The Erotic Mind-Control Story Archive

Chapter III—“In Pursuit of Destiny”

Robin opened her eyes. She felt so secure with Tanager at her side she felt herself beginning to slip back into blissful sleep. She thought back a couple of years, to when Tanager had appeared out of the woods and peeked her head into the menstrual lodge as Robin had gone through her first menstruation. She had confided to Tanager that she was afraid...afraid that Blood Bear, a warrior with a reputation for killing any enemy he came up against, and also for his love of young virgins, would try to waylay her as she emerged. So Tanager had brought her out early, and they had run off together. Tanager had been living alone since she was ten, turning her back on the village that kept trying to make her be a “proper” woman, on the people that had looked the other way while ten young men snared her like a rabbit and raped her. She was proud of her ability to outrun any person alive, male or female. Under her tutelage, Robin was growing swift as well. She was also learning the pleasure that one woman could give another.

“Good morning, sleepyhead.” Tanager said. Robin cursed under her breath. She had fallen back asleep and begun dreaming. They had been hiding in the trees since they saw the raiders coming through the night before. “Let’s get some breakfast.”

Tanager and Robin climbed down and began to explore, looking for something to eat. Robin went off by herself, stalking a rabbit. Suddenly the rabbit was pinned by a spear. Robin looked up, and discovered a young man with piercing blue eyes.

“Who are you?” she asked.

“It’s okay.” he said. “I won’t hurt you. I am called Blue Eyes. What is your name?”

“Robin.” she said. He picked up the pinned rabbit. She found she couldn’t take her eyes off those captivating eyes of his.

“You like my eyes, don’t you, Robin?” he asked. “They’re beautiful, like sapphires. Look into my eyes, Robin...”

What was taking Robin so long? She had been gone nearly half the day. Tanager heard a rustling approaching. Two sets of feet. She took cover. She heard Robin calling her name. She moved to investigate, and found Robin with someone, his hands tied behind his back, his golden hair down in his face so she couldn’t see his eyes.

Golden hair? Tanager thought. She lifted the stranger’s chin. “You!” she exclaimed.

“Do we know each other?” the young man asked. He was about her age, perhaps a little younger.

“I...I saw you...carrying a doe on your back...but that was seven years ago! How could one so young kill a doe on his own?”

“I used to sneak away and watch the men go hunt.” the young man said. “I learn fast. Not only that, but I learned how to be quieter than the big men could be. As I grew older and, eventually, bigger, I learned how to stay quiet. I can figure things out if I need to. That’s why my village respected me.”

“Respected?” Tanager asked. “You mean they don’t anymore?”

“Maybe they do, maybe they don’t. I don’t know. I can’t communicate with the dead.”

“The raiders we saw...” Robin muttered.

“They are the same ones that destroyed the village of my childhood.” the young man said. “That’s why I have to track them down...and destroy them like they’ve destroyed both of my families.”

“If we let you live.” Tanager said coldly. “Then again, we might decide to keep you as our servant. Robin, let’s take him to the shelter.”

Six Beavers watched in fascinated horror as more of the pinch-faced warriors moved through the village, carrying women and children with them as they sacked his home village. They stole canoes from the landing, and were it not for the fact that The Fox of the River was hidden off to the side, they would have taken her too. Six Beavers had been in the woods with his wife, looking for some time alone with her. Now it seemed they were the only survivors of the village, save for the women and children the warriors carried off. Six Beavers was a Trader, not a warrior. There was no way he could stand against them. As the purloined canoes moved out of sight, Six beavers heard a rustling in the bushes behind him. His wife watched the shelters burn with tears in her eyes. Something came crashing through the brush off to the left, and Black Bat, the village’s finest warrior, appeared in the clearing, club in his hand, holding his loincloth in the other.

“What has happened?” he asked.

“The village was sacked.” Six Beavers said. “We were taken by surprise. They took most of the canoes and headed upriver.”

“Most of?” Black Bat asked.

“They didn’t find mine, because it was away from the landing, where I had been cleaning it.” Six Beavers said.

“Black Bat, what is...” a female voice said, followed by a gasp, then wrenching sobs as Little Bird caught sight of the burning village. Six Beavers hadn’t known Black Bat was sleeping with Little Bird...but then, it was a private matter, not something that Traders generally intruded upon. Black Bat wrapped his strong arms around her and let her cry on his shoulder.

“What do we do?” Black Bat asked.

“First, we pay our respects the dead, then we try to figure out a way to get the rest of the village back.”

“You mean the women and children?” Black Bat asked.

“Yes.” Six Beavers said. “We can’t overpower these enemy warriors, not with only two men among us against an indeterminate number of the enemy, but maybe we can chase them down and catch them off-guard.”

Blue Eyes poured the tea back and forth between the two cups, making sure she knew that they were both drinking the same thing. He handed her the first cup and kept the second cup himself. He had learned long ago how to appear to have drunk more than he actually had. When her cup was empty, he refilled it, while continuing to chat with her, relaxing her without her knowledge. What he did end up drinking relaxed him some, but Tanager was slowly becoming quite relaxed indeed.

