--===Warmth of a Touch, Chapter 10===--
Chapter 10
"I don't have a sister," Becca said in a calm and
controlled voice.
"Becca," Sarah began, "I am your-"
"I *don't have a sister*," she repeated, a lot more
forcefully. Martin could see the look of fear and confusion in her
eyes. Sarah looked to him, not knowing what to do. He knew that he
needed to get the two apart, so he could talk to Becca.
"Becca," Martin said, taking her hand and pulling her to
the car. He turned her so she was leaning on the door of the car. He
finished, "wait here." She made no comment as he led Sarah over to
their parents.
"Marty, I'm sorry," Trent said. "I thought she'd take it
better than this."
"Don't worry, Dad. I'll talk to her. I think you guys
have a lot of catching up to do, though. We'll be out back if you need
us." His parents nodded, and hugged their daughter, while Marty walked
back to his little sister.
"C'mon. Let's go out back. We have to talk." Becca
followed him, somewhat shakily, around the house to the back yard. He
sat down against a palm tree, and pulled Becca down into his lap. He
spread his legs so she'd sink to the ground, but wrapped his arms
around her, to show support and to hopefully comfort her. He hadn't
realized how badly this would shake her up, either.
"Okay, now, first off, let's get past the 'you don't have a
sister' part. You *do* have a sister, and I have two of them."
"But-" she started.
"Let me finish, please," Martin said calmly. Becca quieted
and nodded her head while staring out at the ducks.
"I found out about Sarah during Spring Break, but I thought
she was dead. That is, I found her birth certificate, but Mom and Dad
told me she'd 'gone away'. Anyway, when I finished my training with
the warmth, she told me who she really was. I was almost as shocked as
you are."
"But... why didn't she live with us?"
"That's my fault, I'm afraid," Martin said with a frown.
It still bothered him how much trouble he'd been without even knowing
it.
"What do you mean?"
"Well... you know how you feel about me, because of the
family secret?"
"I feel that way because I *love you*, Marty."
"Okay, okay," he said, hugging her more tightly. "But it's
not normal for you to love your brother that way. Not that I'm
complaining, mind you," he added, kissing her softly on the base of the
neck. "But you are the way you are because of the family secret.
Well, apparently when I was born, Sarah kind of went overboard. For
whatever reason - and don't ask, because I haven't got a clue - she
became so attached to me that she actually got sick whenever we were
apart. After trying some different things, they decided that sending
her away to live with someone else was the best thing for both of us.
Just so you know, you also have an Aunt Laurie. I've never met her,
either, but she raised Sarah, and taught her how to teach me how to
control the warmth, which is what she's been doing the last few months."
Becca sat silently for several minutes. Martin continued
to hold her, wondering what she was thinking. He would have enjoyed
holding her a lot more if she wasn't so distraught over the whole
thing. He waited as patiently as he could for her to come to grips.
"So, why didn't Mom and Dad *tell us* about her?"
"I'm not really sure. I *think* that they felt that us
knowing about her without ever being able to see her would have been a
bit cruel. And they couldn't just tell *you*, because they knew you'd
tell me-"
"Bet your ass," she interrupted. He squeezed her more
tightly.
"-and that would have defeated the purpose."
"Is Sarah going overboard now?" Becca asked.
"I'm... not sure how to answer that."
"Martin Gallagher," his sister said sternly, "Don't you try
to tell me you're not sleeping with her."
"I wouldn't dare lie to you like that. We have sex a lot."
"Hmph. Now I'm jealous. But, I mean, if being so close to
you was bad for her before, is she doing okay now?"
"I'm not sure. She is very... she likes to be with me all
the time. I've had to yell at her a couple of times to get her to
leave me alone. I'm surprised she's stayed away from us for this long."
"She's probably busy talking to Mom and Dad."
"Could be."
Becca let out a long, harsh sigh as she slumped back
against her brother. "Dammit, Marty, when are the surprises going to
stop? I *liked* my dull, normal little world!" She turned in her
brother's arms, and kissed him warmly. Breaking the kiss, she added,
"Not that this part of my new world isn't very nice..."
He held his sister and kissed her again, softly and
tenderly. She seemed to have filled out even more since he'd seen her
last, and he wondered when she would stop growing. He'd always thought
his sister was cute, but now she was a knockout. He finally broke
their kiss, and turned her so she was resting against him more
comfortably. She laid her head on his chest, and sighed. Martin
rubbed her back, just relaxing with her, until a concern rose to his
mind.
"You're not mad at Sarah, are you?"
She turned to look at him. "Why would I be mad at her?
It's not her fault Mom and Dad didn't tell us."
Martin sighed audibly in relief. "I was hoping you'd feel
that way, but she was worried you'd hate her for hiding from you."
"You should know better, Big Brother."
"Hey, I told her you wouldn't be... but as upset as you
were, I began to worry about it."
She lay back against him again, relaxing in his embrace.
"It's just going to take some getting used to, is all. All these
years, I thought it was just you and me. Now it's you and me and her.
Is she nice?"
"I'm the wrong person to ask, Small Fry. I'm in love with
her."
"Oh. Well, she can't be all bad, then." She tilted her
face upward with a warm smile. Martin recognized the request, and
leaned down to kiss her softly. They had to be careful, out here, that
no one saw them, but then, after her welcome-home kiss, anyone who had
seen it would already be wondering. Still, it just felt so wonderful
to be kissing her, holding her, and not having to worry about her
calling him Master.
"Hey, you two," a voice called from behind them. It was
Sarah, and Martin didn't even bother to move his hands - which were not
in 'appropriate' places - from his sister's body. He turned to smile
at her.
"You want me to leave you two alone so you can get
acquainted?" he asked.
"No," Becca answered for her. Sarah also shook her head.
Neither of them wanted to do this without him there.
"Okay. Suit yourselves." Martin leaned back against the
tree, holding onto Becca. Sarah moved as close to him as she could.
The sisters talked for the first time ever while sitting close to their
brother. It was a very peaceful moment.
-----
After about a half-hour of talking, Martin heard a truck
pull up, and he knew it was his uncle. He freed himself from Becca's
grip, and managed to get up. She looked up at him, but he waved her to
remain where she was.
"I'm going to go say hi to Uncle Josh. You guys go ahead
and keep talking."
"Maybe he wants to see Sarah, too."
Sarah quickly said, "He will, don't worry. I'll wait until
Marty's through." Sarah knew that he wanted to get business out of the
way, and she wouldn't interrupt that. Becca bowed to the wishes of the
other two.
Martin walked around the house, and it was clear that Josh
was waiting for him. Tiffany was standing with him. She walked over
to him to say hi, and she gave him a hug. She also leaned back and
gave him a warm kiss, with her tongue involved. He kissed back, but
felt extremely embarrassed to be kissing her in front of her stepfather.
"Welcome back, stud," she whispered. More loudly, she
said, "Glad you're back. I'm gonna go meet Sarah."
"They're out back," he managed to say. "See you in a
bit." He managed not to stagger as Tiffany left him. He looked to
Josh with an apologetic look.
Josh waved him off. "I was never able to fully clear your
warmth from her. I wonder if she had feelings about you before your
little run-in. I can't ask her, of course..."
"Don't worry about it... I guess..."
"So, how have your last few weeks of school been?"
"I'm sure you got a complete report from Sarah..."
Josh shook his head. "Once she revealed herself to you,
she absolutely refused to tell us anything else. She said, 'Whatever
you want to know, ask Marty.'" She loves you very much," Josh
concluded.
"I know. I feel the same... though I worry. Now that I
know about her, I see signs that she's still more... dependent... than
anyone else."
"She may always be that way, Marty. You'll have to make
adjustments for it."
"I know. I will. You know, I've had a crush on her since
I met her." He paused, and then said, "Well, met her again..."
"Marty, you met your sister for the first time in Rio
Lobos. You never knew her before that, not really. Just think of it
that way, and it'll be easier on you. So, how was your last few weeks?"
"Persistent, ain't ya?" Marty said with a chuckle. Josh
laughed. "Well, school was almost easy, what with Lianna helping me,
and my newfound ability to relax, aided by... well, you know."
"Oh, yeah, I know."
"I do have one worry, though. Meteorologists don't really
make all that much money. I've got an awful lot of mouths to feed..."
"Really? How many actual slaves do you have?"
"Four slaves, two sisters, and a nymphomaniac who lives
here," Martin said after some mental arithmetic. He blushed at the
realization of just how many girls he was sleeping with.
"Well, that is a bit, but... how many of them work?"
"Two of the slaves, and the nymphomaniac."
"You're not calling my daughter a nympho, are you?" Josh
said with a smile.
"I wasn't counting Tiffany at all. One of Becca's
teachers... she's very fond of me, shall we say? I think I mentioned
her to you once..."
"Oh, yes. The one that nearly raped your defenseless
little self," Josh said with a laugh. Martin did likewise.
"That's her."
"So, of seven, three work. The other four either aren't
old enough to work, or are in college."
"Right. Becca and Monica are still in school, and Sarah
and Jen are in college with me. Katie and Lianna are the two that are
working."
"Wait, I don't remember Katie."
"I'll get to her in a minute," Martin said, indicating this
was another issue he wanted to talk about.
"Okay, so of five who are eligible, three are working.
That's not too bad. Sarah and Jen will be able to work when they're
out of school, and your trust fund will carry the lot of you until
then... along with the help from at least two of the adults." Josh was
going to say something else, but decided not to. He'd deal with it in
another way.
"Okay, if you say so..."
"I do. Now, you mentioned a 'Katie'?"
Martin sighed heavily. "Yeah. Katie is Jennifer and
Monica's mother."
Josh whistled. "Wow, a matched set."
Martin tried not to laugh; this was serious to him. "What
bothers me most is that Jen and Monica *asked* me to take her."
Josh led him over to the patio, and motioned him to sit in
one of the chairs. He sat in another. "Tell me about it." Martin did
just that, leaving out only the sordid details. "Okay, so what they
felt was that she would never get over losing her husband."
