Intended Ch. 06

"After that incident, and the humble way he acknowledged I had bested him, suddenly the drive to prove myself better than the man lost its appeal. I accepted my position as his subordinate and grew to admire him a great deal. Even if he did not possess the same proclivity for tracking as I did, he was nonetheless quite skilled.

"When we were at the river and the Spirits warned me in the dream, all I could think of was putting as much space between us and him as possible. When I thought of crossing the river using the log, and then hiking through the forest to throw him off some more, I suddenly experienced that same rush I did all those years ago, the determination that not only was I going to beat him, but in the end he would feel foolish falling for the same old tricks. Only this time, I was not there to rescue him. And Sedon may have died because I had to prove just one more time that I was superior."

Sala reached out her hand, resting her palm on the tight muscles of his clenched jaw.

"I think I understand now why you believe you must do this without me," she responded softly. "You made those choices back at the river to protect me, but you also recall making similar decisions when your motives were less altruistic; in that context I think I can understand why you might be feeling conflicted about your actions right now."

He nodded. "I do not regret doing what was necessary to protect you, Sala. I just...I just wish I had apologized to Sedon for what I did to him years ago, that I had truly thanked him for his patience and given him the respect he deserved.

"I told you before that I do not think being a Light-Eyed One makes me special, that I never wanted the privileges my status provides me. But the truth is, whenever it has suited me I have taken advantage of what people imagined me to be. I did it just recently when I traded for your bonding tunic. I have done these kinds of things my whole life, all the while thinking I was so enlightened to recognize the mass delusion held by the others. But in the end, it was I who was deluded."

"Jakal..." Sala protested, caressing his face. "Do not do this to yourself, my mate. You are grieving, and it is natural to experience regret, especially when the loss is so unexpected.

"You chastise yourself for occasionally using your status as a Light-Eye to gain certain advantages. I ask you, what person does not employ the resources available to them in order to accomplish similar goals? Your choices do not make you worse than anyone else, my love; they simply make you human."

~*~*~

Not long after the Traders departed with Jakal, Nerin and the others the next morning to retrieve Sedon's body for his final journey home, gossip blazed through the settlement like wildfire on a parched summer day. Though normally impolite to speak of such matters in public, many began piecing together the connection of their spiritual leader with the recent upheaval in the Wolf Clan's peaceful way of life. Though no one would go so far as to openly speculate, whispers spread from one person to the next about the strangeness of the Spiritwalker's behavior for the last moon cycle or so.

Though it proved difficult to restrain themselves as the tide seemed to drift out of the shaman's favor, Kitad, Belak, Nefa and the rest of their allies respected Sala and Jakal's wishes that they remain silent at this time regarding the full extent of the man's deviance. Nevertheless, they took advantage of the sea change to plant seeds of doubt here and there about his frame of mind, agreeing readily with others' hesitant conjectures or hinting at possible, as-yet unconsidered theories.

As she observed the Spiritwalker's reaction to the quiet tension filling the Camp, a tension which only intensified in his presence, Sala felt a certain perverse enjoyment at his increasing discomfort. She knew their friends worked behind the scenes on their behalf, and though she and Jakal had not officially sanctioned their actions, she was not at all displeased by their initiative. She rather welcomed the notion of their spiritual leader experiencing firsthand what it was like to lose control over those to whom he considered himself far superior.

The young woman was not the only individual to notice the shift in public opinion. Both Keta and the Spiritwalker were acutely aware of the mood of their people, and both were highly concerned, albeit for wholly different reasons. That afternoon the two sat in the Clan Leader's dwelling discussing Sedon's funeral service and the best way to address the Clan's unease.

"I believe it may be helpful to host a special 'healing ritual' immediately after guiding Sedon's spirit to the Other World," the shaman suggested. "The Lead Tracker's passing has clearly upset the balance of our peaceful existence, and it may be useful to the stability of the settlement to dispel any...malingering darkness which can often take root when such catastrophes strike."

"I agree. Please make the necessary preparations for such a ceremony."

