Flotsam

[DarkWarrioress]

If only he knew.

Her father never called her beautiful. He never said she wasn’t, but she knew. It was in his eyes. The silent look of appreciation for beauty and personal satisfaction whenever his eyes found one of his other daughters or his wife. This was why she was here and they were still at home. A foreign place, a stranger she had never met and she was given to him to marry so he could make strong wee bairns, lads preferably but a few lasses would be acceptable. She was to be little more than a brood mare. She wanted to laugh. A mirror showed her that she wasn’t ugly; she just wasn’t as beautiful as her sisters is all. It was a fact she had come to accept. She almost wanted to laugh at his words, and silently wondered what exactly passed for a woman in the villages. It wasn’t saying a lot for her apparently.

She watched him with impassive eyes. He had her immobile unable to move. She felt her words of protest would have little affect upon him. Was this to be her fate then? This place? Him? She could be dead, she reasoned silently, so maybe… this alternative wasn’t so bad to consider. Her voice was soft when she spoke next.

“I can’t stop you from taking anything from me, now can I? Do I want you? Right now? No. I don’t know a damn thing about you,” the more she spoke to him, the more her righteous indignation came to the fore again, “and if I’m such a damn beauty, well, mister, you could use a makeover. Your hair needs cutting, you could use a bloody shave and a bath, if I may say so. You could also use a bit of tact too instead of just slobbering all over my naked flesh.”

 

[marauder13]

Garath saw the eyes harden, and felt her body tense beneath him. He tried to sway her, to get her to not fight him. But the hair colour was a fair warning to the him of the fires that burned within.

“I can’t stop you from taking anything from me, now can I? Do I want you? Right now? No. I don’t know a damn thing about you and if I’m such a damn beauty, well, mister, you could use a makeover. Your hair needs cutting, you could use a bloody shave and a bath, if I may say so. You could also use a bit of tact too instead of just slobbering all over my naked flesh.”

"Well it just shows that being honest, and showing a woman how you feel about her gets a man in trouble. You're a beauty to me, whether you think so or not. And fine, I shall be stopping slobbering all over you now."

His free hand forced it's way under the waist of her dress, pushing down toward the centre of her womanhood. His slightly calloused hands rasped her smooth skin as they found the edge of the downy hair. The nick in the fabric finally tore, allowing Garath some more freedom of movement. His hand continued to move further down through the softness until he felt the start of her pussy. His face lit up with joy at the joy he would bring his newly acquired woman. He rubbed vigourously around where he thought her clit would be, until it made its presence known to him. Then, he assaulted it directly. While he was rough, he wasn't intentionally causing her harm, though he did press a little too hard every now and again. or rubbed a little too roughly. But his goal was to bring her to her highest pleasure.

"This being more to your liking, Miss? This be better than me slobbering all over ya? Too bad, cause I feel like slobbering over ya again, my beauty."

He returned to her breast, taking his time to tease and test her nipple. Teeth, lips and tongue all came together to give her a different experience to the first, as his finger relentlessly pushed her closer and closer to her personal heaven.

 

[DarkWarrioress]

She hadn’t truly tried to renew her struggles against him until….. Until she felt his fingers slide under the waist of her dress and make a straight line down between her thighs. Her struggle became instinctual. His hold on her wrists held and now she wished she had let him rip her skirts from her. At least then she would have use of her legs. As it was now, they were still trapped in her skirts and the latter he still had pinned down with his leg between hers, still rendering her legs useless to her. No matter how much she managed to buck or twist, which wasn’t much at all, she couldn’t avoid his invading fingers. She wasn’t sure what illusions he might be suffering from but if he thought his rubbings and his mouth were getting her excited, he could think again. She also partly wondered when was the last time he had had a woman, even if she was from one of those villages he mentioned.

She simply laid there, beneath him, her face turned away, eyes closed and waited for him to finish whatever plan he had in store for her. Her body was rigid and tight under him.

 

[marauder13]

Garath saw that the woman underneath him went still. She stopped fighting back. It also meant that she was not interested in what he was doing. This irritated Garath. He slipped his fingers a little further down, tearing more of the fabric of her dress as he moved his arm. He found the entrance to her deeper, physical pleasure and rudely inserted a finger. He probed for a little while, making her body 'defend' itself against the intruder, thereby readying it for the real intruder. Once he felt that she was lubricated enough, he pulled his hand free of her dress, and worked to free his pants.