"That's what they said."
"Why does it bother you?"
"I don't know... yes, I do. It's the fact that they know
that they 'belong' to me, and they are actually *happy* about it.
People aren't like that! They don't like being property."
Josh sat back, nodding. "You want me to tell you a little
something about our family?"
"Sure."
"Not all of us have been good people. Some of them would
have collected the family you've now got in less than a week. Sarah
*did* tell us about how you fought a lot of her training tactics,
because of what you had to do during them. Some of our family members
actually relish the power.
"Not all slaves are happy, either. Some of the family have
been downright cruel to their girls, and those girls have done their
best to try to get away. It's almost impossible to do unless we let
them, but they tried, anyway. Others would just avoid their owner as
much as they could, serving him as they had to, but otherwise just
staying as far out of his way as possible.
"So, no, Marty, being a slave doesn't make them happy. The
warmth doesn't make them happy slaves. Being with *you* makes them
happy slaves, because they like you, they trust you, and they respect
you. I'm trying not to sound too corny about this, really, but they
still have most of the same emotions as 'normal' girls. It's their
actions that are subverted. A slave will almost never actively fight
against you, except to try to free themselves, if they are so
inclined. But no slave who ever harbored a dislike for you would
*ever* suggest you enslave someone else.
"Marty, I know it's a hard adjustment. You've been doing
damned well with it so far. Just trust your instincts. You say they
asked you to take their mother. You didn't have to, so why did you?"
Marty looked back at him, eyes unfocused, remembering the
look on her face that night as she slept. "Well, their neighbor also
told me that she wasn't holding up well. Then, I saw her one night
while she was sleeping. The tortured look on her face... Uncle Josh, I
saw that look on Becca's face once, and it broke my heart just as much
both times."
Josh smiled at him as he nodded. "Your heart knows what's
right, Marty. Trust it to do the right thing. You've been programmed
to believe one thing from society, and now we're trying to tell you to
ignore all that. It's going to take time for your mind to readjust."
"I guess. Thanks."
"No problem. Was there anything else?"
"Nothing of importance."
"Great. In that case, I want to go meet my niece."
-----
Aunt Debbie eventually showed up, and they all ate
together, a complete family for once. Sarah sat on one side of Martin,
and Becca sat on the other. Tiffany settled for a seat across from
him. Martin was a little uncomfortable with Tiffany's attention, but
he figured that was just another something he would have to get used to.
The conversation around the table was light and energetic.
Everyone was happy to have Sarah back. Joan had to get used to
referring to her daughter as Sarah now, as she had called her Debralee
all her life. The mood remained happy and relaxed throughout the
evening. Even after the others left, the main family continued to sit
around the table, talking about things that had happened as the kids
were growing up. It was an effort to get Sarah caught up, and she
greatly appreciated that.
Though no one was intentionally delaying it, they didn't
decide to go to bed until after midnight. There was no discussion -
nor any doubt - about where Sarah would be sleeping. Martin led her
back to his bedroom, where someone had put their bags. When he turned
on the light, he was a little shocked to find a king-size bed where his
double bed had once been. He looked at her and smiled.
"I guess they wanted us to be comfortable."
"Six of us could fit on that thing!" she exclaimed quietly.
That triggered a thought in his mind. He looked at her and
whispered, "Go get Becca."
Sarah immediately nodded. Becca had gone to her own room
after giving Martin a kiss that he felt down to the soles of his feet.
He knew she was disappointed to be displaced, no matter by whom, and
she came in with a big smile on her face, and little else. She was
wearing panties and a very short nightshirt, but that was all. She
hugged Martin fiercely.
"Thanks," she said.
"Anytime," he whispered back. He felt her up openly as he
was watching Sarah get disrobed behind her. He arched his eyebrows
when he saw her take off her panties, becoming fully nude. *So, she
wants it to be *that* way, does she? Well, I can play along...*
Martin leaned back and then kissed Becca, his tongue
immediately seeking and gaining entrance to her mouth. Their tongues
danced as his hands slid down onto her ass, caressing the wonderful
flesh there. Becca moaned at the feel of him against her. She gasped
when she felt a soft pair of hands on her back. She didn't resist,
though, as Sarah massaged her back and shoulders. When Martin finally
broke away from her, Sarah lifted Becca's nightshirt off of her,
exposing her wonderful tits.
"Marty?" Becca asked uncertainly. He just smiled warmly at
her in reassurance. She gasped again as Sarah's hands came around
front and began to softly caress her breasts, paying special attention
to her nipples. Martin knelt and removed Becca's panties, caressing
her legs tenderly as he stood back up.
It took Martin mere seconds to remove his own clothing, and
soon enough all of them were nude. He pressed himself against Becca's
front, while Sarah pressed herself against Becca's back. Becca was
confused, and highly aroused. Martin tilted his head and leaned
forward to kiss Sarah while his hands took their place on Becca's tits.
After a few more minutes of this, Martin stepped back and
led Becca over to the bed. He pushed her down onto it, and then began
to kiss her body. Sarah slipped onto the bed and between Becca's
legs. She gently parted her sister's thighs, and found her lovely
pussy waiting between them. Sarah's head dipped, and a low, deep moan
left Becca's throat. Martin moved up to resume kissing her, and Becca
reached out and encircled his prick in her slender hand. She began to
stroke him as they kissed, and he groaned into her mouth at the feeling
of it.
Feeling a need to exert some control over her situation,
Becca broke their kiss, and encouraged Martin to slide up the bed.
When his cock was within reach, Becca rolled slightly and brought her
lips to the head of his dick. She ran her tongue around the tip,
slowly teasing his dick. Finally, she let her lips slip down onto it.
She kept her tongue moving, caressing his shaft and sending chills up
his spine.
Meanwhile, Sarah was working on Becca's cunt, licking and
stroking her outer lips with her fingers. She slipped a finger deep
inside of Becca, slipping it in and out in rapid, short thrusts.
Becca's hips were rocking up to meet the movement, and she moaned on
Martin's prick, sending further shivers up his spine.
Martin was too excited, being in bed with both of his
beautiful sisters, to last any longer. With a loud grunt, he blasted
his cum deep into his sister's throat. She hungrily swallowed every
last drop of his spunk, and continued to suck on him, hoping for more.
Her attentions kept him fully hard, and by the time he came down from
his high, he noticed that he was, in fact, ready to continue.
The trio switched positions on the bed. Martin lay down,
and then took Sarah's hand, to guide her up to him. Becca moved
quickly to straddle his waist; she was too aroused to have any manners
about it. As Becca pushed herself strongly down onto Martin's dick,
Martin pulled Sarah over himself, so that he was looking up at her
beautiful pussy. He reached out with his tongue and gingerly stroked
her pussy lips. Sarah groaned at the feel of his tongue. She loved it
when he tortured her this way.
Becca, meanwhile, was watching the coupling of the other
two while she was essentially fucking herself silly on her brother's
cock. Martin was thrusting his hips up into her just as hard as he
could, but she barely noticed in her own gyrations. Becca was lost to
the thrill of the ecstasy, and would scarcely have noticed if the walls
had fallen down. She was crying out with each movement, rising higher
and higher toward her peak.
Sarah watched in fascination as her siblings screwed.
Martin's tongue was driving her crazy, and she was just hoping he'd
have enough energy for her after he was done with Becca. She shuddered
in delight as Martin's tongue found her clit, and she moaned loudly as
he sucked it into his mouth.
Becca, unable to withstand the pleasure any longer, felt
her orgasm wash over her body, take control, and seize every muscle
fiber in her being. She let out a long, loud, "Oh!" with her head
thrown back, her mouth wide open. Her hips continued to buck, and
Martin continued to thrust up into her, pushing her higher throughout
her orgasm.
When Becca reached her limit, she let out one final cry,
and she fell limp, completely lost to the pleasure she had just
experienced. Sarah had made sure she fell comfortably to the bed, but
then she moved herself off of Martin. Lying down beside him, she
looked over at him and said, "Please fuck me."
When she said it like that, he couldn't possibly resist.
Rolling on top of her, Martin guided his prick to her cunt, and pushed
in. Sarah was more than ready for him, and he slipped in smoothly.
When he had fully buried himself in her, he paused.
"You want it soft, or rough?"
"I said *fuck me*!" she hissed.
Martin, understanding her meaning, began to ram into her.
Her hips bucked up to meet him, and she grunted each time he plunged
into her waiting twat. He was gritting his teeth, forcing all of his
energy into the act of screwing Sarah. She, in turn, was thrashing her
head from side to side, lost in the bliss of the moment.
Their pace increased, and they moved in unison, pushing
each other to the edge of pleasure. It wasn't long before Sarah was
pushed well beyond the edge, and she cried out, awash in the ecstatic
feelings of her orgasm. Her pussy muscles rippled and sucked at
Martin's dick, and it was finally more than he could take. He loosed
his load of cum deep into her cunt, and it only drove her further into
the realm of joy. He grunted out his spasms, his eyes clenched tightly
shut as he let the wonderful sensations wash over him. It was over a
minute before the two of them were able to calm down enough to even
move.
Martin rolled off his sister, pulling her with him until
they were lying on their sides, facing each other. He kissed Sarah
warmly, with love and tenderness. She returned the kiss, and then they
held each other. He wanted Becca to be part of this as well, but she
had not woken up yet.
"That was intense," Sarah said in an almost-awed voice.
"I didn't know you were into girls," Martin said.
"I've had a couple of experiences. A girl has to do
*something* to relieve the pressure until her guy comes along, doesn't
she?"
Martin kissed her again, with feeling. "I love you, Sarah."
"I love you, too."
Just then, they felt a stirring on the bed beside them.
Martin gently disengaged from Sarah, turning over to see Becca, finally
waking up. She smiled at him, but was a little confused. He opened
his arms, and she came to him, cuddling tightly against his body.
