The Wild, Part Eight

Yawning, Michelle stood up and went to the stove. The fire was starved, barely putting off any heat. She fed it some more wood, poking and prodding it with a stick until it showed some signs of life. Leaving the door open to let as much heat into the drafty cabin as possible, she slipped back into bed. She smiled as Samantha snuggled against her.

Her voice a little thick with sleep, Samantha asked, “Are you getting up?”

“When it warms up in here a bit,” Michelle said, kissing her, “I need to start breaking the bearskin. It should be ready now.”

“Breaking the bearskin?” Samantha asked.

“It’s the second to last step to finishing our rug. Basically, I’m going to work the hell out of it to make the hide more flexible and soft. If I just let it dry completely without breaking it, it’ll be stiff. That would probably be fine for a rug, but since we need to be able to fold it up and take it with us…”

“How exactly do you ‘break’ a hide?” Samantha asked.

“Dad had me cut off a sapling at about waist height, round off the stump, then work my raccoon hide back and forth across it. It breaks some of the fibers in the skin- hence the name. You keep doing it until it is as supple as you want or as supple as you can get it,” Michelle said.

“Oh,” Samantha said.

“Of course, the bearskin is a lot bigger than a raccoon’s, so I’m going to wrap it around the railing on the porch and working it back and forth. Hopefully, it’ll generate enough friction to break the hide,” Michelle said.

“And if it doesn’t?” Samantha asked.

“I’ll have to cut down a sapling,” Michelle said, shaking her head, “I really hope it works, because doing it the same way I did my raccoon skin would suck.”

“I can help you some,” Samantha said.

“I’m probably going to need some help,” Michelle said, sighing, “if nothing else to give me a break. It’s going to be a lot of work.”

“You said breaking it is the second to last step… What’s the last step?” Samantha asked.

“I have to smoke it. The smoke sticks to the tannin in the brain goo, making the hide water resistant,” Michelle said, then added, “which is important, because if you don’t smoke it and it gets wet, it’ll become like rawhide when it dries out. You’ll have to break it all over, again.”

“Got it,” Samantha said.

“It’s going to be a long day,” Michelle said, snuggling tighter against Samantha.

“Will the rug be finished by tonight?” Samantha asked.

“Should be,” Michelle said.

With a playful smile on her face, Samantha said, “If it is, we can fool around on it next to the fire.”

Thinking about Samantha naked on a bearskin rug next to the crackling fire, Michelle threw the covers back and stood up. She was slipping into her jeans when she felt eyes on her. Turning, she saw Samantha favoring her with a knowing smile.

Laughing, Michelle said, “I’m going to make sure the rug is done.”

“Good,” Samantha said, sitting up. She was naked under the covers, and Michelle had to resist the urge to crawl back into bed with her. She had to keep repeating in her head, bearskin and fire.

She finished dressing, then grabbed the folded up fur and stepped outside. It was still early morning, and there was a chill in the air. Still, she thought once she started breaking the fur, she’d warm up in a hurry.

Blue was lying on the porch, and the wolf looked up as Michelle came outside. Michelle took a minute to scratch her behind her ears. She had to smile, thinking Blue seemed more like a pet than a wild animal, now. It was hard to believe only a few short weeks ago, Blue had seriously considered eating her. Well, attacking her, anyway.

As she unfolded the bearskin, Blue regarded her with interest. Her ears were perked as Michelle threw the fur over one of the banisters, skin side down. Michelle could almost read the wolf’s mind, and she was pretty sure Blue was thinking Is that something I can eat?.

“You can’t eat this,” Michelle said, smiling at the wolf.

Realizing it wasn’t food, Blue lost interest. She yawned and rested her head on her paws. Her eyes closed only to pop back open as Michelle started working the fur back and forth on the banister. She gave Michelle a curious look, then yawned again. This time, she went back to sleep.

The rough-hewn log that made up the railing should provide enough friction to break the skin fibers, softening them. At least, Michelle hoped. The alternative would be tedious and a whole lot more work.

Working with a fur this big was proving to be a little unwieldy and Michelle had to wrestle with it. She had expected this to be a chore, but it turned out to be even more of a pain in the backside than she anticipated. She was sweating in no time.

She had been at it for about half an hour when Samantha brought her some breakfast. Glad for the reason to take a break, Michelle sat on the porch step with her girlfriend and at the chunks of boar meat. Blue, ever the walking stomach, came over to sniff. The wild wolf in her was too proud to beg, but Michelle tossed her a couple of chunks, anyway. They didn’t even hit the ground, snatched out of the air and swallowed in a gulp.

“You aren’t much for savoring your food are you, Blue?” Michelle asked.

The wolf chose to ignore that jab, returning to her resting spot.

“How’s the fur coming?” Samantha asked.

Laughing sourly, Michelle said, “I don’t know if I’m softening it up or if it’s softening me up.”

“That bad?” Samantha asked.

“Pretty bad, yeah,” Michelle said, looking at the fur dangling over the railing, “It’s really big, which makes it hard to work back and forth. I keep having to fold it over on itself so that I can work another section. Luckily, I don’t have to break it all the way. I just need it to be supple enough to fold or roll up so we can take it with us.”

