Little Crow smiled when she saw me clamor into the wagon. She were laying down, with Jane and Eliza mopping sweat from her beautiful brow, and Elizabeth Admundson and Rosemary standing nearby. She reached her hand out to me.

"Bizhiw!" she says.

I took her hand. "Andeg!" I answers.

"We'll soon have another baby," she says.

I gave her a sweet smile, even though I were very worried, and I kissed her cheek and she smiled back.

The men arrived then, and Dunlap gave Little Crow a kiss as well, and asked Mrs. Admundson what they could do to help.

"All's well with mama and baby," she said. "Seems to be coming right along. You and Mr. Admundson start up the fire and warm some water. And be quick about it because this being her third child, it won't take long."

"Yes'm," Dunlap said, and the menfolk all scattered again, no doubt wanting to be as far away from the birthing as possible! Menfolk are cowardly about such things, it seems. They can watch a lamb or a calf being born no problem but when it's a lady human they dash away all nervous! Perhaps they wishn't to know what their nighttime ministrations bring upon the fairer sex!

Little Crow gave a groan and her face went red.

"Another contraction," Mrs. Admundson says. "They're coming quick now. It'll be soon. Let's get all ready, Rosemary, get some towels underneath her."

I sat with Jane and Eliza at Little Crow's head and together we all brushed her dark and silken hair, and braided it into long beautiful braids, as we waited, with her contractions happening every couple minutes now. She looked quite pretty, I thought, and she was smiling at us and squeezing our hands when another contraction happened.

Dunlap came back with a couple of pots of water from the fire, gave Little Crow another kiss, and quick scurried away again. Mrs. Admundson soaked a few towels in the water and then she says, "OK, Little Crow, I think it's time to start pushing."

We were still a good way away from the birth, but it was a sweet time in a sense, all us ladies together giving Little Crow comfort and kisses after she finished up pushing when each contraction hit her. All were going well, it seemed to me. I sang a lullaby in my bad Ojibwe, what Little Crow had taught me:

Kay o kay nah
Kay o kay nah

Which means, "Got to sleep now little one," or something similar to this. Little Crow giggled while I sang and then joined me as well. Then we chanted together a song about a firefly that she often sang with Drummer and Song:

Wau wau tay see!
Wau wau tay see!

The others joined with us as well as they became used to the words.

I also took to talking to the baby between contractions. "It's time to come out, little one," I says. "Come and meet your family, come and meet all the people what love you so much!"

Then, after a a few minutes more with Little Crow pushing often now, Mrs. Admundson says,

"There she is! Come and look, girls, you can see the baby's head!"

We all looked, and sure enough! There was the damp black hair of the top of the baby's head! Coming out of Little Crow!

"Quick, Marilyn," Mrs. Admundson says, "wash your hands and you can catch the baby when she's born!" And so I did, I quick washed and then returned and another contraction, and another push and another groan, and Mrs. Admundson says, "Push! Push hard now Little Crow!"

Little Crow, just as brave and strong as any woman you might ever know, pushed hard, letting out a long groan along with it, and

Oh my Lord! The baby was born! Right into my hands!

Such a tiny thing, pink and wrinkled and all the sudden lets out a wail, like a newborn lamb, a lusty sweet newborn cry it were! I held the sweet little thing up.

"A little girl!" I says to Andeg, whom I suddenly knew was my hero and my best friend in the entire world. "A little baby girl!"

And all the ladies clapped and cheered, and I handed the little baby to her mama, and Little Crow cradled the new precious life to her breast.

Now, Mrs. Admundson wasn't done yet it seems, for there was more to come, and she told Little Crow to keep pushing with contractions until the afterbirth were out as well, but that didn't take but a handful more minutes. Once that were done she snipped the baby's umbilical cord and set to washing the baby up a bit with the warm water and cleaning up the rest of it, and the other ladies pitched in to help, alls except me, for I couldn't help but lay with Little Crow, my best friend in the world, and her new baby girl, the three of us close and snuggling while the baby mewed and searched about for a nipple.

Once the ladies had everything all clean, Elizabeth told Rosemary to head out and find Dunlap and Flannery and Jedediah, and then go on over to their wagon and fetch Drummer and Song and Lucy so they could all meet the newest baby in our family.

The baby kept on mewing like a little lamb and searching a bit around her mama's breast and finally the hungry little girl found a nipple, and then she began to suck, and Little Crow were smiling now, her big beautiful pure and perfect smile.

"Wawaskoni is her name," she says to me.

"Wawaskoni," I says back.