"And I love you, too, Becca."
"I love you, Marty," she said. "What just happened?"
"We all... just became really good friends," he said with a
smile.
"Oh. Sarah?"
"Yeah, Becca?"
"... G'night..." She closed her eyes, and this time it was
clear she wasn't just napping.
Martin wasn't sure what Becca had wanted to say, but it
wasn't important now. They got up and carefully turned down the bed,
working around Becca. Eventually they got her under the covers, and
then they turned off the light and joined her. Martin kissed Becca on
the cheek, and he kissed Sarah on the lips, since she was still awake.
"Sweet dreams, you two," he whispered. Sarah merely sighed
in contentment.
...---=== http://ericstorm.wolfpub.org ===---...
The next several weeks were pure bliss for Martin and his
sisters. Though his original plan had been to visit several national
parks over the summer, these plans had been made long before he'd known
about the warmth. With his sisters along, he decided to visit the
theme parks in the area, branching out to some other trips that they
went on. The trio had a blast for the summer, truly enjoying their
time together.
The only thing about their time was that he'd never found
out what it was Becca was going to say that first night they were all
in bed together. She claimed - and he believed her - not to remember
what she had wanted to say. Certainly she'd been tired.
Of course, Martin did not spend all of his time
gallivanting around. Becca had to finish school before she could go on
any trips, and so while Sarah stayed at home, getting to know her
parents again, Martin had some other trips to take. More than once he
spent an afternoon, and once an entire evening, with Cathy Farmer. She
made things so very uncomplicated; she expected nothing more than great
sex, and she gave as good as she got.
Finally, though, after the summer was half over, it was
time for Martin to head back west.
"Do you *have* to go?" Becca whined. She was good at that.
"Unfortunately, yes. I have to help Katie and them move.
They're my responsibility, too, just like you are."
"I know. That doesn't mean I have to like losing you.
Everyone else still has you."
"Except Cathy," he whispered. She blushed. She still
couldn't fathom that he was screwing one of her teachers. "I know it's
hard, Becca. I wish there was a solution, but there isn't."
"Damn you, why'd you have to go to school in New Mexico,
anyway?"
"Now, let's not start *that* argument again..." He kissed
her softly, and she acquiesced. He was leaving in the morning, and she
didn't want to make his last night unpleasant. Also, Sarah was
currently sleeping in Becca's bed, to give the two one more night alone
before Martin left. As Becca had pointed out, Sarah would get to see
him all year. The two didn't get to sleep until very late.
...---=== http://ericstorm.wolfpub.org ===---...
Because Martin had a timetable, he and Sarah could not
dawdle on their journey back west. Sarah controlled her urges, which
had been somewhat curbed by Martin's incessant attentions over the last
six weeks. He loved her, and had made that abundantly clear to her
many times. She loved him, and she didn't want to smother him. It was
just so hard for her to stop herself; she belonged to him, after all.
She lived for him.
"So, what's this one trip you're going to take without
anyone? That's kind of odd for you, isn't it?"
"Only *now*. When I made the plans, that was normal. I
would take you along, but the registration is already filled up. I had
to pay a pretty penny for this trip, and I don't want to waste that
money."
"No, I certainly don't blame you. So, a week in the Grand
Canyon, huh?"
"Yep. I've wanted to see it since I was a kid. I'll be
hiking, riding horseback, even a helicopter tour. And they also take
us out to see Lake Mead."
"Sounds like a great trip, if you're into that sort of
thing. I'd love going with you, but I'll be honest, it's not my cup of
tea, anyway. I'm something of a city girl, in case you hadn't noticed."
"Oh, I noticed," he replied, leaning over to kiss her. She
smiled at him.
"We should be in Albuquerque in about an hour and a half.
I hope they're ready to go. I haven't got a lot of time left."
"They should be. We called them from that last hotel, so
they've been forewarned..."
"True enough."
-----
Martin pulled into the driveway of the Sarento home next to
the large yellow Ryder truck. He had seen that the truck was quite
full. He hopped out of the car, and was soon assaulted by two bubbling
teenagers who were very glad to see him. He kissed and hugged them
both, happy that they were okay and doing well.
The teenagers would be outdone by Katie, who walked up to
him, took him into her arms, and French-kissed him until his toes
curled. She wouldn't let go of him, even after she broke their kiss.
"God, I missed you," she said strongly.
"I see that," he said. "If you miss me any harder, I'll
have broken ribs." He smiled at her, and kissed her quickly again.
She finally let him go, but stayed close.
"How much more stuff is there to pack?" he asked.
"Just a few boxes that wouldn't fit on the truck. This is
our second load. We took the first one down yesterday."
"How did you know..."
"We didn't. We figured we'd get it done before you came
back. We were just a little slow. Oops."
"That's okay." He kissed her again, letting his hand
linger on her ass. She smiled like a school girl.
"Well, let's put the rest of the boxes in the cars, and get
this show on the road. Who's driving the other car?"
"Jen can do it," Katie offered. Jen looked a little put
out, but Martin walked over and kissed her.
"Will that hold you for a few hours?" he asked softly.
"I'll do anything for you, Marty," she responded, not quite
answering the question.
"I missed you," he said, not just because he knew she
wanted to hear it, but because he had, in fact, found himself wanting
to say things specifically to her from time to time. Jen had a certain
way of reacting that Martin had grown accustomed to. It was hard to
adjust to her suddenly not being there.
*What the hell has happened to me? Now I can't get used to
*not* having a slave? Geez, I'm whacked.*
Shaking his head, he headed into the house to grab the
remaining boxes.
...---=== http://ericstorm.wolfpub.org ===---...
Martin pulled into the parking lot and turned off the
engine. He looked around to see that he was one of the first people
there. He was a little surprised, but then it was mainly a check-in
day, anyway, so he thought that maybe people would come late. He got
his bag out of the trunk, and headed for the facility entrance. The
place looked new, and had in fact only been there for a year. The tour
he was going on was a package deal, and he had been looking forward to
this trip for a long time.
He entered the registration building to find a group of
only six people, apparently all were waiting for something. He went up
to the front desk, where he was greeted by a man dressed in khaki
clothes and a bush hat.
"Hi, I'm here to register. Martin Gallagher."
"Okay, let me see here... ah, here you are. Okay, Martin.
Do you have your pass?" Martin handed over the ticket he'd had in safe
keeping for the last ten months. "Okay, you're in group six." The guy
looked up, to see Martin's confusion. "For the sake of certain
activities," the guy explained, "we've found it's best to split the
large group into several smaller groups. In fact, the other two
members of group six are already here. They've been waiting for you."
"Oh."
"C'mon, I'll introduce you." The man, who introduced
himself as Brett, walked Martin over to where the other folks were
sitting. He pointed out two of them as he spoke. "John, Caitlyn, this
is your third group member, Martin." Handshakes were delivered all
around. John was a short man, probably five or six years older than
Martin, with black, moppy hair and glasses. He seemed to be in okay
shape, but Martin wondered about his stamina.
Caitlyn drew far more attention from him. She smiled up at
him as he was introduced, and the gaze from her deep green eyes was
friendly and welcoming. Her light brown hair was pulled back into a
ponytail, and he noticed that she wore no jewelry, other than a watch.
He tried not to evaluate her too obviously, though with her nice-sized
breasts and lithe body, that was difficult. He shook her hand,
allowing just a bit of the warmth to flow...
But it didn't.
Martin almost stumbled over himself, but caught himself in
time. He caught an odd look from Caitlyn, but ignored it as he was
trying to figure out what had just happened. Brett, not having a clue
that anything odd had just occurred, interrupted Martin's train of
thought.
"So, with the three of you here, we can go ahead and take
the heli-tour if you like. It takes about forty-five minutes, and the
canyon is very impressive from the air. Shall we go?"
"Don't you have to stay and register the guests?" John
asked. Caitlyn and Martin were still trying to avoid looking at each
other too obviously. Brett shook his head.
"No. Don can handle that. I'm supposed to handle the
tour. So, let's get going."
The three walked out to the truck and climbed in for the
short drive to the helipad. Nothing was said along the way, and Martin
tried to shake the odd feeling he'd had when he'd touched Caitlyn. *I
wonder if I'm not feeling well. That could explain it.* He didn't
recognize the similarity of the feeling to another one he'd had,
because he'd never expected it from someone else.
Climbing aboard the helicopter, Martin chanced another
glance at Caitlyn, but she was looking out the window already. He
shrugged to himself, and strapped in to his seat. He pulled out his
camera, to get some shots of the canyon. To him, this was the entire
purpose of the tour; if you weren't taking pictures to remember the
trip by, what was the point? He had to admit, though, it was liable to
be a spectacular view.
-----
Martin had been correct in his prediction; the ride was
breathtaking. He had used up an entire flash card on just this
flight. Luckily, he'd brought three more of them for his digital
camera. He had a feeling he'd use them all by the end of the week. As
they touched down on the helipad, Martin felt that the tension between
Caitlyn and him had subsided. He hoped so; it would be uncomfortable
to be on a trip with someone who didn't like him.
Once they were back in the truck, Brett told them, "Okay...
that's pretty much it for the activities for today. Your real trip
starts tomorrow. You can go find your rooms, and then the rest of the
day is yours."
"Rooms?" Martin asked. He'd expected to be camping on this
trip.
"The guest rooms are used for the times when we don't spend
the night in the canyon. Most of your time here will be day-trips,
though we will tend to get back a little late. We don't start camping
in the canyon itself until day four."
"Oh. That's... the horseback trip, right?"
"Right. Days four, five, and six are spent in the canyon.
Of course, we'll have to come out on day six before dark. You don't
want to try riding those trails in darkness."
"I imagine not," John said.
"Anyway, just find your room, make yourself comfortable,
and relax. Feel free to wander around, but try not to stray too far;
we don't want you to get lost or hurt or anything like that."
