Steve, for his part returned to playing his harmonica until the stew was ready. Sam wasn't happy with the idea of eating squirrel meat but in the cool evening air the stew smelled so good that he ate without complaint. He thought that he must have been really hungry because he decided the stew was delicious.
Sue designated Steve and Tom to take turns staying up to keep a low fire going. Along with keeping an eye out for any predatory wild animals that might otherwise give them problems in the night.
“But since I don't want you two to spend half the night deciding who takes first watch,” Sue added after a moments reflection. “I'm going to make up your minds for you. The way I figure it, I'm tired enough to fall asleep to your music Steve. But I doubt I'd sleep through it if you suddenly started playing half way through the night.” Steve grunted, and laid out his bedroll in a choice spot by the fire. Then he took out his harmonica and softly began to play.
Ellen unrolled her bedroll right next to Steve's, then she looked at Tom and patted the ground on the other side of her bedroll. He took the hint, and spread his bedroll next to Ellen's. Sue quickly claimed a spot a little less than one third of the way around the fire. Then she pointed at the remaining vacant area on the other side of the fire.
“I think you four might want to consider placing your bedrolls close enough to share body heat,” Sue suggested. “It's going to get pretty cold tonight.”
“That sounds like good advice,” Jake agreed. Then he looked pointedly at Sue's bedroll. “But I wouldn't want you to get too cold either.”
As he spoke Jake had quickly rummaged in his pack, finally pulling out an oblong metallic cylinder. With which he scooped up some hot coals from the fire. Then as he closed the opening he held it out to her.
“Put this under your blanket,” he said. “It'll help keep you warm for several hours.”
Sue accepted the cylinder from Jake.
“But this is soft,” Sue said in a puzzled voice. “It's almost like a pillow. What keeps the coals from burning a hole in it?” Jake smiled.
“You wouldn't really expect me to tell you the secrets of guild technology would you?” he asked.
Meanwhile Jess and Sam had laid out their bedrolls along with Jake's in a sort of triangle, with Mary's in the center. Sue couldn't help but notice that the four of them shared a bit more than body heat that night. Though she also noted, they were at least discreet enough to be quiet about it. Which was more than could be said for Ellen as she snuggled first with Tom, then later with Steve.
Morning came early. Or at least that's how Sam and Mary felt about it. Most of the night had been nearly uneventful, if you didn't count what occurred under the blankets. One serious predator had slipped into the glen about halfway through Tom's watch. One of the nano-scouts Jake had quietly posted on sentry duty informed him of the mountain lion's approach just before Tom noticed the nervousness of the horses. By the time Tom had retrieved the pellet gun from his pack, Jake had already prepped a dozen nano-pods with sufficient nano-pheromones to send the big cat away. The nano-pods released their cargo inside the nostrils of the hapless beast. Which immediately forgot it's hunger as it suddenly ran away.
It's screams of terror and rage faded into the distance so quickly that neither Sam nor Mary woke up. The rest of the camp was at least sure the beast was gone for the night. Nonetheless Steve got up and retrieved his own air powered weapon.
“I think maybe Tom and I should try to find out what scared that kitty so badly?” Steve suggested quietly. Their attention was so focused on the perimeter of the camp that they were taken by surprise when Jake spoke up right next to them.
“Look around if you like,” he said quietly. “But you won't find any trace of the monster that cat got a whiff of.” Sue looked at Jake who was now squatting right next to her blankets.
“You did that?” she began to ask, then before he could answer she continued. “Of course you did. I don't know why I even bothered to post my boys on guard duty. I suppose I should thank you.” Then she reached out and briefly tugged on Jake's exposed manhood as she added. “But what I will thank you to do is to please cover this with something before you approach my bed. It's hard enough trying to sleep knowing what's going on over there.” She gestured with a sweeping motion that encompassed both the pile of blankets Jake and his team had been sharing with Mary and the one Ellen had shared with the ranch hands.
