by Calista Skye
Brax’tan points to a small hole in the rock wall.
I stick my head in. It’s dark and pretty bare, except for rolled-up furs and blankets along the walls. “Nobody lives here?”
“This is where the boys live when they’re old enough. Each one lives here until right after the Stripening and the trials that show that he’s a full warrior. At that point, he’s allowed to dig a tunnel to live in.”
I take a step back. The rest of the rock wall is a much lighter color and is full of other holes, much larger than this. “Why didn’t the tribe live in those caves in the beginning?”
He pulls me over to the closest one. “Because they weren’t here.”
From this close, it’s obvious that these caves have been dug and hacked out with tools. The edges are jagged and the holes are too symmetrical to be natural.
“Please tell me they didn’t use swords to make these caves.”
Brax’tan frowns. “They used special iron tools, not swords. Swords would be dulled.”
I examine the rock. This looks a lot like chalky limestone, which would be soft enough to allow caves to be dug into it using primitive tools.
It gives me an idea. Several, even. “Where did they put the rocks they dug out?”
Brax’tan points. “They carried them outside the fence. It was just in the way. Very sharp edges on those rocks, but too soft to be turned into weapons. All the boys play in the rubble heap when they’re small, thinking they’ve found a source for blades. But it doesn’t work.”
“Not for blades, maybe. But it can work for other things.”
“Perhaps. I wonder… do you want to see my cave?”
A sudden shyness has come over him, and he’s not looking me in the eye.
I squeeze his hand. “I’d love to see your cave.”
He gives me a boyish smile, then picks up a solid ladder lying by the rock face and leans it onto the wall, high up. He steadies it with both hands. “You go first.”
It crosses my mind that if I climb that ladder, anyone underneath and looking up will be getting a pretty good eyeful of my charms. On the other hand, the other cavemen are keeping their distance, and Brax’tan has seen it all before. From close up.
So I climb the maybe thirty feet up the ladder, making sure to not look down. The wood in the ladder creaks, but it’s been made to support men weighing three times as much as me, so it probably won’t break.
I get onto the wide ledge and turn around. From up here, I have a really good view of the village and the jungle around it. There’s a little bit of a breeze, and the air seems clearer.
The village looks more than ever like a supremely well-tended golf course, except one with orchards and tidy forges and even fields where useful plants of several varieties are being grown.
The whole scene reminds me of a movie I once saw, set in a mountain village in the Philippines. Jungle, fields and a small, tightly knit community. For the first time on Xren, I can almost imagine that I’m back on Earth.
Except I can see Bune in the distance. From here, that light show the other night would have to be even more spectacular than what the girls and I saw from our cave. Now, the setting sun is lighting that mountain up in a dull orange. Still it’s a dark, menacing presence. One that has to go, one way or the other. And soon.
Behind me is the opening to Brax’tan’s cave. It’s the only cave I’ve seen that has windows. Beside the squarish entrance there is one smaller hole on each side, higher up on the wall, looking just like round windows. They are closed by woven mats from the inside.
Brax’tan easily climbs the final rungs, and the ladder creaks much more under his weight.
He comes over, and now that we’re in reasonable private, I put my arm around his hard waist.
“I like the view.”
“I always liked it, too. Well, since I decided to have it made.”
I raise my eyebrows. It looks like a pretty major project. “You dug this?”
“No, I had it dug. Other men carved this ledge cave out of the rock. I was busy with other and more important things.”
“They dug this for you, and you didn’t even help?”
Brax’tan grins, probably not hearing the criticism in my voice. “I helped them by not helping. This cave turned out much better and larger than it would if I’d been in charge of it. The men digging this had pride in their work. They wanted to do the best job possible. They could only do that if I stayed away. I didn’t come up here until they told me it was finished. And I was struck with wonder.”
First in the line of fire, last in the line for chow? Yeah, this is a little different from the leadership my father talked about.
“Shouldn’t the chief be more concerned with the welfare of his tribesmen, not with himself?”
He gives me a happy grin. “This cave will be of benefit to every chief who comes after me. Anyway, I told you I was terrible. Let’s go inside.”
I point to the rock wall beside his cave. “There’s still room for twenty more caves up here. Didn’t you say the tribe was running out of living space?”
“We tried digging the rock there. It’s too hard. Same as the rock around the old cave. We can’t make much of a dent in it with our pickaxes.”
“Then maybe let some tribesmen share your cave with you?”
“Nobody would share the chief’s cave with me. Or with any other chief.”
He removes the mat in front of the opening and goes inside, and I follow.
This cave isn’t that much bigger than the ones I saw one level down. The only difference is that this has those windows that make it much brighter inside as soon as Brax’tan removes the mats from them as well.
It’s about the size of a cramped studio apartment, but because there’s no furniture, it seems quite spacious. The white rock walls help too, of course, where they’re not covered by hanging dinosaur furs. On the floor there are thick not-sheep furs, making it pleasant to walk on.
But the only thing I really notice is the long skull of a not-dactyl, six feet long and mounted high up on the wall, but still taking up a good quarter of the airspace in here.