The group returned to the registration facility to get the
keys to their rooms, and then they split up, to find their respective
lodgings. Martin dumped his bag on the dresser, and flopped onto the
bed, staring up at the ceiling. He realized why everyone else was
waiting to show up; he was going to be bored out of his mind.
-----
Martin turned out to be incorrect about his boredom.
Around mid-afternoon, Caitlyn found him and asked if he would accompany
her on a walk. He readily agreed to that, and the two set off to
explore the immediate area surrounding their base camp. While they
walked, they talked about basic things. Caitlyn was nineteen, and a
sophomore in college, just like Martin. He found it strange that he
should find someone so much like himself on this trip.
*The universe has its mysteries.*
The two deliberately did not mention the odd feelings they
had encountered when they first met. Neither of them was totally clear
on what had happened, and they didn't want to think about it, so they
simply didn't. They were becoming fast friends in the way of people on
a trip, and they would avoid any unpleasantness if they could.
...---=== http://ericstorm.wolfpub.org ===---...
The following morning, Martin was up with the dawn. His
afternoon walk with Caitlyn had turned into eating their dinner
together and a couple games of chess, just to kill time. They'd both
gone to bed fairly early, out of boredom more than anything else.
They'd run out of pleasant, bland things to talk about, and so their
conversation had also lapsed. Still, Martin had enjoyed the evening.
After straightening up, Martin left the room. He didn't
take anything with him; the tour company was providing all materials.
He *did* remember to take his key, though.
Martin met up with John and Caitlyn in the dining room.
"Good morning, you guys," he greeted, sitting down at the table.
"Hey, Martin," John said a little stiffly. It was apparent
that he wasn't good with people.
"Good morning, Marty," Caitlyn said brightly. "You look
like you slept better than I did."
"No complaints," he said. "I've spent too much time lately
in hotel rooms to have trouble sleeping in strange beds." The hard
part had been sleeping *alone*, after all.
Caitlyn stifled a yawn. "Must be nice. So, what're we
doing today?"
John answered, "Today is a hike around the rim of the
canyon. Not the whole thing, of course," he said uncomfortably. The
other two chuckled. Breakfast was a quiet affair; none of them were
fully awake yet.
-----
"All right, folks, let's try to stick together for the most
part. You small groups, watch out for each other. We're not going to
push it today, but we're not going to dawdle, either. We'll stop
frequently for rest breaks and picture opportunities, for those of you
who brought cameras. We'll make sure to point out anything especially
significant along the way. Everyone ready? Okay, let's move out!"
John, Caitlyn, and Martin all started out walking together,
but it wasn't more than ten minutes before John had fallen several
paces behind them. Martin looked back in concern.
"You okay?"
"Yeah, I'll be fine," he said. "Just a little faster than
I like walking, is all."
Martin nodded. The pace seemed perfectly comfortable to
him, but that was life. Caitlyn walked beside him, enjoying the view.
He was enjoying the view, all right, but very often it wasn't the
canyon he was looking at. His attention was rapidly diverted from her
pretty face, though, when he heard an eagle's cry. He found the bird
soaring above one of the many buttes in the canyon, and his camera came
up almost of its own accord. He zoomed in, and snapped the shot,
taking two more for good measure. He put his camera back in its pouch,
and then continued walking. Caitlyn had stopped to wait for him, and
that meant that John was actually ahead of them now.
"You like photography?" she asked.
"It's just a hobby. I need a better camera if I'm going to
be any more serious about it."
Caitlyn nodded, and they continued walking.
-----
The day passed by quickly. Before they knew it, they had
stopped for lunch at a very nice spot to view the canyon from. Martin
ate his lunch quickly, because he was quite hungry from the exertion of
walking all morning. He stepped a little ways away from the group to
take a picture of them. He wanted to at least have some record of the
people he'd been with.
Caitlyn, finished with her own lunch, walked over to where
he was. She stood quietly, looking out into the canyon. Martin,
figuring he had a very good shot, with her in the foreground and the
canyon behind her, snapped two shots before she could turn.
"What was that for?" she asked lightly.
"Couldn't resist. I... um..."
"What?" she could tell he had thought to say something, but
then censored himself.
"Well, I like taking pictures of beautiful things."
Caitlyn blushed, and smiled. "Thanks."
Martin turned away from her. It was awkward talking to
her, which was why he'd tried using his warmth on her that first day.
After what had happened, he wasn't going to do it again, though.
Caitlyn didn't press the issue. Instead, she turned to
look out at the canyon again. She could just see the Colorado River
winding through the bottom of the canyon. They would be going down
there at the end of the week, and she was looking forward to it. She
wasn't big on camping, but it was worth it to be here, seeing this
place.
The two of them heard the team leader calling the group
together, and Caitlyn turned to go back to the group. As she did so,
she saw a shadow dart in front of her. She screamed and jumped back.
The problem with jumping back was that she was already too close to the
edge. She lost her footing, and began to fall backward, into the
canyon.
Martin, who had already put his camera away, and had been
watching the eagle, had turned to go when the guide had called out as
well. He saw Caitlyn jump, and he knew before it happened that she
would lose her footing. He fairly leapt for her, and grabbed her wrist
just as she was beginning to go over. He had to move fast, because he
was off-balance now, and could end up going over with her. He planted
his foot, and pulled. That pushed them both back away from the edge,
but unfortunately, his foot struck a rock, and he stumbled, taking them
both to the ground. Twisting as they fell, Caitlyn took the brunt of
the impact, and Martin had to work hard not to hurt her as he landed
basically on top of her.
Caitlyn was wide-eyed in terror. As she focused on
Martin's face, she hugged him fiercely.
"Oh, god, thank you!" she cried. Martin could barely
breathe, let alone respond to her. He rested his one hand on her hip,
which was the best he could do as far as touching her platonically in
this position.
The rest of the group had heard Caitlyn's scream, and had
witnessed the almost-catastrophe. They ran over to see if the two were
all right. The guide, of course, was angry, mostly with himself, and
scared about what had almost happened.
"What the hell did you think you were doing?" Don screamed.
"Hey, back off, man," Brett said. He knelt down next to
them. "You two okay?"
Martin looked down at Caitlyn. She was still very shaky,
but she wasn't seriously hurt. He looked over at Brett and nodded.
"If you'd give us a couple minutes to calm down a bit, we'd be better."
Brett nodded, and stood back up. "Okay, folks. We leave
in five minutes. Make sure your stuff is packed up."
"What the hell was that thing?" she asked.
Martin looked up. Several of the people were still well
within earshot. "I'll tell you later. Can you get up?"
"Not with you still on top of me, no," she said with a
smile. He smiled back at her, and tried to move away from her. She
hadn't, and wouldn't, let go of him.
"I can't get off you unless you let go."
"God, I was so scared. I owe you my life."
"I'll settle for dinner," he said lightly. She smiled, and
finally let go of him, but he could tell she was reluctant to do so.
He got to his knees, and helped her sit up. He looked her over before
letting her get to her feet, just in case. He knew that his ankle was
a little sore; he hoped he hadn't sprained or twisted it.
Finally, the two of them got to their feet. Caitlyn stayed
well away from the edge of the canyon. Noting that there was no one
around them at the moment, she had to ask.
"Okay, no one can hear you. What the hell was that?"
"A roadrunner," he answered deadpan.
"You're shitting me."
He shook his head negatively. "Nope. A little, harmless
bird that was probably more afraid of you than you were of it. Of
course," he said light-heartedly, "the bird had the good sense not to
jump off the cliff because of it..."
She blushed fiercely, but smiled at him.
"Come on, let's get back to the group."
Caitlyn stuck very close to him for the rest of the day.
-----
Martin and Caitlyn spent their entire evening together -
again - and enjoyed each other's company. Now Martin was walking her
back to her room. He felt she was still a little shaken by her
experience. She had not gone within ten feet of the edge for the rest
of the day. He wondered how she would handle the horseback ride in a
few days, but figured she might be over it by then.
When they reached her door, she turned to him with a soft
smile.
"Marty, if you hadn't been there today..."
"If I hadn't been there," he said, interrupting the train
of thought she was trying to get started, "you probably wouldn't have
been standing there. So, you wouldn't have been startled by that
vicious roadrunner, and wouldn't have almost decided to learn to fly
the hard way."
"Still, I mean, you risked yourself, too. If you weren't
able to pull me back, I might have taken you over with me."
"There wasn't anything else I could do, Caitlyn. What, was
I supposed to stand there and watch you go over? Then how was I
supposed to look John in the face?" They both chuckled softly.
Caitlyn could tell that John had a crush on her. It made him somewhat
unfriendly toward Martin, but he tried to hide it.
"Well, whatever you thought you had to do, thank you for
what you did." Caitlyn leaned in and gave him a soft kiss on the
cheek. She hugged him, and he returned the embrace. He let her go as
soon as she pulled back. "See you in the morning?"
"You bet. Breakfast?"
"As long as they're not serving that slop again!"
He laughed as he turned to go. "Good night, Caitlyn." He
walked away without looking back, but he was well down the hallway
before he heard the door click shut.
...---=== http://ericstorm.wolfpub.org ===---...
The next morning, he found Caitlyn waiting outside his
building for him. The guest quarters were divided up among fairly
small buildings, apparently to give a more intimate feel to the place.
She smiled when she saw him, and he headed over to her.
"Good morning," he said, stifling a yawn.
"Didn't sleep well?" she asked.
"I'll manage. C'mon, let's get some breakfast, before I
fall asleep standing here."
The pair walked off to breakfast, which was at least edible
this morning. As they were some of the first people up, they were
finishing just as many of the late risers came into the cafeteria to
eat. Martin walked outside and sat on one of the many benches that
looked out over the canyon. Unprompted, Caitlyn came and sat beside
him. He looked over at her, and couldn't ignore the question that was
bugging him.
"Are you okay?"
"Just... a little shaken, I guess. I've never come that
close to..."