"It means 'Flower.' I name her after you, Marilyn, since Dunlap call you 'Blossom.'"

I was so happy to hear that she named her little baby after me! "Oh, Andeg," I says, and I kiss her, and then I kiss Wawaskoni, Flower, and then I look about the room at all the women gathered there.

"Take each other's hands," I says, and they do, forming a little circle about the woman and the child.

"Lord," I says, "Gracious and loving God who is our father, and our mother, in heaven, we thanks you for this wonderful blessing of this fine and healthy child. We promise to love her and look after her as best we can for as long as you will call us to do thus. Please look over mama and baby and make sure they's all healthy and happy forever and ever. Amen."

"Amen," all the ladies said.

Over dinner that evening, out amongst the broad expanse of the beautiful stars of the Lord's creation, with Little Crow dining with us and the baby Wawanskoni all swaddled up tight and being passed from lady to lady, and even from man to boy, to coo over and comment upon what a beautiful little thing she were, Dunlap announced to the assembled that tomorrow would be a day of rest for the new mama and her babe, and that the train would not be moving until the next day after. Alls agreed that this were the right thing for us to do. And so as we all said our good nights and climbed into our wagons for the nightfall, I were just too excited to do anything womanly for my husband and all I could do was snuggle up with Little Crow and Wawanskoni, holding each of them with all the tender love I could give. This were a delight for Eliza, who for once in her young life had her man to herself for the entire night! And made quite good of the time if I might say so! The girl had become a fine lover for our man, it seems, and he was right grateful for it.

The next morning broke bright and beautiful, and me and Little Crow sat with others of the ladies in the grass as Flower nursed. The little girl was a lustful thing for her mama's milk, that's for sure! The Smith brothers, or Jones brothers, or whatever their name might be, went off together to hunt for hares, and the other menfolk set about making necessary repairs to the various wagons, leaving the ladies to enjoy our time together. By mid-morning, Little Crow were very tired from the birthing and from not sleeping well the night before as she nursed her newest child, and so she and I went into the wagon together to see about letting her get some much needed nap. As she slept, I held the mewing baby in my arms and rocked her and sang to her songs of the church, and songs of the Indians, and all the songs that I could remember from my whole life. The little thing would set to crying sometimes if there weren't a nipple in her mouth, and so I gave her my finger some and she sucked with such power upon it, it was amazing to feel!

Now, as this were happening, the idea came to me that I would need to learn some about how to nurse a child myself, for I would soon have a little one of my own. And as I thought upon this I felt my own breasts ache, as if the soft crying of the needy babe were giving rise to feelings of motherhood in me. So, I thinks, why should I give her my finger, when I have nipples of my own for her as well? And so it was that I opened my blouse and took out my breast and held the child to it. Almost immediately the girl gave suck. Such a powerful suck it was! It sent stars dancing before my eyes, it did! All through my body I felt a sensation that overwhelmed me and left me breathing light and hard. At first this seemed so strange, so unexpected, that I did not even recognize it for what it was. But as I moved the little child to my other breast, I felt a warmth flow over me and I felt such an intimate connection to the baby, that I sat back and closed my eyes and let my body do what it would, and powerful waves flowed through me as I cradled the child against my breast.

Little Crow awoke a bit after and sat next to me, watching our daughter nursing upon my breast, and she smiled and kissed me upon the cheek.

"Little Crow," I whispered, "it feels so powerful, when the baby sucks."

"It does," she said. She kissed me again, and again, and we sat together kissing as the baby nursed upon my breast.

Eventually I handed the little thing back to her mama, and Flower gave her little lamby mews, seemingly disappointed to have been taken from my breast. But she soon found another breast to suckle at, and this one more rewarding as it flowed with milk. And while she nursed at her mama's breast, Little Crow and I kissed and kissed some more.

A bit later when Little Crow lay down again for more napping, I gave the child my breast again and felt that powerful suck and felt those overwhelming waves pass through me again.

And so it was that Little Crow and I shared in the nursing of her newest daughter, and I found that I fell in love with child as she nursed. I couldn't wait for my own to be born, so that I could produce milk of my own, and then I could offer some of my motherly nourishment to Flower as well, and Little Crow could offer hers to my child, and together we could be mothers for our children.