“How long do you think it’ll take?”

“Depends on how long the last bit of tanning solution takes to dry,” Michelle said, shrugging, “most of the morning, I’d think.”

Standing up, Samantha said, “Let me know if you need a break.”

“Okay,” Michelle said, getting up herself. With her belly full of pig, it was time to get back to her fur. She hoped the protein would help her muscle through.

She worked the fur back and forth across the beam in small sections all the way down the fur and then back up, again. It was a process she’d repeat over and over until the last of the brain goo had dried. Her dad had said it was best to start breaking the fur when the skin was almost but not completely dry, like the bearskin had been this morning.

It was tedious, backbreaking work and she had to keep repeating her mantra in her head- Samantha, bearskin, fire– to keep her going.

Time got a little fuzzy because she was doing the same thing over and over, but Michelle thought three or four hours had passed since she started this. The tightness in her shoulders and back seemed to support the theory. Taking a break to stretch her tired muscles, she stepped off the porch and looked at the scorched mark where she had burned the rest of the bear carcass.

She flashed back to the attack, to killing the bear with Samantha’s spear. Shaking her head, she could barely believe how lucky they had been. A couple of bruised ribs and scratches were nothing compared to how the grizzly attack could have gone.

Again, she felt a tightening in her chest at how close she had come to losing Samantha. Michelle knew she loved the girl, but just how much still surprised her. The thought of losing her stole her breath away, and she gritted her teeth.

The bear had caught them off guard, but they wouldn’t make the same mistake, twice. Michelle had dismantled her shoestring bow, making a sturdier version using some of the rope they had liberated from the lake. She had made a second bow, and she was going to teach Samantha how to use it once her ribs healed up some more. In addition, she had crafted her own spear, figuring it would be better in close quarters than a bow.

She would have preferred a hunting rifle, but having the bows and spears made her feel better.

Michelle returned to the porch to check on the bearskin. Stretching it out on the porch, she ran her hand over the skin side. It was completely dry, which meant the fur was as good as it was going to get. Not supple enough for clothing, it was flexible enough that it could be rolled up to take with them.

And more than supple enough to fool around on, Michelle thought, grinning, now all I have to do is smoke it.

Standing up, she went inside to grab the rope. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Samantha sitting on the bed. The girl quickly stuffed something under the pillow. She looked a little harried as she looked at Michelle.

“What was that?” Michelle asked, intrigued.

“A surprise,” Samantha said.

Walking over to her, Michelle asked, “What sort of surprise?”

“You’ll see later,” Samantha putting her hand on the pillow protectively.

“You aren’t going to let me see?” Michelle asked, meeting her eyes.

“It would be better if you let me finish it first,” Samantha said, then laughed, “assuming I can get it to work.”

“Maybe I can help,” Michelle said.

“I’d rather it be a surprise,” Samantha said, standing up and slipping into Michelle’s arms. With a toe-curling kiss, she said, “You have your project, and I have mine. Hopefully, we’ll get to use both of them later.”

“Oh?” Michelle asked, definitely intrigued. She knew what the bearskin was for and she wondered if what was under the pillow would come into play then, as well. Samantha’s smiled seemed to suggest so, which got Michelle’s imagination going.

Samantha’s smiled became playful as she said, “You’ll see. Now get out of here so I can finish it.”

Michelle stole a kiss before letting go of the girl. She slung her little quiver of arrows over her shoulder, picked up her bow and the rope. As she was heading out the door, she heard Samantha say, “Knock before you come in.”

Pausing at the door, she turned back and gave the girl an amused smile, said, “You are taking this surprise thing a little too seriously.”

“Just knock,” Samantha said.

“Alright,” Michelle said, laughing.

She left Samantha to her project and went in search of the supplies she’d need to smoke the skin. She was glad when Blue decided to tag along, felt a lot safer with the wolf at her side.

The first thing she needed was four straight sticks, about seven feet in length to lash together into a tepee. She figured once she wrapped the fur around these sticks, it would create a natural chimney, pulling the smoke up past the skin on its way out the opening in the top. This method should get as much smoke into the skin as possible, which would give her the best results.

The smoke would adhere to the tannin in the brain goo, making the bearskin water resistant. In the off chance the skin got wet, it would make it a lot easier if they had to break it, again. At least, that was what her dad had told her. Her knowledge in the art of tanning was academic, at best.

She found four sticks that would suit her needs, and she dragged them over to the cabin. Lining them up on the ground, she wound the rope through the tops of them. She stood the bundle of sticks up, pushing the legs out one by one until she had a free-standing frame. Giving it a shake, she was satisfied it was sturdy enough for her purposes.

With the tepee ready to go, she dug a small fire pit at the base. She would build a small fire here, preferably with some punk wood. She left her tepee and went in search of a fallen tree or a rotted stump. Punk wood was dead wood left in the elements and would smolder and smoke as it burned, which was what Michelle wanted. She needed smoke, not heat.

Behind the cabin, she found a felled hickory tree. It had been on the ground so long that the wood was spongy and moss covered. It was just what she was looking for. Breaking off large chunks of it, she started hauling them around to her tepee.