In doing so, her blanket shifted. Revealing that she also preferred to sleep naked. Neither Jake nor Steve could possibly have missed the fact that her nipples were both hard. A fact that Tom had also noticed as he walked over to find out what Steve and Jake were discussing with his mistress. Sue noticed their stares but she didn't bother trying to cover up before she finished speaking.
“I'm just as human as the other girls you know,” she said. “I'm just not prepared to jump into bed with a man every time I've a chance to. Now please, all of you, go back to whatever you were doing before Jake's equipment scared off that cat.”
Jake of course hadn't needed to see the state of Sue's nipples to be aware that she had actually been aroused all night. In fact his nano-enhanced senses had told him of her condition while they were still riding the horses.
Jess hadn't seen the need to rouse himself completely when he heard the departure of the mountain lion. He was familiar enough with Jake's abilities that he was quite sure the danger, if any, was long gone. So he had returned to slumber so quickly that he wasn't even aware that he had missed a chance to ogle Sue's tits. Jake decided that since Mary had slept through the whole thing, she must need what sleep she could get. So he didn't rouse her. He was painfully aware however of the sensual way Ellen settled Steve back in.
Jake never did get back to sleep that night. Eventually, shortly before the dawn, he noticed Ellen getting back up. There was a full moon, so Ellen had no trouble finding what she wanted in her pack. Then as she walked towards the stream Ellen turned and pointed towards Jake. Her finger then began to move in a gesture that suggested she wanted him to follow her. He caught up with her at the edge of the water. She handed him a wash cloth, and a bar of soap.
“Do my back,” she whispered. “And I'll do your front.”
When they eventually returned to the campsite, Sue was standing by the fire.
“I'd like to get an early start this morning Ellen,” Sue explained. “So I hope you've planned something quick for breakfast.”
Ellen looked at a pot of water that someone had already put on the fire.
“Looks like we will be able to have hot tea in a minute or two,” Ellen replied. “And by then I'll have sliced up a loaf of the bread I brought. Which will taste even better because I've got some butter in one jar, and some honey in another. Will that do?”
Just then, Mary got up.
“I'm thinking that stream is cold as ice,” Mary said as she eyed the towel that Ellen was still carrying. “But if we have a few minutes, maybe the boys and I should go freshen up.”
“Go for it!” Sue spoke up. “But if you don't want to go hungry, I suggest that unlike these two, you should consider settling for just washing up a bit.”
Sam was getting more uncomfortable by the minute. He had been a little stiff when they started riding this morning. Then, shortly after he settled into his saddle, he noticed that his backside was a bit tender. Now that it was nearly noon, he was considering using one of his precious nano-med packets to heal away the soreness that was rapidly becoming unbearable. He would have already done so but he felt like he would be wasting them on a trivial pain. The trail now passed through a forest that was thick enough to provide nearly continuous shade. It's surface however, was uneven, full of so many bumps and dips that nothing he could do was enough to keep his sore butt from actually bouncing against the saddle. He had just about made up his mind to use a nano-med packet when Sue called a halt.
“We're stopping for a few minutes to feed and water the horses,” Sue explained. “Which should give Helen
just enough time to slice up another loaf of bread and maybe some of the smoked meat. But I'm afraid we'll have to eat it while we ride. And we won't be stopping long enough for a fire. So I'm afraid that also means we'll have to wash it down with cold water.”
“Sam, I'm afraid I need you to drop your draws and bend over,” she added as soon they had all dismounted. “I've seen the way you've been sitting in that saddle. So I know you've developed a nasty case of saddle sores. I've got some ointment that'll fix you right up.” She held up a jar she had taken from her pack. “But I need to see where to put it.”
Never one to be bashful Sam followed her instructions in order. First he undid his belt and let his trousers fall to his ankles and he stepped out of them while he was still facing her. He paused for a moment while Sue gaped at his snake tattoo. He enjoyed the expression that crossed Sue's face as his snake rapidly stood to attention while she stared at it.
“I think you'll find I that my whole butt needs that ointment of yours,” Sam said.
Then he turned around and bent over with his legs slightly spread. Which of course provided Sue with a view of a few more tattoos.