"I was hoping, Miss, that you would join in on the joy, but it seems you're not. Pity."

He finally worked his pants down enough to allow his cock to be free. The air felt cool against it, but he didn't care that much as he was going to be somewhere a lot warmer very soon. He grabbed a hold of the dress beside the tear, and pulled on it hard. The slow rip filled the clearing as he exposed her enough to continue with his plan.

He looked at her face, as much of it he could see as he pressed himself forward. His free hand pushed down on her hip, helping to pin her in place. The head of his cock found the proper place, and with the barest of pauses, Garath pushed himself into her. His initial thrust was strong, steady and he went as deeply as he could go.

"Ahhhhhhh... You are a fine fit, Miss. I am going to get much joy from you, I can tell." He stayed buried in her, enjoying the feel of her about him and the warmth that was seeping into him from their one connection. He took the hand from her hip, and grabbed one of her wrists. With a wrist in each hand, he dragged them back to a spot that was more comfortable for him while he was over her. With an enormous grin, he started to pull himself out of her, only to plunge himself back vigourously. He maintained the same long, powerful and rough strokes as he went about claiming her as his.

 

[DarkWarrioress]

She didn’t want this. Couldn’t he understand that? She felt his finger rudely insert itself inside her. Tearing more of her dress hardly mattered, considering what he was about to do to her anyway. She still couldn’t believe he had even thought she would consider having sex with a complete stranger, regardless of the fact she may well be stick here for the rest of her days. She heard the further rip of her dress and moved her legs experimentally.

His first initial spearing into her body tore through her, making her body arch upward but not in any kind of good response. Despite what he had done before, she felt him lodge deeply inside her with a deep fiery burning that made her moan. As he began to move inside her, she silently waited for her chance.

One part of her mind was wondering what she had done to deserve this. This.. This lunatic thought she could even enjoy this… rutting of his. The time would come when he would release her and when he did, she was going to make sure he understood she hadn’t or wouldn’t be enjoying this. Oh yes. She was going to make a lot of things understood to him. She turned her head aside and waited for him to finish what he had started.

 

[marauder13]

A small part of him knew that she wasn't taking part in the joy he was having, and he was a little sad about that. But mostly, he mind was awash with the pent up lust that a man such as he was prone to develop. He continued to enjoy the way her sex closed about him, warm and wet. She was giving him what he needed at that time, and he couldn't care less that she my not have liked it, or even been active.

Without much warning, he reached his peak, erupting deep within her. He was lost in his own world of bliss as the relief washed over him like a wave. He was panting at the end. His muscles felt like they were gone, and he was holding himself up merely by good fortune. He pushed himself back onto his knees with a grunt, smiling broadly at the way he felt.

"Thank you, Miss. Pity that you didn't join in. I think it would have been even greater than it was if that happened. Oh well, there is always next time." He stood up, still standing on the remnants of her dress as he tucked himself back in. "Now, let's be seeing to getting you some clothing more suited to living out here."

He turned and headed back towards the lean to, trying to remember what he had that could be used for her new clothing.

 

[DarkWarrioress]

She lay there, unmoving, feeling the stickiness between her spread thighs. She waited until he moved off. Turning her head only, she watched him head for the shelter he had built for himself and waited for him to go inside. Once he did, she got quickly to her feet and moved silently off into the jungle around them. Maybe it was foolish thing to do, but surely there was a small pond or even a lake nearby. He had to get water from somewhere.

As she moved deeper into the jungle, she paused, glancing over her shoulder to see if he found her missing yet. Apparently not because she didn’t hear him coming after her. She looked down at her torn dress and grimaced. Pushing through some vegetation, she heard something like rushing water and pushed further through only to come to an abrupt stop as her eyes beheld a wonder. A beautiful, spectacular, wonder. To her left was a sheer rock wall. Coming over it was water, sparkling and clear. It fell into a small pool of water, creating a fine mist and small caps of white water where the flow met the calm pond. It was the most amazing sight she had ever seen. As if in a dream, she walked slowly to the water’s edge, crouched and dipped her fingers into the water. It was cool but not overly so. A quick glance over her shoulder to insure she was alone and her dress became a puddle of material at her feet as she stripped down naked and waded in. She took it nice and slow, unsure of her footing, then dived below the surface, relishing the feel of water on her skin and feeling clean again. She broke the surface of the water with a small delighted peel of laughter. Turning on her stomach, she swam toward the water fall. Her feet found a small rock ledge. Standing on it, she found she could stand under the streaming water and did so, raising her face so the water splashed over it and her body.