Looking at her pile of punk wood, then at the fur on the porch, she wondered if it would be easier to light the fire, then put the fur on the tepee or the other way around. She decided to take a dry run at stretching the fur on the frame. If it was easy to get on, she could pull it off and light the fire first. If not, she’d just leave it on and start the fire with it in place.

She figured out pretty quick she needed to come up with a way of securing the fur to the frame. Just draping it over it was going to work, gravity being a pain in the ass. She thought she could poke a couple of holes in the fur and run her shoelaces through them, basically lacing up the skin like her sneakers.

Not wanting to bother Samantha, she used one of her arrows to poke small holes in the fur. She removed one of the laces from her shoe. Wrapping the fur around the tepee, she managed to thread the lace through the top two holes. Since the frame was wider at the base than the top, she only needed to secure one set of holes. She gave the fur a gentle tug, and it didn’t move.

“Who is smarter than a bearskin, now?” Michelle asked Blue.

The wolf just grinned at her.

Michelle placed her punk wood in the fire pit she had dug, then put together a quick tinder bundle. Looking at her ready-made fire, she realized she was going to have to bother Samantha after all. Dusting herself off, she went to the cabin. Feeling foolish, she knocked on the door and waited for Samantha to call her in through the door.

The girl was sitting on the bed, whatever she was working on nowhere in sight.

Michelle grabbed a stick from their pile of firewood, jammed it in the stove to catch fire. Once it was ablaze nicely, she carefully walked it out to her set up. The punk wood didn’t light easily, but Michelle managed to get it started. It smoked and smoldered like she had hoped it would. In fact, it made so much smoke that she had to walk away from the tepee because the smoke was burning her eyes.

She watched from the porch, sitting on the top step. Blue sat at her side and was happy to let Michelle scratch behind her ears. With nothing to do for the next couple of hours but keep the fire fed, Michelle was glad for the company. Especially, since Samantha had kicked her out of the house.

“We’ll probably start walking again, tomorrow,” Michelle said.

The wolf regarded her with interest and Michelle felt a shiver of wonder work up her spine. When Blue looked at her like that, she felt like the wolf understood more than she should. Which was silly, of course. Blue was just responding to her vocal rhythms or the changes in her mood, really didn’t understand the words she was saying.

Probably not, anyway, Michelle thought, shaking her head.

“Are you going to stay with us the whole way?” Michelle asked.

Blue chuffed and nuzzled her neck, which Michelle took as a yes. Giggling, she pushed the wolf away and smiled at her. Blue returned it with a tongue lolled out grin of her own. That was definitely a yes.

Michelle sobered up some as she thought about what would happen when they reached the end of their trek through the Canadian wild lands. There might come a day when she would have to part ways with the wolf, again. Leaving her on the side of the lake had hurt something fierce, and her love for the peculiar animal has only grown tenfold since then.

She didn’t know if she could say goodbye to Blue, again.

Sensing the change in Michelle’s mood, Blue put her head on Michelle’s lap. It didn’t help any and Michelle felt tears sting her eyes. Swallowing hard to keep them in check, she stroked the wolf’s head and stared at the smoke pouring out the top of the tepee.

Michelle figured they’d walk south until the came to a town or some form of civilization where they could call their parents to come and get them. If it was her parents who showed up, could she convince them to take Blue home with them? Her dad might be on board, but convincing her mother to ride in a car with a wild wolf might be a harder sell. Michelle didn’t know Samantha’s parents, couldn’t even guess what their reaction to Blue would be.

Of course, it’s up to Blue if she wants to come or not, Michelle thought, sighing. Would the wolf be willing to give up the forest for her? There was an undeniable bond between them, but it would be asking a lot of the animal to give up the only life she’s known. Still stroking the wolf’s head, she thought, I don’t think I’d want to leave this place, if I were her.

——————————————————————-

Michelle knocked on the door to the cabin, said, “Are you finished, yet?”

“Yeah. You can come in,” Samantha said.

When Michelle stepped inside, she found her girlfriend cooking something on the stove. Smiling, she wrapped her arms around the girl from behind, kissed her neck. Samantha melted back into her, still stirring whatever was in the pot.

“You smell like smoke,” Samantha said.

“I’m sure I do,” Michelle said, smiling, “but it’s done.”

“Really?” Samantha asked.

“Yeah. I left it on the tepee to air out for later,” Michelle said, letting her hand come up to cup Samantha’s breast, “speaking of later… What did you make us?”

“It’s a surprise,” Samantha said, moaning, “and you better stop that. It’s time to eat, not fool around.”

“You are no fun,” Michelle said.

“You are just going to have to wait for tonight,” Samantha said, craning her neck to kiss Michelle.

Michelle let the girl go and sat on the bed. As Samantha started divvying out the smoking chunks of meat, Michelle stretched her tight shoulders. Breaking the fur had done a number on her body, and she looked at the tub longingly.

“Maybe after we eat, we can take a bath,” Michelle said.

“You definitely need one,” Samantha said, playfully.

“Gee, thanks,” Michelle said, laughing.

“I’ll keep you company, though,” Samantha said, handing her a plate of food.

Michelle hadn’t realized how hungry she was until the aroma of fried meat tickled her sense of smell. She ate with gusto. Samantha laughed at her enthusiasm, paused in her own eating to put the water on to boil for their bath.

