Unspoken Ch. 04

**Author's Note and Disclaimer: A fair amount of research went into developing this series. Historical records for the North Georgian Cherokee tribes' day-to-day life between 1720-1730 are spars, so I'm not claiming perfection. I wanted to explore what native life was like before European ideologies heavily influenced their culture. My goal was accuracy, but in the end, this story is fiction/fantasy and meant for entertainment. All the characters, their actions, and their values are from my imagination and do not directly represent modern or historical Cherokee values despite the similarities.**

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A Piece of Heaven

Before we left the hut the next morning, I grabbed Sky's hand and made him sit with me on the bed. We were alone since everyone else left early to help prepare for the fire ceremony.

"I need to tell you something, Sky," I gulped as I handed him the writing tray.

He nodded as he searched my troubled eyes.

"I uh... I couldn't sleep last night. I heard Wolf and Ayita making love, then I peeked at them," I explained with my face burning.

Sky raised an eyebrow at me, then he grinned in amusement before he started writing.

"Okay, why did you need to tell me that?" he wrote.

"Because it made me really hot. I thought about waking you, but I didn't want you to know I was peeking."

He smiled and rolled his eyes.

"Don't dismiss it yet. I have more to tell you. I uh... touched myself while I watched them. I was pushing my fingers inside myself. Then, um..." I gulped and hesitated.

Sky's handsome brow lifted after that confession.

"Go on," he wrote.

"In the heat of the moment, I... imagined Wolf was pleasuring himself inside me, and it made my pleasure peak. Then I felt really guilty. I'm so sorry, Sky. Can you forgive me?"

His pretty gray eyes had widened as a blush turned his cheeks red. He quickly wiped the tray and scribbled another note.

"I'll forgive you if you promise to wake me up next time so I can play too."

I burst out laughing after I read his reply.

"You're not mad at me?"

"Why would I be mad? I'm glad you enjoyed yourself," he wrote.

I stared at him in amazement for a moment. He was more like the natives than I first thought.

"Thank you, Sky. I would hate myself if I did something to hurt you."

He smiled and set the tray aside, then he kissed me. He drew away a second later and placed his fist against his heart before he brought it to his lips and kissed it.

"You're my treasure, too," I whispered and repeated the motion.

A minute later, Rain returned to the hut to retrieve us. A light snow was falling as we walked with her towards the council house. She said the clan priest had approved our marriage and encouraged us to participate in the ceremony at midday. I laughed in delight and hugged Sky's neck. He picked me up and spun me around. Rain directed us to different sides of the council house to prepare for the ceremony.

The large thatched hut was partitioned with long curtains, separating the brides and grooms while they dressed. There were ten native matrons on our side. They were smiling and chatting as they helped Rain, Ayita, and I dress in beautiful deer-skin frocks. The pale leather was wonderfully soft and flowed with long fringe from every seam. The finishing touch was a beautiful shawl with a heavily beaded fringe. Rain and Ayita looked like exotic princesses as they twirled to show off their fringe and hair. The matrons had styled our hair in long braids over each shoulder. Seven smaller tresses were braided and loaded with colorful beads before being draped over our shoulders beside the larger braids. I wished I had a mirror at that point. I hoped I looked as beautiful as Rain and Ayita.

My stomach was fluttering with excitement as we lined up by the door, ready to march into the snow and greet our grooms around the sacred fire. Rain was first in line since she was the oldest at twenty-three winters. I was next at twenty-one, and Ayita was last at twenty. A call from the clan priest prompted us to exit the council house. A large audience of natives stood with their clans on the edge of the clearing to witness the ceremony. I looked to the right and smiled to see Eagle, Sky, and Wolf emerging from the northern entrance. They were handsomely dressed in beaded leather jackets and pants. Their fringe was shorter and decorated with eagle feathers. More feathers were braided into their hair.

Rain and Eagle came together in front of the clan priest while the rest of us waited behind them. The priest recited a prayer, then he directed Rain and Eagle to retrieve torches from the sacred fire. As the eldest couple prepared to ignite their personal fires, Sky and I approached the clan priest. The process was repeated until we were all lighting our separate woodpiles around the larger fire. The hard part was keeping the logs burning as we used a branch to push our fire into our intended's fire. It was a slow and careful process. Flurries were still falling. The snow hindered our progress, but we accomplished our goal.