 

[marauder13]

Garath heard her moving, but she wasn't moving closer to him so he didn't feel any need to worry. He looked at the leathers he had, and he could take a loss by keeping enough aside to make make her something more suitable for her new home.

He turned to find the woman gone. He sighed and gathered his hand axe and his bow. The later weapon showed a lack of proper care. It was also a weapon he was not well versed with. He walked to where he got his joy from the woman, seeing the path that she took out of the camp. He didn't have to use too much of his skills to follow her trail. It didn't take long to discover where she went.

He stopped at the edge, concealed by the foliage. He watched her as she climbed out of the water, standing under the waterfall. Garath had heard stories about nymphs, and gazing on her in the water, he could understand where such tales could have been born. Seeing her standing beneath the spray of water got his blood flowing fast. He found it hard to believe she couldn't see her own alluring qualities. He body was fine, as was the colour of her skin. Her hair was a perfect shade for the fiery personality that lurked within her. He would gladly take her again, as often as he could.

He moved back into the woods, and got onto her trail. He simply walked the last yards along her path until he reached the water's edge. He sat himself down beside her discarded clothing, enjoying the view. He made no attempt to catch her attention, but simply waited for her to look his way.

"I never thought this place could look any better. But with you there, like that, makes it so much better. Since you mentioned that I should take a bath, Miss, I think I shall." He stood up, quickly stripping himself before walking into the water. He swam over to the other side from where he entered. He came to a stop in a spot were the water moved slowly, and was shaded. He took a small gray stone, and scrubbed his skin. He kept n eye on the woman, ready to go back to his gear if she decided to do something rash.

 

[DarkWarrioress]

At the sound of his voice, she startled. He had found her. Now what? Was he going to force himself on her again? She moved out of the immediate fall of the water, finding a rock to perch on as she watched him quietly. Her lips twitched into a small smile.

“You could use a shave too,” she said softly and then wondered if he heard her over the water that was cascading down.

Her eyes were searching the shoreline for something and spying what she was looking for, she swam toward the bank beside him. When she could gain a foot hold, she stood up. After all, it wasn’t like he didn’t know what she looked like already. She tugged on a few of the plants then rubbed them in her hands, dipping them in the water once. Her hands lathered up.

“Turn around. Show me your back,” she softly said, waiting with foamed hands for him to comply.

There was no hostility in her voice. It was just soft and cautious. She was a logical female after all. Right now, she was stuck here. She was a stranger and he wasn’t, to this place. He was male. He had needs. She just wished he had…. She sighed. No use in wishing for what couldn’t be or hadn’t been.

 

[marauder13]

Garath continued to scrub his skin, watching her as she moved out from under the waterfall. She said something to him, but the water drowned out her words. She swam closer to him. Her manner showed no anger or harmful intent so he continued his cleaning. He saw out of the corner of his eye the woman picking some leaves from one of the plants. He was going to tell her to leave them when he saw them start to foam up.

“Turn around. Show me your back.”

She spoke with a soft voice that was soothing to his ears. With a final look to determine if she was being friendly, he turned his back to her. "You're lucky, Miss. There is a plant with a similar shaped leaf that will burn your skin if you were to break them like you did with those."

He peered over his shoulder at her. "Since we're going to be together for a while, I think we should call each other by name. I'm Garath. And thank you for everything you've done so far."

He turned back, looking at the water and the stone in his hand. There was little doubting in his mind that she was the best looking woman he had ever seen. He frowned slightly, thinking of how she reacted to him. One moment, she was scared and angry, the next she seemed to enjoy what he was doing. He had not been with people too much, and he remembered only what he heard from the villagers, and the occasional traveler. Living in the forests was simple, and relatively easy. But seeing her, and the feelings it opened in him, the need to make joy with her, that was confusing. Especially how she kept changing how she reacted.

