John and Argent by cmsix

Chapter 8

By the time we got back with the last load the camp was swarming with activity. I hadn't really thought about it but this was probably more game than they had ever dealt with at one time. The women were doing most of the work with the fresh meat but some of the men had been pressed into services that they didn't normally perform. For instance five men were down stream a few hundred feet and one woman seemed to be directing their efforts at washing and cleaning out the intestines from my kills.

Men were also doing most of the lifting and carrying and some were erecting racks for drying meat. Others were putting up temporary stands near smoky wood fires and later larger portions of meat would be hung on these. The rest of the men and most of the older children were working on the hides, scraping them and getting them prepared to be put on to racks for stretching.

Gema and Merita were with a group of women busily slicing meat to be dried. As I watched them working with Geera and game flusher's mate I noticed resemblances between Geera and Gema and also between Merita and game flusher's wife. The resemblances were familial since they were too pronounced to be coincidence. It was strange that no mention had been made of it before now. Just then a younger girl, probably about fifteen, joined them. Her hair was the same color as Merita's and I could tell that they must be sisters. She was only a little smaller than Merita and that had to be because she was younger. I would have to ask Geera about this but not now.

I fell in with those working on the skins and was soon covered with blood and tissue like everyone else. We worked well after sunset until Gigo had us all find a stopping place so we could eat a light meal and get some rest. Being busy with the hides I hadn't noticed that some of the women had quit working on the bison and fixed us some supper.

I went with some others to the stream and washed off what I could. When I returned near the fire I saw that Gema and Merita were seated on the rock ledge. They had saved me a spot between them and there was a hipbone plate of food for me.

"John, Merita and I are so proud of you. We will soon be mated to the best hunter anywhere. Most of the women didn't think that you could kill one bison and surely not ten. Then you went onto the steppes alone and killed fifteen and not only that, you carried them all to camp with your wagon and horses and then killed three cave lions. Is it true that their skins are for our sleeping furs?" Gema asked excitedly.

"That is what I intended but if you would rather another type of sleeping fur tell me what you want and I will get it." I told her.

"The lion furs will be wonderful John. When the men who skinned them told us you said they were for our sleeping furs I was so proud I thought my heart would burst." Merita told me.

"John almost no one has a cave lion fur. They are vicious and the men never hunt them. The only ones that are ever killed are those that attack to take a kill from the hunters. Hunters will only kill cave lions if they don't think that they can get away without the lion harming them. Many men have been killed by the cave lions." Gema said.

"The men that skinned them also brought us their claws and their teeth. I have never seen so many cave lion teeth and claws in my whole life. There are more than enough for a powerful necklace for all of us if that is acceptable." Merita said.

"You will be my mates. All this has been done for you. You may do with them as you like."

I could tell by the way they were talking and by the looks they were giving me that I was a big hit. Gema and Merita both seemed to glow and were practically vibrating with their excitement. I had a suspicion that I could do no wrong in their eyes for a while at least.

The younger version of Merita that had been with them earlier came over and approached us shyly. Merita saw her and welcomed her, and then she introduced Maia and told me that they had been sisters once.

"I don't understand Merita, if you were sisters once are you not still sisters?"

"We are but after we became women we were no longer seen as sisters. We still feel like sisters though." Merita told me quietly.

"You surely look like sisters. I don't want to be rude but who is your mother?"

"Dieta was our mother when we were children. She is Dergo's mate." Merita told me.

I was beginning to get an inkling now. Apparently they were sisters and had a mother while they were children but after they became women they were women. Merita confirmed it for me.

"Yes. While we were children we lived with Dergo and Dieta was our mother. When we became women we moved to our own beds with the other unmated women." Merita said.

"And Geera must have been your mother Gema." I said.

"Yes, how did you know that?" She asked.

"I can see her beauty in your face as I can see Dieta's beauty in the faces of Merita and Maia." I told her.

I had said the right thing again. All three faces lit up with smiles and blushes. I did notice that Maia's seemed tempered with a sort of sadness though and as I looked more closely her eyes looked slightly red as if she might have been crying. At least I had sense enough not to ask about it now. I decided that I would ask Gema or Geera about it later if I could get them alone.

I was feeling a little odd about my new information. Of course I was transposing my former life onto these new people in this new life but it made me wonder why Geera had not told me any of this and why I hadn't been introduced to one of my future mothers in law, namely Dieta. I would have to quiz someone on this point also.