We waited for our combined fires to burn stronger before attempting to join them with the sacred fire. Sky smiled as he admired my wedding attire. Then he pointed at me before pointing at his eyes. Then he held up his index fingers with one raised higher than the other. He was saying I looked superior or perfect. I made the same sign to him. He grinned and shook his head. He thought I was being silly. No matter how many times I told him so, he still didn't believe he was beautiful. I would have to find a mirror and show him one day.

Once we were confident we wouldn't snuff out our combined fire, we used our branches to carefully push the logs into the towering sacred fire, completing the ceremony. The newlyweds hugged and kissed as cheers and singing erupted from the audience. The wedding celebration had officially started. The entire settlement danced with us around the sacred fire. The snow flurries thickened and swirled with the wind, adding to the magic of the moment.

As the elders grew weary of the cold, the wedding party returned to the warmth of the council house. The dividing curtains were removed, revealing the large fire in the center of the giant hut. A feast of venison, turkey, fish, potatoes, corn and bread waited to be devoured. The newlyweds sat together on the floor close to the fire. We ate until we were stuffed, then we danced until my leg ached. Clan Mother Kamama called everyone to attention for a story about the first man and woman. Eagle scooted closer to me so he could translate. Kamama took a deep breath and searched the faces of the newlyweds, then she smiled in approval and began her story.

Eagle whispered close to my ear as Kamama spoke:

"The first man was alone and grumpy. The animals knew he was favored by the Great One. The man was clever and bored. He used his cleverness to shoot deer when he didn't need the meat. He would pull up plants and not use them. He would tear up animal nests just because he could. The animals were concerned about the man and complained to the Great One. Great One agreed the man needed someone to make him better. He put the man to sleep and caused a beautiful plant to grow tall over him. The plant bloomed and produced corn, and above the corn was the first woman. She and the corn were born from the earth. The woman had smooth, clay-colored skin, and she was soft where the man was not. The man awoke and thought he was dreaming. The woman and plant were too beautiful to be real. He straightened up and kindly offered his hand to the woman, helping her climb down from the stalk. Her touch was warm, and he knew she was real. The woman retrieved two ears of corn from the plant, not yet knowing they were good for food. She wanted them as a reminder of her origins. The man took her to his home, and they lived happily together, sharing work and pleasure. The next spring, the woman planted some of her corn. It grew into tall, beautiful plants, and she saw the majestic turkey eating the kernels. She roasted some corn over the fire, and the man ate it. He declared it fragrant and delicious. The man forever treasured the woman and the corn."

I chuckled and smiled at Sky after listening to Kamama's wonderful story.

"Were you grumpy before you found me, Sky?" I asked.

He flattened his hand in front of him and swirled it once, then he opened his hands like they were a book. Then he waved his right hand in front of his ear. I didn't know those signs yet. Wolf saw my furrowed brow and decided to help.

"Snow, Sky said, 'all day eternally,'" he explained and repeated the signs.

"Oh, thank you, Wolf. Your English is improving. I'm impressed you knew eternally."

He smiled and nodded before he turned his attention back to Ayita. I felt awkward towards them after our first night in the hut together, but Wolf seemed less awkward towards me. Our positions had switched. I was the peeking stranger in his world for a change, but it didn't matter. Sky helped tie us all together, making us family. I looked at him again and caught him gazing at me.

"What?" I grinned.

"You're my treasure," he signed.

That earned him a passionate kiss. Our kiss was interrupted when Chief Danuwoa (Warrior) called the room to attention. Eagle translated as the chief offered a prayer of thanksgiving for the newlyweds and the feast. Then he advised us to collect more firewood and food before turning in for the night since the snow was thickening. The wedding party slowly wrapped up after that.

I gasped when we stepped out of the council house and into a whiteout. A foot of snow had fallen while we were feasting. The sacred fire was still burning strong, but its light quickly faded into the white as we trudged towards the hut. We dug our way inside before sealing the door for the night. We removed our snow-dampened clothes and hung them in a corner to dry. The hut was still toasty, thanks to the fire and stones. The men lounged in their pants while the women lounged in simple tunics. I was about to sit on Sky's lap and relax, but I suddenly needed to pee. Rain directed me to a small, closet-size room connected to the hut by a short tunnel. I hadn't noticed it before since it was hidden behind a bear hide. It was a tiny outhouse exclusively used during inclement weather. There was a large clay pot to relieve one's self in, then you put some dirt in it to keep smells down. The hut or 'asi' was a wonderful home. I could honestly build one by myself if I had to. The materials were light and easily lifted by a small woman, unlike the logs used to build a cabin.

