1750

It was nearly dark when Seth began to gather wood for the fire and Keezheekoni realized that he intended to cook some of the venison. A fire during the day would have sent a smoke plume into the air that would be visible for miles, and anyone, French trapper or Indian hunting party would likely have come to check it out. In the evening, everyone was off the river and starting their fires to cook food or scare away the animals and they would be settling in for the night, unwilling to check out any other fire.

She took over for him, starting the fire and cooking the meat. All they had to go with it was some sea biscuits, but still the meal was wonderful. She smiled at him as she ate, comfortable with his company. He helped her wash the cooking utensils in the cold water of the river. That struck her as strange. No Indian man would interfere with woman's work.

There was no moon as they pushed the canoe into the river. The current ran toward the great lake and they had an easy time paddling but she had to stay concentrated to see and avoid obstacles that might hide in the river. The darkness was their friend and their enemy. They passed three campfires in the darkness, but there were no shouts of discovery and they made no attempt to determine who might be making camp there.

Seth was glad he had to concentrate on the river. He had no time to think. He knew the dreams would be back, mixed with new ones from the last encounter. Those dreams would spill over into his waking mind. He had never known violence in his 21 years but there had been much of it in the last few weeks. He knew it would plague his mind.

The river grew larger and faster as they paddled, smaller streams merging to widen the river and increase the flow. The wider the river, the fewer the snags and deeper the rocks. They moved faster and faster while doing less and less. They said nothing, quietly gliding down the river.

They both had some time to think, although the river took up much of their thought. Danger lurked everywhere. There were rocks and timber snags, and unexpected rapid bends in the river. There were people who would kill them in an instant. Anyone traveling at night was an enemy, sneaking through the land, someone to be disposed of.

Keezheekoni pondered her decision to go with this man. She knew little of white mans ways, had in fact known very few of them. She had no idea where this path would lead. Still he seemed a good man, worthy of her trust, her gratitude. The life behind her was full of horror, people she did not wish to abide among. The memories of her happy past, only memories with little real hope of rekindling the the joys of her youth again.

Seth could only wonder why this woman was with him. Who were her people? Was she fleeing from them? Was she something evil, cast out? Did she have a husband? Would she kill him when he wasn't looking?

By the first glimmers of light in the eastern sky, they could see the waters of the great lake ahead. They pulled the canoe out of the river and up the bank until it was obscured by brush.

They made a cold camp with no cover, ate a meal of jerky and sea biscuit and then laid down to rest. Keezheekoni placed a single large blanket on the ground and had another to cover them. They snuggled for warmth and slept soundly after a full nights exertion paddling the canoe. Exhaustion cleansed Seth's mind of the fitful dreams he knew would come.

Keezheekoni had strange twisted feelings. She was not ready for a man's touch and both relieved and insulted that this man made no attempt to have her. She did not want sex, but she wanted him to want her. Needed him to hold her.

They awoke at mid day and ate a meal of jerky and sea biscuit. She was rapidly growing tired of this white mans food. She wandered into the woods to gather fresh plants and nuts for their evening meal. She came back with her leather bag filled with fresh eatable greens and nuts.

On their trip out, Seth and Joshua had paddled the great lakes during the day time and he was itchy to begin again. He pointed at the canoe and gestured with the paddles, but she steadfastly refused and gently stopped him.

She knew what he did not. It had been late summer when Seth had come here. The water of Lake Michigan had been as warm as it got and the perch and the lake trout had been in deep water. Now in spring, the warmest water in the lake was in the shallows. The Perch were gathering there to lay their eggs, and the Lake and Brown trout were chasing them. Unlike summer, spring lead to a wealth of fish near the shore where the Indians could catch them without braving the waters out of sight of land. Many would be fishing and all would be hostile. It never occurred to her that they could paddle deeper into the lake and not be seen from shore. That would be too dangerous.

