Shortly after, when they were alone and out of earshot of the others packing snow on the pile of bodies, Lucius approached Tor again. "I have consulted with the two remaining elders. I so wish I was able to talk to Habus, the oldest and wisest of us, but he is gone now and we have to make these decisions without him." He shuddered at the thought and tried to hide it from Tor's eyes, but didn't.

Tor, being respectful, understood and waited for Lucius to compose himself before continuing what he had to say. Finally, Lucius spoke again.

"The last time we met, and I proposed that you marry Rena, I could see in your eyes and your facial expression that she is distasteful to you. And, I guess I know why… We all know. She contains some evil that will have to be taken from her by a good husband. I understand… It's not you. Not you."

In his best Po language, Tor replied. "Thank you for sensing my discontent. I have spent enough time with Rena to know how she is."

"We need babies. Five of our fertile women have lost husbands. We are weak from not having children from outside our small group for too long. Why the evil spirit caught us unprepared. But you prevailed better than any of us! So I'm going to send you one of these women each night, and hopefully, we can have some babies with your seed. It will take away some of your melancholy for Gael. I know because, I lost my first wife many years ago and found comfort in other women. Everyone here knows."

Tor didn't like the idea. He didn't want to be a permanent part of these people. Remembering his father, he wanted to be that kind of father to his children. How could he do that here? Tor didn't know. But he couldn't refuse. He needed these people to make it until the air was warm again and he could travel. All Tor said in response was, "Okay, I will do it for the good of the clan. I hope what you say is true . That it will help me in my melancholy for Gael."

Lucius moved Tor from sleeping with the other young unmarried men to the cozy hut of a couple without children who had died. Tor knew that their ghosts remained in the place, but it was the same throughout the encampment, including where he already was with three young men gone leaving behind haunting noises whispering in the winter night wind through the cracks in the stone walls.

Tor spent his days away from there anyway, having been chosen by Lucius and the elders to be the primary hunter for the clan. Often going out with others and sometimes, by himself. Returning after a long day of checking on snares and bringing back two squirrels, three rabbits, and a grouse, Tor helped the others cook and prepare their evening meals and ate with them, retiring quite tired shortly after dark with only the small fireplace with a small fire for heat and light burning with what little wood the former occupants had gathered to last the entire winter. Near gone after their illness.

As she came through the fur covered doorway, Tor recognized her as Leia, the most beautiful of all of the women in the encampment. She was twice his age with already eight children, four of whom had died from the evil spirit along with her husband, one of the elders.

As their eyes met in the firelight, Tor could see that hers were shining, not at all like that of a deeply grieving woman. But more like what he saw in Gael when she looked at him by firelight those days on the trail.

Leia said nothing, but moved toward him where he had already removed his clothes except for his loincloth and settled in by the fire in his familiar smelling bedding to keep out the cold. She slipped off what she was wearing, lifted his furs and crawled in beside him, snuggling up against him making Tor immediately feel her tremendous warmth, much warmer and much more sensuous than Gael ever felt. Surprised, he put his arms around her and felt her warm soft skin join his.

That night, Leia taught Tor things that he in his youthful lust had never thought of or even dreamed of. It went on for hours and they barely slept, except between raging passion that peaked, and then, subsided into brief periods of sleep.

When morning finally came and it was time for Tor to do his daily duties that were expected, contrary to what he thought would happen, he wasn't tired, but felt refreshed and wonderful. Even though he woke to an empty bed. Leia had slipped out of the hut before light, so as not to disturb the others, even though they would all know, and tend to her children.

For the next few nights, other women came and went. Some were tall, and some were short. Some were full and soft, and others were skinny and hard. Some smelled good and some smelled bad. Others seemed cold and doing it only as an obligation to the clan. It didn't matter. What he was doing kept his mind off what had befallen him that could never be fixed.

Tor did his best and tried not to offend, but he began to long for the beautiful Leia again. In due time she came. He was falling in love. Tor didn't tell her and couldn't tell her that he would have to leave. He couldn't find the words.

On his hunting forays into the surrounding forest and fields,  Tor often came upon the three horses. They were friendly and would come up to him if he held out a handful of dry grass that he had just plucked from the snow. He noticed that the two mares were with foal. And, the stallion, still very young, with dappled white spots among his otherwise dark brown and blackish skin and fur, very long and thick in winter, was the friendliest. Often approaching him closely for a pat on the head and a rub on the neck, whinnying and shaking his head whenever his neck was rubbed in agreement. Tor became very fond of this growing youngster and gave him his own pet name, Tsen, in honor of his father and in his language meaning, "the wind."

Whenever he was alone Tor would go to his cache he was building in a hidden spot north of the encampment along the river. The way he would go when he left in the spring. He decided to take Tsen with him when he left to get away much faster. Found himself spending time there often weaving together a backpack from willow switches that he found abundant along the river and were easily woven into a pack like the one he had seen on the old man.

Tor also sewed together deerskin pouches that would carry his tools, food and other belongings with a strong piece between that he could throw over his shoulder to carry them or throw over Tsen's back behind him. He had seen the strangers ride into town, one of them on Tsen. He wanted to do that… But how? He had to try.

One day when it was clear and cold, too cold for others to join him in a hunt, Tor, alone, easily found the horses by their breath blowing like smoke from a fire or like his own breath on that very still, cold day. Once again, Tsen was happy to see him and ran up to him to get a neck rub. Wasting no time, Tor used the opportunity to try to climb upon Tsen's back. He succeeded only because Tsen stayed still, but he immediately slid over the other side and fell off, hard, on the lightly snow covered hard ground, knocking his wind out for a moment.