"Sleep good last night, Snow?" Ayita smirked.

She and Rain were busy taking the lines of beads out of Eagle's and Wolf's hair. Sky had already removed his. His came off easily since they were braided into his short hair with strings. Many Cherokee men wore their hair as long as the women did, and it was just as beautiful.

"Uh... I had a little trouble falling asleep," I confessed, causing a chuckle from Wolf.

My cheeks were burning as I gave him a murderous glance. Suddenly, Sky made a short, loud whistle and snapped his fingers, pulling Wolf's gaze to him.

"What did Snow see last night?" he signed.

Wolf and Ayita both chuckled after that question.

"Snow, show Sky what we did," Wolf suggested.

"Maybe later," I grumbled.

"May I show Sky what we did?" Ayita offered as she winked at Sky.

"I'm not comfortable with that," I announced.

"Not comfortable?" Ayita asked in confusion.

"Ayita, Waya, stop teasing," Rain scolded. "Sky and Snow were not raised in our ways. Sky knows more than Snow, but they are both new to lovemaking. They are not confident like us."

Sky let out a breathy laugh after that explanation and propped his face in his hand. His cheeks were as red as mine at that point. Rain was obviously trying to help us out, but it only added to our embarrassment.

"Oh boy," I sighed and rubbed Sky's back.

"Sky, Snow, I sorry for teasing on our big day," Ayita said in distress as she crawled across the rug, knelt in front of us, and picked up our hands. "We are joined. Man and woman. You happy. I happy. We all happy. I want that," she declared.

She sweetly kissed each of our hands, then she leaned in and surprised me with a sensual kiss on the mouth. She leaned away and smiled at the shock on my face. Sky also wore a shocked expression as he looked between us. Ayita turned and kissed him on the mouth next. I stared at them in amazement, thinking I should feel jealous, but that wasn't what I felt at that moment. I felt aroused by the sight of Sky kissing Ayita. It was a beautiful, exotic thing to witness. My attraction to Sky compounded the effect. I suddenly understood why Rain said she enjoyed watching her sister kiss Eagle. Sky looked stunned when Ayita finally leaned back and smiled at him. His eyes jumped to me next, looking nervous. I chuckled at his expression. As far as I knew, I wasn't capable of being disappointed or angry with Sky. I was amused that he thought I could.

"Thank you, Ayita. I want us all to be happy too. Sky and I will try to be less... um... embarrassed by natural things," I chuckled as I glanced at Sky.

He smiled and nodded in agreement.

"Good," Ayita nodded. "You always welcome to play, Snow and Sky," she declared, then she crawled back over to Wolf to finish removing his beads.

"You're always welcome to play with us too," Rain added with a smile.

"Oh, thank you," I nodded before looking at Sky with wide eyes.

He chuckled and gracefully relieved the awkward moment by retrieving his chess set. He and I played chess while Rain and Ayita finished their bead removal. Then Eagle and Wolf helped remove the beads from their spouses' hair since they were uncomfortable to sleep on. Sky had my king trapped in a corner when Wolf crawled over and sat down next to me.

"Snow, may I remove your beads?" he asked.

"Oh, of course. Thank you, Wolf. I forgot I was wearing them."

I blushed as he picked up my braids and began loosening them. Sky smiled at my blush. Rain and Ayita went about preparing supper with our wedding leftovers as Eagle jumped into the skinny framework of the roof. I watched in amazement as he climbed up the exposed canes and stuck his head through the hole at the top to clear away snow before it fell into the fire below. There was an overhanging structure to keep rain and snow out of the vent, but the wind caused little snowdrifts to build up around it. Eagle shook snow out of his hair as he climbed back down.

"It is still falling fast. We will have to dig ourselves out in the morning," Eagle sighed.

He sat next to Sky on the rug to examine our game progress. The smile on his face told me I was about to lose another piece. My king and queen were in tricky spots. If I lost my queen at that point, I would have to resign out of embarrassment.

"Eagle, what am I missing? Will you please help me?" I begged, making Sky chuckle.

"May I help her, Sky?" Eagle asked.