Sitting next to her, Samantha said, “I see you worked up an appetite.”

“Yeah,” Michelle said, a little sheepishly.

“Well, eat up,” Samantha said, smiling playfully at her, “you are going to need your strength for later.”

“I’ll be up for it,” Michelle said, then added, “how about you? The ribs bothering you?”

“No,” Samantha said, then groaned, “the scratches itch, though. I want to scratch them so bad, but I know I can’t.”

“That means they are healing,” Michelle said, smiling at her, “we’ll change the bandages after our bath.”

“Okay,” Samantha said.

“I was thinking,” Michelle said, looking around the cabin, “maybe we should head out tomorrow.”

“I was thinking the same thing,” Samantha said, taking a bite of her food.

“We need to figure out what we are taking with us,” Michelle said.

“I guess the tub is out of the question?” Samantha asked.

Laughing, Michelle said, “Unless you want to carry it.”

“That’s okay,” Samantha said, smiling at her.

“I figure we can pack up in the morning,” Michelle said.

“And tonight?” Samantha asked, her smile becoming playful.

“Tonight,” Michelle said, kissing her, “we fool around in the tub and by the fire.”

“That was my plan, too,” Samantha said, stealing a kiss, “now finish eating so we can get to the fooling around.”

“Hey, I’m almost finished,” Michelle said, popping the last chunk of boar into her mouth, “scratch the ‘almost’ part.”

Laughing, Samantha said, “Then you can get the bath started.”

Michelle dumped the pans of boiling water into the tub, then filled them up, again. With the second round of water on the stove, she grabbed her spear and stepped out onto the porch. Blue looked up from her nap.

Smiling at the wolf, she said, “Go back to sleep, Blue. I’m just getting the bearskin.”

Blue didn’t go back to sleep, though, but stood vigilant at the top of the stairs. Glancing back at the wolf, Michelle wondered if wild animals could feel guilt or if that was a purely human burden. She got the feeling Blue thought she had let her and Samantha down because of the bear attack. Again, she was probably just reading too much into the wolf’s actions, but Blue never left their side if they stepped out of the cabin, like she saw their safety as her responsibility and she wouldn’t fail, again. She was like a warrior who had been shamed and intended to restore her honor.

Folding the fur over her arm, Michelle headed back to the porch. She sat down next to Blue, met her eyes. When Blue didn’t shy away from the eye contact, Michelle said, “What happened to Samantha wasn’t your fault, Blue. We got careless, not you.”

Blue looked at her without blinking, her head tilted to one side. Again, Michelle got the uncanny feeling the wolf understood her.

“We got careless, and it almost cost us everything,” Michelle said, smiling at the wolf, “but we learned our lesson. You don’t have to worry about us, Blue.”

Blue nuzzled her neck and Michelle gave the wolf a hug. Standing up, she headed toward the cabin door. Blue waited until she was sure Michelle was going back inside before returning to her napping spot.

“What were you and Blue talking about?” Samantha asked, when Michelle stepped inside.

“That it wasn’t her fault you got hurt,” Michelle said, spreading the fur out in front of the fire.

“You’ve noticed it, too?” Samantha asked, meeting her eyes.

“That Blue never leaves our sides when we are outside?” Michelle asked, then went on when Samantha nodded, “Do you think wolves can feel guilty?”

“Our friend Blue sure seems to. I think she blames herself for what happened to me, too,” Samantha said.

“I told her it was our fault, not hers, but I’m not sure she believes me,” Michelle said, then snorted in surprise and started laughing, “God, listen to me. She’s just a wolf, probably doesn’t understand a thing I say.”

“Probably?” Samantha asked.

Rubbing the back of her neck, Michelle said, “Blue has a way of looking at you when you talk to her… I guess it makes me wonder, sometimes.”

Samantha smiled at her, said, “I’m just glad I’m not the only one who thinks it.”

“Doesn’t mean we aren’t both crazy,” Michelle said, kissing her.

The water on the stove was steaming and would be boiling any minute, so they started undressing for their bath. Michelle really hadn’t noticed it, but when she removed her shirt, she could smell how smoky her clothing had gotten. As she finished undressing, she thought they should probably do laundry one more time before they left. Once they were out in the wild again, they probably wouldn’t have the luxury.

Michelle peeled the bandage off Samantha’s side, saw the angry red scratches had scabbed over and the skin around them had returned to a healthier shade of pink. Samantha was indeed healing, which made Michelle feel better about heading out tomorrow.

The pans of hot water went into the tub, then they used the pump to add cold water until the temperature was perfect. Michelle helped Samantha into the tub, then joined her. Sinking into the blissful heat, she sighed happily. The tightness in her shoulders and back started to loosen almost instantly, and she smiled, thinking she was going to be more than ready for whatever Samantha had in store for her.

Speaking of Samantha, the girl smiled and kissed her deeply, her hand on the back of Michelle’s neck. The kiss lingered until they had to come up for air and they smiled at each other as they tried to catch their breath.

“I’m not complaining, but what was that all about?” Michelle asked, meeting her girlfriend’s eyes.