“Look into my eyes, Tanager.” he said. “There is Power in these eyes. You can feel it, can’t you? The Power in my eyes is reaching into your mind, into your soul, relaxing it, making it mine. You enjoy feeling me use this Power on you, relaxing you, making you more and more open to what I say. You feel my eyes pulling at your soul, claiming it, making it mine. You are mine, Tanager. You know this and accept this. It is the path your life has taken, Tanager, and you know better than to try and resist.” Soon enough, he knew she was helpless to resist him. “You are helpless against me, Tanager. Helpless to resist anything I say. But it’s okay because you can trust me. You know I don’t intend to hurt you. You know I will never try to hurt you. I have the greatest respect for you, Tanager. You are a legend in these foothills. The fastest, strongest woman alive. You will be a great asset to me, Tanager; the woman who Dances her battles, Dancing between the spears of her enemy and never so much as gets scratched by an enemy spear. I need someone like you, Tanager. You will help me to destroy my enemy for what they have done to my people, and you will do it with a relish, because serving me will give you pleasure unlike any you have felt before. When you feel me grab your backside, or touch your nipples, you will have an orgasm such as you have never felt before. You are mine, Tanager, for as long as we both shall live. You will never be disobedient to me. Understand?”

“Yes.” Tanager said flatly.

“Good. Now take that pretty dress off.” She obeyed. He laid her down on the dress, kissing her passionately. He inserted himself gently, and she gasped. Robin, deeply entranced, had told him how she had been raped at age ten. Blue Eyes was gentle, careful not to hurt her. She clamped down on him, moaning with pleasure. He held back his own orgasm, making sure to let her come at least twice before he let fly with his own. A pleasurable session was important for the claiming. It was difficult, though. She clamped down on him with her vaginal muscles, and her muscular body was so pleasant to touch that he almost came too soon, but he held back, and was rewarded by her second orgasm before he lost control. “You’re a good pet, Tanager. Now, I will allow you to think and act on your own as if you were not my possession, but never forget the Power my eyes have over you.”

“Never...forget.” Tanager said as her eyes blinked. She looked up at him, and began to cry.

“Tanager, what’s wrong?” he asked.

“I swore long ago that I’d never let some mere man have me again...and then you came along and we had that beautiful experience, and...”

“Tanager, there’s nothing mere about me. You know that, don’t you?”

“Yes.” Tanager said. “I never imagined it could be so beautiful.”

“With the right person, it can be heartbreakingly beautiful.” Blue Eyes said. “Now, Tanager, I need to catch my enemy and make them pay for what they did to my families. Will you help me?”

“You know I will.” Tanager said. “I am yours, now, after all.” Blue Eyes kissed her, and it brought forth the hidden passions that had been awakened by this first session with him. He caressed her gently before breaking off the kiss.

“Then let’s get ready.” he said.

Dolphin Girl listened to her captors talk. They had adamantly insisted she learn their language. They called themselves the Birds of Prey People. Their faces did indeed bear a certain resemblance to the raptors which frequently ended up wrapped in her bolas when she gathered feathers to Trade. What they were saying as they conversationally sat around the campfire disgusted her. They spoke proudly of rapes and burning villages, of using a woman until she lay dead under them. Apparently the fact that she was destined for their chief, Wolf Eater, served as some protection for her, but it didn’t keep them from using her as a slave, making her cook their meals for them. The only thing that kept her sane was thinking of ways to get even with these murderers. She had found a tapeworm in the intestines of a deer they had killed, and had served it to one of the men inside the piece of intestine. Dogbane on the rest of the meat kept their stomachs in knots. If she could just find some hemlock...

Blue Eyes and his two woman-warriors found the remains of a riverside village as they followed the trail of the enemy warriors. They found that four people were left, putting the dead men and old women on funeral platforms and putting those in the trees. His eyes fell on one of them, smaller than the other, more muscular man. He had a miniature version of a Trader’s Staff hanging around his neck. He had heard of such things. It was a habit of the Traders on the Father Water, who did not use the Staff because they paddled rather than walked. The Staff necklace offered the same protection, provided one remained within civilized territory.

“Ho-yeh, Trader!” Blue Eyes called in the pidgin of Traders, waving his arm so they could see him. The four in the clearing stared. They had never seen one such as him before. He got that a lot when he met strangers. He picked up one of the enemy spears from the ground. “I see we have the same enemy.” he continued.

“Who are you?” the Trader responded.

“I am called Blue Eyes.” Blue Eyes said. “My companions are Tanager and Robin.”

“The only Tanager I’ve heard of hates all men.”

“I’m different from most other men.” Blue Eyes said. “But the fact remains that our enemy is the same. I am willing to pay for information leading me to them.”

“My warrior-friend and I were going to go after them ourselves.”

“Two men against a full raiding party?”

“A thousand throats may be cut in one night by a running man.” the warrior said.

“But we would be glad of your help.” the Trader said diplomatically.

“You know my name.” Blue Eyes said. “I do not know yours.”

“I am Six Beavers. This is Black Bat.” said the Trader, gesturing to the warrior. “Over there is my wife, Chipmunk, and beside Black Bat is Little Bird.”

“Greetings.” Blue Eyes said. Tanager and Robin kept aloof from the men. There was no question in the eyes of the Trader and the warrior that Blue Eyes was an exception to these two. Blue Eyes helped move The Fox of the River to the water. They packed what was left from the village into the boat, and piled in. Six Beavers refused to leave his wife alone, and likewise Little Bird refused to be alone. Blue Eyes asked Tanager and Robin to teach the women some of the basics of fighting. The warrior-women agreed.

“I hear that the Cat People in the far south have many women warriors.” Black Bat said, rather offhandedly. Tanager and Robin paid no attention. The strength with which they paddled surprised Six Beavers and Black Bat.

“Ho-yeh, Trader!” someone called from shore. “What news!”

“Mixed.” Six Beavers said. “How is Laughs in Sunshine?”

“Heavy with child!” the person on shore replied. Several of the children were running back towards the village, yelling “The River Fox! The River Fox!” Six Beavers turned the canoe in toward the landing. Everyone helped pull the canoe ashore, and each person took a pack.