But making joy with her was like nothing he had felt before. He had done it with some of the villagers, when he really had the need. It was good, he thought it was great, but it was nothing like with her. And if she joined in, he knew it would be even greater still.

"Where were you going when the storm took your ship?"

 

[DarkWarrioress]

She shook her head. “Not luck. I know this plant. There may have been a slight chance I was wrong.”

She waited until he presented her with his back before she set her hands on his shoulders and began to run the lather over his back.

He peered over his shoulder at her. "Since we're going to be together for a while, I think we should call each other by name. I'm Garath. And thank you for everything you've done so far."

She peered into his eyes for the nonce before hers shifted away again, watching her hands work. She shrugged at his words but offered her name all the same.

“Meara,” she said quietly.

So long as he wasn’t forcing something from her or doing something to her, she was fine. She could even exist here with him. She had had enough of being forced to do something. Granted, her old life wasn’t going to be forced on her now. They would most assuredly think she was dead. But now, she had to deal with Garath.

She was quiet, deep in her own thoughts when he asked her question. She dipped her hands, rinsing them before she sunk back into the water, gazing across the pond.

“I was being shipped off to be married. My parents choice, not mine. My family needed money and since I am the least beautiful, they felt they could ship me off to an unknown to wed. My bridal price would have been more than enough to keep the family going for awhile. Funny, they’ll never see that money now.”

So many things flowing through her mind and feelings. She strove hard to speak only in a soft even tone, making it sound like she didn’t care, hadn’t cared. She didn’t want him to feel sorry for her. Besides, why would he? What would he know of things like that, stuck here as he was.

 

[marauder13]

Garath winced a little when Meara's hands touched his shoulders. But then he relaxed into the soft touch of the lathered hands moving over his back. His eyes fluttered into narrowed slits as he focused on the movement and the feel.

“Meara.”

He smiled slightly, liking the name that she was given. It was unusual, but it was fitting. She was slightly exotic, and the name complimented her. He was slowly getting lost in the calm and his own thoughts that he almost didn't hear her slip down into the water.

“I was being shipped off to be married. My parents choice, not mine. My family needed money and since I am the least beautiful, they felt they could ship me off to an unknown to wed. My bridal price would have been more than enough to keep the family going for awhile. Funny, they’ll never see that money now.”

Garath turned to look at Meara. He scrutinized her face carefully, taking on every detail visible above the water. She was the least beautiful? Were her sisters Aphrodite and Venus? Whoever was going to be her husband was going to receive quite a gift. Garath was not going to argue with the Fates for what he had been given. Whether they liked it or not, their lives were tied together.

He slowly sank into the water as well, letting the lather lift from his back. He moved around a little in the water, roughly keeping his distance and place from her. He was liking this time with her, and wanted there to be more like it.

"Well, their loss is my gain, Meara. I don't care what others say. To me, you are beautiful. To me, you are one who gives great joy, and will give even greater joy when you don't lie there." He allowed himself to get a little closer. "Life here is not easy, but there are good parts to it. Like here." He nodded to the waterfall. "But you have no choice but live with me, or live alone. If the villagers see you, you will die. You live with me, then there will be jobs to be done, duties to be shared."

 

[DarkWarrioress]

Did she really have a choice? She could try living on her own and probably end up starving herself or even getting herself killed. At least here, with him, she had a fighting chance at survival.

“What kind of duties?”

Her voice was cautious and she noticed he got closer. She moved backward when he did so. Was he going to lie with her again? It didn’t matter if he thought she was beautiful. It just told her that women he was use to seeing, looked worse than she did is all. That wasn’t saying a whole lot. Her sisters had skin like milk, she had freckles. They were slim and so tiny a man’s hands could easy encompass their waists without hardships. She was more, curvy, more, filled out than they were. She always felt big and clumsy around them. They could sew neat little stitches that made hers look like a child’s work.

All that didn’t matter now. Fate had dumped her someplace else away from her family and her homeland and she was with a man, a stranger, who had already forced himself on her and likely to do it again. Maybe, in time, if she continued to be stuck here with him, she would get use to it. But right now, all she felt like was a vessel for his needs.

