Every Man's Fantasy Ch. 10

1 The three chiefs

It was a cautious meeting between the three tribes at the end of Ezra's visit to the sea-side; the first time in six years that the Woodlanders, Mariners and Herders had all traded together, just like they used to. The dozen Woodlanders who came to the meeting-place were wary but hopeful. They could smell the horses while they were still in the forest, where they left their bows and arrows, just in case.

As it was, they were needlessly cautious. Solange, chief of the Herders, came with only two of her braves and no weapons. Their trade goods were packed in saddle bags: a fourth horse towed a sled laden with cow-skins and bales of wool. They brought dried beef and mutton, sheep-stomachs filled with milk and tangy cottage cheese.

While the trading proceeded, the chiefs sat down to talk: Mirselene and Casti represented the Woodlanders, Calliope and Ferne for the Mariners but Solange sat alone for the Herders.

"Galatea is taking the herd to the southern camp," she explained, sharing out her milk and cheese. "We didn't think there was anything so serious to discuss that I needed my lieutenant with me. Or is there, ladies?"

"No, there's nothing serious," Mirselene assured her. "I'm pleased we're trading directly again, Solange."

"Of course you are, Mirselene. You're getting a big discount on what you previously paid for Herder and Cloner goods. It's Calliope who's losing out."

"I hear you've made generous terms with her, so that the Mariners don't actually miss out. I wonder why? Why now?"

"Because of Ezra, of course," Solange admitted. "Not because we want to take him from your two tribes but because the Cloners will want him. You understand that, don't you?"

"I do."

"Do you understand everything it means?" she persisted. "If they can't sell us human cloning, then they'll put up the price of all their other goods and animals, a price-hike I'll pass on to you both."

"I can see a period of adjustment after the Cloners lose their monopoly over new children," Calliope mused; "but I can't see how they can fix the prices of all their goods. Surely they'll have to sell us back some old-Earth goods. I'd like to have some synthetic clothes - or a mirror."

"Don't count on it, Sister," Solange warned. "The Cloners are wily. I'm closer to them than either of you and I know how they think. They've spent ages gathering up every piece of Earthside technology or old-Earth tool they can find and they won't be happy to sell them back to us. Expect a trade-war."

"Which will hit you as hard as any of us," Mirselene pointed out. "So, tell me, Solange: why do you seem to be taking our side and not siding with the Cloners?"

"I have my reasons."

"Which are?"

Solange appeared to change the subject.

"Have you met the new Cloner chief, Gloria?"

"Yes," said Calliope.

"Not since she became chief," said Mirselene.

"Well, she's young and she's been very friendly to us Herders but I think she's hiding something, something important."

"What?"

"My guess is: they're running out of cloning kits. Maybe our days are numbered on Samothea. ... I would expect a visit from the Cloners, Mirselene, and some strong interest in the Earthman."

"I hope you're wrong about the cloning kits," Mirselene agreed, "but I think you're right about a visit. The real question is, Why hasn't it happened yet?"

"Because I haven't given them any transport." Solange was almost boasting. "They could walk all the way here but the Cloners are lazy. They want a ride and I've not been inclined to provide one."

Despite herself, Mirselene was impressed with the Herder chief's insouciance.

"You risk annoying your biggest trading partner, Solange! You're playing a deep game. I hope you understand the risk."

"What's life without risk, Sister?"

While the chiefs talked, the tribeswomen made their exchanges peaceably, then sat down in the shade of the forest-edge to share their packed-lunches. The timid Woodlanders soon forgot the animosity that existed between them and the Herders. Gossip flowed freely, laughter rang across the plain and new friendships were forged.

Dipti and Annela (both very pregnant) had stayed in the camp but Ezra got to spend some time with Sharne, Dagma and, most importantly, Urulla.

"I'm going to break my promise to you again, Urulla," he said.

"No you're not."

"I'm sorry, but I am."

"You're not," she insisted, "because I won't let you."

"Urulla, I promised I'd return to the Forest Camp after visiting the Mariners but now I'm going off with the Herders."

"Oh, I know all that. It doesn't matter. You promised we'd be bedmates and so we will, next month or the month after, whenever you return. That's the promise I'm holding you to - and if you don't return, I'll come and find you and drag you back here."

"Thank you for taking it so well."

"I'll be twenty in six weeks. Come to my birthday feast."