“I must admit, River Fox, that I am rather surprised to see you with so many paddlers in your canoe.” the person said. “Usually you come alone.”

“It has to do with the bad news.”

“What is the good news?” the person asked.

“When we are in the village.” Six Beavers said. “I hate repeating myself more than necessary.” They were brought into the central hut, where many people had gathered. A fire was burning enthusiastically in the center of the hut. He spoke to the chief of the village, a man with many feathers in his headdress. “How are things with you, old friend?” he asked.

“The pains remain in my joints, River Fox, but the balm you gave me helps a great deal.” the older man said.

“Chief Open Arms, may I present my traveling companions. This is the warrior, Black Bat, and his woman, Little Bird.” The two in question nodded their heads. “My dear devoted wife Chipmunk...” Chipmunk made a friendly gesture at which the others smiled, “...and I regret to inform you that we four are all that remain of our village, which was attacked by a raiding party of pinch-faced warriors, who killed the men and the elders, and spirited away the women and children, including our dear son, Still Water.” Chipmunk bowed her head in sadness. “The other man is known as Blue Eyes, of the Serpent People. Twice now he has been orphaned by the pinch-faced warriors, first the village of his childhood was sacked while he was away, and then more recently the second village which adopted him was pillaged in the same manner. He has held lonely funerals for two villages, and longs for revenge as we do. His companions are the woman-warriors Tanager and Robin.” At this there came an astonished gasp.

“I thought Tanager and Robin killed any man they saw.” said a young man near the back.

“Indeed, Tanager was raped when she was young, and has held a grudge against men since then.” said Blue Eyes, who, astonishingly enough to the other members of his group, understood the language of these riverside People. “But she has seen the Power within me, and she respects that Power, and has agreed to help in our quest. Robin follows Tanager’s example. So now we are seven against this enemy.”

“I wish you good fortune in your journey, Blue Eyes and River Fox.” Chief Open Arms said. “Though it is difficult to see how seven can defeat the Birds of Prey People.”

“Who are those four women who so dote on the Chief?” Black Bat asked.

“Those are his wives.” Six Beavers said.

“Wives? They keep more than one wife here?”

“The coastal peoples have the same custom.” Blue Eyes said. “As do the Serpent People, who are originally from somewhere near the Fresh Water Sea, to the north if you follow the river, then portage for a while, then you go back into a tributary that leads into the Sea.”

“You’ve been following these raiders for a long time if you’ve come from the far west.” Black Bat said.

“Traders along the Father Water have many wives as well.” Six Beavers said. “It helps strengthen Trading bonds. For example, my dear son Still Water has a half-sibling on the way from what I heard at the shore. Laughs In Sunshine is one of the Chief’s daughters, and she is also one of my wives. I’m working on the bride-price for her sisters.”

“You’re going to marry Laughs In Sunshine’s sisters?“ Black Bat asked.

“This is the territory of the Bird-Man People.” Six Beavers explained. “When a person marries a woman, he is expected to marry her sisters as well. Laughs In Sunshine has two of them, just as fetching as she is. I explained all this to Chipmunk before we got married. She knows she will always be first in my heart.”

“You said there was also good news.” prompted the young man who had spoken from the shore.

“Indeed.” Six Beavers said. “There is a bumper crop of mussels in the south, as well as honey beer and several kinds of fish. I brought some for you if you’d like.” A cheer rose in the little hut. Then began a happy Trading session, where people Traded jars of dried fruit and fresh berries for honey beer and mussels from the south.

Later, after the party had eaten and were bedding down for the night, Blue Eyes was awakened by the sound of two giggling young women. He was about to ask what this was all about when one of them put her finger gently on his mouth. Gingerly they removed his clothes. They were already without clothing, so there was no need for them to undress. The first one licked him to arousal while the other massaged him. When he was fully aroused, the first one straddled him and lowered herself onto his penis, moaning in pleasure as he filled her. He reached up and caressed the woman’s breasts, loving the way they felt in his hands. She rode him, gasping in pleasure each time she came down. He fountained inside her and her body shuddered as her own orgasm happened. She went limp, then, as their mouths came close together, she moved closer and started to kiss him. Her companion patted her shoulder, and she moved out of the way. Blue Eyes moved on top of this other woman, and she emitted a squeal of glee. Her firm young body felt good under his hands. He kept her on the edge of orgasm for an extended period of time, causing her to whimper for release. When he felt she had had enough, he pumped her harder, bringing her over the edge. She passed out from the ecstasy of the moment. He turned his attention back to the first woman, and she accepted him eagerly. He gave her the same treatment he’d just given her companion, and soon she, too, was unconscious from a powerful orgasm. Her companion was just starting to wake up, so he went for her again. When they left, they were both whispering gleefully to each other about the strong children they would bear from his seed.

“Friendly natives.” Blue Eyes muttered happily.

Dolphin Girl knelt by the fire, glaring at her captors. What did they want now, she wondered.

“You have been poisoning the food.” the war leader, Many Kills said. “You betrayed our trust.”

“You trust prisoners?” Dolphin Girl asked.

“We treated you well.” Many Kills said. “We allowed you to exercise with an escort, allowed you to fish for mussels in the river with a rope around your waist. No more privileges. Now you stay bound. You won’t need to leave Wolf Eater’s tent anyway after you’re married to him.” Dolphin Girl saw an opening and she bolted. She ran past the canoes, waiting until the warriors were also well past them. Then she turned into the water, prepared to swim. A bola caught her around the torso, and another around the waist. She swam dolphin-fashion, but the bola around her torso was attached to a rope, and she was pulled back to shore. She kept her face down, trying to drown herself rather than allow herself to be the prize of the Birds of Prey People. They forced her back to the air and forced her to breathe. The bolas were undone, and her hands were tied behind her with a thong. Her ankles were given a similar thong-treatment. She was carried back to the canoe and laid within it. She heard the sound of canoes landing.