"It's not a good idea to dwell on it."
"I know. But I can't seem to shake it."
"Is there anything I can do?"
"No. You already did your part, remember?"
"Okay, but in some cultures, saving your life makes you my
responsibility. Call me melodramatic." He smiled, and she returned
it, but it was a little forced on her part.
"I appreciate it. I'm just going to have to get through it
myself, I guess."
"Okay. If you want to talk about it..."
"Trust me, I'll know where to find you at all times." He
cocked an eyebrow at that, but kept his peace. The two sat together,
silently, until the guide called everyone together for the bus trip
they were taking today.
"Where are we going, again?" Caitlyn asked.
Before John could jump in, Martin said, "Havasu Canyon. To
the waterfall."
"Oy, more hiking."
"Not actually," John said, trying to reassert himself.
"Today is supposed to be mainly a day of sightseeing and enjoying the
water. I hope you brought your bathing suit," he said, not realizing
how discordant his tone sounded. Caitlyn looked at Martin and frowned.
Martin leaned over and whispered, "You want me to beat him
up for you?"
Caitlyn laughed, and she couldn't stop giggling. "You're
impossible!"
"No, just highly improbable. I think the odds of my
existing are infinity minus one to one." Caitlyn laughed more. Martin
had found something that would take her mind off the day before; it was
a lesson he would remember.
-----
It didn't take long for the bus to drop them off at the rim
of the Havasu Canyon. Caitlyn looked at the edge, knowing she had to
go down it, and frowned, hugging herself.
"I'm... not sure I can go down there," she said to Martin.
John looked at her as if she'd grown a third arm.
"That's one of the best parts of this trip, and you're not
going to go down there?"
"John, man, back off," Martin said, the hint of a warning
in his voice. He pulled Caitlyn aside as John stalked off, offended by
Martin's tone. "Caitlyn, you can do this. This isn't like yesterday.
Yesterday was an accident. This time, you'll be watching where you're
going, and I'll be watching where you're going, too."
She looked up at him. "Why are you doing this?"
Martin got a confused look on his face. "Doing what?"
"Being so nice to me, helping me. You don't even *know*
me!"
"It's not important for me to know you. I know you well
enough to know I like you. That's all I need to want to help. Is that
a good enough explanation?"
He could see it wasn't, but she accepted it for the
moment. "You promise you'll catch me if I slip?"
"I promise I'll do my very best. I'm not Superman, ya
know."
She smiled again, and was beset with a fit of giggles when
he posed like Superman, hands on his hips, chest thrown out, looking
off into the distance.
"Okay, okay," she said, when she could get her breath.
"I'll go, but... could you hold my hand? Please?"
"I'd be more than happy to hold your hand," he said,
putting far too much meaning into it. He hoped she hadn't noticed, and
she didn't appear to. He took her hand in his, and together, they
walked over to the rest of the group. Brett, who had been watching the
two of them talk, took Martin aside for a moment. He could tell that
Caitlyn *really* didn't like that.
"Is she going to be okay? I know what that kind of scare
can do to someone..."
"She's going to try. I'll look out for her."
"Thanks. I appreciate the assist."
Martin looked at her, to make sure she couldn't hear him,
and said, "I'm not doing it for you. I'm doing it for her."
Brett looked over at her, and back at Martin, and smiled.
"Thanks, anyway." He walked away from Martin and said, "Okay, folks,
in we go!" Martin went back to Caitlyn and she fairly clutched his
hand in fear.
"What did he want?" she asked.
"Nothing important," Martin evaded. He didn't want to tell
her that Brett had asked *him* about her, rather than just asking her
directly. "Are you ready?"
"No, but if we wait for that, we'll still be here when they
come back."
Martin looked down at the path, which was wide enough for
the two of them to walk side by side, and just shook his head. He
switched sides, so she would always be to his inside, and then they
started down.
-----
The trip down into the canyon was long and tiring, and by
the time they got to the bottom, Martin's hand was cramping from how
tightly Caitlyn had been squeezing it. After she let him go at the
bottom, she saw him flexing it to get the circulation back.
"I'm sorry," she said, embarrassed at her behavior. "I
couldn't help myself. Next time... I'll..."
"You'll do the same thing all over again, and that's fine.
I offered to help, remember? The important thing is that you made it
down. One thousand small steps for man-"
"Woman," she said, smiling.
"Okay, okay. One thousand small steps for woman, one big
sigh of relief for me." Martin smiled, to show he was teasing.
Caitlyn giggled again, unable, in her tense state, to keep herself from
it.
On impulse, Caitlyn gave him a hug. "You must be a
wonderful friend to the people back home."
"I like to think so. Come on, we can go relax under a
tree."
"You're not swimming, either?"
"No, not my thing. When I swim, it's in calm,
chlorine-infested waters. I'm going to take some photos of the falls,
and maybe go visit the tribe later."
"Tribe?"
"The Havasupai Indians. They live about 2 miles that way,"
he said, pointing up the canyon.
"Oh. How do you know all this stuff?"
"I've been planning this trip for a while. Didn't you?"
"No. My parents sprung this on me a few months ago, as a
present for doing so well in college. I don't mind, but I'd much
rather have picked my own vacation."
"I can understand that." The two had reached a shady spot,
and sat down on the ground to relax. Martin pulled out his camera to
take some pictures of the falls. He inevitably got some pictures of
the people making fools of themselves in the water, as well.
"Could you do me a favor?" he asked Caitlyn after a few
minutes.
"Sure, what?"
"Pose for me, in front of the falls?"
"Marty..."
"I told you, I like taking pictures of beautiful things."
He had already said that once, unintentionally. Now he could get away
with it, since it hadn't gotten him slapped last time.
"Okay." She walked over into the sun, and turned to face
him, but then she raised her hands in confusion and said, "Now what?"
Turn and face the waterfall. Look up at the top of it."
She did, and the wind blew her hair clear of her face. Martin had the
perfect shot, and took it. He moved so that the shot would include the
waterfalls, and then he asked her to turn her head to look at him. She
did, and it was a perfect shot. He snapped the picture, and then put
the camera down.
"I couldn't beat that last picture if I tried. Thanks."
Caitlyn walked over and sank down beside him. "Do you
really think I'm pretty, or are you just trying to take my mind off my
troubles?"
"Um... both?" She giggled again. "You are a very pretty
woman."
"Thank you," she said softly.
Martin just nodded, and looked up at the falls.
-----
After about an hour, Martin rose from where he was
sitting. Caitlyn, who had lain down and closed her eyes, was
immediately sitting up.
"Where are you going?" she asked. Martin jumped; he hadn't
heard her move.
"I'm going to visit the village. Wanna come?"
"Sure. Not much happening here."
The two of them walked over to the guide to let him know
where they were going.
"Okay. We'll be serving lunch in about an hour and a half,
and we're leaving at five."
"No problem. Shouldn't take us long."
The two walked off to the south, heading for Supai
village. They walked lazily, taking over a half hour to get to the
village. The people there were expecting tourists, and were not
surprised to see them on the path. Neither Caitlyn nor Martin were in
the mood to buy any trinkets, but they did want to look around, and see
how the Havasupai lived.
Sitting in front of one small building, the couple
encountered a wizened old man who stared at Martin intently. Martin
became uneasy, and felt compelled to go speak with him.
"Excuse me, but have I done something offensive?"
"Why would you ask such a thing?" the man replied.
"The way you stare at me, I was afraid I'd done something
wrong."
"It has been a long time since I have met one such as you,"
the man explained without making any sense. "A long time, indeed. I
wasn't sure if it was really you or if this old man had finally lost
his senses. But you, you are what you are."
"And, what am I?"
"Grandfather," a young man said from behind Martin, "stop
bothering the tourists." To Martin, he said, "I'm sorry, my
grandfather is sometimes a little out of it."
"No, that's all right," Martin said. Turning back to the
elderly man, Martin said, "What am I?"
The man took Martin by the shoulder, and looked deep into
his eyes. Martin was lost in the man's eyes, as if he were falling
into a deep pool of cold water. After a long moment, the man said,
"You know already what you are. Fulfill that which is within you, and
be true to your soul. That is the greatest purpose of a man." The
elderly gentleman sat back and smiled at the pair. "Good journey to
you both."
"Good journey to you," Martin said. He looked at Caitlyn
as they turned to leave.
"What was that all about?" she asked him. Martin shrugged
in incomprehension, but she wasn't sure she believed him.
Martin stopped when he saw a young woman shaping beads for
a necklace. The beads were made from turquoise and quartz. She looked
up when she noticed that she had company.
"We didn't mean to disturb you," Martin said
apologetically. "That's just... such fine work."
"Thank you," the woman said. "I try hard, but most of what
I produce is not acceptable to my father, so it does not sell."
"I'm so sorry," Caitlyn said. "I think it's beautiful."
The woman looked at Caitlyn for a long moment. She
motioned for her to wait, and the woman turned to open a small wooden
box. She removed a necklace that looked very elegant, and presented it
to Martin.
"For your lady friend," she said formally. Martin blushed
slightly, but nodded his head in respect.
"Thank you." He turned and fastened it around Caitlyn's
neck. Caitlyn did not object whatsoever to him touching her.
When Martin had finished, the woman had something else in
her hand. She held out what looked to be a headband, but finely
beaded, and with a single owl feather tucked into it.
"For you. For a warrior, it would be an eagle feather.
For someone with your wisdom, it is the feather of the owl."
Martin took the item, perplexed. Seeing the expectant look
on the young woman's face, he placed it on his head. As soon as he
did, she smiled broadly.
"I knew it was you. Go in peace."
"What do we owe you?" Martin asked. The young woman shook
her head.
"I cannot accept any money from you. My father would be
angry. It suits me to know that one who appreciates my work wears it.
Thank you for honoring me with your visit."
"Good journey to you," Martin said, thinking it a standard
farewell greeting. The woman looked at him strangely. "I'm sorry,
isn't that the way you say good-bye here?"
