Shea was different from all the others that had shared Tor's bed. She smelled different and tasted different. She had a perfect set of teeth, something rare, even among young women, like his. Her arms were strong as were her legs and so smooth and attractive that they made love several times effortlessly with abandon. But they slept, too. Both reluctant to leave that warm bed in the chill of the morning when the sun crept in to the cleft in the rock where they had shared their first private night.

In the morning light, using gestures, Shea confessed. "I am not virgin. I had a child during that awful winter when we came here with nearly nothing. The child was born dead. He was beautiful and fully formed. But he did not cry or breathe no matter what we did."

"What about the father? Why are you in my bed?"

"He died during that awful time, too. The gods took several of us because of the cold and lack of food." She sighed.

"That is so sad to hear."

"Don't be sad. After last night, I'm so glad I am not tied to him. So glad that you are now in my life. Our children will be born strong and resourceful, like you!" She giggled.

Around the morning campfire Shea seemed to take charge even over older women, perhaps because of her status as the daughter of the chief. When Tor inquired about her mother, a sad look came over Shea's face as she gestured to him, "The gods took her during that awful winter after those evil people took all of our things and we came here with nearly nothing! But I will get my revenge!"

A combination of sadness and anger came over her beautiful face and Shea's tears flowed freely. In front of all the others eating the morning breakfast, Tor took her in his arms and comforted her, wiping those tears from her face. "I will help you," he gestured.

Munk arrived just as Tor was explaining to Shea that he was on her side when it came to revenge. He saw the gestures and did some gesturing himself. "I see that you and my Shea have found something I expected you would. You need to stay with us, at least through this winter season. She needs someone like you who grew outside the clan, but strong. I see that in you already."

Tor thought for a moment. He had promised himself that he would not stay anywhere anymore wasting time in his search for his mother. But circumstances had changed. His enemy may be very close at hand. There was no way he could confront that angry and vicious clan by himself. But just as he arrived, he saw in these people the same need to confront those people and destroy them like they had destroyed so many others.

"I was planning to leave soon. But you have made me so welcome and we have the same objective. Let me work with you to help you through the winter so that we will be strong in the early spring to confront these evil spirits that infected those killers and looters."

"I was hoping that from when I first saw you coming. And your horse?" Unsure of his remembering the word, "He will be a big help in our efforts?"

"Yes, he is very strong and has learned how to understand me in many ways."

Shea turned out to be a huntress for the clan. She had been forced into it during that time of need and joined her father trying to find enough wild meat for them to eat through the coldest times and to get skins to keep them warm against the cold and snow. When Tor compared arrows with her, he found that Shea's were of better quality than his. And when they had a little competition practice, her eye was as keen or keener than his was.

Yet, she still had womanly duties of cleaning, crafts and cooking to do. As Tor watched her and worked with Shea in the coming days of what turned out to be a beautiful fall with lots of warm days for gathering and hunting, he was reminded much of his mother with her many skills. He thought, she will make a fine mother of our children, smiling to himself.

The canyon was not as productive as the low lands around the river. Even Tsen found it hard to find grass to graze except downstream from the canyon where it grew along the banks and in clearings from woodcutting. But Shin, a bit jealous of this woman coming into his favorite bed with his master, redoubled his efforts to find small treats to bring.

At one point, Shin even came with an egg gently held in his jaws. When Tor took it and praised him with soft words and rubbed his ears, he promptly went back to that nest and brought the rest, all three of them, carefully unbroken. To reward him, Tor broke one so that Shin could lap it up. To everyone watching's delight.

With Tor's copper ax and Tsen's great strength, he was able to cut some huge logs and have his trusty horse pull them all the way up into the canyon. Far more firewood than they had gathered before. And Tsen carried great bags of seeds, fruit, nuts, berries and mushrooms that the women found in abundance some distance from the canyon.

Tor and Shea went hunting together, bringing home every day deer, bison, elk, wild boar, fish, birds and other smaller game that they came across while going to and from their favorite hunting spots along the river and in the forest clearings. They set numerous snares for small game and checked them daily. In the evening, after hearty meals of fresh meat and greens like nettles, they let the others carve up the daily kill and smoke it for the long cold months to come. While they spent the evening repairing their hunting tools that received damage every day during their hunts.

During this time they talked and made plans for children and how they would attack the evil ones at night when they were asleep and less of a threat. It would require the skills that Tor had learned during his time under his father's instruction on raids. He knew that Shin would help him detect their encampment far enough away so that they would not be discovered as they plotted their way of attacking.

Autumn passed quickly and before long the snow came with the cold and the clan was well prepared and well stocked to weather it all. One advantage that they had was that the fast water coming from up above was moving too quickly for the cold to catch it and turn it into ice. A welcome change from having to cut through ice to obtain water or having to melt ice to get some. There were no caves with running streams or hot springs. Something Tor missed as winter wore on and everyone and their furs began to stink. Unableable to bathe except in ice water that both Tor and Shea did quickly before running back to a hot fire to get warm and dry off.

Like all clans, they celebrated the solstice by consuming great quantities of their harvesting and hunting. Knowing that they had a lot of winter yet to survive. But every evening around the campfire, the elders would teach the young and Tor would tell tales of his journeys to the delight of Munk and the men; while the women, busy working on making their skins softer and more pliable, sewing clothes or grinding seeds, would listen in and giggle.

Tor found himself learning their language very quickly and having them learn some words of the Thal language that better suited what he was trying to convey. Still, his stumbling over trying to, using a combination of gestures and words, brought twitters from the women listening more keenly than the men.

After the solstice, Tor kept looking for a baby bump to appear on Shea's stomach, but none came. it was a great disappointment to them both, but they didn't talk of it, he could only see other young women, including both Mona and Toma, growing larger bellies that would indicate they would have a baby in the spring.

But as she lost weight from both less food and less activity, Shea grew thinner and her muscles appeared taut under her skin. Finally, as melting started and spring was in sight, she told herself, Good, without a child I will be much better prepared to fight alongside of Tor when we make the raid on the evil ones.

The winter took four lives of the children and the elderly, but the canyon clan, otherwise, was stronger than ever with several new births expected soon to replenish their ranks with youth and vigor. Something that the elderly had lost in their hard lives of existence where nearly everything around them was trying to kill them. Only the gods knew who would live or die through the hard times. That's why they spent much time sacrificing to the gods and calling out to them incantations. Tattoos were placed on the body to ward them off from attacking the joints and organs.

Tor was just beginning a beard and Shea hair growing under her arms and in her nether region. Their bronze skin from the summer before fading into nearly white as they lacked sunshine on their skin every day. As spring approached, they both grew anxious about the task ahead.

Copyright 2021 © Ronald W. Hull

5/27/21