"I prom..." He stopped and corrected. "I intend to be there."

She was satisfied with this and, with a sweet kiss on his cheek, let him go.

When it was time to leave, Ezra made his rounds, saying goodbye to all the Woodlanders and Mariners. The Herders loaded up the sled and fastened their saddle bags to the horses. They sat on blankets tied around the mares by a leather band with wooden stirrups attached.

Solange gave a whistle and her braves mounted their horses; but Ezra asked her:

"Can we walk?"

"We can, for a while, but we've got about fifteen miles to go, so we'll have to ride most of the way. Ash, Glynn," she called out. "You go ahead. Make us some dinner when you get there."

The Herder women kicked their horses and tramped down a path southward across the lush plain.

Walking between her mount and Ezra, Solange had an idea why he didn't want to ride. So, when they were a good distance from the meeting-place, she manoeuvred herself to the other side of the horse and let go of the reins. On cue, the mare lent over and licked Ezra's neck. He jumped and swore.

Solange laughed at him. She got on her horse.

"Come on up, Ezra. She can't bite or kick you if you're up here with me."

"Really?"

"Don't go soft on me now, Earthman."

She slipped her foot out of the wooden stirrup and offered it to him, saying:

"One foot in here. Come on."

She held out her arm and he pulled himself up. He sat behind her on the blanket, holding her by the waist.

"Now let me have my stirrup back and we're off."

She kicked the horse into a trot, forcing him to hold on tightly. She laughed at him again.

"How can a big man like you be scared of a little horse?"

"The beasts don't like me," he answered, plaintively, then he asked:

"Do you notice everything?"

"Noticing things is my skill. It's why the Herders elected me their chief."

"Elected? I assumed you strangled the previous chief and took her place."

Laughing, she kicked the horse into a canter. Though they were moving faster, it was smoother and Ezra relaxed a little. He still held Solange tightly around the waist, surprised at how slight the woman was. She was wiry and muscular but her waist was tiny.

As he sat behind her, though he'd had no thought of sex, pressing up against her body had an arousing effect and his cock grew hard. It pressed warmly against her back. He shuffled carefully backward and, noticing, she shuffled back to press against him again. He shuffled again and so did she.

"This game stops when you fall off the end of the horse," she said.

He pushed back against her, preferring to be embarrassed by his erection than fall off the horse.

She smiled and gave the mare her head for a few miles. When she slowed to a walk again, they were too far away from the Woodlander or Mariner camps for him to return easily. She could start testing him again.

"So, Earthman, are you going to overthrow me, the way you overthrew Belena?"

"I didn't overthrow Belena. The Mariners did."

"But you helped."

"I distracted her one night, to give the Mariners time to consult and to prevent a crime."

"What crime?"

"She was going to rape Thalassa."

"So that was it! The old bitch! I wondered why Calliope kept it quiet. I'm glad you told me, Ezra."

"I'm sorry I told you. I didn't realise Calliope wanted it kept secret."

"It's all right. It's just Calliope being over-protective. All new chiefs do it. They don't want anything to tarnish the image of the tribe. I won't mention it to her but it's important I know. It helps my decision."

"What decision?"

"Belena and I were close. She helped me when I was a new chief, four years ago. We were even bedmates for a while. But now I won't support her at the meeting of all the chiefs if she makes a complaint against Calliope."

He was pleased to learn that Solange had a moral sense. He hoped it would be something he could rely on because he was more and more thinking that the Herders would be instrumental to his plans.

Solange broke the silence again.

"What do you think of Samothea?"

"Well, I've not seen much of it but I think it could easily be a paradise."

"What are you talking about?"

"Samothea. So far, I've seen only the forest and the beach, but it's beautiful."

She laughed.

"I didn't mean Samothea the planet. I meant Samothea the girl. I saw you recognise her mother, Galatea, in the Mariner camp."

Ezra paused. There was no point in concealing.

"I didn't know her name was Samothea. I call her 'Wildchild.'"

"It's a good name. She's an odd girl: strong and proud."

"She is. I like her very much. I don't think you'll get her back."

"She's nearly eighteen. Soon she can ask another tribe to take her in. But we want Tamar back. She was still with Samothea, wasn't she?"

"Yes, but they're not in the Woodlander Camp anymore."

"I don't doubt it. I suppose they've gone to the White Mountains to seek Tamar's mother. Well, she won't find her."