“I’ve been thinking about doing that all day,” Samantha said, stealing a quick kiss.

“Mm… What else have you been thinking about?” Michelle asked, playfully.

Samantha leaned in and whispered in her ear. Michelle’s heart was racing by the time the girl leaned back to smile at her.

Swallowing hard, Michelle managed to say, “I like the way you think.”

Samantha laughed and kissed her, again. Her hand fell on Michelle’s knee, gently pushing her legs open. Michelle’s already racing heart beat even faster as the girl’s hand slid up her thigh and onto the swell of her girlhood. She moaned as Samantha’s fingers massaged her bud, the lovely pressure awakening her nerve endings. Her body responded to Samantha’s touch, and she was suddenly warm all over.

When Samantha’s hand slipped lower, and her fingers eased inside of her, Michelle was more than ready for it. When her probing fingers found that sweet spot deep inside, Michelle’s back arched. Samantha had told her what that spot was called, but she couldn’t remember what she had said. Maybe she’d be able to recall later when Samantha wasn’t doing this to her. The lovely pleasure the fingers inside of her were bringing her was making it hard to think about anything else.

“Sit up here,” Samantha said, tapping her free hand on the lip of the tub.

Michelle did what Samantha asked, her fingers tightening on the rim of the tub as Samantha’s mouth found her bud. The flick of the girl’s tongue sent delicious shivers of pleasure through her, competing with the ones Samantha’s fingers were awakening in her. Those two lovely sensations seemed to feed off each other, grew stronger until Michelle didn’t think she could take much more.

“Oh God, you are going to make me come,” Michelle said, in a breathy moan.

Samantha smiled up at her, said, “Isn’t that the idea?”

“Smart ass,” Michelle said, laughing. She put her hand on the back of the girl’s head, gently pushed her mouth back against her bud. She looked down at Samantha as she resumed her sweet torture on her bud. The girl was looking up at her, a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

That smile did her in more than Samantha’s thrusting fingers or her hot tongue. Michelle cried out as an orgasm rocked her. Her thrashings unseated her from the lip of the tub, and she came splashing into the tub, her cry of ecstasy becoming a gasp of surprise. Samantha was suddenly face to face with her, and the girl laughed and kissed her. Michelle kissed her back as the happy juices flooded her bloodstream.

“You made a mess,” Samantha said, looking at the water all over the floor.

“We are leaving in the morning, so who cares,” Michelle said, smiling at her, “besides, I think that’s your mess. You are the one who made me do it.”

“Yeah, I guess I did,” Samantha said, kissing her deeply. Pulling back, she laughed, “You should have seen your face, though.”

Blushing, Michelle said, “It’s not that funny.”

“It’s pretty funny,” Samantha disagreed, still laughing, “your face went from ‘Oh my God’ to ‘Oh shit’ in like a second.”

“Are you done?” Michelle said, laughing at her own expense.

“Yeah,” Samantha said, kissing her. She turned and sat in the hollow of Michelle’s legs, leaning back against her.

Michelle kissed Samantha’s neck, her shoulder. She ran her hands up Samantha’s arms, making the girl sigh. Smiling, Michelle cupped Samantha’s breasts, teasing their straining nipples with her thumbs. Samantha’s hand came up and covered hers, not letting Michelle pull them away. Getting the message, Michelle didn’t let up until Samantha dropped her hands. The girl’s back was arched, and she was moaning thickly by the time Michelle let up.

Letting one of her hands slid down Samantha’s taut stomach, Michelle found the girl’s bud. The swirling of her fingers made Samantha’s little sounds of excitement grow louder, and the girl’s hips began to move on their own.

“Mm… That feels good,” Samantha said, her voice thick with excitement.

Michelle kissed her shoulder, then let her hand slip further into the gap between Samantha’s thighs. The girl moaned thickly as Michelle eased her fingers inside of her ready core. Her fingertips found the magic button, teased it with little come-hither motions.

G-spot, Michelle thought, suddenly remembering what that place was called. With Samantha teasing her own, she couldn’t recall its name, but it came to her now as her fingers drove Samantha’s body wild. Samantha’s grabbed the edges of the tub, holding on as her pussy pushed against Michelle’s hand eagerly. Michelle smiled as her knuckles turned white, she was squeezing the metal lip so hard. She had just been on the other end of this, knew how good the girl was feeling about now.

“Oh God,” Samantha said, in a breathy moan, “don’t stop. I’m going to come!”

Michelle kept her fingers moving inside of the girl and let her free hand roam over her writhing body. She could feel the tension building up inside of Samantha as her hand passed over her stomach, her thighs. Even if Samantha hadn’t said she was close to climaxing, Michelle would have known.

Samantha’s cries were urgent as she started to lose control of her body. Michelle thrust her fingers once, twice, then the girl stiffened on the third. She could feel the flutter of the girl’s vagina around her fingers, slowed her thrusts but didn’t stop completely. Each time her fingertips found Samantha’s spot, the girl gasped, and her hips jerked. The girl cried out as a second orgasm shook her, and she pushed Michelle’s hand away.

“Oh God,” Samantha said, with a shaky little laugh. She leaned back against Michelle, said, “That was so good!”