I shudder at the sight of its beak with the hundreds of horrific teeth in overlapping rows. Nightmares don’t come more scary than this.
“Does that thing help you sleep at night?”
Brax’tan looks up at the dactyl skull. “Sometimes. It was the first irox I slew. I kept the skull to remind myself that accomplishing hard things are often just a matter of time and patience. And effort. Yes, it can help me relax when I lie awake and think of the things that must be done. Anything is possible. Even slaying an irox with a sword.”
Of course, my question was sarcastic, but now I nod wisely. “Ah. Yes. Right.”
The cave is silent for a moment, and I suddenly think I hear running water.
“Do I hear running water?”
“I think you might.” Brax’tan grabs one of the dino skins on the wall and pulls at it, revealing yet another room beyond. And it is plainly a bathroom.
Or as close to a bathroom as you can get on Xren. It’s a little trickle of water that flows out of a natural hole in the wall, over a strategically placed basin and then down to a groove in the floor, leading out under the wall. It’s pretty much an indoor creek.
I feel my jaw drop. “That’s spectacular. How is that even possible?”
Brax’tan places a hand on my shoulder. “The men digging heard the same thing you did, and they hacked a small tunnel to investigate. There was water running there, through the rock. So they decided to explore further. They discovered a system of natural springs further in, and decided to check if those reached all the way down to the other caves. They did. Most of the caves have these rooms now. It’s not very useful, perhaps. But we like them.”
This place just got a lot better. “I would say it’s pretty useful to have running water in your cave.”
“Makes it easy to get a drink,” Brax’tan agrees and pulls the skin b
ack to cover the bath. “If I had been in charge of the digging, nobody would have made it like this.”
I look out one of the windows. Behind Bune somewhere is the cave with the girls. I’ve been gone for so long now that they must think something’s happened to me. Well, I kept my promise. I didn’t get abducted.
They can wait a little longer, like I’ve waited for many of them, worried sick. And maybe, just maybe, I can come home and meet them with a whole tribe as our allies. As our friends. Possibly the best tribe around, even. That would be an accomplishment worthy of a leader.
I don’t know what it is. Maybe it’s the barbecue mood at the party, or the booze, or that this place reminds me ever so little of Earth. But at this moment, it’s as if something melts in me.
Maybe, when I go back to the cave, I have someone else with me, too. Someone like this man right here.
I take his big hand. “You have a good tribe.”
“Yes. They’re good. Now if only their chief would be less terrible, anything would be possible.”
I squeeze his callused hand between mine. “You do know you’re not terrible at all?”
“No chief is perfect. Most of the things I’ve done were started by the previous chief.”
“By Trui’rex. That’s not what he says.”
“Oh, he told you?”
“He told me how you became chief. You could have killed him, and you didn’t. And the first place you took me here in your village was his tunnel. It was a way for you to show the tribe that he might be a former chief, but he’s still respected and important. I think it meant a lot to him.”
“He is wise. I often ask his advice.”
I reach up and stroke Brax’tan stubbled jawline, so firm and still so soft and warm. “This is probably the best tribe on Xren. I think that’s all because of you. They love you. And I know exactly how they feel.”
His eyes glow down at me with their golden sheen. “There are many good tribes.”
I move my hands to his neck and use some of my weight to pull his head down so I can place my lips on his. “There really aren’t. It would be good if the two best ones could come together.”
He responds eagerly, as if he’s permanently ready for this. His mouth is on mine, exploring and gently biting, while he takes me in his arms and lifts me off the floor.
I curl my legs around him again, but they’re a little sore from earlier, so I give it up and just hang in his arms. “Put me down on my back.”
22
- Delyah -
He lifts me and walks me over to the wall, then carefully puts me down on a stack of not-sheep furs by the wall. A wave of trembling warmth flows through me, just pure expectation of what is to come, and I can’t hold back a content moan.
I wriggle out of my stiff, old dress and toss it aside.
Brax’tan sheds his kilt, and his alien cock strains skywards. He bends down to kiss my cheeks and my mouth, and I receive him eagerly, letting him explore me with his textured, agile and very alien tongue.
He kisses his way down to my throat, leaving a searing hot trail of kisses all the way down to my chest. He teases me then, kissing all around my breast without touching the nipple. First one, then the other, setting the soft, sensitive skin on fire. I strain to lift my needy nipples, wanting him to give them attention. But he already knows exactly what I want, and he’ll do it when he’s good and ready.
He leaves my nipples untouched and kisses down my stomach, making little growling noises as if he’s feasting on my body.
I spread my legs as a reflex, wanting him to continue further down, where sweet little tingles are erupting in anticipation.
He ignores it and kisses back up my body again, one hot little peck at a time, again ending at my chest. He kisses circles around the nipple, takes his lips off me for two seconds and then sucks on one of them, hard, while he rubs the other between two fingers.
“Ahhhh!” I buck uncontrollably at the sudden sensation, and a hard lightning of pleasure shoots from both my breasts down to my pussy.
Brax’tan grips my boobs, squeezes them and sucks and kisses and nibbles, plainly enjoying himself with my female flesh.
“Woman,” he growls, finally acting like a real caveman.