"Only to one of special descent. I am not."
"I apologize for my improper behavior, then."
"It isn't important. It is far more important that you are
trying. Thank you again."
Martin and Caitlyn left the village, very uncertain of what
had happened. They talked about it on the way back.
"They both thought you were someone special. I mean, I
like you, too, but they..."
"I don't get it, either. I'm just... me."
When they entered the camp, it was just about time for
lunch. Brett, seeing the pair enter the camp, waved to them, but then
saw what they were wearing. He walked over to them quickly.
"Where did you get that?" Brett asked urgently, indicating
Martin's headpiece.
"It was given to me by one of the Havasupai women. Why?"
Brett looked very startled. "They *gave* you that?"
Martin shrugged. "Yeah. We stopped to tell the woman how
nice her work was, and she gave Caitlyn the necklace, and gave me the
headpiece. What's the big deal?"
Brett led the two of them away from the others. "The
Havasupai do not give away such things, and they don't make them for
the tourists. That is an item of esteem to a Havasupai. I don't know
what you did in that village, but you're as close to being a member of
the tribe as you can get, without actually marrying one of them."
Martin looked at Caitlyn, who was staring at Brett in
shock. He looked back to Brett. "It... *was* a strange trip. We ran
into this guy who said he knew what I was, but wouldn't tell me what I
was. He said I already knew. It was weird."
"The woman also said she knew it was you, which I didn't
get," Caitlyn added.
"Yeah, that, too. I'd forgotten that bit."
Brett was shaking his head. "And she gave the necklace to
you?"
"Well, technically, she gave it to Martin. 'For your lady
friend,' she said." Brett paled slightly.
"I don't know what it was, Martin, but you just went
through a ritual of some kind. I have no idea what that means."
"Should I go back and ask someone?" Martin said, concerned.
"If they wanted you to understand it, someone would have
explained it to you," he said. "Just... consider yourself blessed, and
move on. Oh, and if you ever come back here, you'll want to wear
that. They'd consider it an insult if you didn't."
Martin shrugged. He had been about to take it off, but
after that comment, decided he'd leave it on until they left the area.
Turning to Caitlyn, he shrugged. "I don't get it, but I'm awfully
hungry. You?"
"Starving. Going through weird rites of passage always
gives me an appetite." The two laughed as they walked over to the
barbecue to get something for lunch.
...---=== http://ericstorm.wolfpub.org ===---...
The following afternoon found Martin and Caitlyn walking
down a path together. The group they were with had gone to Lake Mead
for the day, and Martin had wanted to get some shots of the local
wildlife. Caitlyn had invited herself along, much to Martin's
pleasure. She had not objected when he'd stopped to take pictures
along the way, and she'd been a very pleasant companion.
Now, they'd eaten lunch, and were wondering just what they
should do next. They looked around for John, their group partner.
They hadn't been very friendly to him that morning, as he'd been in
something of a mood, and neither of them had wanted to deal with him.
When they couldn't find him, they sought out Brett, to ask him about it.
"John had to go to the hospital," Brett said, his mouth
full of hamburger.
"Is he okay?" Martin asked.
Brett swallowed before he answered. "Should be. The nurse
said it was exhaustion and heat exhaustion on top of that. Apparently,
this week was a little more strenuous than he should have been
tackling. He didn't say anything to you two?"
They both shook their heads. Martin said, "Not a word. I
guess we should have known something was wrong when he couldn't keep up
with the hike around the rim. He was lagging behind us all the way on
that one."
"Well, not your fault. He should have known better. From
now on, we're putting a warning on the forms. Anyway, you two can
handle the camping phase without him, can't you?"
"Sure," Caitlyn assured him. Martin looked sideways at
her, but kept his peace. She'd been awfully quick to reply. The two
of them walked away, toward the lake. Caitlyn was much calmer this
day, since there were no cliffs for her to fall off of. For some
reason, their visit to Hoover Dam had not inspired the same fear in
her. He shrugged it off.
"So, we spent the morning doing what I wanted to do. What
do you want to do?"
Caitlyn shrugged and looked around. Over at the dock, she
spotted some pedal boats. "Let's take a ride on one of those," she
suggested. Martin was up for it, and in a few minutes, they were
making their way out into the lake.
It was very pleasant out here, the breeze carrying away the
heat of the day. Even though there were thousands of people at the
lake, there was no way to call it crowded. He felt like he and Caitlyn
were all alone, pedaling out into the blue expanse. He sat back
against the bench seat, and put his arm up along the back.
Once they were several hundred yards away from shore,
Caitlyn turned to him and said, "Why don't we stop here, and just enjoy
the lake?" Martin stopped his pedaling, and then removed his feet from
the pedals. He leaned back, looking up into the deep blue sky and
stretching his back and legs. When he looked back down, Caitlyn had
maneuvered herself over on the bench seat. She was very close to him
now.
Martin instinctively slid his hand down from the seat onto
her shoulder, and Caitlyn came willingly. She looked up at him, and
there was a pause between them, a moment when something indescribable
happened. Then, the moment seemed not so much to pass as to become
normal. Caitlyn leaned up, and the couple kissed for the first time.
Caitlyn's lips moved sensuously against Martin's, but they kept their
passions in check. Neither of them was interested, at the moment, in
doing anything more.
The couple necked for quite a while, mostly ignoring the
world around them. When they finally grew restless, they broke their
kiss, but not their embrace. Putting his feet back on the pedals,
Martin pedaled slowly, keeping his arm around Caitlyn.
"Want me to help?" she asked quietly.
"Not particularly," he said. He squeezed her shoulder to
indicate why. She smiled at him, and relaxed against him, enjoying the
moment.
"I can't remember the last time I had a day this peaceful,"
she said.
"Hmm," Martin answered. Peaceful was not a word he'd been
using to describe his life as of late. Interesting was one he
frequently used, but that was hardly the same thing.
"What do you plan to do for the rest of the summer?"
Caitlyn asked suddenly.
"Family stuff," Martin answered after a long pause. "You?"
"I don't know. My parents planned this trip, but I don't
have anything else to do for the summer except get ready for next
semester."
"I hear that. I'm not necessarily looking forward to my
next classes. They're supposed to be pretty tough."
"I've heard that about NMSS. Then again, I hear that the
people that come from that school tend to be the top in their field."
"I wish," Martin smirked. He maneuvered the boat to avoid
some swimmers, not wanting anyone to intrude on this moment. Caitlyn
was playing with his hair as she leaned against him, and he found the
moment at the same time disconcerting and altogether wonderful.
The pair stayed out on the water for several hours, just
enjoying their time and seeing the sights. Martin had, of course,
brought his camera, and so took some pictures from out on the lake. He
made sure, of course, to get several shots of Caitlyn, as well. Soon
enough, it was nearing sunset, and time for them to head back in.
When they sat down together on the bus for the trip back to
base camp, Caitlyn leaned over and kissed Martin again, but quickly.
She whispered, "Thanks for a wonderful day. I owe you one."
...---=== http://ericstorm.wolfpub.org ===---...
Martin patted the horse as he waited for everyone to
settle. He had already made sure his own gear was going along, and
that was all he was required to do until they moved out. He had also
inquired about Caitlyn's gear, just to be nice. He could tell she was
feeling a little nervous this morning.
When Martin walked over to her, Caitlyn was nearly
shaking. She hugged herself tightly, trying to banish the chills that
had nothing at all to do with the temperature. Martin kissed her
softly on the cheek, in hopes that would calm her a little bit. She
smiled wanly at him, but the look of terror didn't go away.
"Are you sure you're going to be able to do this?" he asked.
"No," she said honestly.
Martin considered what he could do for a long moment before
getting an idea. He left Caitlyn so he could go find Brett. Though
Don was really the lead guide, Martin refused to talk to him, due to
his abrasive nature. He found Brett securing the packs on the horses.
"Brett, I got a question for you," Martin said quietly.
"Shoot," Brett said, continuing to secure the duffel he was
working with.
"Could these horses carry two people on this path?"
That caused Brett to stop what he was doing, and look over
at Martin. He took a quick guess. "Caitlyn?"
"Yeah. That near-fall the other day has her badly
spooked. She'll be fine when we get to the bottom, it's just the ride
down that has her scared."
Brett stepped clear of the horse to look over at Caitlyn,
and then back to Martin. His gaze was evaluative, rather than
judgmental. "She doesn't look like she weighs more than a hundred
pounds, and you're not Fat Albert either, so I guess they wouldn't have
any problem with it. You sure she'll be all right?"
"So long as the horse doesn't fall off the path, she will
be," Martin said, deadpan.
Brett let loose a short bark of a laugh. "Don't even think
that loudly. I'm glad to see that you're looking after her. It makes
my job easier."
"It's not like it's unpleasant duty," Martin said with a
raised eyebrow. Brett laughed more easily this time.
"I guess not. Good man. You'd better get ready; we're
leaving in five."
Martin nodded, and walked back over to Caitlyn. He took
her hand, and led her over to his own horse. He motioned her up onto
it.
'This isn't my animal," she said, uncertain.
"I know that. Get on." She did, rather clumsily. Martin
got his foot into the stirrup, which she hadn't used very well even for
mounting the animal, and pulled himself up into the saddle. The horse
didn't seem to be fazed by the added weight. "I asked our guide if the
horse could handle this. He said yes. Will you feel any better this
way?" Martin wasn't sure he could actually be of help with this
problem; he was only trying the tricks he knew.
Caitlyn settled back against him, still nervous, but glad
to have someone near her who cared. She felt immediately better when
he wrapped his arms around her so he could take hold of the reins.
"Yes," she said finally. "If you promise not to let me
fall, I think I'll be okay."
"If you go, I go," he said firmly. She pushed herself back
against him at that, and then settled. Martin walked the horse around,
letting it warm up for the long walk ahead. He almost felt sorry for
the animal, but realized that they had probably made this walk many,
many times, and had the strength and stamina to deal with it.