“Greetings, Many Kills!” someone said. “What brings you this far downriver?”

“Forging an alliance with people at the river mouth.” Many Kills said. “We Traded for many fine items, including a wife for Wolf Eater, but she tried to get away.”

“How did she get loose from her bindings?”

“She was not bound. We thought she would honor her People’s agreement. We let her cook for us, and she tried to poison the food.” The second voice laughed harshly.

“Many Kills, when are you going to learn that you must be as ruthless with women as you are with men?” The new arrival’s leader stood over her. “Well, she IS a prize.” he said. Dolphin Girl spit in his face. He struck her. “Let me be in charge of her for a few days, Many Kills. I will teach her some respect.” Dolphin Girl reared back so that her shoulders supported her weight, and kicked the man squarely in the chest. She used the momentum from the kick to bring herself out of the canoe and dove into the water. It was not long before she was captured again. She bit one of her captors, drawing blood. She kicked hard with both feet, catching one of them in the crotch. She butted heads with the man holding her, and dropped back into the water. She was lifted from the water again and thrown into the boat. She was tied to a long paddle so she couldn’t move, and left to languish in the bottom of the boat.

“Look at this.” Tanager said, looking at distinctly female tracks in the sand. “Looks like she made a run for it. She ran past the canoes and tried to swim for it, betting that they would go back and launch the canoes, which would buy her some time. But they used a bola and dragged her back. Then more of them arrived, she tried to make a break for it again. They had to recapture her twice. She’s a vicious one. You can see here where one of them lay doubled over from a crotch wound she gave him. There’s blood here. I don’t think he’ll be fathering any more children. It looks like they got fed up with her and decided to tie her to a long paddle.”

“Good eye.” Black Bat muttered. Tanager ignored him, as she had been doing for the whole trip.

“How long?” Six Beavers asked.

“Last night.” Tanager said.

“Let’s move then.” Blue Eyes said. “As soon as we’ve eaten, we’ll get back in the canoe. We’ll follow them all the way home, and then give them a taste of their own treatment.”

“Pardon me for asking, but how can the seven of us—eight if you count our would-be ally—going to stand up against a whole village full of these raiders?” asked Six Beavers.

“With the element of surprise, lots of ingenuity, a thirst for revenge, and the vengeful ghosts of their victims on our side, hopefully we’ll be able to pull it off.” Blue Eyes said. “If we go in, we’re in all the way. It’s do or die time.”

“You know our answer.” Black Bat replied.

“Wolf Eater!” exclaimed Many Kills. “We bring Trade goods from the River Mouth People, and a wife as their gift to you!” Dolphin Girl had been untied and was now being escorted by her captors to a hut in the center of the Birds of Prey People’s main village, in the northernmost part of their territory. A man appeared, his features more like a buzzard than a raptor. He looked on Dolphin Girl with cold, scavenger’s eyes. Involuntarily she felt herself trying to back away from him. He smiled coldly when he saw this. He drew a knife, which he used to cut off her clothing. He cut her fine dress into little pieces so she could never use it again. At a command from him, she was forced to her knees and forced to put her cheek to the ground. She felt him moving around behind her. He mounted her like a dog would mount a bitch in heat.

“No!” she screamed as he entered her. She was dry as a bone, and the violation hurt. He laughed as he raped her like a camp bitch. Then he removed his penis and shoved it in her anus. All the time she screamed and threatened and cursed. She was lifted and turned around, then forced back to her knees. Her breast was squeezed mercilessly, and she cried out. Suddenly, Wolf Eater shoved his penis in her mouth and she gagged. She was prevented from biting down on it by the hands of the other warriors. Tears flowed freely from her eyes as she was forced to suck this evil man’s penis, covered with her fecal matter from the anal rape she had just suffered. The treatment continued for the rest of the afternoon and well into the night. Finally, about midnight, she was dragged into Wolf Eater’s tent. She washed her mouth out with some of the boiling broth that he had been preparing earlier.

“I did not tell you you could wash your mouth out!” Wolf Eater exclaimed. Dolphin Girl spat the hot liquid in his face, getting some in his eyes. She picked up one of the hot rocks from the fireplace and smashed it into the side of his head. A commotion came from outside. Death screams could be heard at one end of the village. Dolphin Girl picked up one of the blankets her People had Traded and used a strip of her dress to tie it on with. Then she picked up the seed corn and raced for the river, keeping to the shadows. She found a canoe with a fox-head prow and put the seed corn there. She looked back at the village and found that seven people were fighting the Birds of Prey People with all they had. Dolphin Girl picked up a paddle and raced back to the village.

Tanager had begun the long-familiar Battle Dance which had come to her in a dream. She cast spears into every pinched-faced warrior she found, occasionally using her atlatl as a club. The world seemed to move in slow motion as she Danced. She almost broke step when she saw an unfamiliar woman bring a canoe paddle (the very one Tanager had been paddling with) swinging to the base of an enemy’s neck. But she returned to the Dance and kept moving.

The volley of enemy spears he and his friends had cast into the village had worked. The surprise attack, supposedly by their own forces, coming from all sides had caused a panic which they had quickly used to their advantage. The sound of war drums from the south alerted Blue Eyes more of the Birds of Prey People’s war canoes heading upriver, toward them. Blue Eyes still had yet to find his people, but he called a strategic retreat. They would have to return later.