 

[marauder13]

Garath saw her drift away from him when he tried to get closer to her. He didn't bother trying to get closer again, rather he just enjoyed being in the water and actually talking to someone.

“What kind of duties?”

"Simple ones, like preparing food and cooking. Tanning hides, preserving meat, keeping the camp livable. You'll not be sitting around doing nothing, that's for certain." He set himself drifting back to where his clothes were. "What worries you, Meara? You were being sold off to a stranger to become his wife. Surely the night after you married, you would have given yourself to him, or he would have taken you.

"I will not lie to you, Meara. You are beautiful, and I want to make joy with you again. So, we are strangers, but how much difference is there between what was your fate, and what is your fate?" He reached the water's edge and pulled himself out.

"When you get back to camp, I will be able to make you something to wear that is more suited for here than your previous outfit. I will also be making dinner, if you're hungry."

Garath gathered up his gear, and made his way back to camp. He started preparing the food, allowing himself to dry off before putting his clothes back on.

 

[DarkWarrioress]

When he didn’t come closer, she relaxed again. It wasn’t so bad. Sitting here in the water talking to him.

“Tanning hides?” She wrinkled her nose. “I don’t know the first thing about tanning.”

She gave his words much thought and he was making sense. She watched as he got out of the water, gathered his stuff and headed back toward his camp. She went back to her thoughts once she was alone again.

What was the difference really? Virtually being sold to some stranger and being tucked into his bed or finding herself rescued by a stranger and still finding herself mated to him? She sighed. She really rather have neither but she supposed little of it was up to her. If Garath wanted her body, he’d find a way to get it. She nibbled on the end of her finger. Actually, she just needed to be smarter than he was. He found her beautiful. She supposed it could be worse. He could have simply bound her and forced himself on her. She had a lot to think about and she wondered if she could do so and keep him at arm’s length.

She swam back to the shore and sat on her torn dress, dragging her hair over her shoulder and squeezing the water out of it. Getting to her feet, she took the remains of the dress to to the water’s edge and cleaning it as best as she could. Maybe she could make something of what was left over. Squeezing the water from the material, she shook it out and draped it over her arm before she picked her way back to his camp. She was getting hungry and he said he could make her something else to wear. She was curious now.

 

[marauder13]

Garath took one last look at the pot of stew he had placed over the fire, then grabbed his breeches and started to pull them on. He took a look back in the direction of the pool where they had been swimming, wondering when she would be coming back.

The cold hard realities of what he had done were starting to collect. The shelter that he slept in was good enough for him, but adding Meara would make it a tight fit. The thought of her pressed against him while sleeping was very appealing. Those thoughts led directly to thoughts of them making joy. That confused him. She seemed to not like it, then like it, then not like it. The women he had been with before all were willing, and enjoyed the time together. He hadn't thought that a woman wouldn't like making joy with a man, as his entire experience in that area had been the same.

"She doesn't think herself beautiful." He pulled his top on. "Her hair is wonderful. Nothing like it I have seen before. Her body is... Just perfect. And the way she felt around me." Garath sank to the ground, checking the fire and the stew. "Her husband was going to be a lucky man. Hmmppff. Well, I shall be her husband now, since she will be living with me."

He kept working on the fire, and checking the stew to make sure that it was cooking well. He would show her that he was a worthy husband, and that she should be grateful to be with a man such as him.

 

[DarkWarrioress]

Garath had left so she wasn’t sure he had heard her question about tanning hides. It didn’t matter. She had torn parts of the dress off, making it shorter as she donned it again. She really did need to wash it, but for the moment, it was all she had to wear. She had taken her undergarments and washed them, leaving them on a bush to dry, just outside of his camp.

She came further back into camp and studied him. Her wet hair hung in strands around her face and she was shivering. Crossing her arms over her chest, she moved toward the fire. Her teeth were starting to chatter and watched him from the corner of her eye.

“The food smells good. Is there anything I can do to help?”

She was beginning to think he wasn’t a bad sort. Having a conversation with him, she discovered, had been quite a nice feeling. She rather liked it AND it hadn’t disturbed her in the least that they had been in the water, together, naked at the same time. She had even been close to him while she soaped his back.