"Why not?"

"The Miners left to live with the Cloners and the Farmers."

"How do you know that?"

"After Tamar and Wildchild absconded, I visited the Cloner City and learned the story. Here's the interesting thing. None of the Miners I saw there or among the Farmers looked like Tamar. I'm sorry to say, but I think her mother's dead."

"I hope not, but even if it's true, I don't think Tamar will want to return to the Herders."

"You are close to her, are you? She confides in you?"

"Not really, though I think she likes me."

There was a gap before Solange spoke again.

"You know who those girls are, don't you?" she asked.

"Wildchild and Tamar?"

"Yes, Samothea and Tamar. You know how important they are?"

"I've no idea. They haven't told me, nor did Mirselene or Calliope."

"I don't suppose Mirselene or Calliope know."

"Come on, Solange, why don't you say?"

"I will. Samothea and Tamar own most of Samothea."

"You mean Samothea the girl owns most of Samothea the planet?"

"Well, in fact, Galatea and Tamar own most of the inhabited part of Samothea; so Samothea will inherit Galatea's portion, as Tamar inherited her mother's."

"Explain, please?"

"It comes from the original settlement, when the land on this continent was first parcelled out. After the catastrophe, we organised into tribes but the Cloners have a law-speaker whose job is to remember the names of the original owners and their descendents. It so happens that the Cloner City was built on land Tamar's ancestors owned (including the farmland around it); and the plain we live on mostly belongs to Galatea."

"I see. It's very interesting, Solange, but does it have any practical relevance now? Do people still claim their property? Can they sell it? Are there rents to pay?"

"None of that, for the time-being. The tribes own their territories communally; but we all hope that the settlement of Samothea will re-start and the ancient boundaries will become relevant again. In which case, I want Tamar to be with a tribe who can protect her and her property."

"I see," he said cynically. "You're concerned for the girl's rights. It's very touching."

"Think what you like of my motives, Earthman, but don't get misled into thinking Tamar is better off away from those who brought her up. ... I'm glad you care for the girl. I hope you'll talk to her Herder mother. She misses the child."

"I will, of course."

Now it was Ezra's turn to question Solange.

"Do you really expect the settlement of Samothea to re-start anytime soon?"

"You tell me, you're the one who may have restarted it."

He remembered his second day in the forest, when Mirselene asked him whether it was likely other prospectors would find their way to Samothea, now that he had done so. Mirselene had seemed relieved when he explained that it was actually less likely anyone would follow him if no one heard from him in a year or so.

"No, I don't think I have. I don't think anyone else will be coming here from Earth in very a long while."

"That's a pity. Still, you may have saved us from extinction anyway. How many of your bedmates are pregnant?"

"Three, so far."

"Only three? Which ones?"

"Annela, Dipti and Sharne."

"That's good. I'd heard it was two. So what about the fat girl?"

"Solange!" he warned: "You know what I did before when you insulted my bedmates."

"That's right, Earthman, you stick up for the Wood-elves."

"Her name's Dagma and she hasn't told me she's pregnant."

"Well, you say I notice things so I'll tell you I think four of the Wood-elves are pregnant, you old goat!"

Ezra was getting used to Solange's insults and ignored this one.

"If you add the Mariners you bedded," she continued, "I think you're making a good start at reviving the colonisation of Samothea on your own."

They were silent for a time while Ezra absorbed this information. He wondered if Solange knew what a genetic bottleneck was. He also marvelled at how open she was, admitting that she wants Tamar back just because of the property the girl was heir to. He was thinking these things over when Solange spoke again.

"You know, Ezra, you can have sex with any of my sluts, except for Ash. She's mine. You have to ask my permission first."

"Your permission? Wouldn't I have to ask Ash's permission?"

"I think you're having a problem understanding the meaning of the word 'slut.'"

There was nothing to say to that and they rode the rest of the journey in silence. With a stop to pee and another at a water-hole for a drink, they finally reached the camp in late-afternoon.

2 At the way-station

It was a small way-station on a triangular spur of land where a stream, on its meandering course westward to the sea, cut out an island in the lush meadow.

There was a grassy platform with some small storage huts and a long wooden awning held up by wooden posts. Here the horses could shelter from the cold night-rain.