“I think your right,” Sue agreed. “It does look like your whole decorated ass needs this.”
As she said that she scooped a generous amount of the ointment from the jar. Then she squatted down and gently massaged it into Sam's buttocks. Sam found that the ointment was providing immediate relief from the pain. Though it didn't exactly make the area feel numb. Instead it sort of tingled.
This wasn't the first time Sue had applied this ointment to a man's private areas. In fact the multipurpose ointment she had originally developed for her horses was good for a wide range of sores and rashes. Though since it's effectiveness depended on being rubbed in thoroughly with just the right amount of pressure, she had always insisted on applying it herself. This included the time that young John Baker had gone on his first extended trail ride and had been a little too modest about defecating in front of other people. He was also foolish enough to seek concealment in a clump of itchweed bushes to relieve himself. In his case she had to massage the ointment into his entire genital area, twice a day, for a week. Which she had done with the same clinical detachment with which she would have applied it to one of the horses. That had embarrassed the young man far more than the idea of voiding his bowels in plain sight ever would have.
This time was different however. Something about rubbing the tattooed buttocks of this outworlder was affecting her. Sue found herself wishing that Sam's saddle sores extended to his scrotum because she discovered that she wanted to feel his balls. In fact, it took every bit of willpower she had to confine her attentions to the affected area. As she struggled with herself she realized that she actually wanted to bring this man to orgasm. More than that she was beyond caring about who was watching. It was a near thing. Sue was so aroused by the act of rubbing the ointment into Sam's ass, that the very thought of feeling Sam's balls twitch was enough to push her over the edge.
Sue felt herself falling into the temptation. She felt herself going for it but even as she began to slide her hand down the crack of Sam's butt, she suddenly stopped feeling horny. Her hand was less than an inch from reaching his scrotum, when she decided that she didn't really want to. Or rather that she didn't want to do it right now. Sue pulled her hand back and stood up. Then she noticed the way everyone was looking at her.
“What are you looking at me like that for?” she asked.
Even as she asked however, she knew the answer. She had actually spent more time rubbing the lotion into Sam's butt than she should have. A fact that all of her ranch hands would have noticed. They knew how long it normally took her to apply the stuff to any given area. Always outspoken, Steve answered.
“Since you asked,” Steve explained. “I don't think any of us ever saw you get heated up like that before.”
“I was simply rendering first aid,” Sue tried to defend herself. At which point Steve snorted.
“Heck, you've never wound up breathing like that, anytime you've ever given first aid to anyone else. Not even when you used that ointment of yours on that terrible rash poor John got on his crotch a couple of years back. Though as I remember it he sure wound up breathing like that.”
She was about to protest further when she realized that the crotch of her pants were soaked through. As she stood there she could smell the scent of her recent arousal. As Sue stood there looking down at herself with a puzzled expression, she could feel herself blushing.
“Oh... I'm sorry, I guess your right,” she admitted. “I was umm. out of control wasn't I?”
At this point Ellen spoke up in a kind voice.
“Yes Sue, I'm afraid you were at that,” Ellen confirmed. “But I guess none of us ever saw such tattoos as this Sam has before. Maybe that's what set you off.”
Then with a flash of realization Sue looked intensely at Jake.
“Wait a minute, father was worried that you might use your nanites to cause something like this.?” Sue demanded.
“And I promised that I wouldn't,” Jake countered. “And I didn't. But yes, when I realized what was happening, I did use some nano-pheromones to stop it. But I was just a little bit too slow. So by the time they took effect, things had progressed so far that everybody else noticed what was happening.”
There were tears running down Sue's face by the time he finished explaining.
“Well I guess I should thank you for trying to help,” she said. “But damn it. Now I'm going to have to live with the shame of it and I didn't even get to enjoy it properly.” Then suddenly realizing what she was saying Sue looked up at her employees. “Oh what you all must think of me now...”