Finally, Don called out to get the horses rounded up and
heading for the trail. Martin felt Caitlyn tense up, just at the
thought. He made sure to be the last of the campers in line; the only
people behind him were those guiding the pack horses. He leaned over
to whisper in Caitlyn's ear.
"It'll be okay, Caitlyn. Promise." He kissed her very
softly on the neck before sitting upright again. Her face was fighting
between a happy smile and a worried frown. Martin couldn't dwell on it
too much; the horse was beginning the downward trek into the canyon.
-----
It took a considerable amount of time to reach the canyon
floor, the horses stepping carefully along the path of sometimes loose
dirt. Nobody was in any hurry to make it to the bottom, especially if
it involved skydiving first. When they finally reached the floor of
the canyon, Martin felt Caitlyn relax measurably. He squeezed her for
a moment, and then released, paying a little more attention to what the
horse was doing.
"Thank you, Marty. That's two I owe you."
"You don't owe me anything, Caitlyn. That's what friends
are for." He held onto the reins loosely, and rested his hands on the
top of her thighs. She brought her hands down on top of his, as a show
of friendship.
"How long do you think we'll be riding?"
"For another couple hours, at least... I imagine we'll stop
for lunch then. I can't remember where we're camping tonight... Gee,
something that John could have told us!"
Caitlyn giggled. When she was able to be more serious, she
said, "I do hope he's all right, but he was kind of creepy."
"Yeah. Some people are like that. I think he was just too
shy for his own good."
"Could be."
-----
The group did ride for another two hours before they found
themselves in a clearing near the bottom of a butte that towered over
them. Martin couldn't tell how high it was from here; he could barely
see the top of it, having to crane his neck all the way back.
"Okay, dismount for lunch!" Don called out. Everyone else
hopped off, but Martin first helped Caitlyn down. He then climbed off
his horse, patting it in thanks for the job it had done. No one
trusted the campers to take care of the animals, so Martin handed his
horse off to one of the animal handlers. He and Caitlyn walked over to
the spot where lunch was being prepared.
"Folks, watch yourselves around here. There are
rattlesnakes in the area."
"Did he *have* to tell us that?" Caitlyn moaned.
"Would you rather find out the hard way?"
Caitlyn agreed that she would not. The two sat down and
waited for lunch to be prepared. Now that they were off that damnable
cliff path, Caitlyn felt far more at ease with her new... friend?
-----
They rode for most of the afternoon, reaching their
campsite about a half-hour before sunset. Everyone was happy to find
such luxuries as a port-a-john waiting for them.
"Well, that's one worry eliminated," Caitlyn said with a
smile. She had not accepted Martin's offer to ride alone for the
afternoon. He had, however, switched horses, so that neither of them
would grow too tired. The pair dismounted this horse, and gave it back
to its handler. Martin stretched, and tried to walk off some of the
stiffness and ache in his legs.
"It's gonna hurt tomorrow," he mumbled to himself
good-naturedly. Where they were standing, they were already in shadow,
because the sun had passed behind the ridge of the canyon. Martin
shrugged; he hadn't been paying attention to the sunset when it had
occurred because his mind had been elsewhere.
He walked over to Brett to ask him what needed to be done
to prepare camp.
"Nothing. We've got it. We would let you guys do it, but
we've had too many problems in the past with campers who weren't sure
of what they were doing. We've lost equipment that way. So, we just
decided to take care of setting up and tearing down ourselves. You're
free to wander about. Careful of the... wildlife, and don't fall off
anything, okay? Dinner's in an hour and a half."
"Thanks a lot," Caitlyn said sourly. She had not left
Martin's side yet. Martin turned to her and smiled.
"He was kidding."
"I know. I'm not normally like this," she said.
"You mean you're not normally warm and affectionate?"
Martin said mischievously.
"Well... not quite *this* warm and affectionate. You
turkey, I mean being a scaredy-cat. It's just... that fall... it shook
me, bad."
Martin put his arm around her shoulder. "The thought of
doing a backward somersault off the 1600-meter board into an empty
swimming pool would scare the bejeezus out of almost anyone. You'll
get over it, eventually. Until then, there's no reason for me not to
stick with you through this trip."
The pair wandered off in a direction that seemed random to
Martin. He did not know that Caitlyn was deliberately leading him away
from everyone else. She hadn't seen anyone go in this direction. They
took a turn around a small pillar of rock, and were faced with a
good-sized hill.
Martin finally noticed that Caitlyn seemed to be moving
more than randomly. "Are we going somewhere?"
"I didn't get to see the sunset," she said. "If we climb
this little mountain here, we can watch it."
"Caitlyn, are you sure? I mean..."
"I think I'll be okay. You go first, so I know exactly
where not to step," she said with a smile.
"Thanks a bundle." Martin worked his way up the fairly
steep rock. It wasn't really treacherous, but he needed to pay
attention. He was also watching for some of that wildlife that Brett
had alluded to. This was no place to get bitten.
The last step was a fairly good stretch for Martin. When
he looked down, he saw that Caitlyn was unlikely to make it. From his
vantage point, he could also see some other things about Caitlyn, and
those were things he was definitely interested in. He hadn't been
aware until now that she was not wearing a bra. Her loose T-shirt had
hidden that fact. It was doing something else now.
Martin quickly came to a decision as he reached for
Caitlyn's hand to help her up. It had done something very strange the
last time he'd tried it on her, but he would give it one more shot. He
ramped up the warmth just as his hand came into contact with hers. He
felt this odd tingling sensation, but the warmth did not flow into her
body. He pulled a little more strongly than he needed to, distracted
by the odd way his strange power was behaving. She came up quite
easily, and collided with him, knocking him back a step. She wrapped
her arms around him, and didn't bother to let go.
"Your mind tricks don't work on me, young Jedi," Caitlyn
said, reading the look on his face. His attempt had confirmed to her
his interest, which she hadn't been entirely confident of until now.
She needed to make *her* intentions clear, as well. "But," she said,
rubbing her hand against his chest, "my furry little Ewok wouldn't mind
playing with your light saber for a while."
Martin looked at her in shock. Her meaning was quite
clear. He temporized. "I thought you wanted to see the sunset."
Caitlyn turned around and glanced at the sun. "Okay, seen
it." She turned back to him, and then pressed her body against him.
She kissed him hotly, her lips rubbing sensuously against his. Her
hands rubbed up and down his sides as her tongue slipped out,
requesting entrance to his mouth.
As Martin's lips parted to grant her request, he slipped
his hands around to her lower back, pulling her gently against him, and
caressing the small of her back through her shirt. The two remained
locked together that way for some moments, lost in the wonderful
feelings they were having.
When they finally parted, Martin looked around. "Anyone
who wants to can see us from here..."
Caitlyn shook her head, and led him around the rock, which
she had looked at from the ground. Around the back side of it, there
was a deep crevice. It was large enough to step into easily, but
protected from all views but one very limited one. She turned
carefully around to face him.
"I want you to know, I don't go sleeping with every guy
who's nice to me. There's something different about you, and I don't
mean just... you know. I really like you, and I don't care what you
say, I *do* owe you." She took hold of his hands and pushed them
beneath her shirt, which was not tucked in. She moved his hands up
until they were resting on her breasts. She moaned as he began to
gently fondle her tits. She moved her hands downward, unbuttoning his
jeans. It didn't take her long before she had them pushed down past
his hips. She carefully slid his briefs down next, exposing his erect
cock to her hand. She gripped him softly, stroking it with her
graceful fingers. Martin moaned as she continued to jack him.
Caitlyn squatted, causing Martin's hands to slip from her
chest. She wasn't entirely happy about that, but she wanted to give
him a present. She kissed the head of his dick, running her tongue out
to slide along the entire surface of it. Finally, she parted her lips,
and slid her mouth down onto his prick. She went all the way down, not
stopping until her nose was buried in his pubic hair. Martin groaned
loudly at the feel of her mouth engulfing his dick. Her tongue and
lips worked together as she began to move on him, keeping in soft,
luscious contact all the way. Her head slipped up and down on the
shaft, pushing Martin toward release.
He tried to warn Caitlyn about what was coming, but
couldn't make words. She wouldn't have cared anyway, and when his cum
blasted from his dick, she eagerly swallowed all of it. She continued
to suck on his cock, pulling his spunk from his balls. She held onto
his hips, making sure he couldn't get away as she drank from his
manhood. When she had gotten all she was going to get, she allowed his
shrinking dick to slip from between her lips.
Martin pulled her to her feet, and hotly kissed Caitlyn.
He ran his tongue deep into her mouth, kissing her more passionately
than he could ever remember kissing anyone. He pushed her
not-so-gently against the wall of the crevice, letting his hands roam
until they found her ass. She kissed back just as wantonly, eager for
him to do whatever he wanted to her.
Martin reached down and unfastened Caitlyn's jeans, pushing
them somewhat roughly down her legs. She reached down and helped him
do the same to her panties. They broke their kiss as Caitlyn once
again reached for Martin's dick. She felt it beginning to harden, and
her fingers endeavored to speed it on that journey. Meanwhile, Martin
returned his hands to her breasts, fondling them and arousing Caitlyn
to new heights.
Once Martin's cock was fully erect, Caitlyn pushed him away
from her slightly. When she had the room, she turned around and bent
over. The crevice was such that she could place one hand on each side,
supporting herself. This presented her pussy for Martin's pleasure,
and she looked back, hoping he had the idea.
Martin was quite clear on what she wanted, and was more
than happy to give it to her. He stepped in behind her and guided his
rod to her entrance. He took hold of her hips as he pushed in. He
heard her moan lowly as he buried himself in her pussy. Reaching
forward, he slipped his hands beneath her T-shirt, and began to knead
her tits again. Caitlyn groaned scarcely louder as he began to move
within her, starting out slowly, but picking up speed rapidly.