Chapter IV: “Destiny In Pursuit”

The headcount revealed eight people. They were carrying an extra woman, but she was no burden. She was as strong a paddler as Tanager and Robin. The confidence in her strokes bespoke long experience on the river. The Trader was very skilled in reading the river, and had steered them wherever they had needed to go, but she seemed to anticipate his directions, already making changes as the situation warranted. The woman paddled with a certain urgency that said she was eager to get away from here. Not that they were going to argue. The addition of a new paddler added speed to The Fox of the River’s passage, helping them get away from the enemy war canoes. When they had put enough distance between them and the enemy, they pulled over to a small island and lay in wait for them. They waited all night. When the sun rose, they were still waiting. About midmorning, a scouting party landed on the island, and started to poke around the canoe. A large rock fell from the tree above the canoe, smashing the head of one of the enemy. Tanager took out the four in the other boat. Black Bat clubbed the other three.

“You’re pretty good with that thing.” Tanager admitted.

“Coming from a legend such as yourself, that is quite an honor.” Black Bat said.

“Don’t let it go to your head.” Tanager said. Blue Eyes chuckled. “What’s so funny?”

“I just enjoy watching you two spar.” Blue Eyes said in the language of Tanager’s people. “If you’d let go of this whole every-male-except-Blue-Eyes-is-a-woman-abusing-rapist kick, I bet you two could be friends.” Tanager made a rude gesture, and Blue Eyes laughed.

“They’re going to try to avenge Wolf Eater now.” the other woman said. “They’re going to want to kill me for smashing his head in with that rock.”

“You are a piece of work.” Blue Eyes said. “What’s your name?”

“Dolphin Girl, of the River Mouth People.” she replied. “How is it you speak my language?”

“The Serpent People I lived with had members from a great many places.”

“The Serpent People?” Dolphin Girl asked. “I had a cousin who married into one of the Serpent Clans. I visited him once when he was living with his wife and his mother-in-law. I could show you where they live—or lived.”

“That would be great. But our mission has not been accomplished here.”

“It hasn’t?” Dolphin Girl asked.

“I’m not sure about the Trader and his allies, but I came to take back the women and children the Birds of Prey People stole. I wasn’t able to find Dancing Shadow and Field Mouse before I heard the war drums.”

“We’re with you all the way.” Six Beavers said. “Don’t forget, they’ve got our women and children too.”

“We’re not going to be able to do too much with them chasing us.” Dolphin Girl commented, peeking through the reeds downstream. “And they will chase us. They’ll be missing their scout party soon enough, and send more warriors than we can deal with, even from ambush.”

“Then we head north.” Blue Eyes said. “Maybe if we go far enough, we can shove the fiends off the edge of the world, if there is one.”

“You don’t know if there’s an edge of the world or not?” Dolphin Girl asked.

“How could I?” Blue Eyes retorted. “I’ve never been there.”

“We’d best be going then.” Black Bat stated, stowing everything in the canoe. “The better the head start we get on those Birds of Prey People, the better our chances of surviving long enough to come up with a plan of action.”

Wolf Eater emerged staggering from his hut. He felt hands all over him, helping him stand. Someone touched his face, sending electric jolts of pain through his head, and he snarled a curse, demanding that the person get away. He went to get some water, and caught sight of his reflection. He was missing almost all the teeth on the left side, and the left side of his face was badly caved in. Idly he wondered if there was brain damage. After all he had done to bring his people to the north, to the Father Water, from which the whole of the world was accessible, he was not going to let some woman defeat him.

“How dare she?!” he snarled. “How dare she! Many Killsh!” The lack of teeth in the left side of his face distorted his speech.

“Yes, my Chief?” Many Kills responded.

“Bring all of the warriorsh.” Wolf Eater commanded. “We will hunt down the woman who did thish to me. You will tie her down. I will break her bonesh and shuck the marrow from them. She will beg me to kill her, but I will deny her that shursheash. And then I will rape her again, and the lasht thing she sheesh will be me as I laugh over her and forsh her to shuck my penish with her lasht breath.”

Six Beavers never thought he’d see the day when the Father Water would be so tiny and constricting. Worse, it was chilly this far north. The fact that they would have to portage soon was a mixed blessing. The exercise would keep them warm, but such a large canoe would tax their strength. They met a tribe of people upriver who seemed friendly enough.

Blue Eyes’ ability to learn languages quickly astounded Dolphin Girl. After discerning that these friendly people were ancestors of the Serpent People, he had begun speaking with the Chief, discussing possible plans of action. The Chief was quite amenable, since the Birds of Prey People had been raiding every place they came to, cutting a swath of death along their path to the Father Water. Apparently Wolf Eater knew that the river could take them anywhere.

“The Chief suggests crossing the Fresh Water Sea and following the water until it begins to move fast, then we put ashore as fast as possible, because otherwise we would go off the edge of the Roaring Water, where the water runs off a cliff.”

“Now why would it want to do a silly thing like that?” Dolphin Girl asked.

“Who knows the mind of rivers and seas?” Blue Eyes asked. “The point is if we get the Birds of Prey People close enough and put off to the side quickly enough, they’ll be pulled over the edge.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

“She’sh closhe.” Wolf Eater whispered. “I can practically shensh her.”

“Your senses have always been better than mine, My Chief.” Many Kills said.

“Many Killsh, you are a true friend, and I love you like a brother, though you are only my shishter’sh hushband.” Wolf Eater said. “When we are alone, jusht call me brother. It would pleashe me a great deal.”

“As you wish...brother.” Many Kills said. Wolf eater put his arm around Many Kills’ shoulder.

