Whispering Wind

By the time their carcasses were processed, Jenny was on the verge of crying; maybe it was being captive to strange people, maybe it was the hard work of the last two days. Jenny didn’t know. She cleaned up around their tipi, and returned to Tonasa to eat. After eating, they were both exhausted, and with more work tomorrow, they undressed and crawled under their sleeping hides. As they lay in the dark, Tonasa told her the men would guard the drying racks from coyotes, foxes, and other meat eating creatures of the night. After a few moments, Tonasa asked “moon time come?” Jenny asked, “what mean?” Tonasa placed her hand on Jenny’s belly, then slipped it down to her mound. “Blood come, here.” Jenny understood Tonasa, and then the reason for her mood. She had forgotten to count the days, but it must be time. What would she do? At the cabin, she had all she needed, but the cabin was miles...the cabin was gone; must she suffer the embarrassment of this too?

“Chenny, hurt, here?”, said Tonasa as she touched Jenny’s belly. “Here?”, as she touch Jenny’s breast. “Feel big?”

“Yes”, replied Jenny.

“Tonasa help. Kiowa man do for woman. You... no have man. Tonasa be like man.”

Tonasa began to gently rub Jenny’s belly. She moved up to Jenny’s breasts and gently touched the nipples. Jenny began to relax; Tonasa’s touch felt so soft and was helping ease her cramping belly. Tonasa snuggled closer, her breasts touching Jenny’s side, and her sparse pubic hair touching Jenny’s thigh.

“Kiowa woman like. Chenny like?”

“Yes”, Jenny replied, her voice softer and huskier as Tonasa’s touch stirred something deep within her.

Tonasa slid her hand to Jenny’s mound, and gently swirled the black hair. As her fingers found Jenny’s small, delicate lips, she gently parted the soft hair, and then stroked over the tender skin. Her touch was as light as goose down, but the sensation was wonderful. Tonasa stopped, and a moment later, Jenny felt the soft, slender fingers again, but now they were silky smooth with Tonasa’s ointment. Tonasa’s fingers slipped deeper between the lips, and Jenny gasped, She had never felt anything like this. Tonasa slipped up and down the lips, now and then inserting her finger into Jenny. Jenny was amazed at herself as she began to push against Tonasa when she inserted her finger.

She felt strange feelings and was warm all over. Her whole body tingled with anticipation, but Jenny didn’t know what she was anticipating. When Tonasa slipped her finger up to the beginning of Jenny’s lips and began to make small, gentle rubbing motions, Jenny’s whole being became centered on Tonasa’s fingertip. She began making small cries of joy, and her hips were lifting off the sleeping mats. Gradually, her body began to go rigid, and when she thought she would explode, it seemed as if she did. Her body shuddered with pleasure, and she felt her belly contract over and over again. Her cries became louder, then subsided to soft moans, and then died away as a warm glow started in her now quiet belly and spread over her entire body. “Chenny like.?... Tomorrow, moon blood come better now.” Jenny barely heard the words. She was peacefully drifting into sleep.

The next morning, Tonasa woke Jenny, and handed her a slim doubled leather strap with a wider place in the middle. She showed Jenny how to pad the wider place with soft moss from one of her bags, and how to fasten it around her hips. Jenny remembered her mother’s instructions for these times, and realized how much Tonasa acted like a mother to her. She embraced Tonasa, and then quickly released her. Jenny realized she had not seen two Kiowa women hugging , even if they were mother and daughter; young girls did sometimes, but never adult women. She realized that she had never seen men embracing their women either. Again she wanted to ask, but didn’t know how.

The days quickly turned to weeks, and the weeks to months. As the cold weather of winter froze the land into crystalline splendor, Jenny and Tonasa spent much of their time inside the tipi. Tonasa was still in her role of mother to Jenny, even though Tonasa was only a little older. Jenny learned more of the language, and with this new knowledge came power, power to learn faster and learn more, power to learn the ways of the tribe, and power that made her feel closer to Tonasa.

hey could now talk of women’s cares, sorrows and happiness, and Jenny was surprised at how similar were their experiences, thoughts, and dreams. Jenny learned that Tonasa’s father had broken her nose after she had failed to fetch water when told. After cutting off his own nose, the tribe had banished him, and she had lived with her mother. Then one winter, bad spirits had entered her mother, and in spite of all the efforts of the village healer, her spirit had flown the to join the sky people who’s campfires were seen in the sky on clear nights. Jenny had then become the woman of an older Kiowa named Tanut. Tanut had taken her in because he was old, and could attract no other woman.