When we finished eating Gema and Merita took me inside and led me to a nicer sleeping place. It was larger and the furs seemed nicer than those I'd been using. For a second I thought that I might be about to get a taste of my new mates but they explained that I was now being given one of the places reserved for visiting hunters instead of the one for a guest. Whatever the reason I appreciated it and after looking around for prying eyes Gema and Merita both stole a kiss on the cheek before they scampered off.

It was up and at 'em early again the next morning. I went back to work with the men on the bison skins. Today it was mostly putting them onto racks for stretching. More racks had to be built and while I knew that I could make better racks faster with the saws, axes and hatchets at my cave I was glad to keep them secret. After all Georgo had told me that there was no need to show everyone all my magic.

That reminded me that Georgo was to go to my cave with me today. I left the work on the skins and began looking for him.

I noticed that Gema, Merita and Maia were all working on lion skins. The three skins were stretched on what were clearly new racks and even the racks looked like they had been carefully built.

After a short break for some breakfast and hot tea Geera came over to me and asked to talk to me alone. I was happy for the excuse and we walked up river for a couple of hundred yards to sit on a deadfall near the canyon's wall.

"John I am embarrassed to ask you this but I must. With so many bison to finish the other women and I talked and we must ask you if you can wait two extra days for your mating ceremony?" Geera asked.

"Yes, I can wait. Of course I would rather have it as soon as possible but I understand that it would be pointless to kill the bison and then not make sure they were processed properly. There is no value in merely having dead bison. It is probably my fault anyway because I killed five more than you were planning on." I said.

"It is extra work yes but you will never hear any of the women in this camp complain about extra kills. When winter is ending and spring is not here yet we will be singing songs about the extra meat that you have killed. It is not enjoyable to get to that time of year and be without enough to eat." Geera said.

"If I can be of service you will not run short of meat this next winter or spring Geera, you will probably never run short of meat again."

"You are a great hunter John, we have seen that but soon you will be leaving with your new mates and will have to provide for them." Geera said.

"As you now know hunting meat is not difficult for me. If we could live on meat alone we would have no worries. It is gathering that I have no skill for. I am hoping the Gema and Merita can show me how to gather the food that grows and show me where to gather it."

"Gema and Merita can do that for you. It is our custom that the women do most of the gathering and Gema and Merita are well acquainted with the process." Geera told me.

"I have another question Geera. Why didn't you tell me that Gema was your daughter and why haven't I met Merita's mother. I know who she is and that her name is Dieta but I haven't been introduced to her and she is the mother of one of my intended mates."

"After a child is grown we do not call them son or daughter any longer. We still know it and love them but they must make their own way after they become men or women. I will tell you that I am glad that Gema waited so long to mate. At one time I felt that she was wasting her life but now I see that she did the best thing even if she did not know that she was doing it." Geera said.

"I don't even know how old Gema and Merita are."

"Gema has been a woman for nearly two years now. She is fourteen years old. Merita is one year older and has been a woman three years. Dieta and I were afraid they would never mate." Geera told me.

This was a shocker but from the way Geera talked I knew that it must be normal. I wasn't going to complain about having two mates that were so young. I would be able to raise them like I liked them.

"I hope I'm not being too nosey but why did Merita's sister Maia seem sad yesterday? Even Merita seemed a little sad although she has told me that she is proud that she will soon be my mate."

"I am surprised that you noticed. Most men do not pay attention to things like that. Maia is happy for Merita but she is sad that she will be separated from her. It is much like it was with Gema and Merita. They are all very close. If they had spent another year together they probably would never have mated since they would never have wanted to leave each other." Geera explained.

This was just too good to be true and I knew that my lonely dick was going to be the death of me. I couldn't let it pass though. I tried to hold my tongue but I knew that I wasn't going to be able to.

"There is no need for them to be parted now Geera."

"What do you mean John? Maia must stay with the unmated women until she finds a mate of her own. She cannot go to live with Gema, Merita and you even if it isn't far. She must stay with her own camp until she has a mate." Geera told me.

"Do you think that I would be unacceptable to Maia as a mate? Maybe she would take me anyway since she knows that Gema and Merita will be mating me. You told me that some men had three mates."

Geera was shocked, I'd been sure she would be. She was going over that little speech in her head and then worrying at the details. I could almost see her coming around when she realized that killing more bison for another bride payment would be no trouble for me.