I can only hang on and feel how the pressure is already building down below. Surely he can’t make me come from only touching my boobs? But I need him down there now.
He knows that too, of course. He gives my nipples one soft kiss each, then works his way down my front again, setting course straight for my pussy. I spread my legs further in encouragement, but he veers off and kisses and licks his way down my inner thigh, first on one side, then the other.
I can smell my own arousal in the air, and I distantly wonder what the tribesmen will make of the noises when I come. Hopefully they won’t think I’m being murdered—
“Aaahhhhh!” My whole body jerks hard when Brax’tan takes my whole pussy into his mouth, sucks it in and then rams his long, flexible tongue into my sex at the same time. It’s total sensory overload — my whole pussy is a kaleidoscope of ecstasy as this crazy dude chews lightly on my outer lips while fucking me with his tongue at the same time. The mild pain mixes with the pleasure to make some kind of super-pleasure, and now I’m trembling because I’m about to come already under his vicious, wonderful onslaught on my pussy.
“Your cock,” I gasp, “I need your cock!”
For once, he lets me influence how he fucks me, and the next thing I know is his cock forcing its way into my slick hole, with all the bumps and ridges and that second cock of his setting off the orgasm like an over-filled balloon being popped.
I writhe and scream and thrash as he fucks me, hard and relentlessly, taking me ever higher as his smaller cock caresses my clit like a second tongue. As a primal reflex I toss my arms behind me, over my head, making my body only his, submitting to his cock and surrendering to his sheer manliness.
He slows down, wanting to prolong my orgasm.
“Come inside me,” I whimper, not really knowing what I’m saying except that it’s the only thing I want right now.
And I guess he wants it, too. His fucking goes jerky and irregular as he grunts in the most cavemanish sound I’ve ever heard, and I feel his hard, boiling hot spurts hit my center.
He collapses on top of me while I’m still coming, and his body heat all over me makes me feel unbelievably safe and protected and even cherished.
I ride out my climax, feeling his slow, hard heartbeat resonate through my whole body.
“What will your tribesmen think?” I wheeze. “They must have heard us.”
Brax’tan kisses my mouth once more and rolls off me. “They must. I can hardly think of more pleasant noises to hear.”
I put my hand on his chest, needing the contact. “They won’t be angry?”
“No,” he says simply. “Only curious. The shaman teachings about Mating with The Woman mention that she might make strange and animal-like noises if the Mating has been as good as she requires.”
“Uh-huh. Animal-like.” I curl up and put my head on his arm, perfectly content and a little drowsy. There are all kinds of things I should be asking about. But right now, I just want to enjoy the feeling of not having to do anything. “I’m sure they’ll tell you all about it tomorrow.”
“Perhaps.” He pulls a not-sheep fur over my legs.
“I’m glad you didn’t kill Trui’rex.”
“I could never do that. If that’s what it came down to, I would have withdrawn my challenge. How did you become the chief of your alien tribe?”
I draw in the scent of his chest, the smell of skin and sun. “The other girls wanted me to be. And I didn’t have to sense to refuse.”
“You don’t like being chief?”
I sigh against his chest. “It makes me tense when I have to make decisions. What if it’s the wrong one and it ends in disaster? Or someone gets hurt? Or dies? This planet is so freaking deadly.”
“All good
chiefs feel that way.”
His heartbeat is in my ear, and my head rises and falls with each of his slow breaths. “How do you deal with it?”
“The tribe needs a chief. Someone must make decisions. The big ones, I mean. If everyone does, then there’s only chaos. I think it’s important to not be too stubborn. If a decision was clearly the wrong one, then a good chief can change his mind.”
I stifle a yawn. “I noticed how you lead. You let your tribesmen make the smaller decisions. And then you ask them about the results.”
“I’m not the best cave digger in the tribe. Or the best smith or cook or weaver. Other men do that better than me. I just make sure that everything takes the tribe in a better direction.”
“Mhm. I think you’re the best man in the tribe. On all of Xren.”
- - -
The first sun rays hit the white walls in the cave, and it gets remarkably bright in here.
I sit up and rub the sleep out of my eyes. For once, I’m awake before Brax’tan. He probably didn’t fall asleep as early as I did. I have a vague feeling that he was gone for a while during the night. I remember feeling around for him and finding nothing.
I pull my dress on and walk out on the ledge. Columns of wispy smoke rise from a handful of fires, both in the tunnels under the ground and from the caves under this one. The air is still cool from the night, and the sun is barely showing a tiny sliver above the horizon. It’s a new day on Xren, and for a change it doesn’t fill me with dread.
I make my way down the ladder and stroll slowly across the well-tended grass, partly because I’m still sleepy and partly because I don’t want to fall down into one of the tunnels.
The men who are awake greet me with friendly smiles. In a strange tribe like this, consisting of only virgin cavemen, I should probably be careful about what I do. But for some reason I know nothing bad will happen to me here.
I make my way to the gates, and three guards suddenly appear out of nowhere, blocking my way.
“Greetings, Chief Delyah,” the older one says.
“Greetings, warriors. May I go out the gates?”