Tonasa had joined with him because no other man wanted her broken nose. She had grown to love Tanut, and he had cared for her well until he was killed during a raid on another tribe. The Kiowa band had allowed her to keep her tipi, but she had no way to get food without a man to hunt, nor to get fresh hides for clothing and bed coverings. Tonasa survived by being a helper to the women of the village, and would help with the woman’s work until she found another man to take care of her. In return for her labors, they gave her food and some hides when they could spare them. Jenny could only guess that she was in the same situation, since she had been placed with Tonasa, but she was treated more like a slave.

The winter hardened land suddenly melted into a glorious explosion of green grasses reaching to kiss the sun, brilliant blue skies filled with the darting flight of mating birds, and endless examples of Earth Mother’s gift of new life. Everywhere she looked, Jenny saw the world reborn in the myriad of flowers that hugged the earth for protection against the cool nights and in tiny miniatures of the animals that lived on the prairie. Delicate fawns hid, motionless, in the new grass, fluffy fox kits hunted insects and each other at the entrance to their den, and shaggy buffalo calves chased each other and then ran back to patient mothers to suckle for reassurance.

The Kiowa women were blessed by Earth Mother as well, and several tiny brown babies were born. Jenny’s heart melted when she held Tonasa’s little son, his little round face with a shock of black hair peeking out of the soft deerskin wrapper. The tiny face with eyes squinting against the daylight had mouthed little “o” faces at her with little pouting lips, and when she held him to her breast, the little mouth rubbed across her dress in search of a nipple. A tear came to Jenny’s eye, and she felt gentle tugging in her belly. Her heart cried out for a tiny baby to love. Tonasa and Jenny shared these wonders, and Jenny was filled with a love for Tonasa, a love of the prairie, and a love of life. When first taken captive, Jenny had been either ignored by the tribe, or treated as a slave. As she had proven her ability to learn and willingness to share in their work, the women of the camp had begun to treat her better. They talked to her sometimes, and some even joked with her about her tanned, but still lighter skin, and about how this or that young warrior was seen with a bulge in his loincloth after she walked by.

One night, after their work was done, and Tonasa and Jenny sat in the tipi talking, Jenny heard a hauntingly beautiful, softly resonant sound from outside the tipi door. She asked Tonasa about the sound and Tonasa smiled.

“Yes, it is nice. It is a courting flute. One of our young men is playing for the maiden who has stolen his heart, and is trying to tell her of his love and desire for her with the music.”

“Will he sing words also, like they do for the morning sun?”

“No, Chenny. It is not really a song. He doesn’t play the flute with his mind. His heart tells his thoughts and his love for her to his mouth and fingers, and they help the flute to speak. He will play this music only for his love; other women will hear the song, but only the woman who loves him will hear the words his heart is speaking through the flute.”

“It’s a beautiful sound; it seems filled with sorrow and happiness at the same time. It was crying before, as if for something missing. Now it sounds fulfilled, as if the man has found everything he needs in life. He must be very much in love for the music to reach so deeply to us.”

Tonasa touched Jenny’s arm and said softly, “Chenny, I don’t hear what you hear. You are supposed to feel that way; his heart is singing through his flute for you, and your own heart is hearing his words.”

Jenny’s face suddenly felt very warm. “Who is it?”

“You must go to the flute player to find out, although I have a very good idea who he is.”

“Tonasa, please tell me, please.”

“No, Chenny, it is for you alone to discover him. But don’t go tonight. His heart will sing every night. On the fourth night, go to the sound of the flute. He will join with you under the eyes of the sky people, and they will tell Earth Mother of your joining so she will bless you with your own children. The next day, you will go to live with him in your own tipi.”

“Tonasa, I can’t leave you alone.”

“All girls must become women, Chenny, and now is your time. You need a man to care for you, and you need a man to care for. It is the way of Earth Mother. I will not be gone, and since I now have a son, another man will want me. Pahnacteh has been finding excuses to be around me lately. He’s not handsome, but he is a good hunter. We will not be apart. Now, listen as his heart speaks to you, and sleep.”