They sat like that a while, Michelle’s arm around Samantha’s shoulders. Eventually, Michelle said, “We should probably clean up before the water gets cold.”

Laughing, Samantha said, “Yeah.”

———————————————-

“Do you know what I’m going to miss most about the cabin?”

“Clean clothes?” Michelle guessed, hanging her wet jeans up to dry. She had just finished washing them in the tub, and they smelled like body wash instead of bear musk, sweat, and smoke. It was a little thing, but she missed having clean laundry to put on every day.

“No, but that is nice, too,” Samantha said, putting her arm around Michelle’s waist, “I’m going to miss the tub.”

Smiling at her, she said, “Me, too.”

“I’ve gotten used to taking baths with you,” Samantha said, stealing a kiss.

“We probably won’t have another chance until we get back,” Michelle said.

“If then,” Samantha said, sighing.

“I’ll figure out something,” Michelle said, giving the girl a squeeze.

“Do you promise?” Samantha asked, meeting her eyes.

“I promise,” Michelle said, fully intending to keep it. One way or the other, the bath they had just shared wouldn’t be their last.

“That’s why you are the best girlfriend ever,” Samantha said, kissing her, again.

“A bath is all it takes to make you happy, huh?” Michelle asked, smiling at her.

“As long as you are in it with me,” Samantha said.

“I love you Samantha LaRose,” Michelle said, her smile widening.

“And I love you, Michelle Micheals,” Samantha said, kissing her deeply. There was some heat behind it, and Michelle found herself getting turned on, again. The kiss was in danger of getting away from them when Samantha pulled back. Michelle was a little flustered, frustrated.

“I almost forgot,” Samantha said, grinning at Michelle. She went to the bed, took something out from under the pillow. Holding it behind her back, she came back to the rug. She met Michelle’s eyes, said, “I made us something.”

“Am I finally going to see this secret of yours?” Michelle asked.

“Um, yeah,” Samantha said, but didn’t take her hands from behind her back, “it’s not exactly like the one I saw, but I think it’ll work.”

“What will work?” Michelle asked.

Samantha finally brought her hand out from behind her back and held something out to Michelle. She was grinning, clearly proud of what she had created.

Michelle frowned, not sure what she was looking at first. Her eyes narrowed as she tried to figure out what the girl had made. She had un-braided some of the climbing rope, then re-braided them into an inch wide loop. She had fed the handle to the wood chisel (now sans chisel) through the loop, then sewed the loop to what looked like the bottom of a bikini. When Michelle tugged at the handle, she found it was secured in place.

Meeting the girl’s eyes, she asked, “Um, what am I looking at exactly?”

Giggling, Samantha asked, “It’s a strap-on.”

“What do you do with it?” Michelle said, taking it from her.

A playful smile tugged at the corners of Samantha’s mouth, and she said, “You. Or me, if you want to try it first.”

Gasping, Michelle’s eyes got wide as she realized what the girl was saying. Looking at what the girl had made, it’s purpose finally dawned on her. She laughed and gave the girl a curious look, asked, “Where did you see a strap-on before?”

“Um… Online,” Samantha said.

“Right,” Michelle said, laughing as Samantha blushed.

“Anyway,” Samantha said, holding up the strap-on she had made, “this isn’t exactly like the one I saw, but I think it’ll work okay.”

“I guess there is only one way to find out,” Michelle said, smiling at her.

“Do you mind if I go first? I’ve been dying to try it out,” Samantha said, meeting Michelle’s eyes.

“When you say ‘go first’, you mean wearing it, right?” Michelle asked.

Laughing, Samantha said, “Yeah, but I get why you had to ask.”

“Yeah, you can wear it, but I think I’m the one going first,” Michelle said, grinning at her.

Samantha kissed her, then stepped into the bikini bottom. As she smoothed it into place, Michelle started laughing. Looking up, Samantha asked, “What?”

“Nothing,” Michelle said, still laughing. When Samantha just looked at her, she said, “You just look happy to see me.”

“I am happy to see you,” Samantha said, taking Michelle’s hand.

They went to the bearskin rug in front of the fire, stretching out on their sides. Their lips met as passion welled up between them. As the space between them melted away, Michelle felt the handle poking her. With an inward grin, she wondered if this is what it was like with a boy, their thingy always poking you when they got excited. It was kind of a random thought, one that was quickly pushed out of her mind as Samantha urged her to roll on her back. Michelle didn’t need an erection to tell Samantha was excited. She could see it in her eyes, in the playful uptick of the corners of her mouth.

Samantha kissed the curve of her neck, then the hollow between her breasts. Her hands slid up Michelle’s flanks to cup her breasts. She kneaded them as she kissed her way down Michelle’s taut stomach. Michelle shivered, her skin tingling everywhere Samantha’s lips touched and her nipples ached sweetly under Samantha’s attention. Samantha was making her hot all over and her breath caught in her throat each time Samantha’s kisses fell lower on Michelle’s stomach.

The fur tickled her back and buttocks, her thighs. It was like thousands of little fingers teasing her nerve endings with every little move she made. She was moving a lot, unable to hold still as Samantha worked her way down her supine body.