We had a fine feast that night of rabbit brought back to us by the Smith brothers, and potatoes and carrots from our stores, and after saying our goodnights again we retired to our wagon. That night poor Eliza did not have our man to herself. I found that I felt a great need this evening. So I lay with my man and his third wife, and she and I together sucked his beautiful cock, both of us so greedy for it! He lay before us naked, lifting his head and looking down upon us with a wonderful smile as we playfully fought each other for more of him. Eventually I won the battle, or, better said, Eliza sensed my greater need, and I sat on my hands and knees and stared up at our husband's lovely manly face while I sucked hard upon his thick cockhead and Eliza knelt beside and used both hands, one holding his balls and the other rubbing him, until he grunts and I have the wonderful taste of his semen in my mouth again. And oh my did he fill me up! And did I so very badly need it!

After we's finished, we lay together on our bedrolls and I told Dunlap and Eliza about the feelings I had whilst the baby Flower suckled at my breast.

"I've heard of such a thing," Dunlap said in reply to my tale. "Of ladies who feel sexual excitement when nursing their child."

"And do you think it is proper for me to feel such a thing?" I asks him.

"I think the Good Lord wills such things," says he. "For what other reason would it happen, but that the Lord wills it to happen? I've heard it helps the mother and the babe grow closer to one another."

"Yes!" I says. "I felt... I felt such love for little Flower then! It overwhelmed me!"

"Oh!" dear Eliza said, with such enthusiasm now. "I think... I must try this myself!"

"Yes, you must!" says I. "Tomorrow when Little Crow naps and the baby needs a nipple, we'll set her nursing with you!"

The next morning, while Little Crow slept and Dunlap steered our team of beautiful cream draft horses across the prairie, me and Eliza and Jane sat together holding the little baby Flower. I set the baby upon my breast and she took my nipple with her usual lustful need and I felt those same overpowering feelings again. Then I handed the baby the Eliza and helped the little one to find her sweet pink nipple, which weren't easy, for Eliza's breasts was still not barely into budding yet and to all of our disappointments, the child wouldn't take to her nipple at all. Eventually we gave up, saying we would give it try another time and agreeing that perhaps when my babe was born Eliza would be in a better position to play this mothering role. Then it were Jane's turn, who was herself fascinated by my descriptions and wished to discover if it were the same for her.

While Jane nursed the baby, I suggested to dear Eliza that I might be able to show her myself what it were like when the baby gave me a vigorous suck, and she agreed with no hesitation, whereupon I lay across her lap and she cradled my head to her little breast, and I wrapped my lips about her soft nipple and began to suck, pulling her nipple forcefully into my mouth. Within a moment I could tell this were working well, for she was breathing hard and shaking and she held me even tighter to her and let out a little moaning. Soon she had her hand upon my breast, squeezing it as well. We fell down together then, the two of us, onto the bedroll, pulling at each other's remaining clothing until we were both naked.

We rolled about, kissing and tickling each other and sucking hard on nipples when they presented themselves, until the two of us were quite lustful indeed. I straddled her chest and sat up on my knees with my sex above her face and she kissed me there, and licked, her warm tongue lapping at my clit and down between my lips. Overwhelmed, my head spinning with passion, I lifted myself up so that her tongue slid down further, below my sex until she were kissing and licking at my bottom. This she set to with great enthusiasm and I let out many moans as climaxes flowed through my body.

Once finished with my passions for the moment, I returned the favor for little Eliza, laying down so that she could straddle me and put her pretty bald little pussy in my face, and I licked and kissed her mightily, and she moved up as well so that I could lick and kiss her bottom hole. By now, Little Crow had arisen from her nap and she and Jane sat together, with the babe on her mama's breast now, and smiled as they watched me and Eliza making love with each other in such an intimate manner.

After Eliza's passions were spent as well, the four of us ladies--five, if you were to count Flower in amongst the mix, lay togther, Eliza and me still naked and glowing red from the excitement of our sex, all of us snuggling with one another and cooing endlessly over the sweet little babe. I'll never forget that time; I'll never forget any time that I spent with Little Crow and Jane and Eliza, but this day will always be a special day for me because of the closeness that we ladies shared, there in Dunlap's big pretty covered wagon out on the western prairie.

Later, I slipped on a dress and climbed up to sit with my husband, who gave me such a smile when he saw me! A few minutes later, the bishop came walking up to our wagon and climbed aboard.

After the usual nodded greetings, he spoke thus:

"Well now James," he says to my husband, "you are aware that today is the Lord's day?"

"Yessir," Dunlap replied, "you reminded us thus this morning over breakfast, as you do once every week, and sometimes more often than that."

"I know my calander, you scoundral," he laughed, and we laughed with him. "Besides, you know well that every day is the day the Lord has made!"