Jenny felt light and airy for the next three days. Each evening, just as Tonasa had promised, the flute player spoke to Jenny’s soul, and as she listened, dreaming, she thought of what he would expect and how she should act. Tonasa had talked to her about the ways of joining, and about how she should please her mate. Jenny felt ready to burst in anticipation of the fourth night.

On the evening of the fourth day, Tonasa and Jenny ate their evening meal, and they talked as they waited for the flute to speak again. As the now familiar tones resonated their way into Jenny’s heart, Tonasa rose and went to a bag she had never opened in front of Jenny. She came back with a piece of pure white leather, and gave it to Jenny.

“This was my joining dress. I love you like a daughter and I wish I could give you more, but you at least need a pretty dress when you meet your lover.”

Jenny unfolded the thin, soft leather. The beautiful, pure white dress was made of the finest doeskin, and was decorated with tiny shell beads and painted designs. Jenny slipped it on, and the dress molded to her body, accentuating her lush curves, and making her feel warm and beautiful.

“Now, Chenny, it is time to go to your lover. Remember our talks about the joining, and remember that this is his first time too. Go now.”

Jenny slipped silently outside the tipi. The flute captured her mind and led her, seemingly floating, to the small grove of trees. As she approached the grove, she could see a man in the moonlight. She approached, and as Tonasa had instructed, sat in front of him. She recognized the strong body and raven hair of the man who had captured her. Mahtotopah! He stopped playing, placed the flute aside, and took her hand.

“I am filled with joy that your heart heard my heart’s song. Your spirit touched mine on the day I found you, and my heart was heavy with seeing the pain in your eyes. I hurt you that day, but I could do nothing but bring you back to my people and hope you could learn to be happy here. Tonasa has told me of your happiness, and I have seen your eyes light with the fire of life after you learned to live our ways. I can not change the past, but I hope you will forgive me for your father’s death, and accept my heart’s song as an offer of a lifetime of love and caring for you. If not, I will understand, and you may return to your people.”

Jenny looked at this man, a man who took her away from her abusing father; a man who brought her to a people who lived with the wilderness in harmony and peace. She thought of the people, happy people who had accepted her as a person even though her skin was lighter. She thought of Tonasa’s patient teaching. She moved to Mahtotopah and stroked his hair. “When you took me from my home, you took me away from all that was sad in my life. With your people, I have found happiness and peace. I have seen the real beauty of this land, and have learned to love it. You did not hurt me that day, Mahtotopah, you rescued me from a terrible life. I could never go back to my people now, and I hope you can feel my heart singing back to yours.”

Jenny stood up and slipped her dress over her head. She sat cross legged in front of Mahtotopah, placed his hand on her breast, and laid her cheek against his shoulder. She smelled his maleness mixed with the scent of the sage leaves he had crushed and then rubbed on his chest. She felt the regular rise and fall of his breathing, and the tiny little shiver that ran through him as she breathed softly on his neck. She found the bottom of his shirt, and lifted it over his head, then nestled her body against his, his warmth running through her as she felt firm muscle against her soft breasts.

He gently laid her back on the soft doeskin blanket and slipped out of his leggings. He lay down beside her, and stroked her cheek. In silence he drank in the beauty exposed by the moonlight; lush, firm breasts with small puckered nipples, slim waist blending to full, fertile hips, and slender but strong legs. His fingertips traced the outline of her jaw, then slipped down the side of her neck and traced the line between her breasts. Jenny responded to his light touch with a small sigh, and stroked his chest, feeling his small nipple harden under her touch.

As his hand cupped one full breast, Jenny slid lower and felt his hard belly. She was frozen there for a time as fingertips found the darker, bumpy skin surrounding her nipple, and gasped as she felt the tiny bumps rise, straining to be touched by those gentle fingers. When the fingers found her nipple, she became lost in his touch and drowned in the sensation. She moaned softly as his lips found hers in a soft kiss. The kiss moved to her closed eyelids, then to her cheeks, and back to her slightly parted lips as the magical fingers teased her nipple into a firm little nub of sensations. The mouth left hers, only to replace the fingers on her breast, and a wonderful tongue began to take her soul to mysterious places of pleasure and desire. Her hand slipped lower, finding a firm shaft of delightfully smooth skin and throbbing bulk. She explored this new finding as his hand caressed her side, then hip, then thigh. Her thighs opened to beckon his touch and were rewarded with warm caresses on the soft inner skin that traveled up with exquisite slowness, finally stopping at the center of her womanhood. Fingers touched delicate petals, then opened them slightly, and her thighs spread wide in anticipation.