By the time Samantha pushed Michelle’s legs wide open and moved between them, she was more than ready to try the improvised strap-on the girl had made. Her eyes were on what used to be a handle to a wood chisel. Her heart beat a little faster thinking about having it inside of her, again. She had had such a strong orgasm last time, and her body was craving more.

Samantha moved forward, pressing the cool tip of the handle against the opening of Michelle’s girlhood. When she pushed her hips forward, Michelle gasped as the handle slipped deep inside of her. It was all the way in, the scratchy braided rope pressed against her sensitive bits.

Smiling at Samantha, she said, “Works so far.”

Returning the smile, Samantha pulled out a bit, then pushed it back in. Her smile widened as it forced a moan from Michelle. When she did it again and got the same results, she said, “Yeah, I’d say it works.”

Michelle couldn’t argue with her. Each time the handle moved inside of her, it sent little waves of pleasure crashing through her. It had her arching her back and clutching at the fur, her little cries of enjoyment filling the cabin.

Samantha is a genius, Michelle thought, smiling, this thing is amazing.

Samantha had her hands on Michelle’s hips, her thrusts coming faster and faster. Her first couple of thrusts had been a little awkward, but she had the motion down now. Each roll of her hips buried the handle to the hilt.

It didn’t take long for Michelle to reach her limit. Her body couldn’t take anymore, Samantha’s thrusts sending her over the edge and into bliss. She cried out as she came, her back arching off the bearskin rug. Her orgasm shook her, then left her a boneless puddle of a girl. As the feel-good juices flooded her bloodstream, she gave Samantha a dazed smile.

“It definitely works,” Michelle said.

Smiling, Samantha put her hand on Michelle’s hips, urging her to roll over, “Up you go.”

Michelle got to her hands and knees, looking over her shoulder at Samantha. She gasped as the improvised dildo slipped into her, again. She wasn’t anywhere near ready for this, her body still trembling from her last orgasm. Maybe sensing that Michelle needed a moment to collect herself, Samantha kept her thrusts nice and slow. Slow or not, each one forced a moan from Michelle, and her fingers tightened in the fur.

The handle was hitting at a different angle in this new position, exciting nerve endings that had been left out when she was on her back. She found herself pushing back against Samantha’s thrusts, the handle hitting a spot that made her want more. Samantha sensed Michelle was ready, her pace increasing.

“God, that feels so good,” Michelle said, around a moan.

Samantha put her hand on Michelle’s shoulder, pulling her to her knees. Michelle groaned as the girl’s hands cupped her breasts, teased her straining nipples. Samantha kissed her just behind her ear, then on her shoulder. A hand slipped from Michelle’s breast, down her stomach, and between her thighs. Michelle gasped as Samantha’s fingers massaged her bud. The gasp became an excited little cry of excitement as all the wonderful sensations in her young body blended together, fed off each other. She couldn’t tell where one pleasure ended and the other began, her nerve ending overloaded. All she knew for sure, she loved what Samantha was doing to her.

Loved it a little too much, maybe. It didn’t take long for her overstimulated body to start to come undone. Samantha thrust into her hard once, twice, then Michelle cried out as a climax rocked her. If not for Samantha’s arm around her, she would have collapsed face first onto the rug. The girl held her as she trembled with a second orgasm.

“Holy shit,” Michelle said, with a breathy little laugh. She eased off the handle, turning to give the girl a very appreciative kiss.

“I take it you like my little invention,” Samantha said, grinning at her.

“You are a genius,” Michelle said, putting her hand on the girl’s shoulder and giving her a little push. Caught off guard, Samantha went to her back. Before the girl could recover, Michelle hooked her hands in the bikini bottom and tugged it off her hips. Running it down Samantha’s long legs, she said, “It’s my turn to play with it now.”

From her back, Samantha watched as Michelle stood up and stepped into the strap-on. Her beautiful eyes were shining with excitement as Michelle smoothed the bikini bottom into place. Michelle smiled at her, sinking to her knees between Samantha’s spread legs. Michelle lifted one of those legs in the air, kissing Samantha’s calf. The inside of her knee. Higher on the girl’s thigh. Samantha propped up on her elbows to watch as Michelle’s mouth found her bud. The girl moaned as Michelle teased her bud, the hot caress of her tongue making the girl’s hips move. Michelle kept it up until she thought Samantha was ready for something more.

With her hand, she guided the handle into the girl. Samantha moaned thickly, and Michelle met her eyes. Samantha half sat up to kiss Michelle before going to her back, again. Michelle thrust the handle into her, drawing another moan from the girl.

She didn’t have Samantha’s grace, so it took her a bit to get the hang of using the strap-on. She knew she had it when each thrust made Samantha cry out. Smiling, she leaned in and kissed the girl. She was a little surprised when Samantha wrapped her long legs around her waist. Trapped, Michelle dug her knees into the fur and put her weight on her arms so she could really let the girl have it. It must have been what the girl wanted because her cries of enjoyment filled the cabin.

“Change places with me,” Samantha said, her legs releasing Michelle, “I want to be on top.”

Michelle eased out of her, then stretched out on her back. Samantha threw a leg over her, then guided the handle into her girlhood. Michelle watched with interest as the girl moved up and down on the handle. When she saw Samantha’s face screw up in pleasure, she realized it must feel pretty good.