"It is such a shame..."

"A shame?"

"Oh, I was just thinking it is such a pity that Sala's spirit became gripped with a powerful sickness. It is clear the effects of her illness remain among us."

"How so?"

"Well, I cannot help but wonder if, had she not been possessed by a rebellious spirit, perhaps Sedon might yet be alive. Even now, though it was her disobedience which set off the events leading to this tragedy, some in our Camp actually seem to blame me because I was forced to send the Lead Tracker after her. I can only conclude such whispers are a result of that errant spirit still dwelling among us."

That is an interesting way of looking at it, Keta thought. It almost seemed to her that the man was attempting to deflect attention from his own role in all this. She was not so certain she agreed with his theory; she had been thinking much in recent days about the privilege of mate selection afforded only to those of the spiritual caste.

"That is one way of looking at it," she acknowledged, nodding. Hesitating for only a moment, she posed an alternative theory. "One might also consider whether such sicknesses of spirit would be less likely to strike were the Intendeds of our spiritual leaders given the freedom to accept or reject a union as they may in every other proposed mating. Had the young woman been permitted to say 'no' perhaps she would not have been possessed to run, and had she not run it would have been unnecessary to send either Tracker after her."

The Spiritwalker's eyes bulged as his face flushed dark red, struck dumb by her presumptuousness. How dare she! If she were not the Clan Leader she would surely pay for such an insult.

"I did not realize we were discussing the merits of our most revered customs, Clan Leader," he responded through gritted teeth, struggling to keep his tone respectful.

"My apologies, Spiritwalker," she replied calmly. "Recent events have caused me to spend much time reflecting on the way one idea or action can set off a series of reactions, the end result of which cannot always be predicted. I was merely thinking aloud. I meant no offense."

"Of course," he returned, his tone brighter. "None was taken. The loss of Sedon has been difficult on all of us. Now, if you will excuse me, I have many preparations to attend to before the others return."

~*~*~

Though the sun had yet to reach its zenith when Jakal and the others arrived at the place in the forest where Sedon lost his footing, tumbling to his death, finding a safe route down the ravine to where his body lay proved far more challenging. The narrow valley was steep and blanketed with slippery vegetation, the ground beneath riddled with pockets of loose stone.

Time after time they stumbled, on the verge of plunging themselves, and sometimes one or more of their companions as well, to the bottom in an instant. But slowly and carefully, bodies covered in sweat from the exertion, they eventually reached their destination.

With great sorrow the party approached the body of their fallen Brother. An arm bent where there was no joint, and a bone protruded grotesquely from one of his shins; from the angle of his head it was obvious he had died instantly. Given the extent of his injuries, knowing he had not suffered long provided some consolation, bitter though it may be.

Jakal squatted near his mentor's figure, studying for signs indicating when the accident might have occurred. Sedon's body was only beginning decay, suggesting the accident was quite recent; it may have even happened the previous morning, not long before Asra and Lomal entered the forest themselves.

Detecting the coolness of the air, a result of the stream at the valley's bottom as well as from its shaded, protected location, he considered how these factors might also slow the degradation. Noting the disturbance of the earth around the body and the absence of scavengers, however, the Light-Eyed One quickly returned to his initial assessment; Sedon had most likely died only the day before, or the evening prior to it at the very earliest.

Wrapping the man in thick hides, they bound his enclosed form with strong leather straps before placing the bundle onto another heavy hide attached on either side by two wooden poles. The next day they would take turns, in pairs, dragging the body home. They would need to start early if they hoped to make it back to Wolf Camp before the sun dropped from the sky.

That done, the woman and five men set up their lean-tos and washed in the stream before settling around the campfire for the evening. Given their mental and physical exhaustion, all planned on retiring early. Nonetheless, to help distract them all from the grim weightiness of their task and possibly stave off dark dreams, Jakal asked the visitors from Horse Clan to recount how two mates ended up sharing the same chosen skill.