"Yes, you remind us that often as well."

"Good. That's a bishop's duty I dare say. Now as I was saying before being interrupted by the heathen, today is indeed the Sabbath. And I know you have such little respect for it that you wouldn't remember if I didn't remind you, nor do you respect it enough to spend the day at rest as we have been commanded."

"Yessir, and I regret it mightily, but we must press on. You know we must, the summer's getting late already." He looked at the mountains in the distance, smokey and blue. "It's still a good fortnight or more until we reach our destiantion."

"The Lord provides, you know, Dunlap," he said, "and will look after us with greater heavenly blessing, and grant us speedy passage, were we to keep his day, than he will when we do not. But regardless, I don't expect to win the argument with a heathen such as yourself. However, speaking as we are of heathens..."

"One of us were speaking of heathens," Dunlap said, "the others of us weren't."

"True, true," the bishop said, his kindly eyes twinkling with merriment. "The one of us who matters most on the subject was speaking of them."

Me and Dunlap laughed good at this.

"Now, speaking as we were of heathens," he begins again, "we have now amongst us a new baby."

"We do indeed."

"And we I see a baby, I think of baptizing."

"I'm not surprised to hear that, Bishop."

"And I believe your wife, Andeg, and her other two children, have themselves not been administered the baptismal sacrament."

"I don't believe they have, no, but then again, she ain't a Christian I suppose."

"I'm of the opinion that you shouldn't be married to a woman who is not a Christian," Bishop Admundson says.

Dunlap's face was suddenly a bit more serious. "The Lord directed me to marry this woman, because she was in need of it, and her children were as well, and I did so with great willingness. He has not directed me to force her to abandon the faith of her fathers, and I will not do it."

The bishop nodded. "I don't pretend to know the Lord's ways, nor know what and why he has command you thus. Nonethless, I have my own commandments from the Lord and I'd like the chance to baptize her, and her children, if she'll have it done."

"Yes," Dunlap said, "If she'll have it done, you'll do it sure."

"Marilyn and I will drive the team while you go back and ask her." He took the reins from Dunlap. "And be convincing in the asking, young man!"

Dunlap smiled, then stood and walked into the back of the wagon. While he was gone, the bishop put his hand upon my knee, lifting my dress until his fingers touch bare skin. "How's my angel?" he asked, as I felt his hand sliding further up the inside of my leg.

"I'm good, Bishop," I replied. I put my hand upon his knee and moved it up a bit as well, which caused the man to smile much.

A few minutes later Dunlap joined us again.

"I've spoken with Little Crow," he says, "and she professes that she is ready to be baptized into the faith, and to have her children likewise."

The bishop gave a broad smile as he handed the reins back to Dunlap and hopped down from the wagon. "There's a river nearby, yes? Stop there for the night and we shall finally do at least something partly proper on the Lord's day!"

"Yessir, I will."

"Until then, Dunlap," he said, and he turned towards me. "Goodbye beautiful angel."

"Goodbye Bishop!" says I.

I can't say was I were surprised that Little Crow had agreed, but I still wished to make sure for my own mind that she were doing this willingly. When I asks her about it, she gave me a sweet smile.

"I knew that Dunlap would want me to become a Christian," says she. "I'm surprised it took him so long."

"Yes, but he's not the only one here. I also want for you to be a Christian, but I want even more for you to do what you want to do and not what I or Dunlap wish."

"I am happy to say my prayers to the god of my husband," she tells me. "Gods, spirits... they are all alike. Prayers to the Christian god are just like prayers to the Spirit, and they are either heard or not heard, and I don't know which."

I can't claim to be thoroughly satisfied with her answer, but I were satisfied at least that she were doing this willfully. And so down at the river that evening, knee deep in the cool water, I held our baby after Bishop Admundson had washed her head and said his blessing over her, while he pushed Song and Drummer and then Little Crow down into the water in a dramatic fashion and welcomed them into the faith.

Afterwards we had a great feast, with much singing of church songs and Little Crow teaching us Indian songs as well, and the bishop gave a long and interesting sermon on Jesus's baptism and the joys of bringing heathen into the flock, which I found most inspiring. Oddly, though, I found that two other men whom I suspected of heathenism were not among us that night. The Smith brothers were not feasting and singing with the rest of us, and must have decided to spend the night alone rather than celebrate this great moment of fellowship with the Lord. I felt sorry for them, and hoped that we might yet have a chance to bring them into our group more fully, and that their lives would be better as a result.

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The next part of this story is at Wildflowers (part 12). Enjoy!