 

[marauder13]

Garath looked over at Meara as she came back into his camp. She had pulled on the remains of her original dress, having removed parts that exposed her legs. He found himself distracted, looking at them in detail. What he saw of them were fine in appearance, and looked like they would be equally good to touch too.

“The food smells good. Is there anything I can do to help?”

Garath smiled and shook his head. "No, it just needs to cook now. While it is, we can get you some clothing that will better suit you living here." He stood up, and went over to near his leanto, gathering a pile of leather pieces and bringing them back closer to where she stood. He grabbed a stick from the fire, pleased that there was a good, black tip on it.

"Now, stand still."

He pushed down her dress, letting it pool around her hips. He paused long enough to enjoy looking at her exposed breasts. He desired tasting them again, seeing if he could get her face to light up with joy like it did the first time. He found a large piece of soft, supple leather, which he pressed against her back. The deer skin was large enough to cover her back, with some overlap. He picked up the stick, and drew lines on it for where he would cut the piece to shape. He made sure that he had a good section of lengthy off cut to make the thongs he would need later.

He found other pieces, and placed them over the front of her body. He molded the piece around her breast, doing his best to keep him movements functional. But running his hand over her breast through the leather, was joyous and slightly arousing for him. Again, he made more marks for where he would cut. Within about twenty minutes, with pauses to check their food, he had enough leather chosen and marked to make Meara a new top.

He pulled her dress back up as far as he could, doing his best to be gentle and considerate so he did not hurt her. "Sorry, I have not ever dressed a woman, only undressed one."

The food was ready, and he dished out a serving into a bowl, placing the spoon in it. He handed it to Meara, then went to get the skin of water. "I only have enough for one, so you eat first. When I go to the village next, I will get some more so we can eat at the same time, using different bowls and spoons."

While Meara ate, Garath went about getting his weapons and trapping gear in preparation for the morning check of the traps and snares. Apart from his axe and bow, he also had a coil of twine, and a few lengths of wood. He sat down near the fire, a short distance from Meara, watching her. The stew was mostly meats, with a few vegetables mixed in. Garath found a number of the plants were rather tasty when cooked, and added them to his diet whenever he could. He wanted to see how much she liked his food. But more than that, he wanted to watch her. She fascinated him. She was so different to the local women. They were darker of hair, and their skin was more golden than her white skin. While one couldn't mistake a local woman for being anything but, Meara was more generously curved. She was softer, more comfortable underneath him that the last villager he was with.

Garath was still unsure about what to do about they way she seemed happy with him, then not. Meara needed to understand that they were now like man and wife, and she would have her duties to perform. Most she would learn because she had no experience. Helping to skin the animals, preparing the meats and hides. She would maintain their camp, and help with cooking the meals. Plus, there would be the making joy, which a good wife would do for her husband.

"After I have eaten, I will go and check the traps, and hunt larger game. You will stay here. It is safer that way."

 

[DarkWarrioress]

She stood there looking at him transfixed. He wasn’t a handsome man, not that she could tell by all that hair he wore or the whiskers on his face, but he seemed….kinder when he smiled. She wasn’t sure what he had in mind when he said something about getting her some better clothing suited to being here. So, when he told her to stand still, she did and watched him curiously as he came back with what looked like hides of some sort. What was he planning on doing with that stick from the fire?

Her hands came up to push his away when he pushed her dress down to her hips. But then, he moved to her back and pressed the soft hide to it. She marveled at how soft it felt against her skin. It tickled as she felt him drawing something on the hide. She laughed softly and suddenly, trying not to fidget. It tickled, whatever he was doing back there.

When he came around to her front side, molding the hide over her breasts, her eyes silently watched him. Then he did something totally unexpected, he pulled her dress back up, covering her breasts again. Her lips twitched at his words about never having dressed a woman before. Her eyes slid away from his face.

She glanced at the food he handed her then her eyes settled back on him briefly before she set about eating, not wanting to keep him waiting for the bowl and spoon. Her look was thoughtful as she ate. It wasn’t half bad, the stew. It was filling. She scraped the last of the stew from the bowl then offered the bowl an d spoon back to him.

“Thank you,” her voice was soft and careful, “that was good. It was generous of you to let me eat first.”

She listened as he spoke again and nodded. She was pretty sure she would be safe here, alone. Maybe while he was gone, she could look around and get a feel for his small living space. She was also a little relieved to know she would be alone for a bit. She had seen the look of desire in his eyes again and knew what he wanted.