At his first tentative venture past her rapidly swelling lips, she lifted her hips to push his touch deeper, but the fingers only stroked her very entrance. Jenny felt warm dew collecting between the lips, dew that soon became the “nectar of her flower”, as Tonasa had called it. Her lips strained for his touch, and as a gentle movement slipped his finger inside her passage, she enfolded it in a warm, wet embrace that caused small tremors in her belly. His touch slipped upward, and found her small button, and Jenny bucked as his touch began to move against it. Her hand slid up and down his manhood, and she felt his moisture preparing him for their pleasure. She tugged at his member, wanting... no, needing to feel it inside her. As she moaned and panted under his loving touch, he moved between her soft thighs. Jenny guided him to her entrance, and tried to force him inside. He slowly pushed himself in, easily thwarting her attempts to impale her body on him.

He pushed into the warm, wet, well until he felt the resistance of her virginity, and withdrew. He repeated this teasing several times, each time causing Jenny to push hard to drive him deeper, but without success. His fingers were now on both breasts, teasing and taunting and twisting her nipples as she writhed in ecstasy under him, trying desperately to force herself over his hard shaft. His mouth found hers in a crushing kiss, and he quickly pushed through her maidenhead and settled with himself fully inside her. As his member split her virginity, Jenny cried out, then went quiet as she felt her belly filled by his hard, throbbing warmth. Together, they lay quietly for a moment, each feeling the other by the movement of the small contractions of her passage. Jenny could not be still longer, and lifted her hips to force him deeper. This time, he pushed back, and touched the core of her soul with the sensation. He withdrew and slowly pushed in again, letting her have time to get used to the feeling, and then began a rhythm as old as all time, a rhythm responsible for the regeneration of mankind. Jenny responded to the feeling with small, soft, purring sounds as she held him close to her. He shifted position and touched her love center as he stroked inside her, and her body flamed with the sensation of fullness and the tingling sensation on the small button. Her existence centered on the sensations in her belly and swollen breasts and nipples. His chest brushed her nipples and sent shocks through her that caused her passage to grasp, then ripple against his thrusting maleness.

She began to purr again, the purr now changing to long “ohhhhhh’s” and elevating to “mmmmh, mmmmh, mmmmh” as her body and mind became one in an urgent demand for release. She arched against him, once, with a tiny, hi squeal of passion. He pushed deep, touching the entrance to her child place, and splashed his seed against the opening. At the feeling of the gush, she arched against him again. He withdrew and then stroked deep, spurting again, and Jenny’s passage squeezed him hard. She was singing the ancient song of Earth Mother, the sounds and breathing as instinctive and uncontrollable as the rocking of her hips and the tight embrace in which she held him.

With another tiny cry, her body erupted in a spasm of muscle contractions that lifted them both, and he thrust deep a third time. Jenny felt his fluid bathing the entrance to her womb as she floated, adrift on the peak of her passion, and then heard a soft wind in the trees making a sound. “wheekeemanah”. He settled his weight gently on her body, and they lay together, neither wanting to separate. She relished the feel of his weight on her, flattening her breasts and fertile belly against him, and causing little tingles with each breath. She wanted the full feeling to stay as long as possible. As each savored the feel of the other, Jenny asked Mahtotopah if he had also heard something at the moment their passion peaked.

“Yes, I heard it well”, he said with reverence. “It was Earth Mother. She heard the sky people tell her of our joining, and she had come to bless us. It is usual for Earth Mother to come to a joining, but you must have been very close to her when you cried out. You are special for Earth Mother, and she has given a special gift to you, a gift that will make you part of our tribe, and will make our tribe part of you. She told us your Kiowa name. Wheekeemanah...it means whispering wind.”

The newly born Kiowa woman, mate of Mahtotopah, named “Whispering Wind” by Earth Mother herself, cradled her man to her body and smiled. Earth Mother had whispered something else, something she alone had heard. Earth Mother had whispered, “Wheekeemanah, on this night, I have given you a son.”