Undaunted, and with Tsen looking at him with what seemed like a mocking look of disappointment, Tor clambered up on Tsen again and this time, managed to stay there. Lying nearly prone on the stallion's back and grabbing his mane with one hand, Tor patted Tsen's neck with the other and the horse obliged by walking forward at a slow pace.

After falling off a few more times and learning to use pulling on Tsen's mane with gentle pats to the neck and light kicks with his heels into Tsen's ribs, gradually learned how to ride and control where he was riding. Thankfully, Tsen had been well trained by his former owners, making it possible for Tor to ride at all.

The winter went quickly with his love for the ladies growing although some felt it just an obligation. Tor's love for his adopted horse, Tsen, was also growing while pretending doing what he loved to do anyway for the clan--hunt. Much better than gathering firewood and seeds, fungus and herbs for food and cooking, now taken over by the women visiting him every night.

But at his times alone out hunting, waiting for game to come his way with his arrows ready, Tor began to wonder about his plan to leave and rejoin his mother. He was falling deeply in love with Leia and believed that she felt the same.

Gradually, it warmed and the snow melted a little more each day. Leaving crusty snow and overnight freezes making old tracks spread out and no longer useful for following something to kill. The mares were becoming very fat and heavy, about to foal and Tor knew it. But as the winter wore on, wolves came closer to the camp every night and they could be heard howling.

Tor informed Lucius and the others that the horses were in danger from the wolves and needed to be guarded at night. Perhaps protected by fire. He didn't know exactly what to do, but knew that those babies would be helpful to the clan, even if they only had to eat them. Guilty for thinking of taking Tsen with him, he was grateful for the two little ones that would come very soon. He began to think that would be a good time to get away. Otherwise, the two mares would follow Tsen and him on their escape.

So, the horses were brought in close to the encampment and watched there by Tor and two other young men who traded off nights so that the others would get a rest. Tor found that every third night out in the cold with a small fire better with the horses than staying in his hut with the lady of that night. Much more calming and peaceful, except for the piercing cries of wolves growing more hungry and more menacing every night.

Two nights before the night he planned to go, under the guise of greeting a new colt or filly into the growing herd of the clan, Leia came to his bed. After they had consumed some time in passionate embrace and lovemaking, Tor felt obligated to tell her so she wouldn't be surprised. By now he was speaking their language quite well, so he tried his best.

"Leia, I feel that you have a young one in your belly that grows every day now. Is that true ?"

"It's true . I was sick earlier and knew it was a sign. I have felt that way before. Now I know that our child is growing in me. It makes me want you even more every night. I'm crazy for you. Have you not noticed?”

"Yes I have. And I welcome your advances and our son. You have taught me so much. You have kept me warm, soothed my sorrow and eased my mind. But I have a decision to make and I need your help."

Leia read him wrong."It's settled. I agree. All you have to do ask the elders and they will marry us. This son that I am carrying for you will be ours to cherish." In the firelight, her face lit up with a glow like he had never seen before. It made him cry inside.

"I don't mean that. Before I came here to stay with your people, I vowed that I would return to my mother and help her with my father gone. I have to go back and save her from whatever may have befallen her. Something that threatened or even killed her in the time between when I left with my father to come here and take, violently, two of your daughters from you, that I brought back. Two whole cycles of seasons."

Leia began to cry and blurted, "But you can't leave! You have other children! Some of the others have told me that they are also having a baby! I want you to have me, not any of them!" She was almost shouting in her need to get her anger and frustration out.

"They will be jealous if I marry you. Those other babies will be mine and they know it. It will be better if I leave. But if I do, and I will, I will come back someday with a party from my clan and bring husbands for those women if they want them. That way our two clans will be united in a different way than we have have been doing, merely raiding for slaves and wives like in the past.”

Her tears already drying, Leia began to understand. "But remember who loves you here." Leia reached for Tor and gave him one of her hugs that made him tingle all over and want to do it again.

"I will. And I will if the gods allow. But for now, we must keep it a secret. Okay?”

Leia agreed. Tor was relieved. He could go now without the constant thought of her anguish nagging him. But he knew it still would. He had learned to love her so much.

Two nights later, while Tor was at watch, the first mare gave birth to two fillies, not really a surprise because she was so large. He watched her lick them off and them struggle to their feet, immediately looking for her teats to nurse. Soon, fighting over who would get milk. So strong and vibrant after just being born.

And the other mare, as if by some mysterious message from the gods, begin to go into labor and had a baby colt. But all of the commotion and the smell of blood had attracted what Tor had feared all along. From their howls and growls, the wolves that had held off so long every night with the fire and someone guarding, were no longer afraid because they knew they could capture a newborn by separating it from its mother.

Within earshot of the encampment, and with his bow and arrows ready, Tor yelled at the top of his lungs, "Wolves!" Several times, awaking others who came out of their huts and came to the rescue. Tor spotted one wolf sneaking in close in the firelight and fired an arrow at it, striking it in the rump and making it run off yelping. But the others were out there, and all of the clan now up and coming out helped keep the wolves at bay, for now.

But the clan lost interest in the wolves very soon. They became enchanted by the young arrivals and crowded up around the mares and newborns chattering away and enjoying the arrival of new birth in the middle of the night.

Tor found this to be his opportunity. Tsen, a bit spooked by the wolves in the neighborhood, was standing off to the side of the crowd. Tor approach him and patted him on the neck. As he turned to go, as expected, Tsen followed. Before long, now with only the moonlight to guide them, they had arrived at Tor's cache far from where the others were rejoicing.

Putting one skin with the fur up on Tsen's back, followed by the two deerskin bags filled with food and supplies, Tor mounted his friend and slowly left the sound of the rejoicing behind. Putting Tsen into a lope, the two of them disappeared into the night, hoping to make great distance by dawn. 

Copyright © Ronald W. Hull

10/18/19