“Why are you smiling?” she wondered aloud.
“Night,” Deer Fawn said.
Her face turned red with the realization. They had not just been greeting her. She looked around and noticed their knowing smiles and laughs. They had heard! Her hand flee to her face in embarrassment. At a point, she had let go of all sense of decorum, and her voice had been rather loud for them not to hear. At night, she used to hear sounds, moans and groans, and had thought they were from animals. Now she knew better.
Deer Fawn laughed. “Did he treat you right?”
She nodded. He had treated her well. She returned to the teepee, just in time to see Aiyana. The sister stared at the red spot on the fur. She had not noticed the blood when she woke. For the first time, Aiyana smiled at her.
“Did he treat you well?” Aiyana asked.
What was it about this women and asking if he had treated her well. She thought back to the memory of his tongue buried in her, and she blushed. Noticing it, Aiyana laughed.
Aiyana left and returned with hot water, and a warm drink which warmed her inside, making her feel better instantly. The warm water on her skin helped with the soreness.
A smile was on her lips as she sat beside the children. For the first time in a very long time, she felt at peace.
*
Bear Claw shook his head in amusement as the men laughed behind him. He had received claps on his back when he joined them for the hunt. And then they had seen the scratches on his back. He had not realized how bad it was until he woke this morning with pains from his back. Her fingers had indeed dug deep.
“You have finally got the white devil out of your system,” Juh said, riding next to him.
That was the thing. He hadn’t. After one night, he wanted another. And after another, he knew he would want endless nights with her. A night wasn’t enough to satisfy his desire for her. A lifetime night perhaps be enough.
“When does she leave?”
He rode ahead instead. Her leaving was impossible now. Not after he had drank from her essence. Not after he had buried his rod in her and heard her scream his name. She belonged to him, he thought with ferocity. After what had happened, he was not letting her go. But now it was up to him to convince her to stay with him.
“We can drop her at the ravine. Her kind will come for her.”
He growled at Juh. He had been deep in thoughts and had not seen him ride next to him. “Don't push me,” he warned, slapping the horse to ride off. Hannah was not going anywhere. She belonged right here with him.
The men returned at noon with a big Buffalo. It had been a good hunt. There were murmurs that good fortune would follow them for the next few days. For tonight they would eat well.
“You are back,” Hannah said when she turned around to Bear Claw. It suddenly felt awkward. This man had seen her nakedness. He had done a lot of things to her. Whether she liked to admit it or not, things had changed between them. A dynamic change.
He smiled, sensing her discomfort. He caressed her face, and she returned his smile. “How have you fared?” He asked as they walked.
Hannah shrugged. She fared well. However she had been eager for him to return. A part of her had thought after last night he would discard her, just like the women of the night. But he was warm towards her, erasing her fears.
“Are you okay?” He asked with concern when he got no response.
“Yes I am. You... You were gentle.” She didn’t know why she told him that. He smiled at her words and she was glad she had.
He took her hand, leading her to the horse.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
He responded by putting her on the horse. They went to a meadow. She could not help but dart her eyes around as they went, taking note of the different twists and turns.
“Why is the village set on higher ground?” she asked.
“A higher ground gives us advantage to see our enemies when they approach. A lower ground gives our enemies an upper hand to watch us before they attack,” Bear Claw said.
She looked up at the lands. There was peace here. It seemed they were one with nature. The birds sang louder. The air was cool.
“Come let me show you something,” Bear Claw said, taking her hand. He led her to the cliff and she gasped. It was so beautiful out here. Sights like this had to rival true nature which she had heard so much about.