“Oh Dung heap!” Tom exploded. “You've got nothing to feel ashamed about.” Normally Tom never said much about anything except how much he disliked camping but once he got started on something he tended to be very outspoken. “It's not like your not of age. Nor even like either of you are married. And if what's bothering you is that you were indiscreet enough to let us see it happen, well then I suggest you consider that there were none of us that were very discrete last night.” Tom would have continued for considerably longer but he saw the look on her face.
“Um... This isn't helping, is it?” he asked.
“Not really,” she said. “But it does help a bit to know you don't think I'm horrible.”
“I don't think any of us think that Sue,” Mary spoke up. “I know I don't.”
Sue looked at her. Then she looked at the rest of them and it seamed to her that everyone was looking at her with concern.
“Well maybe I'm overreacting then,” she said. “Does anyone have any bad feelings about... about what almost happened?”
Sue was immediately rewarded by a chorus of “No!” and “Not me!” accompanied by a lot of shaking heads.
Then suddenly Sam spoke up as he stepped back into his pants.
“To tell you the truth Sue,” Sam admitted. “The only bad feelings I got is for Jake putting a stop to it so damned soon.”
After a moment Sue started laughing.
“Well I'll tell you what Sam,” she said. “If you'll wait till we get to the next campsite, I'll let you put your bedroll next to mine tonight. And then I won't care if neither of us are very discrete about it. Hows that?” Sam whole face brightened as he smiled.
“That's good,” he said. “Cause I've never been very good at being all that discrete.”
The next campsite was also located partway up a hill. It was in a deep but narrow cleft that bisected a large hill into two unequal halves. It was located about two thirds of the way to the top of the hill. A path of sorts wound up the side of the hill to one end of the cleft. This end of the cleft was barely wide enough for the horses to pass between the steep rocky sides. The ‘floor’ of the cleft angled slightly downwards, deeper into the cleft After the first thirty feet, the fissure abruptly widened. One of the steep sides and the ‘floor’ of the widenin
g cleft became less rocky and covered with grass. Right where the narrow section of the cleft began to widen, someone had built a stout wooden gate that would keep the horses from wandering back out of this end of the meadow. A few feet after the cleft widened, a small spring trickled through a crack in the the rock face of the taller side of the cleft. The far end of the meadow was guarded by the more effective natural barrier of a large cluster of daggerthorn trees that filled the wide lower end of the cleft from side to side.
Sue pointed at the small trickle of water that seeped out of the rock cliff face.
“That's the best tasting spring water within 300 miles of here,” she said. “And the horses can drink their fill from the little brook that runs along the bottom of the cliff from it to the daggerthorn cluster. We can let them wander about freely because horses seem to know better than to nuzzle up to anything that smells like a daggerthorn bush. We on the other hand will have to remember to be careful about those thorns.” Next she pointed at a heavy wooden door set into the nearly vertical side of the hill on the other side of the cleft, just a few feet away from where the nearest daggerthorn's parameter thorn shoots climbed up the grassy hillside. “That doorway leads to the rest of our campsite.”
Next to the door there was a circle of stones that had obviously been regularly used as a fireplace. The door opened easily and led to a short tunnel that had been carved out of the rock and dirt that composed the steep side of the hill. The tunnel was braced with timbers like an old mine. It didn't extend very far into the hill before it turned to the left. Nor did it travel very far before it again turned to the left and opened into the clear space under the daggerthorn trees. The ground was dry, and covered with a thick pile of soft needles. The area under the whole cluster of the daggerthorns was remarkably open. Except for where the trunks of the individual trees descended from it, the underside of the canopy formed by their interwoven branches averaged nearly 15 feet above the ground.
The day's light was only just beginning to fade. Yet so little of it made it through the daggerthorn's foliage that Sam could barely see the wooden table and some chairs that were set up to one side of the entry tunnel. Sue quickly lit a small glass oil lamp that was on the table. By it's light Sam saw that the open space under the trees was irregularly shaped. The central area was mostly open except for the tree trunks. It also had a ceiling of thickly tangled branches that varied from ten to fifteen feet of overhead clearance. This extended across the width of the cleft where they could see it's thornpods wedged against the hillsides.
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