"There is not much of a story to it, I am afraid," Asra explained. "The mate of my mother's mother was the Lead Trader for our people. As a child I was always fascinated by Bafir's tales of adventure and eventually convinced my mother to allow me to accompany him on some of his trade missions. When I came of age I quickly decided I wished to become a Trader like him."

"On one of their missions they came to Aurochs Camp," Lomal continued, "where I resided and served as Trader. I became quite smitten with this beautiful young woman." He stroked his mate's back lovingly. "I swiftly came up with a very convenient excuse to accompany them back to their settlement."

"And that was pretty much how it started," she went on. "Both of us kept coming up with different reasons to trade ever more frequently between our two Clans. Some time after this had been going on, Bafir came to me and advised that he had hoped to retire from his duties as Lead Trader in order to spend more time with the mother of my mother. He wished to name me his successor but was concerned about leaving me the burden of being the Camp's only Trader." She smiled at the memory. "He suggested he might feel better about retiring were I able to find someone to take his place."

"So Asra asked me to join with her and move to Horse Camp, and as you can see I accepted her proposition," the Trader concluded, grinning.

That night in the lean-to Jakal withdrew a small bundle from his haversack. He had asked his mate to pack one of her worn garments so that he might sleep with her scent filling his lungs. As he unrolled the parcel he was astonished to discover another object nestled in the center of the soft leather: the talisman of the Spiritwalkers belonging to Fox Clan's spiritual leader.

After shock, his first instinct was panic; Sala needed its powers far more than he. Once more, she was putting herself at risk; upon his return he needed to discuss with her the importance of remaining vigilant. They simply could not take these sorts of chances when the danger remained so great.

When it finally dawned on him that she must have felt the same way about him trading away his tracking talisman for the tunic, he relaxed a little, smiling at her thoughtfulness. Knowing Sala, she was probably not only considering his physical safety on this mission, but his spiritual strength as well. Once he got back he would speak to Ditil right away about obtaining a new charm.

As he listened to the murmurs and groans of Asra and Lomal sharing bodies, the Light-Eye missed his own mate more than ever and regretted rebuffing her advances the night before. Breathing deeply her perfume from the unwashed shift he clutched to his chest, Jakal's mind filled with thoughts of the woman he loved as he embarked for the Dream World.

~*~*~

Sala lay on the platform, unable to sleep, thinking about how this night was the first since Jakal found her that he did not lay at her side. She rolled onto her stomach, pressing her nose into the pelts she had brought with her from her mate's residence, inhaling the essence his body left behind. Well, at least she still had his scent to comfort her, even if it did make his absence that much more acute. Wrapping her arms around herself, she closed her eyes and imagined it was he holding her; still, sleep did not come.

After a time she began to hear the sighs and grunts of lovemaking. Slowly turning her head toward the source of the sounds, in the faint light her eyes focused upon the figures of her hosts on the floor, joining bodies on the other side of the room.

Yaja lay on her back atop the thick pile of furs, legs bent and parted wide, her heavy milk-filled breasts sagging apart. Her mate's legs straddled her head, his own head buried deep between his woman's thighs as he wrapped his arms around them. Sala listened to their muffled moans of delight as she watched their muscles rippling while they orally pleasured each other. As she observed them, she almost felt as though she knew what kiss or lick or touch elicited a particular reaction in one or both partners.

For Sala to be spying upon her friends in this fashion was not wholly courteous. Though Yaja and Belak lived in their dwelling as a single family, it was not uncommon for more than one family, or more than one generation, to share the same residence. This practice necessitated the use of discretion when it came to sharing furs.

It was accepted that individuals or couples at various times would be engaging in pleasures of the body, but due to the close quarters it was unrealistic to expect these interactions to occur only when no others were present. As a result, when others were participating in carnal relations, good manners dictated that should one wake during the course of their activities, their privacy should be respected by not staring at them without their knowledge. In turn, those conducting such unions typically waited to begin until such a time as others in the room would most likely be asleep.