Sky sighed and looked at me for a moment. I stuck out my bottom lip and pouted, so he waved for Eagle to assist me. Eagle scooted over next to Wolf and me to examine the board. If anyone could help me beat Sky, it was Eagle. They had been playing against each other for more than seven years.

"I like chess. Queen powerful. Better than king," Wolf said.

He ran his fingers through my hair to straighten it. He had one last line of beads to remove.

"They're both important, though," I added.

"Maybe. Queen prettier," he whispered close to my ear.

His breath smelled pleasant. I felt strange having Wolf so close to me, but I didn't want to make a big deal about it. He and Eagle were officially my brothers-in-law. I wasn't sure if that term existed among the natives. Either way, they were my new family, and that made me happy.

"Okay, Snow. I'll give you a little hint, but I want you to take it from there. Look closely at your remaining knight," Eagle instructed.

I took a deep breath and examined my knight's position. I wasn't even looking to move that piece earlier. I gasped when I realized I could safely attack Sky's king and queen at the same time. I quickly moved my knight into the fork, forcing Sky's king to move out of check, then I took his queen. That's when I saw the magical checkmate. Sky saw it too. He sighed in defeat and moved his king one last time. I used my remaining bishop to win the game.

"I WON! Thank you, Eagle!" I squealed in delight.

I hugged his neck and kissed his cheek, then I leaned over the board and gave Sky a kiss on the mouth.

"Hmm, I should play chess, too," Wolf observed when he realized it was a source of kisses.

I laughed at his remark and gave him a kiss on the cheek, making him blush.

"Well, I'm going to quit while I'm ahead. Sky can avenge himself by defeating Eagle now," I chuckled and scooted back so Eagle could take my place.

"Snow, explain chess to me, please?" Wolf asked.

"Of course," I smiled.

I educated Wolf on the rules of the game as Eagle and Sky played. Eagle helped by explaining why he made certain moves to counter Sky's moves. Wolf found the game fascinating once he understood what was happening. I slipped away at that point to help with supper. Rain and Ayita were chuckling about something as they prepared a heavenly-smelling mix of cornbread, leftover turkey meat, and turkey gravy in a clay pot.

"Can I help?" I asked.

"Help remove bones," Ayita instructed as she pointed at the turkey in the basket by her leg.

"What were you two laughing about?"

"Wolf," Ayita chuckled. "He... how you say... excited by you."

"Excited by me?" I asked in confusion.

"Mmhmm," she grinned.

I looked at Rain with an eyebrow raised, and she chuckled at my confusion.

"Ayita says Wolf dreams of pleasuring you like Sky does," she whispered.

My face burned with blush after that unexpected comment. The elephant in the room was getting bigger. Wolf's desire for me was constantly a conversation piece, and I seemed to be the only one distressed by it.

"I'm sorry, Ayita," I sighed, not knowing what else to say.

"Why?" she asked in confusion.

"Well, I seem to be distracting your husband."

Ayita gave Rain a funny look before she looked at me again.

"That okay. Wolf our husband," Ayita shrugged.

"Our husband? Do you know what you're saying?" I asked in confusion, wondering if her choppy English was interfering with the conversation.

"Yes," she grinned. "Sky our husband, Eagle our husband, and Wolf our husband."

That's when the truth dawned on me.

"Oh my God... Eagle and Wolf are my husbands too?" I whispered.

Rain and Ayita both smiled and nodded.

"We joined our fires with the sacred fire to become one family. We all belong to each other. We are stronger together," Rain explained.

I gulped and nodded, feeling stunned. We didn't simply get married at the same time. We married everyone at the same time. I wondered if Sky knew what we had done. Despite the shock of it, I didn't think it was bad. I loved everyone in the room and wanted to protect them. I knew they would do the same for Sky and me. I could live happily with that once I got used to it.

"I think I would like some tea with supper," Rain declared as she stood to prepare the kettle.

Tea kettles were new to the natives and instantly loved. I'm sure it came from Hartwell like Sky's flour.

"You okay, Snow?" Ayita asked.

I had been holding a bare turkey bone for the past two minutes.

"Oh, yes. I'm okay," I nodded and got back to work.

"Snow, you think Wolf handsome?"

"I do. Wolf, Eagle, and Sky are very handsome."

"Sky pretty and handsome," she chuckled, making me chuckle too.

"I tell him that all the time, but he doesn't believe me."

"I hate white men stole Sky's voice. I chop their throats one day," Ayita said as she demonstrated a killing blow with her hand.