Harvest Flower

Animals or Humans

Darkness fell quickly and Rising Bear halted his horse in a shallow valley out of sight from the path. A rock ledge formed a small shelter just large enough to make camp under. He knew Running Wolf would be close by dawn, but Harvest Flower's sickness slowed his pace. He set her down before dismounting to tie his steed to a nearby bush. He watched her move around picking up dry sticks for a small fire.

"Brother I must return. Running Wolf will kill you for this, and I do not wish to see you dead. My stomach pains me of late and I feel so tired." She put a hand to her forehead, "I do not know what sickness grips me."

Rising Bear grimaced, "You are with child. I will not return you to a man who can not protect you. I will raise his child as my own." He hit his chest with his fist, stopping any further talk of going back.

Harvest Flower placed a hand over her stomach. "Could I be with child? Has that much time passed?"

Rising Bear ignored her and pulled a small sack of dried meat and fried bread from a deer skin bag tied on his horse. He also pulled a water skin from the bag, handing her the water first before sitting down. She took a small sip and handed it back. Her hands quickly busy with stacking the wood for the fire.

Rising Bear watched her giving her small amounts of food when the fire came to life. Its flames flickered with warmth and light. She looked tired and miserable causing him to feel some regret in taking her. She finished eating and curled into a ball by the fire falling almost instantly to sleep.

He took a bite of the dry bread and slowly chewed watching her sleep. Morning would come and with it Running Wolf.

Standing Elk kicked the thrashing girl at his feet. Her movements would soon give his position away. He smiled to himself, finding not only Running Wolf's sister, but also the white woman so far from home. His plan for revenge began to look more worth while. He ran his thumb over the healed scar on his side. The jagged pink reminder of Running Wolf's knife that fueled his hate and need for revenge.

The dream of a white woman caring for him all seemed like a joke to him. All white eyes are nothing but dirt under his moccasin. Standing Elk knelt and grabbed a handful of Singing Fox's hair to hiss in her ear, "Your lovely friend waits just through these trees. Be a good girl or I'll kill her on sight."

He yanked her head back letting go roughly so her head cracked on the hard ground. She held in her moan of pain and closed her eyes tight. His fingers skimmed her cheeks above the raw hide gag, his evil smile trained on an unseen image before him. He grabbed her hair again pulling her up with him to stand weakly. Her whole body ached with multiple bruises.

"Now we go." Rising Bear whispered pulling her behind him.

Rising Bear lost in thought stared at the dying flames. His ears missing the cracking twigs behind him until it was to late. The sound of a wood meeting his skull with force echoed on the ledge roof and walls. Harvest Flower sat up and her eyes widened when Singing Fox landed in a heap by the small fire. Her hands tied behind her and a gag keeping her from screaming. Her eyes pleaded for help.

Harvest Flower scooted back to the rock wall behind her when Standing Elk loomed over her. His hand stroking his ugly scar.

Standing Elk's voice sounded rough and evil, "Your friend is not a very good protector and makes this man's plans for revenge easy."

His laughter raised the hair on Harvest Flower's neck. Her fear is now doubled with the knowledge that she carried a child inside her. She held her breath and pushed back against the wall of roach behind her when he knelt down in front of her. His hand reached out to touch her hair slowly. She jerked her head to the side and spit at his feet.

His hand moved quickly slapping her across the face with the back of his hand. He then pulled a leather string from his pouch and grabbed her wrists. She tried to pull away and struggled, causing him to straddle her holding her down. He tied her wrist and quickly gagged her with raw hide.

He stood and laughed at her laying under him. "You can not escape me white slave. Your life is now mine to do with as I please." He roared with laughter at her struggling body.

He knelt down again and placed his hand on her knee, inching his way up her dress. She kicked and tried to roll away, but his tight grip held her down. His chest rumbled with joy at her obvious attempt at fighting and sorely failing.

A groan behind him reminded him of the warrior laying close by. He stood leaving Harvest Flower to cower were she lay. Rising Bear slowly started to wake but was soon knocked unconscious once more. Standing Elk looked over his shoulder at the two women tied up and laughed at their fear.

He grabbed Rising Bear's feet and started dragging him away from the camp sight. Not caring if he left him alive or dead. The smell of blood would draw the attention of large cats and other predators. The warrior wouldn't be alive for long. Standing Elk laughed loudly before dropping Rising Bears feet and rolling him into a shallow pit dug by large rain washes from the cliffs above.

His thoughts turned back to the women tied up for his pleasure. He couldn't wait to try the white woman. His member already growing hard at the thought of being between her soft legs. His grin widened and his eyes flashed evilly. Running Wolf would never taste her sweet skin again. He laughed and walked quickly back to the camp stroking his scar like a pet as he went.

Harvest Flower rolled to a sitting position and scooted over to Singing Fox. She helped Singing Fox inch up and the sat back to back wrestling to untie each other's bonds. Standing Elk would not be gone long and Harvest flower wanted to atleast be free when he returned. Harvest Flower felt the ties on Singing Fox's wrists loosen and a wave of relief flowed through her. Singing Fox quickly freed her hands and pull ed the gag from her mouth before working on Harvest Flower's ropes. The snapping twigs under Standing Elk's feet grew closer. Harvest Flower's wrists fell free just as he came into view. She snatched the gag from her mouth and both women quickly got to their feet inching to Rising Bear's tied horse.

Crazed laughter rang out from Standing Elk's chest. "You think you can escape that easily?" He chuckled, "You will die before you reach that tree." He pointed to the small tree the horse is tied to.

"Why are you doing this? What have we done beside protect ourselves?" Harvest Flower questioned.

He c****d his brow, "Running Wolf," he spat, "has always been a hated enemy. He tossed me from the village like dirt under his feet. All because he does not like war with the white eyes." He glared at Harvest Flower. "He even married a white eye. He is to soft to be chief. I will be chief and show the whites they must leave or die."

Singing Fox paled and inched closer to the horse keeping a hand on Harvest Flower's shoulder.

"War is never the answer and Running Wolf knows this. You would make a bad chief and the people would die if not leave you alone in the night." Harvest Flower spat taking a bold step toward the horse.

His rage flared and he lunged at Harvest Flower grabbing her arm roughly before she could run. He pulled her to his chest and shook her knocking the breath from her lungs. Singing Fox dashed to the horse untieing it quickly.

Harvest Flower quickly gained her wits and fought Standing Elk by kicking and scratching at his legs and face. Singing Fox grabbed a large rock from the ground and tested its weight smiling at her new weapon.

Standing Elk lost his footing and Harvest Flower kicked his shin once again. They fell hard on the ground wrestling and rolling. Standing Elk finally gained the upper hand pinning her to the ground under him. He felt his blood heat and let his eyes travel her exposed lower half beneath himself. Singing Fox forgotten when his eyes landed on her womans mound. The golden curls in plain sight. Trapping both her wrist in one hand he reached down with the other to pull himself free of his leather pants.

A solid thud and a bone splitting crack sounded out like a wave of relief to Harvest Flower. She let her breath out wiggled free of his lifeless body. Her eyes finding a shocked Singing Fox holding a blood soaked stone. Both women collapsed in tears within each other's arm. Sinking to the ground with relief heavy on their shoulders.

Harvest Flower could feel the energy leaving her body just as fast as the tears fell from her eyes.