 

[marauder13]

Garath watched Meara eat.Garath felt that he could learn much from the way a person ate. Meara ate in a straight forward manner, enjoying the food he made for them. He believed that part of that would be due to her being hungry after the shipwreck, but she seemed to eat to keep up her strength. No pauses to enjoy it, though she made sure that the bowl was scraped as clean as possible.

“Thank you, that was good. It was generous of you to let me eat first.”

Garath shrugged as he loaded the bowl with a second serving. "I didn't want you to think that I was giving you dirty spoon and bowl. I didn't want to offend you." For Garath, the food was simply something to give him strength. He ate it quickly, without fuss, grace or etiquette. He put a small metal pot over the fire, with water, leaving it there for a minute. He took the heated water off the fire, and poured it into the bowl, swirling it around and rubbing the sides with his hand. He continued to use his hand to clean the bowl, before giving it one final rinse, along with the spoon.

"Please keep at least embers in the fire. I will be back by the time the sun is highest in the sky." He looked a little confused as to what he should do next. He saw some of the farmers near the village kiss their women as they left. So, without further thought, he quickly closed the distance between them, and gave Meara a rather rough, chaste kiss before he walked off in the forest beyond. He went through his normal routine of checking the traps and snares. He found most had caught something than not, and there was a good mix of animals. He gutted each as he released them, then reset the trap.

It was about an hour before noon when he started to return to his camp. He was in luck as he saw one of the local deer grazing near the path he used. He slowed, and carefully took out his bow, stringing it and drawing on the animal. He took his time, not rushing and potentially wasting the bounty of the animal. The arrow was released, and the animal startled. But fate smiled on him, and the deer backed up slightly. The arrow was destined for the heart found the neck instead. A bright fountain of blood and a gurgled squeal of pain marked the end of the deer's life.

He closed on the deer, working quickly to gut the deer cleanly and preserve as much of the hide as possible. It took him nearly and hour to get everything prepared properly, including dumping the viscera away from his traps. He strung the rest of his catch and hung it around his neck. He picked up the deer, shifting it about so it was over his shoulders. He managed to lift the heavy burden, staggering under the weight. He walked slowly, puffing hard as he hauled it all back to camp.

"Sorry, I'm late. I managed to get this on the way back." He pointed to the freshly dumped deer carcass. He placed the rest of his catch on the ground, and went to the lean-to to get his skinning knife. "We will have enough meat for us, and some to sell too, along with some of the hide."

Garath sat own, and proceeded to skin the smaller animals, and pluck the two birds that had been caught too.

 

[DarkWarrioress]

"I didn't want you to think that I was giving you dirty spoon and bowl. I didn't want to offend you."

His words came back to her after he had left. She laughed. Aloud. He didn’t want to offend her? After what he’s already done to her, he didn’t want to offend her? She just shook her head. Glancing at the fire, she wandered off, not far, just far enough away to gather some smaller pieces of fallen wood to toss on the fire as needed to keep a coal bed going. The rest of the wood she stacked not far away from the fire.

Now what did she do? She looked around, poking her nose into his lean to and other places. She gathered some more wood and then went down to the water again, searching the plants. She was delighted to find some she thought she recognized. Pulling them up, they had tubers at their ends. They should be good for eating, if she had recognized the right ones. Taking them back to camp, she set them not far from the fire.

Glancing up at the sun, she still had, at a glance, a couple of hours before Garath came back. She decided to go lie down in his lean to. She was tired all of a sudden.

 

[marauder13]

Garath was so used to being alone that he easily fell into the routine of his chores and forgot that he actually spoke to someone with the intent of getting a reply. It took a few minutes to realize that he was waiting for an answer, and getting none, he became alarmed.

Garath leapt to his feet, his thoughts racing concerning where Meara was, and what dangers she could be facing. He dropped the skinning knife on the carcass and dashed for his weapons. He was bending down to gather them when he saw Meara lying in the lean-to. Asleep. He paused as if he was hunting wild game, and didn't want to be seen. He raised himself to a standing position, simply watching her sleep. He understood the need for sleep, and what happened when not enough sleep occurred.