Two tents, one small, one large, had been erected in the clearing beside the huts, next to a small camp-fire. Three Herders pottered about, tending to the fire and cooking dinner. Their horses contentedly nibbled the meadow-grass or drank from the stream.

Solange steered her mare down the bank and into the knee-high water where she stopped.

"When did you last bathe?" she asked.

He thought back. It was yesterday afternoon in the Mariner Settlement, before dinner, since when he'd spent the night and that morning shagging Cressi. Then followed a long ride across the hot plain on a sweaty horse beside a hot woman. He could certainly do with a wash.

"A day ago," he admitted.

"I thought so," she said and reached down to grab his foot. She pulled hard upward and he fell off the horse sideways.

"You bitch!" he yelled as he splashed into the water.

"Have a nice bath," she called as she spurred her horse up the other bank and into the settlement.

He sat in the stream and decided he might as well wash himself and his clothes. He undressed and sank down into the clear warm water. A few minutes later, Solange appeared on the other bank, naked, thin and muscular.

Black and purple tattoos covered the brown skin of her arms and legs. The tattoos were in patterns: mostly lines, snakes and diamonds. Some were dotted around her neck and down her stomach and back. Only her buttocks and inner thighs were spared.

She walked calmly into the water and sat down next to him, unconcerned while he checked out her body.

"Wash my back for me," she said.

He grabbed some mud from the stream and rubbed it over her shoulders and back then washed it off. He repeated for her lower back but stopped at her bottom.

"Come on," she said, standing up. "Finish the job."

As he washed her buttocks, he said:

"Tell me about your tattoos."

"Ash does them. She likes to doodle after sex."

A normal woman would probably want to know if he liked them but Solange clearly didn't care what he thought.

"All right, I'm done. Now you," she said. "Turn around."

She washed his back, noticing the scratches and bites. Facing him, she ran her finger along a long red scar that crossed his chest.

"Who's responsible for these?"

"Cressi."

"That little blonde doll? Good for her. I bet she's fun."

"She has her moments," he said.

"So, who are you going to fuck tonight?" she asked.

"You, of course."

"Good choice."

He'd hoped to trip her up but it was clear nothing would faze this woman. To tell the truth, he liked her no-nonsense views on the world and even her aggression, which was mostly bluster. It was just a test to see if someone would stand up to her, after which she'd back down.

They'd done washing and she led him up the bank to the tents where the Herder women were waiting to start dinner. There were four: Ash and Glynn, who'd ridden to the trade-meeting with Solange, plus Hannah, an older woman, who looked after the camp that day.

The girls had made a simple dinner of a rich beef soup with pulses and beans which they mopped up with soft flat bread. They took their time eating. Glynn and Ash were chatty and playful. They were in their early twenties. Hannah was quieter and more serious. She was nearly forty, about ten years older than Solange.

"Tomorrow we'll ride down to the southern camp," Solange explained to Ezra.

"That's where most of us are at the moment, except for some out with the flocks and a couple tending to the dairy herd at the northern camp. Twice a year, we go the southern settlement for a month, to shear the sheep. The rest of the time, we drive the herd along the plain between the northern camp near the Cloner City and way-stations like this one."

"How far is it to the southern camp," Ezra asked, hoping not to have to sit on a horse all day.

"A day's ride: about thirty miles. It's another twenty or so miles after that to the mountains."

"Oh, joy!"

"You're a man, you can take it. ... Speaking of which, it's bedtime. You girls sleep in the big tent. Ezra and I will take the small tent."

"Solange, can we play with Ash?" Glynn asked.

"Sure you can."

"May we borrow your toys?"

Solange glanced at Ash and saw the edge of a smile on her lips.

"Go ahead," she said with relish. "Fuck her brains out."

In the tent, she had no nervousness or shyness in front of him. The bed was a leather sheet under a pile of thick woollen blankets laid on the floor. She undressed and lay down. She turned to face him, one knee raised, leaning up on her elbow, waiting for him to strip and join her. She hadn't spoken.

A few slaps and squeals from the other tent interrupted the silence. Solange smiled.

"Ash is enjoying herself," she said. "Now it's my turn."

Naked, he lay down next to her and she put her hand on his shoulder to pull herself close.

She kissed him. As he expected, she was a good kisser: firm and whole-hearted. She pressed against him and was pleased to feel his cock begin to harden as it had done against her back while they were on the horse.