“I will tell you shomething which I wish no other to know.” he said. “Bad shpiritsh have taken root in the wound. If we do not capture her shoon, I fear I may never she her again in thish life. If that comesh to pash, I want you to bind her tight, and plashe her on the funeral pyre beshide me, ash ish proper for a wife. I wish her to be alive ash the pyre ish lit. Promish me you will do thish favor for me if I cannot torture her myshelf.”

“I swear it.” Many Kills promised. Wolf Eater smiled—or rather, the undamaged side of his face curled up in a smile. The muscles on the other side twitched painfully. Wolf Eater winced as another of the headaches overtook him. The pain brought tears to his eyes and caused him to lose his balance. When the fit was over, Wolf Eater spat out two teeth and a wad of pus.

“We musht hurry.” Wolf Eater said, stalking off toward the canoes.

Chapter V: “The Roaring Water”

“You are fortunate that this is the calm season for travel on the Sea.” said Bone Rattle, as the Trader, the pale stranger, and their party departed, making their way along the Fresh Water Sea. “Be careful, though! Sometimes storms spring up even in this season!” A scout ran up the beach, shouting something that was barely intelligible.

“What did he say?” asked the fair stranger.

“Canoes! Coming up the channel!” Bone Rattle called. “Moving fast, he says!” The pale stranger conversed with his friends, and just as the canoes rounded the bend, they headed out to sea, paddling fast. The other canoes didn’t even pause, immediately giving chase at a fast clip. It seemed they would catch up in a matter of minutes. It was only then that Bone Rattle noticed that the sky in the distance had turned almost black.

“Do you think any of them stand a chance?” the scout asked.

“If that ‘keel’ does what Dolphin Girl and Blue Eyes say it does, their party may be the ONLY survivors.”

“The waters are getting rough!” Black Bat said.

“Keep the bow pointed into the waves!” Dolphin Girl called. She turned to the Trader. “Where did you get the idea for a keel anyway?”

“It’s a trick I learned from the salt-water Traders.” Six Beavers replied, shouting over the sound of wind and water.

“It may be the only thing that saves our hides.” Dolphin Girl said. “Anyone who’s not rowing hang on!”

“Why did you have us head out here anyway?” Six Beavers called to the back of the boat.

“Would you rather have the wind and waves bashing our brains against the shore?” Blue Eyes retorted.

“Good point.” Six Beavers replied. They paddled hard, doing their best to keep the prow pointed into the waves. Black Bat was holding onto the sides of the boat, his muscles so tight that he quivered.

I know exactly how you feel. Blue Eyes thought. The wind howled like a thousand tortured spirits and lashed at them like cold, wet leather fringes in the hands of an angry parent. The waves bucked like a deer with a puma on its back. The canoe climbed to the crest of a wave, then dove like a falcon into the trough, almost, but not quite, sinking itself. Then it would bob up like a cork and the whole process would start over again. If we weren’t in imminent danger of dying out here, this could be fun. Blue Eyes mused silently as he fought the currents that tried to spin the boat.

Wolf Eater opened his eyes slowly. The storm seemed to have passed. How much time had he lost? How many men? The last thing he remembered was chasing the strangers’ canoe out onto the fresh water sea and then the storm had descended upon them like the wrath of the gods that the southern Pyramid Builders worshipped, if the Traders’ tales were to be believed. He sat up, and his wounded head punished him for his ambition with the pain of a thousand war wounds all concentrated on one side of his face.

How much longer can I stand this? he silently asked himself. He opened his eyes, and felt as though he’d been stabbed through the eyes with burning copper spearheads.

“Wolf Eater...brother...are you alright?”

“How...how many shurvived?” Wolf Eater asked.

“I am not certain. You are the first I’ve seen.” Many Kills replied.

“Curshe theshe foolsh to an eternity without resht!” Wolf Eater snarled.

“Surely they must already be dead.” Many Kills assured.

“Shince I losht my hold on the canoe all I have sheen ish Dolffffffin Girl’sh face mocking me. She musht be alive.” Many Kills helped him to his feet. Through the afternoon haze, Wolf Eater thought he could make out the shape of the canoe out on the horizon. “I can shee them.” he whispered to Many Kills.

“I will search the shore and discover how many of us have survived.” Many Kills said. “You should rest.”

“I never thought the Fox’s keel would save my life someday.” Six Beavers muttered as the storm began to die down.

“The saltwater Traders are used to sudden storms in the southern seas.” Dolphin Girl replied. “Their keels save their lives many times a year.”

“This is supposed to be the calm season?” Black Bat asked. “I’d hate to see the storm season.”

“Perhaps it is for the storm spirits like the last autumn hunt is for the Serpent People. A final attempt to catch some extra meat before winter when many things go to their dens to sleep through the cold.” Blue Eyes suggested.

“I think this was a blessing in disguise.” Tanager suggested. “We had a keel to save our skins, but what of the Birds of Prey People? They all had regular canoes. How many of them do you think survived?”

“Enough to give us trouble if we get overconfident.” Blue Eyes remarked, glancing backward, as if trying to make out human shapes on the distant southern shore. “We should keep going toward the Roaring Water. After the humiliation we’ve dealt them, any survivors of the Birds of Prey People will have to come for us to save face. We’ll work in shifts, going slowly but constantly instead of in brief bursts of speed. We’ll come ashore for a hot meal in the evening to keep our energy up.”

“How are we on supplies?” Tanager asked. The Trader looked through the bags in the canoe.

“It doesn’t look like we lost anything.” he said.

“Good.” Tanager said. “What we can’t eat we can Trade to some of the locals for food.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Robin chimed in.

Little Bird awoke with a happy sigh. She was still wet from the dream she had had. She leaned closer to Black Bat’s muscular chest.