But to Garath, her face looked more relaxed, maybe even less guarded than when she was awake. She had looked good when awake, but her face was even more alluring while she slept. He wondered if he would ever seen her face like that while she was awake.

He found the fur he used to cover himself while he slept, and covered her gently. He returned to his chores, happy to know his woman was safe. As he continued to skin and cut up the carcasses, he thought about her as his woman. She would be his wife if they found a priest, but there wasn't one on the island anymore. So, the people simply chose their mate, and lived together. As was the way there, so he and Meara were husband and wife. They would learn how to be a couple, but they had little choice now things had been done.

He focused on the chores at hand. Once the meat had been butchered properly, he put some aside for their next meals, the rest he set up to be smoked. One of the local trees made a perfect wood for this, and everyone found the taste of the smoked meats much to their liking. Once that was started, he cured the hides so they would be used as were, or turned to leather. Once finished, he went to clean his hands and arms.

He got back to the camp, and loitered near the lean-to. She looked so peaceful lying there, and he wanted to share it. She was soft, he knew that from when they made joy. Well, when he did. He frowned as he remembered what happened. At times, she seemed to like it, then other times she didn't. It still left him confused. He did what he knew the island women liked, but she was not one of them. Maybe there were other things that the woman form where she came from liked.

Garath shrugged, and squeezed into the lean-to with Meara. As he got settled beside her, he found himself more awake than sleepy. His heart was racing. His manhood was hard. He felt a warmth that was greater than he was expecting. He wanted to be with her again, to feel her heat around his shaft. But he would not disturb her sleep for that. He knew the value of sleep. It meant the difference between life and death.

He lay there, staring at her as she slept. As time passed, he felt the soft arms of sleep enfold him, and he too was asleep beside her.

 

[DarkWarrioress]

Meara stirred in her sleep but didn’t waken. Once under sweet repose’s net, she sank deeply into its arms. Even then, she found no escape from her thoughts. Perhaps it was because it had to do with life now. Her life. Her mind had been prepared to accept a life, far away from her homeland, with a man she knew nothing about. Instead, Fate had delivered her elsewhere. She stirred restlessly in her sleep. The truth of her situation may be uncomfortable, but it was no less the reality it was.

Garath was a stranger to her. Granted, no more than the man who was to have been her husband, would have been. Except. Except that she and Caine had been writing letters back and forth for months before her ship had set sail. Caine. He would be frantic when her ship never docked. Now Garath. If she parted from the part of her that knew him as a stranger, she could see he treated as a man would treat a wife. He was looking after her, caring for her. She still didn’t feel easy about it. Time, would make it seem less strange she was sure. Time, she hoped, would make her forget what once was and allow her to focus on what is.

Her eyelids fluttered open and she found herself staring at the ceiling of the lean-to. She became aware of someone lying beside her. Slowly she turned her head and saw Garath, sleeping. When had he gotten back? She eased her body away from his and got up, stretching. Meara slipped from the lean-to and headed straight for the fire, leaning over to a couple of pieces on the coals. Now what? She looked helplessly around the camp.

 

[marauder13]

Garath slept deeply. he was comforted by the soft warmth coming from his side. He was vaguely aware of what, and who, that source of warmth was. It was something that he never thought he would experience. Any times he laid with a women in the past was in preparation for making joy, or to catch his breath as they had finished. But to lie with a woman, and sleep, that was something completely new, and completely wonderful.

But he had been more active that day than he had for a while, and his body took the sleep as he could get it. Again, he was aware of the body next to his, and when Meara woke, and got up, it brought him back to being awake too. She was dressed in what was left of her original clothing. It would not do her well in the forests, and he had more work to do on her new clothing. His imagination took him back to what he saw of her while he made joy with her. She would look better in the leathers he was making for her. It would show her body off better than what she was wearing. Why she chose to hide it in that manner was beyond him.

He got up, and stood at the front of the lean to. "I will check the meats that are being smoked, then we can finish getting you dressed properly, Meara. After that, we can see what you can do to help, and what things you can learn quickly."

He took a few steps towards the small places he set up to sure the meats. "I am not stupid enough to know that you're happy here, but thank you for letting me sleep beside you. I hope to do that again soon." He went over, and checked to see how the process was going with the meat.