Unspoken Ch. 05

"Sky, please, I need you inside me," I whimpered, making him smile, then he granted my wish.

I gasped when he penetrated me, bouncing my tits with his powerful thrust. He held my thighs and pounded me with a feverish pace. I cried out and clutched at the rug as he quickly satisfied my horny need. I cringed in ecstasy as his hard meat rigorously massaged my twitching canal. Before I could catch my breath, he laid down on me and thrust deeper. His tongue went into my mouth as he held my shoulders, pulling me tighter against him as he stretched my pussy open with his base. It almost hurt, and I loved it. He held me still as he vigorously plowed into me. It was maddening. My eyes rolled back as another fit of pleasure tickled through my groin and into my abdomen. My body hadn't recovered from the first fit of pleasure. I gasped and cringed under him, completely overwhelmed with passion. A second later, he let out a breathy grunt as his body tensed. I felt his cock grow harder as it flexed inside me, wetting my canal with his warmth. I groaned and tingled as he thrust deep a few more times, sending hot streams dripping out of me.

"Oh my God, Sky. That was wild," I chuckled, making him chuckle too.

He took a deep breath and looked into my eyes as our hearts pounded against each other. His irises were dark pools. His cheeks and lips were almost red with blush. I had never seen anything more beautiful.

"Do me next, Sky," Ayita announced, making everyone laugh.

Sky took a deep breath and melted against my breasts. His hair was dripping with sweat again.

"I think Sky needs a break," I yawned.

"Fine. Wolf, time for bed," Ayita ordered.

Ayita and Rain were a lot alike when it came to demanding pleasure from their men, and as far as I knew, they were rarely denied. The lovemaking moved to the beds after that. Sky and I washed up again before we climbed into bed. We were both satisfied and exhausted. We drifted off to sleep, listening to the native couples enjoying one-on-one time.

The next morning brought sunshine and warmer temperatures. What was left of the snow was melting fast, so we packed our saddlebags and journeyed along the swollen river to visit Sky's clan, the Anigilohi or the Long Hair Clan. We planned to stay overnight before heading east to Hartwell. Rain and Eagle rode in front on their own horses. Eagle's black mare was called Tohee. Rain's brown mare was called Mint. Ayita and Wolf rode together on a brown spotted stallion called Stack. Sky and I trotted along behind them on Daisy.

"Sky, why don't you have long hair like Eagle and Wolf? Your clan is the Long Hair Clan, right?"

He smiled and pointed to his hair, then he swiped his hand down, making the sign for long. The sentence ended with the sign for work. I laughed and nodded.

"Long hair is a lot of work," I said as I ran my fingers through mine.

It was getting difficult to manage after three months in the wilderness without a proper trim and comb. My hair was light brown and long enough to hide my breasts. Sky had made me a wonderful set of wooden combs, but my hair was wispy compared to his and the natives' thicker hair. I needed something daintier to keep my tangles managed.

When we arrived at the settlement, we were greeted with smiles and hugs. Wolf's father, Sequoyah (Sparrow), was a familiar face. He hugged me and said, "Welcome, Snow," in slow English. I greeted him with, "Osiyo, Sequoyah," making him smile. He guided our group across the settlement to a large thatched hut close to the river. It was three times the size of Rain and Ayita's hut and partitioned with walls to keep the sleeping areas less busy. The rest of Wolf's immediate family and cousins lived with Sparrow, including the infamous Grandmother Yona (Bear). She was an elderly white that had been adopted into their tribe. It was from her that Eagle learned to speak good English. He called her his "Old Blind Bear." She couldn't read or write and could barely see, but she would talk your ear off if you let her. I gasped when I finally saw her sitting in the corner, weaving together leather strips to make a rug.

Sky looked at me and signed, "What's wrong?"

"She looks like Grandma Rene," I whispered.

Eagle led us over to Grandma Yona and announced he had brought her a new and an old friend.

"Oh goody, I hope you brought me someone handsome," Yona declared as she stood and placed her hands on Sky's face. "Hmm, feels mighty handsome," she chuckled as she touched his throat, confirming who it was by his scar. "Sky! I've missed you!" she laughed and pulled him into her arms.

She seemed sturdy despite her age and small stature. Sky let out a breathy laugh and squeezed her in return. He kissed her cheek before he drew away and guided her towards me.