Caitlyn shuddered as Martin began to roll her nipples
between his fingers. She was lost in the pleasure of the moment,
feeling him plunging his hard cock deep into her cunt. She grunted
with each thrust, but in a muted, low voice. Martin continued to move
within her, ramming his full length into her as hard and as fast as he
could. Caitlyn pushed back at him, rolling her hips to meet each of
his plunges. She arched her back to push her tits deep into his
palms. She craved his body at that moment, and the pleasure he was
giving her far exceeded her expectations.
The two began their climb to ecstasy, and their movements
grew even faster, in perfect unison. Martin lightly pinched her
nipples, and that pushed her even higher, causing her pussy muscles to
squeeze his dick, driving him onward toward climax. The two thrust and
pushed, grunted and groaned, rising closer and closer to their peak.
Finally, Martin's seed splashed inside of Caitlyn's pussy
as he let out a loud groan of bliss. The feel of his hot cum coating
her insides set Caitlyn off, and her pussy convulsed, her body caught
in a wave of joy that froze her in position. Her cries of pleasure
were low and muted, but intense. For several long moments, the pair
froze in place, caught in the grips of their pleasure.
-----
It was several minutes before the two settled down from
their pleasure. In fact, Martin's pleasure wasn't over yet, because
Caitlyn insisted on cleaning off his cock with the only tool available
to her: her tongue. He almost began to stir at the feel of her soft,
velvety tongue against his cock, but the previous encounter had been so
intense, he just wasn't up to it.
When they were finally dressed and stepped outside, the
temperature had dropped markedly. Martin instinctively wrapped his arm
around her, to keep her warm. The two said nothing at all as they made
their way down off the rock. He noticed the look of fear that crept
back into her eyes as they had to step carefully, but when she'd catch
him looking at her, the fear evaporated, and was replaced with...
something else.
The two made it back to camp just in time for dinner, and
no one made any comment about their absence. They sat together by the
fire, eating their meal and still saying nothing. It was as if they
didn't want to spoil the perfect moment they had just enjoyed.
...---=== http://ericstorm.wolfpub.org ===---...
The next morning, Caitlyn greeted Martin with the warmest
kiss he'd ever gotten at five-thirty in the morning. It was a good
thing, because the weather wasn't providing any warmth. Still, she
showed no signs of wanting to talk about the day before. He wondered
if she regretted it, but she wasn't behaving as though it had been a
bad experience or something to forget. She continued to stay close to
him except when absolutely necessary, and she refused to ride alone in
this country. Martin knew now that it had nothing to do with her fear
of falling; the farthest she could fall was about six feet. He
certainly didn't object to her presence; he just wished he could figure
her out.
Around nine o'clock that morning, the silence finally got
to him.
"How long have you known?" he asked.
"Known what?"
"About me. About... the warmth?"
"Since about the second day. I couldn't quite figure out
what had happened to us that first day. It doesn't feel like that when
my brother tries it on me."
Martin shivered at the thought of her brother. He knew how
his sisters felt about *him*... "You and he..."
"Are too far apart in age. We never connected. I might
have stayed with him, anyway, just out of tradition, if he wasn't such
a fucking asshole. Oh, sorry."
"That's okay. How old is he?"
"Thirteen. He and I don't get along, since he figures I'm
supposed to be on my knees for him every night."
"He really thinks that?"
"Yeah. That's what worried me about you, at first. After
the next couple of times you touched me, and especially after... you
know, the cliff... I could tell you had it, but you didn't act like my
brother."
"He sounds like an arrogant little SOB. He has his warmth
already?"
"Yeah. He got it when he went through puberty. Didn't
you?"
"No. Mine didn't hit until I was eighteen."
"So it's kind of new to you."
"You could say that. And still pretty uncomfortable, most
of the time."
She turned to look at him with a strange look on her face.
"Uncomfortable? Why?"
Martin took a deep breath, and sighed. "Because it's...
weird. Girls who know what you've done, and *like* it... and sleeping
with my sisters - not that they're not both spectacular, and great
people besides, but still - and... I don't know. The whole 'Master'
thing really weirds me out."
Caitlyn turned to look at him again. "You don't like it
when they call you that?"
"No. I'm nobody's master. Not really. I prefer to think
of them as... overly loyal girlfriends." He smiled at her, and she
giggled.
"You're very different from the guys in my family. They
treat it almost like a godhood."
"Hell, I wish I had just a little of that mentality. It
would make some things a lot easier to deal with... and worrying about
the others, now..."
"How many?" she wanted to know.
"Um... Sarah and Becca are my sisters. Then there's
Lianna, Katie, Jen, Monica... then there's this one lady over in
Florida who seems to like me for no discernible reason whatsoever."
Caitlyn reached her hand back and ran it across his cheek.
"Oh, trust me, there's a reason." She turned back forward. "You worry
about them?"
"Yeah. Remember you asked me what I was doing for the rest
of my summer? I have to go see if Katie, Jen and Monica - they're all
related, by the way - got settled into their new home okay. Not to
mention that they're probably going to strangle me for being gone so
much..."
Caitlyn sighed, and leaned back against him.
"What's the matter?" he asked.
"I wish my brother was more like you."
"Thanks," Martin said, embarrassed.
"I can't stand him. I... my family is trying to insist
that I stay with him anyway, but I'm not about to do that. He's mean.
Maybe it would be one thing if I was... enthralled by him, or whatever,
but I'm not, and I am *not* going to waste my life serving some bastard
of a man who thinks his dick is made of gold."
Martin hugged her supportively, and she settled down.
"Sorry, it gets to me sometimes."
"That's okay."
"Your sisters, do they like you?"
Martin chuckled. "My sisters are trying to 'like' me to
death." Caitlyn smiled. "Becca and I have always been really close.
She's my younger sister. She's fourteen now, and probably the sweetest
person I've ever met. Sarah... had to leave while I was young, because
we got too attached. I just met her last year when I went to college.
She trained me on how to use the warmth, once I found out I had it."
"Found out? They didn't *tell* you?"
"Family tradition. They don't talk about it until it comes
out of you."
"That's..."
"Kind of dumb. Yeah, I said that."
"So, when you met Sarah..."
"I didn't know she was my sister. She didn't tell me until
after the first time we'd... well..."
"I know. I wish I had that kind of family around me."
"I'm sorry," Martin said, feeling actual sorrow for her
condition.
Caitlyn smiled, and straightened. "That's okay. No need
to spoil the next day worrying over it. I've got you for about another
twenty-eight hours, and I don't want to ruin them being negative."
"Caitlyn, I know you probably got enough of a life back in
Salt Lake to keep you busy, but I hope we can stay in touch, at least
by email."
Caitlyn was quiet for a very long moment. Then, she turned
slightly in the saddle, placed her hand on his cheek, and kissed him,
very softly. "Count on it," she assured him. She turned back around,
and they rode on. Martin was happy that things were going well.
...---=== http://ericstorm.wolfpub.org ===---...
The next morning, they made their way back up out of the
canyon. The night before, Caitlyn had been tempted to slip into
Martin's tent, just to be near him, but she didn't want to embarrass
him when they got caught in the morning. Instead, she settled for
riding with him up out of this wondrous hole in the ground.
"I should warn you that my parents are coming to get me.
They're likely to have my brother with them, and none of them are going
to like you."
"What did I do to them?"
"It's not you, it's what you represent. If they think I
like you - and I do, by the way - they'll see you as a threat to their
plans for my life."
"I'm sorry. I wish there was something I could do. If
you'd like, I can pretend I don't know you when they show up..." He
didn't like the idea, but he had to suggest it.
"No, absolutely not. Just... be ready. My brother can be
pretty nasty when he wants. He's kind of big for a thirteen-year-old."
-----
*She wasn't kidding*. Caitlyn's brother, Andrew, stood
roughly an inch shorter than Martin. He was bulky, but looked, quite
frankly, stupid.
"Mom, Dad, this is Martin. He and I were in the same small
group for the trip."
Andrew walked right up to him. Martin had been standing
fairly close to Caitlyn, and he stepped slightly away from her to
square off with this kid.
"Stay away from my sister," he warned.
Martin glanced over at Caitlyn for direction, but she just
looked back at him, pale and worried. He looked back at Andrew.
"Or what?" he asked simply.
Andrew moved to strike, but Martin was ready for that, and
a lot faster. He grabbed Andrew by the shirt, spun him around, and
slammed him against a table. Martin heard the air gush out of Andrew's
lungs.
"The *last* teenager who went rounds with me wound up in
the hospital with a broken arm, a broken nose and two broken ribs.
Would you like to better that record? I don't take kindly to being
assaulted, and your sister is quite old enough to decide who she will
and will not associate with." Martin lowered his voice, but was
distinct nonetheless. "Your family ability notwithstanding." He saw
her parents pale, and he continued, "You see, slick, my family has the
same ability, but far less arrogance. You come at me again, and I'll
*throw* your ass off that goddamned cliff over there. Got it?"
Andrew nodded weakly. Martin let him up, and purposely
stepped over next to Caitlyn. That's when her father spoke.
"So, you know about us." He looked rather pointedly at
Caitlyn.
"It's a little hard not to. I knew from the moment I shook
her hand on the first day. It was pointless for me to hide what I was,
since she knew, too."
"Come on, Caitlyn," her mother said. "We're leaving now."
She looked down at Martin with excessive distaste.
Caitlyn turned to him, and said, "Thanks for all your
help." She hugged him politely, but did not go so far as to kiss him.
They'd shared their real good-bye a half-hour ago, so he was not
offended. He did whisper in her ear, though.
"I'll be waiting for that email."
Caitlyn didn't say anything, and when she let go of him,
there was a strange, indecipherable look in her eyes. He had no chance
to ask her about it, though.
"Good luck at school, Marty. Bye."
...---=== http://ericstorm.wolfpub.org ===---...
...---=== http://ericstorm.wolfpub.org ===---...