples of my new mind. I felt myself falling forward, my body involuntarily drawn towards her. Catching myself, I jerked backwards on my heels, while she stood there with her lips slightly parted. She was becoming even more embarrassed.

She turned her face away from mine, but made no move to cover her nakedness from my gaze.

"Dear Earth Mother! You are so beautiful Treeya. Your breasts are the most magnificent things I have ever seen. Be proud of them, not embarrassed by them my little flower. Come here. Let me touch them."

She moved forward and I reached out to her massaging both of her large breasts as I pinched her nipples between my thumbs and forefingers urging them to even more erectness.

I kissed her open mouth, tasting the sweetness of her youth. I moved lower to kiss those large, gorgeous breasts, lightly flicking each nipple with my tongue. They quickly started to respond, a flush turning her breasts a rosy pink.

"Yes, hmmmm, I'm so relieved that you like them. And me." she moaned.

Softly kneading her breasts, I returned my mouth to her neck, gently biting it just above her shoulders.

"Ahh!" she jumped, starting to move her body against mine, "Teach me Dac, make me yours!"

My right hand left her breast and started to circle the soft mound of her stomach. She ground her pelvis harder against my leg, parting her legs to allow her to press herself against me. I could feel her heat as she slid up and down my thigh. She reached under the cloth covering my waist and started to stroke my shaft, slowly increasing the speed. I gently pushed her back onto the furs, kissing her body as I went, proceeded to lick the area around her glistening vagina, teasing her, increasing the excitement.

Gradually my tongue made contact with her clitoris. Her body jumped, lifting off the furs. Her hands held the back of my head and pushed my mouth against her. Again I pushed her back, she didn't realize that it is difficult to move with your head jammed between a woman's legs and held in place by her hands!