“Dream well?” he asked. She nodded. “It’s almost time for our shift. We’d best have a little something to eat before we start rowing.” They had some dried fish, and Blue Eyes offered some of the deer jerky from his pack. Tanager screamed, yelling something about a monster. Everyone looked to the starboard side of the canoe. A pair of enormous, broad, hand-like horns attached to a long, large head moved through the water, heading for shore. As the head’s owner reached the shore, several of the canoe’s occupants began to laugh.

“It’s just an ugly deer!” chuckled chipmunk.

“Don’t make fun of her.” Blue Eyes said. “You were all scared when you first saw it. And you have to admit, when it was going through the water, that ugly deer looked a lot like something the river peoples describe when they want to scare their children into being good. This northern wildlife takes some getting used to.” Blue Eyes was the only one that caught the look of gratitude Tanager flashed him. She picked up one of her spears, nocked it in her atlatl, and cast the spear with all her strength. The ugly deer staggered twice before it fell.

“Now it just looks like dinner.” Tanager said. The others laughed with gentle humor as Blue Eyes, Robin and Dolphin Girl began turning the boat in to shore.

The party’s dalliance due to the appearance of the ugly deer had allowed the Birds of Prey People in their two canoes to get within sight of them. The Birds of Prey People pursued them through the narrow channel which led from the Fresh Water Sea to another large body of fresh water. This second Fresh Water Sea seemed somewhat smaller than the one they had just emerged from, although it was by no means small compared to the rivers and lakes the party was used to. The wind was at their backs, carrying the Birds of Prey People’s spears to them while resisting the party’s efforts to fight back.

“I wish there was some way to get the wind to work for us instead of them.” Black Bat muttered from his seat in the back, where his enormous, rippling muscles could be put to the greatest use.

“Maybe there is.” Blue Eyes said, picking up one of the Trader’s tightly-woven reed mats. “Tanager, grab the other end. Robin, take your paddle and hold it against the middle so the weaving doesn’t come undone.” The mat began to trap the wind, but the stubborn Wind Spirits, rather than give up and go around, pushed against the makeshift wind-trap, which in turn pushed against Tanager, Robin and Blue Eyes, whose feet pushed against the canoe and caused it to move forward at a fantastic speed. The thrill of their velocity drew excited yips from several of the party, particularly the women. Whether the Wind Spirits felt the yips to be encouragement or a challenge to rip the trap from the hands of those that held it, Blue Eyes would never know, but nonetheless, they gathered strength and pushed with such force that the mat was almost ripped from his grasp. The Fox of the River skimmed along the water like a skipped stone. The Wind Spirits continued to push the canoe until the Birds of Prey People were well out of sight, before they finally ceased their efforts.

“Did you see the looks on their faces when we started pulling away?!” Tanager exclaimed. “We left them eating our wake! Ha-ha! Brilliant move!” She wrapped her arms around Blue Eyes, kissing him excitedly. In her eagerness, she threw off his balance, and they tumbled out of the canoe. They swam quickly back to the surface, and were helped back in the canoe by Six Beavers and Black Bat. Dolphin Girl was laughing.

“What’s so funny?” Blue Eyes asked.

“You!” Dolphin Girl giggled. “You two look like a pair of drowned rodents!” Tanager pushed her off into the water. Blue Eyes pulled her out.

“Welcome to the tribe.” he said. “Let’s not waste any more time.”

They hid the canoe among the trees, uprooting some of the low shrubs and using them to hide it. It had been Robin who had first noticed the increased speed of the canoe. Blue Eyes had managed to get a rope around one of the rocks on shore and swing the canoe into a sandy bank. They had watched as one of the Birds of Prey People’s canoes had gone over the edge, while the other one had beached itself on the island in the middle.

“How many are we up against?” Black Bat asked, taking a few practice-swings with his club.

“I count twelve.” Blue Eyes said. “One of them looks like he’s been in a nasty fight.”

“It’s Wolf Eater!” Dolphin Girl said. “He survived!”

“They’re moving upstream.”

“That island they landed on doesn’t go far enough upstream for them to get over to this bank in time to save their sorry selves from going over the Roaring Water.” Six Beavers said.

“Don’t be too sure, Trader.” Blue Eyes said. “Overconfidence has killed many a warrior. There they go.” The warrior-laden canoe pushed off into the rapids, paddling like wild men until it came to the shore. Tanager and Robin killed three of the warriors before they reached shore, dashing into the sheltering woods before being seen. The man with the caved-in face yelled something as his men pulled the canoe ashore.

“Doesn’t sound as though he likes you much, Dolphin Girl.” Blue Eyes said, readying his weapons.

“The feeling is more than mutual, Blue Eyes.” Dolphin Girl replied.

“Wolf Eater is staggering about. His face looks infected. It seems we are even.” Black Bat observed.

“Even?” Tanager asked. “Ha! No man is equal to Tanager in battle!” The Birds of Prey People came through the brush and found their opponents. Wolf Eater yelled something to Dolphin Girl, and she yelled something back.

“Can you translate for me?” Blue Eyes asked.

“Why?”

“I have something to say to this butcher.”

“All right. Go ahead.”

“Tell him I am Blue Eyes, of both the West Ocean People and the Serpent People. He has taken from me two villages, two families and two lovers. I have chased his people across the plains, through the forests and up the Father Water to seek revenge, and now have lured him to the Roaring Water where he shall meet his end. From each of my allies has he taken something, and the eight of us shall take turns torturing him until he is dead.” Dolphin Girl relayed the message. Wolf Eater said something in reply, which after a while seemed to degenerate into a rant. “What did he say?”