"Who else have you brought to me?" Yona asked as she touched my hair and carefully ran her fingers over my face. "Oh, you brought me someone pretty. Who are you, little lady?"

"I'm called Snow, but my real name is Haley Clemons," I said as I studied her familiar face.

She gasped at my name.

"I haven't heard that last name in many years. My big sister married a Clemons and moved across the mountains. I never saw her again. I told her that man wouldn't treat her right, and I think she knew it, but she was too scared to run away from him."

"Oh my God... your sister was Rene Clemons," I stammered.

"It was. Her maiden name was Harton. Did you know her?"

"I knew her and loved her. She was my grandmother," I blubbered, unable to hold back the rush of emotion.

"Oh my goodness! I have a grandniece!" Yona declared and pulled me into her arms.

I cried on her shoulder as she stroked my hair and whispered kind words into my ear. I eventually pulled myself together and sat down to speak with my great aunt. Her white name was Agnes Harton Mayer. She thought she lost her entire family to a forest fire over twelve years ago. She assumed the blaze swept across the mountains and killed her big sister's family too. She was thrilled to learn she had a grandniece and a grandnephew. I doubted she would ever meet my brother Allan. He was the only male heir in the Clemons line, and he was a hundred times kinder than his father and grandfather, but I had already decided that I would never contact my white family as long as my father lived. I valued my new life too much to try.

We enjoyed everyone's company late into the evening. We spoke at length to Grandma Yona and Wolf's father, Sparrow. The cousins prepared a delicious supper of cornbread and venison. I couldn't keep track of everyone's name as they laughed and feasted around us. Eleven natives lived in the hut most of the time. It was a crowd with our added numbers, but I felt welcomed and safe.

Yona was delighted to hear how Sky and I met, but she was saddened to learn of the cruelty that her nephew continued after his father's death. She also claimed to know and despise Jed Barton Senior, the father of the man I was being forced to marry before I ran away. Yona seemed angry that most of her enemies still lived while her loved ones had died, but she dismissed her anger and changed the subject. She wanted every detail of our combined wedding ceremony. Ayita sat close to Yona and constantly kissed her cheeks like a doting granddaughter. Yona would pet her hair and pinch her nose in return. They had similar personalities. I asked Rain about it, and she said Yona lived with her and Ayita a few winters after their mother passed. When they became strong women, Yona moved down the river again to be with the elderly natives that took her in after the fire.

The constant show of love and affection among the natives never ceased to warm my heart. They had no tolerance for high-minded people. They valued each other more than anything else, creating a safe and enjoyable existence. I knew that wasn't true with every native tribe. Some tribes were heavily steeped in war and would join the white men to attack their enemies. Eagle talked to Rain about it often. He was always concerned when war rumors started close to home.

Everyone scattered after supper to help clean and do outside chores before bed. I got up to help too, but Grandma Yona ordered me to sit back down and keep her company. I laughed and happily obliged.

"Listening to me can be a chore," Yona chuckled.

"Never," I smiled and hugged her neck.

"Let's see, considering how long you've been with Sky, you'll be expecting a little Sky or a little Snow by late fall or early winter."

I looked at her in surprise after that comment.

"What do you mean?"

"You'll be having a baby, sweet girl. Didn't my late sister or niece teach you about the birds and bees?"

"Uh, no. They died before I grew into a woman."

"Oh, well, that won't do. You bleed every month, don't you? That's the sign of your ability to have a child. Making love to a man will usually give you a baby. I'm sure you and Sky have been busy at it," she chuckled.

"Oh, um, we have," I blushed. "But, I've never bled every month. It's erratic when it happens. I thought the bleeding meant I was dying at first. I had no one to talk to about it. I haven't bled in three months. Sky and I started making love about two months ago. What does that mean?"

"Hmm, you might be pregnant, or you might not. Inconsistent bleeding sometimes means you're less fertile or underfed. Did you eat well with your white family?"

"No. I went hungry often. I was beaten with a belt if I complained about it. We had plenty of food, but father said it was unbecoming of a woman to eat too much. He said Jed Barton liked skinny women."

"That jackass," Yona hissed.

I smiled at her attitude. I often thought the same thing about my father.

"Do you think I'm not fertile?" I asked.