The pneumatic pump of Samantha’s body as she rode the handle was sensual and incredibly sexy. Michelle found herself mesmerized by the sway of the girl’s hips, the tightening of her stomach each time she pushed down onto the handle, the jiggle of her small breasts. Smiling, she thought she liked this position. Samantha could have her fun and Michelle could enjoy the show.

The show wasn’t going to last long, though. Samantha’s cries were already growing urgent, her face pinched in a rictus of pure enjoyment. Michelle saw the girl start to lose control of her hips, her usual gracefulness fled her as her orgasm took hold of her. Michelle pushed her hips up into the girl, finished her off. Samantha cried out as she climaxed, her body locking up atop Michelle.

Still sitting astride Michelle, Samantha brushed her hair from her face and smiled down at her. She eased off the handle, then stretched out beside Michelle on the bearskin. Michelle pulled her close and they snuggled together. After a while, Michelle noticed the handle was still jutting skyward and started laughing. Samantha followed her eyes and grinned. Michelle slipped out of the improvised strap-on, setting it aside.

“I have to ask,” Michelle said, meeting Samantha’s eyes, “what inspired you to make it?”

“I saw one online once,” Samantha said.

“But why did you make one?” Michelle asked.

“I’ve always wanted one,” Samantha said, laughing when Michelle gave her a look, “don’t judge me. The girls in the video looked like they were really enjoying theirs.”

“I bet they were,” Michelle said, laughing. She smiled at the girl, said, “I know I enjoyed ours.”

—————————————————

Michelle woke up early, but Samantha still beat her up. When she opened her eyes, she saw the naked girl poking the fire to bring it back to life. Smiling, she took a moment to admire Samantha’s lovely body before throwing the covers back and sitting up. She shivered as the chilly air found her bare skin and she went to stand next to the fire to warm up.

“Our clothes aren’t dry,” Samantha said.

“Really? They’ve been hanging overnight,” Michelle said, looking at their improvised clothesline.

“They are close, but still damp around the pockets. I think they’ll be ready by the time we eat breakfast and figure out what to take with us,” Samantha said, moving into Michelle’s arms.

“We are going to be leaving so much good stuff behind,” Michelle said, looking around the cabin.

“Yeah,” Samantha said, her eyes going to the tub.

Laughing, Michelle said, “I’m going to miss the tub, too, but I meant more practical stuff.”

“I know,” Samantha said, smiling at her, “I’m going to hold you to your promise. You are going to have to figure out a way for us to take baths together when we get back.”

“Oh, believe me, I will,” Michelle said, kissing her.

“Good,” Samantha said, then dropped the subject, “I figure your backpack will be stuffed with as much meat as it’ll hold, which leaves my backpack.”

“I can attach some stuff to mine, if we need extra storage,” Michelle said, looking at her bag, “like the rope and the tent. I can probably figure out a way to attach the sleeping bag or bearskin to the bottom. Or yours, for that matter.”

“There is still a lot of stuff to cram into two backpacks,” Samantha said, chewing on her lip.

Smiling at her, Michelle said, “We could tie something to Blue’s back. Turn her into a pack mule.”

Samantha laughed, “I don’t think Blue would go for that.”

“Probably not,” Michelle said, picturing Blue with saddlebags on her back. She could just see the wolf sitting on her haunches, giving Samantha and her a ‘yeah right’ look as they held out the saddlebags. It made her smile.

“Let’s put everything we’d like to take on the bed and see how much of it we can actually carry with us,” Samantha said.

“That’s not a bad idea,” Michelle said, then added, “we can divide it into two piles, the ‘have to haves’ and the ‘like to haves’.”

A couple of hours later, they had their packs ready to go. Michelle’s backpack was stuffed with almost thirty pounds of bear meat. The pop-up tent, metal thermos, and the climbing rope were secured to the front and sides, and the sleeping bag was tied to the bottom. The whole pack weighed about forty pounds, which Michelle knew was going to slow her down. Samantha’s bag wasn’t much lighter. The bearskin was tied to the bottom, and the inside was stuffed with the GPS, camp shovel and ax combo, the survival knife, the first aid kit, the solar blanket, both of their toiletries, the roll of toilet paper, the fold up fishing rod, and the smallest pot from the stove. In the front pouch was Samantha’s camera and the improvised strap-on Samantha had made.

After last night, it had gone in the ‘have to haves’ pile. Neither girl could argue they weren’t going to need it, again.

“Let’s have some breakfast, then we can say goodbye to the cabin,” Michelle said, looking around, “take a video of the place before we go. I don’t want to forget this place.”

Samantha pulled her backpack in front of her and dug around to find the survival knife. With it in hand, she headed toward the door.

“Where are you going?” Michelle asked.

Smiling at her, Samantha pointed at the dates scratched into the door frame, said, “I’m adding our dates, in case anyone else happens along.”

Michelle smiled back at her, thinking about the cave and what Samantha had left scrawled on the back wall. Feeling a burst of warmth for the girl, Michelle thought, The girl isn’t afraid to let the world know we were here and in love.

Continue to Part Nine

What Did You Think?