“He said we can try. The rest of it is a threat for me. He’s got a sick imagination.” One of Wolf Eater’s warriors launched a spear, which Tanager Danced out of the way of. The Birds of Prey People, used to overwhelming their enemies with their sheer numbers, were now forced to rely on skill. Though powerful, the Birds of Prey People were slow, and easily outmaneuvered by Tanager and Robin. Dolphin Girl’s paddle whistled as she spun it, then used it to break the neck of the young warrior who opposed her. Black Bat easily bested his opponent, leaving a grey mess on the ground. Six Beavers, Little Bird and Chipmunk managed to hold their own in combat, but were unable to gain the upper hand. Black Bat and Tanager helped them out. This left only Wolf Eater and Many Kills. The latter was currently engaged in hand-to-hand combat against Blue Eyes, who was quite clearly winning. Wolf Eater lunged for Dolphin Girl, knocking them both into the water. The two combatants, seeing their friends in danger, disengaged and rushed to help them. Blue Eyes grabbed a rope from the canoe and looped one end as he ran, tossing it to Dolphin Girl. His heart lurched as she went over the edge, but suddenly the rope caught her weight, dragging him forward. He was almost at the edge when Many Kills caught his legs. The loop end of the rope was around Dolphin Girl’s chest. Wolf Eater held on to her moccasin. Blue Eyes pulled as hard as he could, but was barely able to make any progress. Many Kills helped where he could, but there was always the fear that the rope would break before they got the woman or her would-be killer up. Wolf Eater reached behind him and drew a knife. Terrified, Dolphin Girl kicked him in the face. Wolf Eater let go, reaching up to grasp his wounded face, and screamed as he fell. With the extra weight lifted from the rope, it was much easier to pull Dolphin Girl to the firmer ground. She wrapped her arms around Blue Eyes, sobbing on his shoulder. Many Kills began speaking apologetically to Dolphin Girl. She snarled something to him, and he hung his head in shame. He held his hands out to her, wrists together.

Is he surrendering? Blue Eyes wondered. Dolphin Girl continued to talk to Many Kills, and he continued to nod in agreement.

“Let’s go.” she said finally. “Many Kills has agreed to help us get the women and children from your villages back.”

Dancing Shadow cradled her son in her arms, humming softly. The baby nursed contentedly even as she sat down beside Blue Eyes.

“Tell me, do twins run in your family?” Blue Eyes asked as he watched Tanager rock the other twin, a baby girl, to sleep, completely enthralled by the child’s gorgeous, sky-blue eyes.

“I’m not sure.” Dancing Shadow whispered. “I never knew my family. I was allowed to stay with the Serpent People because of my affinity for Spirit Power. Buffalo Hoof Rattle trained me. She was the closest I’ve ever had to a family.”

“It’s a pity.” Blue Eyes said. “Everyone needs a family.” Field Mouse knelt by the fire, turning the fish over with carved sticks.

“I’ve got one now, thanks to you.” Dancing Shadow whispered. There was a gentle “klack” behind them as Robin finished attaching the head to another spear. “I know no one is going to say anything about it, what with you being the leader of our little village and all,” Dancing Shadow began, with one eyebrow slightly raised, and her lips curving into a sexy, one-sided smile, “but isn’t five wives a little excessive?” Blue Eyes chuckled softly as he pulled the soft, well-tanned rabbit skin blanket over Dolphin Girl’s sleeping form. She sighed happily—the sigh of the well-fucked woman.

“Not if you happen to have the Power to love and protect them all.” Blue Eyes replied. “I didn’t think Dolphin Girl was going to ask for me, either. But she did, and who am I to refuse?”

“Just like you didn’t refuse anything else you felt was in the best interests of our little village. Like those alliance-marriages to some of the northern Serpent Clans for your adoptive sisters...”

“I asked my sisters if they liked the chiefs they were marrying before I accepted.” Blue Eyes said. “And it is kind of nice having warriors around besides Black Bat. That way he gets to sleep.”

“And when we were offered one of the sacked village-sites...”

“I suppose you would rather have gone all the way back to the remains of our old village?”

“I’m just saying.” Dancing Shadow said. “Two Bears would have needed a resounding blow over the head with my medicine stick before he would have done anything any way other than the way it had been done for generations before.”

“I never pictured myself as the chief type.” Blue Eyes said. “I have to be responsible and diplomatic and wise and all those other things I used to leave up to Charging Bull and Two Bears after him.”

“And Tanager never pictured herself living in a village, or married.”

“And what did you think before you met me?”

“My first Spirit Vision, when I was learning from Buffalo Hoof Rattle, was of swirling eyes that drew me deeper and deeper and I couldn’t resist them no matter how I tried. Buffalo Hoof Rattle could never tell me why the eyes were blue, or what the vision meant. Now I know.”

“The fish is ready.” Field Mouse said, putting a bowl in front of each family member who was awake. Blue Eyes ate the fish with relish. Field Mouse knew just how he liked it. He put a bowl near Dolphin Girl’s nose and blew over it so she could smell the food. She yawned stretched and opened her eyes, then happily started to eat.

Blue Eyes’ mind began to drift as he finished his fish. He hadn’t really had any plans for after his revenge. Silly fool that he was he had been so busy planning sweet victory—and getting laid—that he had never thought about what he would do with his life. There were, of course, worse fates than being chief of a village, as well as the man who broke the Birds of Prey People’s reign of terror, and quite possibly the most sexually desirable man on the Father Water. He smiled as he reflected on that last part. He lay back, and Dolphin Girl lay next to him. The children were laid in their cradles and his wives arranged themselves around him and the fire.

There were indeed worse fates.