For the first time, communication failed them. Seth knew that she thought they had to wait for dark, but he didn't know why. He wasn't thrilled about going on that lake in the dark, but he yielded to her and sat down to wait.

They began what would become a daily practice. She pointed at things around her and said their Ottowa name. He replied in English and they both laughed at the others pronunciation. For the first time she heard him call her name, and the sound of it coming from his lips warmed her. She giggled at how difficult it was to say his name. The afternoon passed much too quickly as they both discovered that they could laugh again, and that each liked the sound of the others mirth.

As they paddled north that night, Seth understood why Keezheekoni had wanted them to wait. There were many camp fires burning on the shore. The paddling was more difficult, there was no current to help them but there were waves. Piles of water that could be dangerous.

He knew then, that if she had not been along, he would have died the day before. He would have pushed into the lake and run across hostile people within hours. His odds of survival would have been slim.

There were no rocks to avoid and the campfires were visible for miles. They had much more time to think. Seth stopped worrying about her. She would stay with him until it suited her to leave. He wondered when that could be, but he didn't picture a life with her. That second night, they didn't even try to speak, simply traveled in silence, each lost in their own thoughts.

Images of his brother screaming in delirium floated to his conscious followed by mental pictures of a man's head exploding from his ball. Each time those sights came to him, Seth looked at the petite figure of the girl as she dipped her paddle into the water. He didn't see a heathen, but rather a beautiful woman swinging a paddle with grace and skill. The more he watched her, the more he admired her, both as a woman and as a companion.

They found a spot where the grass grew down to the watter just before the first glimmer of light and pulled the canoe onto the shore and hid it with brush. It took the two of them to drag the weighty and heavily laden canoe..

The day was like the one before. They ate cold food and slept till mid day, then she gathered wild food while he collected fallen wood for their fire. They both loved the language lessons and then a warm evening meal, and a night of paddling.

Each lesson resulted in a few more words that each could say to the other. It would be a long time before they could talk, but they could say some things. First they taught each other the most important things. Their names, hunger, thirst, the need for bodily requirements, switch paddling arms, rock, tree, curve, right, left, and people. They could communicate some things and they both understood other things. They were beginning to trust each other, like each other.

Many things changed as the days went on.

Seth stopped wondering when Keezheekoni would flee him and started to wonder what her life had been, how it would be now, if she would be a part of his. It became easier for him to see a life with her in it. He pictured her in a gown, the other men envious of her beauty on his arm. Then a smile would cross his face as he imagined her naked, her shapely breasts in his hands. He had never been with a woman, and he tried to imagine what it would be like. He tried to picture himself inside this beautiful woman. The desire crept over him, slowly crowding the awful images from his mind.

Keezheekoni began to wonder more about what life would be like in his world. She wondered about him, how he had gotten here, where he was going, and what part she would have in the future. She wondered when he would want her. The horror faded much more quickly from her than she would have thought. By their fourth night together, she knew she liked this man and wanted him to want her.

They also began to laugh more, and play more as they paddled, flipping cold water from their paddles on each other. The nights became fun for them both, as they paddled northward. She was beginning to feel a warmth for him, a warming of her soul and a wet warmth between her legs.

His brown hair strange for her, and his blue eyes penetrated her. Seth thought of himself as well tanned, she saw him as pale. The differences were not unpleasant for her. She found herself wanting him.

Keezheekoni had put the horror behind her, Seth was occasionally visited by nightmares in his sleep. Keezheekoni held him, comforted him even in his sleep and found herself wanting to love those dreams away.

The good weather and the venison both held for five days. By then the land was turning rapidly into the rising sun, they were nearing the northern tip of Michigan. The last night was black as thickening clouds obscured the sliver of a moon and the glittering stars. They had been much too close to shore during that night, close enough to see figures around the fires and hear the people talk. By now Seth could even understand a word or two that the Indians around their campfires spoke. None of the figures on the shore, illuminated and blinded by their own campfires had seen them.