"It's too early to tell, sweetheart. Being underfed and injured can make you less fertile for a while, but not permanently. You look healthy now. I'm sure Sky feeds you well. I'm curious, do you share your body with Eagle and Wolf? I know they're your husbands, too," she grinned.

I blushed and nodded.

"Oh, be careful then. You could end up with one of their babies," she chuckled.

My mouth dropped open in shock for a moment.

"Oh, uh, how does that work?"

"If their seed spills inside you during lovemaking, you could have their baby. It's that simple. But, if you have been making love to Sky for two months already, he likely put his baby in you first. You can only get pregnant by one man at a time."

"Whoa... wait a minute, Ayita wouldn't let Wolf spill inside her for a long time. They would pleasure each other with their mouths, but on our honeymoon, she let Sky spill inside her."

Yona burst out laughing at that point.

"Ayita is a tricky fox. She used to talk about how neat it would be to have a white and a red baby. It wouldn't surprise me if that was her plan all along."

"Oh my God... that girl is wild," I sighed in disbelief.

"Yep, I think I influenced her too much," Yona chuckled.

We slept well that night in our own comfortable hammocks. They were stacked to save room. The higher the hammock was hung in the hut, the warmer the bed would be. I slept on a lower hammock to stay cool. It was like sleeping on a cloud. I planned to make a hammock for myself and Sky after our trip. I was eager to discover if we could make love in that kind of bed.

We awoke early and ate breakfast with Sparrow and Grandma Yona before setting out for Hartwell. Yona requested that I purchase a lovely white nightgown for her. I promised her I would search the village up and down until I found one. The journey would take all morning and part of the afternoon, but we would have time to shop and settle in before nightfall. We planned to stay at the Flint Arrow Inn overnight since Eagle was friends with the owner, Flint Monet. Eagle said Flint's mother was Cherokee and his father was French. Flint moved from Charleston to Hartwell to start his own business closer to his mother's tribe. He made a good living as an innkeeper, fur trader, and translator between the Cherokee, French, Spanish, and English.

The weather was comfortable as we journeyed away from the settlement and into deeper woods. Eagle claimed we were following a well-known path, but it looked like an endless forest to me. Not being much of a rider, my leg and backside were aching when we finally arrived in the trade town of Hartwell. Eagle said the village was a small outpost compared to Charleston, but it seemed big to me. I had never been away from my father's estate, so I had nothing to compare it to. The gray timber homes and businesses were rough but welcoming. Two muddy streets intersected at the heart of the town. Native, African, and European traders came and went with horses and small wagons filled with goods. A much larger river lay to the east of the town. I smiled to see canoes and rafts rowing to and from the docks. The view was breathtaking despite the lack of green. Winter still had a few more weeks to threaten us with snow before spring graced us with her presence.

We stopped at Thomas's Shack for our shopping needs. It was a shabby store, to say the least. It could use a bit of organizing, but it served its purpose. Mr. Thomas was a rugged Irish chap in his late thirties. His hair and beard were as red as wheat under an autumn sunset. He knew where everything was and what it was called before we knew we wanted it. Mr. Thomas knew Rain and Eagle, but the rest of us had to be introduced. We spent at least forty minutes chatting and shopping. I honestly enjoyed it while we were the only ones in the store. I was wary of strangers since I knew my father's rifleman often traveled to Hartwell.

Eagle asked Mr. Thomas for news from around the region and got plenty of gossip. I listened to their conversation as I shopped for a small mirror and a thin-toothed comb. I was shocked when I saw my reflection in the first little mirror I found. The young woman staring back looked healthy and cared for. My cheeks were full and rosy. My eyes were bright without dark circles, and my hair was shinier. Yona was right. Sky had been taking excellent care of me, and I could finally see it. I really liked that little mirror, so I decided to buy it. I even found a perfect cotton nightgown for Grandma Yona. Rain purchased more fun tea since I had used most of hers on Wolf by accident. Sky bought more gunpowder and bullets for his musket and pistol, along with a big bag of flour. We paid for everything with deer, rabbit, and fox pelts.

As we waited for Mr. Thomas to tie up our bundles, a fascinating man entered the shop. He was tall and wore a white turban trimmed with gold over his dark hair. His short black beard was shaved into a point down his chin. His robes were deep red and purple and embellished with gold buttons and fancy embroidery. I couldn't help staring. He looked like a character right out of my Arabian Nights story collection back home. He smiled when he saw me, then he approached me, making my stomach do a nervous flip. I was stuck in the corner by the grooming supplies while everyone else was on the opposite side of the shop. Sky's brow furrowed when he looked across the room and saw the man approaching me.