Sala did not mean to be discourteous, but watching the couple giving pleasure to each other provided her a sense of sharing in their passion, in a strange way making her feel less alone this night. When she saw Yaja arching her back, crying out as her body shuddered, she knew the female had powerfully crested. A flood of wet heat swelled between her own legs as she remembered the sensations of such gifts bestowed upon her by Jakal, and Sala discreetly slid a hand down the length of her body.

Disengaging from his woman, Belak turned around and lowered himself on top of her once more, drawing one of her sensitive nipples between his lips. He knew nursing made her nubs tender to the touch, but he did so love the sensation and taste of her sweet milk squirting into his mouth. Thankfully, his generous mate recognized how much pleasure this gave him, so he did his best to suckle gently, difficult though it was in his enthusiasm for her body's awesome gift.

It is a pity that Sala and her mate share an arrangement to couple only with each other, the Lead Trader thought as he turned his attention to Yaja's other breast. He would have liked to have seen whether she might have enjoyed the taste of her milk as much as he.

Despite the surprise his mate expressed when she spoke to him of the exclusiveness of Sala and Jakal's relationship, he himself did not find their agreement extraordinary. Though over the years he teased his old friend often about his popularity and success with women, Belak recognized that the Light-Eye yearned for something deeper; frequently engaging others between the furs merely temporarily filled up the loneliness which was his constant companion. He was genuinely thrilled his closest friend at last found happiness; Jakal's face revealed the depth of his contentment and he could see for himself the man desired no other.

Still, it might have been nice to explore Sala's body again; it had been many years since they shared furs. Up until now, she actually seemed to avoid the Light-Eyed One, and he supposed she in turn had avoided him because he and Jakal were such close associates. Belak considered it a bit of a shame; from what he could recall she had been an outstanding lover.

He supposed it was just as well. Though it personally amazed him given his own great appreciation for the female form, Yaja did not really care for the bodies of women; when they did bring a third to their furs, it was virtually always another male. That of course was quite pleasurable; he greatly enjoyed the look of ecstasy on his mate's face when her body was filled with the manhoods of two individuals. When he wished to partake in the delights of two women he reserved such interactions for his trade missions. Luckily for him he was an attractive, charming man, if he did say so himself; he rarely had difficulty satiating his thirst when so inclined.

Encouraging Yaja onto her hands and knees, Belak nudged her legs apart and reached for her slippery sex, smiling with great satisfaction at the sounds of her whining his name, begging him to enter her. Granting her request, he penetrated her quivering opening with his throbbing organ.

Sala noticed her friend's full breasts swinging back and forth as her mate pounded her from behind, the wet slaps of their flesh filling the room permeated with the scents of their arousal. Though she could not make out all their words, she knew they exchanged the pleas and promises of lovers. As she observed their union she noted their bodies tensing, their movements becoming more frantic as they ascended the peak together. Her own caresses to her engorged nerve bundle grew faster, more insistent, and despite her best efforts a whimper escaped her lips.

Belak looked up when he heard the sound of a feminine moan other than that of his woman. Slowly turning his head toward the sleeping platform, his eyes made contact with Sala's. She had turned to her side, facing them, and he could see from the way the furs were shifting around that she was self-pleasuring as she watched them coupling. Groaning with renewed ardor, he smiled at her lustfully before reaching around to tickle Yaja's stiffened bud with his fingertips.

Barely able to suppress a gasp when the Trade Leader's eyes suddenly met hers as she realized she had been caught spying upon their lovemaking, Sala soon understood that her indiscretion was not only forgiven but welcome, at least by him. With a lascivious smile, Belak held her gaze as he reached around to finger his mate's button while his thrusts picked up speed. His hand's movements seemed to mimic her own as she became aware that he was purposely trying to match her strokes so that they might all be captured by the same swell.

Her eyes broke contact as they rolled up in the back of her head, the first pulse flowing through her body. She heard the couple grunting and crying out with their own release as wave after wave swept over her. After several rapturous, spine-tingling moments, both she and they collapsed onto their backs, and at long last Sala entered the Dream World, where she could once more bask in Jakal's company.