The threatening sky and the building waves had forced them to stop early. They hid themselves and their equipment and watched while the lightning flashed in the sky. The rain hit them before daylight. Pouring rain, raging winds and crashing waves. They got the large canvas from the canoe and tied one end to the boat, while they held the other up with two hastily cut branches. It helped but still leaked. They could do nothing but scrunch together and suffer in misery as the rain soaked them.

Five days together had changed them both. The grief and despair had left Seth and the pain and fear had lost it's hold on Keezheekoni. They laughed easily with each other. During their paddling nights, they felt more relaxed. Since no river banks, where people could hide, were within rifle range of them and fires could be seen for miles, they felt free to make noise, to laugh, to splash each other and to hold language lessons while they paddled. They were beginning to like each other and they could communicate much better. Both had learned the most important words in the other's language and both had moved on to words that were less pressing.

At mid day, the rains stopped, they were both wet and miserable but without sunshine, there was little chance to dry their clothing. Their supplies were still dry, protected by the overturned canoe. Keezheekoni had a change of clothing, but Seth did not. Neither had slept, kept awake by their cold misery.

They went about their usual mid day routine but Seth got lucky. As he was looking for wood he spotted a deer. He primed his loaded rifle slowly so as not to spook him and then fired one shot. The deer jumped, obviously hit and then bounded into the woods. Seth waited.

Keezheekoni, who was nearby, rushed to the sound of the shot, concerned. She found him following a blood trail. The deer had wandered only a few yards before it died. She smiled at him and then helped him drag their dinner back to camp.

The Indian woman drew the knife she had taken from one of the soldiers. She skinned the deer with more skill than he ever had.

She spent a long time scraping the hide. There was nothing to stretch it with. All she could do was pack it with some of the salt they carried. She hoped for another hide or two to make a spare set of clothing for Seth.

Seth gathered wood and watched her work. There was little else to do besides the one thing that was consuming him lately, picturing her naked and in his arms. The deer and the hide were the main topics of their language lesson.

Seth watched the five foot waves crash on the beach as the wind still pushed the water toward their shore. He didn't really mind that there would be no paddling tonight. It was simply too dangerous on the lake.

Seth stripped off the sodden clothing when he had finished gathering wood. There was no sun to dry them, but they were uncomfortable to wear and he was now used to being naked in front of this beautiful raven haired woman. The air had gotten colder and he had to wrap himself in one of the blankets.

When Keezheekoni had finished scraping the hide, her hands and arms were covered in the deers blood. Neither of them had bathed in the five days they had been on the trail. She smiled at the naked Seth and took his hand in her bloody one and led him to the frigid water of the lake.

The lake was much too cold to plunge into, but not too cold to splash each other. She scrubbed his naked body, pleased with the way he reacted. Neither had slept, both were tired. She let the waves crash over them and thought about it.

"We go tonight?" she asked him in English.

Seth shook his head."Waves big, danger." He said in her language. A slight smile crossed her face. Partly it was his accent and the simple words he used. Partly it was because they could both use the nights rest. Mostly it was that she had other plans for him. Her feelings had changed a lot in five days.

She led him naked back to their camp and spread a blanket on the semi-dry grass under the canvas. He lay beside her and they pulled the blanket over them. It was getting colder after the front, but neither felt the temperatures cooling.

They looked into each others eyes, and neither was tired. Seth felt her in his arms, her soft breasts tight against his chest, and then he felt his erection press into her belly. She shuddered and he knew she felt it but she wiggled against him. His lips moved to hers and for the first time, they kissed.

That first kiss was long and passionate, a release of all the tension, the pain, the fear, and the grief. It was an exchange of trust, an acknowledgment of the feelings they had begun to share. It was more than a kiss.

Their tongues reached for each other as their arms pulled them closer, tighter. He felt her, drank in the earthy smell of her hair, the soft feel of her skin. He heard her breath, coming faster, as was his.

His hands traced her spine and she shivered in his arms. Her arms pulled him tight against her.

