always a part of us. Like the People of Our Kind -- the Arapaho, you call us. In battle, if it looks hopeless, we take our club--" He lifted the wooden sword-like object she'd seen hanging from a leather strap on the horse's withers "--and put it through the loop on the other end, then push it into the ground. There we stay and fight until we kill our enemy. Or die. "
She regarded the crude but effective apparatus, remembering the rope tether to be only about six or eight feet end to end. That wouldn't leave much room to maneuver. Death was the more likely outcome.
And he talked about her bravery.
"But I thought you said you were a Warrior of the Club Men?"
"I am. The Club Men is an ancient society. The Badger Men is new. We are younger Club Men braves who have vowed not to surrender to our enemy, whatever the cost. "
She bit her bottom lip. "Which enemy?" she asked, afraid of the answer.
She heard him swallow, then puff out a breath. "Your people. You are a woman of my enemy, which is why, according to our ways, I can take you. "
"To be your slave. "
He shrugged. "Most captives are adopted into the tribe and become one of us. A man would have to be very bitter to keep a captive slave for many years. "
She sensed something in his tone that spoke of just such bitterness. "Will you keep me a slave for many years?"
Silent glimpses of the scenery below flashed between the trees as they climbed higher and higher into the mountains.
Sighing, he looked over his shoulder and gave her a half smile, then placed a kiss on her lips. "My uncle fell in love with his white captive. He had to free her, give her to another family to adopt, so he could court and marry her. "
Joy bubbled up inside Sally. So it was possible to marry him. She hugged his back and kissed him on the neck below his ear. "That is so romantic. "
"Romantic?"
"You know, like when a man brings flowers to the woman he loves. Or a girl bakes a special pie for a boy she likes. "
"Bakes?"
She chuckled. "You know, to cook something in an oven. Like bread, or a pie. "
He turned and hiked an eyebrow.
She shook her head and laughed. "No, huh. Okay, how about she makes a special necklace for him from a bear she has killed?" She touched the bear claw necklace still hanging under her bodice.
He shot her an incredulous look. "You have killed a bear?"
"Of course not!" She playfully smacked his arm. "There weren't many bears where I lived. But give me time. There must be plenty of them out here. "
His derisive snort spoke volumes as to what he thought of that idea. Okay, so maybe things weren't so different between his people and hers after all. Indian men were just as jug-headed as white men. She'd have to enlighten this one a bit. In due course.
"So where is this place with no bears?" he asked.
"Virginia. "
"But there are buffalo, yes?"
"No. No buffalo either. Not where I lived. "
He grunted. "No wonder you left. "
She ran her hands down his bare torso, experiencing a flush of pleasure at the feel of his warm, solid flesh under her hands. "I left to find my own Bear, " she whispered softly.
She slid her hands down his horseman's thighs and up again, lingering wantonly at the edge of his loincloth. His fingers grasped her hand and slipped it under the soft leather, placing it firmly over his burgeoning manhood.
"You like your Bear standing... " He rubbed her hand over him so he grew even harder and thicker. "You couldn't get enough of this Standing Bear last night. "
She smiled against his back, heating at the memory of his hot domination, and the too-short hours of tender lovemaking that had followed her unconditional surrender. "I'll never get enough of you, " she murmured, wanting to feel him even now between her legs. Settling for between her fingers.
She squeezed, marveling at the steely hardness of his member, the silky
She regarded the crude but effective apparatus, remembering the rope tether to be only about six or eight feet end to end. That wouldn't leave much room to maneuver. Death was the more likely outcome.
And he talked about her bravery.
"But I thought you said you were a Warrior of the Club Men?"
"I am. The Club Men is an ancient society. The Badger Men is new. We are younger Club Men braves who have vowed not to surrender to our enemy, whatever the cost. "
She bit her bottom lip. "Which enemy?" she asked, afraid of the answer.
She heard him swallow, then puff out a breath. "Your people. You are a woman of my enemy, which is why, according to our ways, I can take you. "
"To be your slave. "
He shrugged. "Most captives are adopted into the tribe and become one of us. A man would have to be very bitter to keep a captive slave for many years. "
She sensed something in his tone that spoke of just such bitterness. "Will you keep me a slave for many years?"
Silent glimpses of the scenery below flashed between the trees as they climbed higher and higher into the mountains.
Sighing, he looked over his shoulder and gave her a half smile, then placed a kiss on her lips. "My uncle fell in love with his white captive. He had to free her, give her to another family to adopt, so he could court and marry her. "
Joy bubbled up inside Sally. So it was possible to marry him. She hugged his back and kissed him on the neck below his ear. "That is so romantic. "
"Romantic?"
"You know, like when a man brings flowers to the woman he loves. Or a girl bakes a special pie for a boy she likes. "
"Bakes?"
She chuckled. "You know, to cook something in an oven. Like bread, or a pie. "
He turned and hiked an eyebrow.
She shook her head and laughed. "No, huh. Okay, how about she makes a special necklace for him from a bear she has killed?" She touched the bear claw necklace still hanging under her bodice.
He shot her an incredulous look. "You have killed a bear?"
"Of course not!" She playfully smacked his arm. "There weren't many bears where I lived. But give me time. There must be plenty of them out here. "
His derisive snort spoke volumes as to what he thought of that idea. Okay, so maybe things weren't so different between his people and hers after all. Indian men were just as jug-headed as white men. She'd have to enlighten this one a bit. In due course.
"So where is this place with no bears?" he asked.
"Virginia. "
"But there are buffalo, yes?"
"No. No buffalo either. Not where I lived. "
He grunted. "No wonder you left. "
She ran her hands down his bare torso, experiencing a flush of pleasure at the feel of his warm, solid flesh under her hands. "I left to find my own Bear, " she whispered softly.
She slid her hands down his horseman's thighs and up again, lingering wantonly at the edge of his loincloth. His fingers grasped her hand and slipped it under the soft leather, placing it firmly over his burgeoning manhood.
"You like your Bear standing... " He rubbed her hand over him so he grew even harder and thicker. "You couldn't get enough of this Standing Bear last night. "
She smiled against his back, heating at the memory of his hot domination, and the too-short hours of tender lovemaking that had followed her unconditional surrender. "I'll never get enough of you, " she murmured, wanting to feel him even now between her legs. Settling for between her fingers.
She squeezed, marveling at the steely hardness of his member, the silky
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