"John I never dreamed that was what you were thinking. I'm sure that neither Gema, Merita nor Maia has even considered it either. Do you want to take three mates?" Geera asked me.

"Only if Maia also wants to mate me. From what you have told me I'm sure that she will be swayed toward going with Gema and Merita but I want her to understand that she will be my mate also just as they will be."

"All women in our camp understand this before they become women. We mothers make sure of that. We also make sure that all our daughters know how to take care of their mates." Geera told me almost indignantly.

"I am sure you do Geera and I meant no disrespect. It is just that Maia seems very young to join with a mate."

"She is a woman now and the sooner she is mated the better off she will be. I must talk to the other women if you are sure this is what you want. Remember John that you will have to provide for your mates. I know that you are a great hunter; you have proved that to everyone in this camp. You will have four to feed if you do this John and you should make sure that you can do it." Geera reminded me.

"I should have taken you with me when I killed the bison. You would know now that as long as there are bison I will have plenty of meat. I could have killed all the bison for my bride payments yesterday. I did not stop because the bison ran off. I stopped because there were already enough dead bison to take care of."

"I will go to the other women now and we will talk about it. We will also ask Maia if she will accept you as a mate and we will make sure that Gema and Merita will accept Maia. I do not think there will be any hesitation on the part of any of those three. With three of them to share the work and knowing they will not want for meat I'm sure they would be happy even if they weren't so close already." Geera said.

"Will twenty-five bison be enough for Maia?"

"Twenty-five bison will not be necessary for Maia. She has not had any offers to turn down and she is not yet as good a worker as Gema and Merita and would not be as much a loss to the camp." Geera said.

"I am offering twenty-five bison for Maia also though. I do not want her to think that she is any less desirable than Gema or Merita. I will have to find some more cave lions also since we will need another new sleeping fur."

"John, where did you come from? I have never met a man like you. I am twenty-eight years old and I have only seen one cave lion skin from a lion killed by the hunters of this camp. You come here alone, you want three mates and are willing and able to pay the highest bride payment that I have ever heard of even faster than we can accept it and now you talk of hunting a cave lion so your latest mate can have it for her new sleeping fur. I can hardly understand this." Geera told me clearly amazed.

"I already have cave lion furs for my three soon to be mates. I merely want to get one for myself."

"I must go and talk to the other women before I am overwhelmed." Geera said.

"There is just one more thing. Does Gema have a sister that I need to be thinking about also?"

"No, Gema does not have a sister. How many mates do you want John?" Geera asked.

I could see back toward camp although the actual camp was hidden from us by a slight curve in the canyon wall. Geera stood as she asked me how many mates I wanted. I stood also and was close to her so I put my arms around her and pulled her to me. I felt her breasts pressing into my chest and her abdomen mashed into me as I hugged her. I let my hands slip down to cup her firm buttocks and gave them a good squeeze as she gasped.

"I might be satisfied with Gema, Merita, Maia and their mothers." I told her as I pressed my now hard dick to her.

Geera tensed in my arms and whipped her head toward camp to make sure no one was looking our way. Satisfied that we weren't being watched she pressed into me for just an instant and then backed off.

"John! I am already mated and so is Dieta. You know this. Please do not do this in the daylight again." Geera said as I released her.

I would have to think about that statement. I stared watching Geera's ass wiggle as she walked back to the camp. I knew that she would not tell the other women, except Dieta maybe. Even if it might have looked funny for Geera and I to have walked off together up the river I knew it would all be forgotten when the discussion of my third mate began. When Geera was out of sight around the canyon wall I started that way. I had to find Georgo after all.

I really didn't understand why I thought I needed a feel of Geera's ass. Truth be told I wanted more than a feel of her ass. I wanted a piece of it. It didn't make sense but I wanted some of it anyway. I was about to be mated to a fifteen year old, a fourteen year old and a thirteen year old and everybody thought it was grand. Here I wanted to screw my mate's mothers too. A hardon doesn't have any regrets though and mine sure wanted to hide up Geera, Dieta too for that matter. We would see what we would see.

Heading back toward the camp in Geera's wake I nearly bumped into Georgo who was coming to find me. He was ready for our talk and the trip to my cave. We turned back to the camp. I put the pups in the wagon box and set the trap over in it not bothering to put them back into it since I doubted they would try to jump out. After hitching up the team and tying Ben to the back we left. Georgo didn't seem to want to talk during his wagon ride and the only speaking I did was to scold the pups when I caught them trying to chew on the saddle that I had thrown in the wagon also.