"Well now, what does an enchanting creature like you cost?" he asked in a thick, foreign accent.

His dark eyes searched mine as he picked up a lock of my hair to admire it. His skin wasn't as dark as Eagles, but it was close. I gulped when I noticed the scimitar on his belt and two gem-studded daggers. In a blink, a familiar arm reached over the man's shoulder and pressed a short dagger against his throat. The man and I both tensed in surprise, then he smiled in amusement.

"Oh, I see you belong to someone else. I mean her no harm," he said and lifted his hands in surrender.

Sky eased the dagger away from the man's throat as he stepped around him and stood next to me. My heart was pounding like mad at that point. Between the strange man wanting to buy me and Sky sneaking up behind him like a lethal ghost, I was ready to return to the cabin. The man's dark brow furrowed as he looked between Sky's pale eyes and jagged scar.

"Your eyes are rather haunting, as is your stealth. Who is he?" he asked and looked at me. He realized immediately that Sky couldn't speak.

"His name is Sky. He's my husband," I declared and took his arm.

"That is a fitting name, and you?"

"I'm Snow."

"Also a fitting name. I am Nasir," he smiled and gave us a quick bow. "Forgive me for desiring another man's property."

"Snow is no man's property. No woman here is," Rain declared as she walked over and stood next to Sky.

Nasir's smile widened as he admired the new arrival.

"Indeed. Forgive me for suggesting it. I am not yet familiar with the diverse customs of the New World. My English tutor was not well-traveled. I am a peacekeeper before I am a warrior. I sense a similar spirit among you since Sky chose not to kill me. I do not wish to make trouble, but I cannot resist admiring foreign beauty," he grinned.

Ayita had joined us at that point. She was smiling at the handsome stranger. Nasir turned and bowed again as Eagle and Wolf walked up behind her.

"Keeping the peace is a noble cause, Nasir. Our tribe holds similar principles. I am Eagle, and this is my wife, Rain. Wolf and Ayita are also spouses. What brings you to Hartwell?"

"My father enjoys unique luxuries as much as I do. I brave the stormy seas to collect gifts and stories for him since his health keeps him close to home. His latest longing was for tobacco from the New World, but not the bitter weed that filters through English ports. No, that will not do. Nasir must take himself to the New World to find exceptional tobacco for his father. He claims the best cigar he ever smoked came from this region. It was a gift from an old friend that he lost contact with many years ago. I am here to find the source of those magical cigars and hopefully carry some back to my father before his death. Not to mention any other treasure worth my time and money," he smiled.

Eagle and Sky exchanged loaded glances after that explanation.

"Interesting. I'm afraid we cannot help you, Nasir, but we wish you good fortune in your search. We are exhausted and must find our rooms for the night. It was nice speaking with you," Eagle nodded and turned back towards the counter.

"Wait, before we part. I want to offer a gift to the beautiful women in your company for any insult I may have imposed. My family makes these, and we consider it good luck to give them to new friends," Nasir declared as he opened the decorated purse on his belt.

"That is not necessary, Nasir. We are not insult..." Rain began, then stopped when she saw what he was holding.

Everyone's eyes widened as Nasir offered us three solid gold hairpins, each one adorned with a diamond, ruby, and emerald within a swirling gold cradle. I had never seen anything so delicate and beautiful in my life.

"Please take them as an apology and a token of peace on behalf of my father's house. May I place this in your beautiful hair, Rain?"

She stared at him in disbelief for a moment, then she nodded and leaned forward. Nasir smiled and carefully placed the delicate pin into her hair above her temple. Ayita hurried forward to receive hers next. Nasir smiled at her enthusiasm as he placed the pin in her hair and touched her smooth cheek in admiration. He turned to me last, and I nervously backed away. I was scared to be touched by a strange man. He understood my reaction, and his smile faded.

"Some scars we hide inside while others are not so easily hidden," he whispered as he looked between Sky and me.

Then he bowed, casting his eyes down, and held the gold pin out to me in his palm. I stared at him for a moment, letting my heart rate calm down. His gesture seemed kind and genuine.