They broke the kiss and looked into each others eyes, sharing things that no words could ever express. There was no need to speak, their eyes, their bodies did all the talking. His lips kissed her face as her hand reached for him.

He felt her hand wrap around his penis and he jumped. He had never been touched by anyone else and her soft grip was electric. Seth felt the electric shock waves rush through him. His cock pulsed in her hand.

He had touched her before, held her before. He had known the feel of her naked skin against his, but this time was different. This time when he touched her skin, thrills went through him.

He broke the kiss and leaned back to look at her. His eyes drank in the sight of her, the soft curves of her body as if it was the first time he had ever looked at her. Her large breasts were familiar to his eye, but he saw them in a new way, a way that thrilled him like he had never known before.

Keezheekoni felt his eyes looking at her, she felt the newness of his familiar gaze and it warmed her. She felt the warm wetness rush to her loins, now filled with a burning desire for him. Her eyes locked on his, reading the need in Seth's gaze. She felt his hand reach out for her, touching her breasts and fire filled her soul. She gripped his cock tighter, the blazing desire was passed to him through the touch.

She pulled him to her as her lips met his. This kiss passionate, burning through them. She wanted him, wanted him NOW. A full day of thinking about this, him, knowing without words that she would be his first, had set her on fire.

She tugged on his cock and he followed the pull. His body was over hers. Her hand guided him to her entrance. She felt the touch of his cock and her back arched, trying to draw him in.

Seth felt his cock press against her warm wetness, the touch smooth, warm, exciting, and totally indescribable. He felt her adjust herself to invite him in. He needed no more encouragement. His first thrust was awkward, but enthusiastic. He buried himself in her in one lunge. He felt the warm tightness of her as her pussy gripped him in slick wonder. His eyes opened wide in an unseeing gaze as a gasp of pleasure escaped his lips. Her hands urged him fully into her, then gently pushed him away. Her hips moved and he matched her rhythm. He was lost in the wonder of her.

The sensations floating through him, filling him, obliterating all the old feelings of despair. All he felt was the joy of life. The wonder of her. The throbbing of her pussy. There was only the two of them. There was no world gone mad. His world, their world, consisted only of their touch.

The intensity surprised Keezheekoni. Seth was not her first, but he was the first that she had felt like this with. She jambed her hips up to meet him as her head twisted from one side to the other, beyond her will. The first intense wave of pleasure started in her belly and washed over her. She fought the urge to scream with that first flash of orgasm, she lost the fight. Her pussy convulsed around him as that first tidal wave washed over her, then it spasmed again as another wave hit her. The power of it beyond anything she had felt before.

Seth felt her body grip his, heard her scream and he could stand it no more. He felt the pressure build. He jambed himself into her as his lungs sucked in air like it would be his last breath, and then it all exploded. The breath came rushing from him in an explosive gasp as his penis felt like an exploding balloon bursting into her.

He gasped for breath as his eyes watched her. Her head was still flopping from side to side and he instinctively kept thrusting, until her movements had stopped and her eyes focused on his. Her hips grew still and slowly a hint of a smile crossed her face.

He sagged to her as his lips kissed hers. Her arms went around him, pulling him softly to her. This kiss more tender but no shorter. They both felt him shrinking inside her.

He rolled off her to prop himself on one elbow as he looked at her. He was surprised by her wetness, by his own. His eyes saw only a beautiful woman. He was filled with peace. For the moment, the pain of his brother's death was forgotten, there were no images of dead red coats, there was only the beauty of this naked woman.

There was a softness in his feelings, was it love? Was this what sex was like? Every time?

"Keezheekoni, you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen." He told her as his hand reached out to touch her soft flat belly. A half smile bent the corners of his mouth upward.

She heard her name, the soft sound of it on his lips warmed her, but the meaning of the rest of his words were lost. Still she understood him and her face lit up in a smile that warmed him.

"Thank you Seth, you were wonderful!" She basked in the warm afterglow.