When we got to my cave I left the wagon outside and after un-harnessing the team I turned them and Ben into the big pen. Georgo was examining the wall that I had built to close up the cave when I returned. After opening the small door we walked in. I'd made up my mind not to hold much back from Georgo so I walked to the pole mounted light that I had taken off the wagon and mounted in a hole in the floor. When I turned it on and it lit the cave Georgo was startled. While he was trying to find the fire that made all the light I dug around in my supplies and got one of the pieces of iron pyrite and a small piece of flint.

"This is the rock that can make fire." I told Georgo, showing him the fools gold.

"How can you make fire with that rock?" He asked.

I went to my fire circle, scraped a place clean of ashes and put a little tinder in the center. I told him to watch closely as I struck the iron pyrite with the piece of flint. Luckily for my first try a big spark flew off and landed in the tinder and I bent down to blow gently on it as it smoldered. I had a tiny flame in seconds and then it was just a matter of feeding larger and larger pieces of kindling until a fire was going.

"That is truly powerful magic. I have seen a few rocks like that before but I didn't know that there was fire in them." Georgo admitted.

"I was hoping there were some around here since I only have two. I will give you one and I think that you should share the magic with the others. I have more powerful fire magic that I will share with you but I don't think you should share it."

I pulled an Alien made bic type lighter out of my pocket and thumbed its wheel. When the flame jumped up I thought Georgo would pass out. He was stunned. I showed him that there was liquid inside and told him that when the liquid was gone he would need to tell me so I could get him another one. I explained that it would still make sparks without any liquid but that it would no longer make flame. I dug out another lighter from my supplies and handed it to him.

"I will tell you that I did not expect you to have such powerful magic. First the thunder you make from your hands and now you can bring fire from rocks and from this. Are you a Shaman too?" Georgo asked.

"No, I am not but I do have some magic. I will also tell you that the thunder does not come from my hands, it comes from this rifle and I must use these cartridges in the rifle to make the thunder."

I un-slung the thirty ought six and let him hold it after making sure the safety was on. He held it gingerly for a minute looking at it and then handed it back as I showed him some shells for it.

"I have other rifles with other cartridges and I have this pistol that will also make thunder. I think it would be best if no one else knew any more about it than they already do."

I let him handle the Glock then but he didn't want to handle it for long. Next I dug around and found a folding knife for another gift. I explained that it was a special type of knife and showed him how to open and close it asking again that he not share this knowledge since I didn't have many of the knives. I explained that I would have to sharpen it for him when it became dull and he seemed to understand the concept.

"I am overwhelmed John. Why have you shared this knowledge and these gifts with me." Georgo asked.

"I do not understand the customs of the people and I need to. I will not be living with the camp but I will be living with my mates and I need to know what to expect and how to conduct myself."

"I will tell you as much as I can and you can always ask me about anything that puzzles you." Georgo said and began my lesson.

He talked for nearly three hours and I had some questions for him. He confirmed what Geera had told me about child rearing and outlined it more specifically. A daughter stayed with her mother and her mother's mate until her first menstruation. After that she was considered an unmated woman until she did mate. Apparently sex before mating was strictly forbidden and no unmated woman would even consider it as it would make her chances of mating remote. Since they were usually mated soon after they left their mothers it wasn't really a big problem.

Manhood came when a boy could produce sperm. Of course a boy could hide this ability if he wanted to since no one else was about to check. Most boys wanted to be men as soon as possible though and usually announced their new status to their mother as soon as they could prove it.

Since young men were usually not good hunters when they gained manhood it was common for their mother's mate to help them acquire the payment for their mate and often other relatives or even friends of the mother's mate helped also.

I got a surprise when Georgo gave me the details of the mating proceedings. Since it was my first mating that they knew of and it was the first mating for my upcoming mates, their mothers would be with us for the first three nights. Intending to object I nearly spoke up then wondered what I had to complain about. This was one area that Georgo couldn't give me much help with since as a Shaman he had never mated. He also said that it was something that no man he had ever known had volunteered any information on and that it would be highly improper to ask about.

He did know that during the day things carried on more or less normally but pointed out that when couples mated a special tent was erected away from the communal dwelling for their first nights. Apparently this type of ceremony was not included if one or the other had been mated before.

I asked him why couples might be mated for a second time. He explained that if a mated man or woman were to be killed or die of sickness their mate would seek a replacement. He said also that if a man took an additional mate there was no need for the mother to help at first.

Most of the rest of his explaining covered various ceremonies and feast, customs and other things like that. Finally he paused for a moment.

"John I must warn you that you could have trouble over your mates." Georgo told me.

"Why should I have trouble and what kind of trouble would it be?"

"Gembo was determined to have either Gema or Merita. He is the one that made the best offer for them. He was very angry when they rejected him. He is mated to another woman now but I am often at their camp and I am sure he is still angry about the rejection.

"His mother's mate, Jabo, is the leader of that camp and he and Gembo are still very close even though Gembo is a man in his own rite now and has a mate. Jenbo was the brother of Jabo and is the best hunter of that camp. He is one of the best hunters anywhere. They are all very proud men and can be argumentative and truculent. Especially if their pride has been bruised. Gembo is the worst of them. I am afraid that he may cause trouble for you after you are mated." Georgo told me.

"What kind of trouble could he cause me? What could he do?"

"It is almost never done anymore but he could kill you. If he did your mates and all you own would belong to him." Georgo said.

"What if I kill him when he tries?" I had to ask.

"Then his mate and all he owns would be yours." Georgo explained.

"The women have no say in the matter?"

"Not in this matter. This is almost never done anymore and many people look upon it with disfavor but it is still custom and it is one of the oldest of our customs. He may be more inclined to try it though since you have no camp to help you. It is possible that his mother's mate and even his uncle might help him though." Georgo said.

"And if I kill them when they try it I will be looked on with disfavor?"

"Oh no. If they attack you no one will fault you for defending yourself." Georgo told me.

"Would he try to hurt or capture my mates?"

"If he did that even his own camp would hunt him down. Killing or harming a woman is our strongest taboo. Women are the givers of new life. Sometimes a woman's mate may whip her if she is disobedient but other than that it is a serious crime to abuse a woman. Harming any other man's mate would turn everyone against him. He will not try anything like that." Georgo said.

"Are there any customs for how he might attack me? Will he do it with his hands, or a knife or a spear."

"That doesn't matter. He may try to kill you in any way. To take your mates he must only kill you and deliver your body to your camp. Since you do not have a camp he must deliver your body to one of your mate's camps." Georgo explained.

"This is very interesting but I will not worry about it until something happens. It will probably be better if his mother's mate and his uncle do help him. He will be bolder then and will probably come to kill me openly. If he does he will be easy to deal with."

"But then there would be three of them." Georgo countered.

"There were three cave lions yesterday. Are Gembo, Jabo and Jenbo so ferocious?"

"I see what you mean now. They will hear the story I am sure but I do not think they will believe it. We will have to wait and see." Georgo said.

"Must I take his mate if I kill him?"

"You can leave her to starve or to fend for herself but that would be cruel. Many would look down on you if you did. Even if you didn't take his belongings. After all the woman will not try to harm you and she will need a mate if you have to kill hers. It is probable that no one else would ever mate her if you kill her mate. They would be suspicious and would think that she was bad luck if her mate was killed by another and that other would not have her. You should also consider the fact that if you kill him you will be getting a young mate who is a very good worker without having to make a bride payment. Even though she was not Gembo's first choice she is still a very attractive and well mannered woman." Georgo explained.

Well shit. I was about to get three mates that were young and beautiful and if this Gembo dumbass came around with his father and uncle I would probably end up with six mates. I guess I would muddle by somehow. I didn't even consider the fact that Gembo might be able to kill me.

I got the horses hitched, closed the cave and Georgo and I headed back to the camp. We were pretty much silent on the way back too. I don't know what Georgo was thinking about but I was thinking about a mating ceremony, it seemed all the more inviting now that I knew that Geera and Dieta would be showing us the ropes. I had it in mind that I might just show them a little rope myself. A stiff rope at that.

I also spent a little time thinking about Gembo. I would definitely be looking for him at the mating so I would know who to be watchful for. I wanted to get a look at his uncle and his father too. I was half a mind to just shoot all their asses as soon as I found out who they were but gave that up as a bad idea. I would just act like I didn't know any better and settle their hash when and if they made a move.