The Great Escape Chapter 5, Part 4 of 5

The Great Escape
Chapter 5, Part 4 of 5

"I wish you had."

"I wouldn't break my word and cause such disruption in the tribe. Mirselene believed that some tribeswomen might even leave."

"I doubt even Mirselene could find a clever way to stop anyone leaving. It would be a disaster if another tribe learned of your existence. I'm sure they would organize a raid and capture you, not caring if us Woodlanders perished. Ezra, you must know how precious you are to us all, not only to me."

He remained silent.

"That's why I want you to be bedmates with us all. That's why - though it hurts me so much - I can accept you being Sharne's bedmate tomorrow."

"I knew you would want me to keep my word. You know I can't love Sharne or anyone else."

"It's all right: I won't be jealous. You told me that, on Earth, some men have many wives, but can a man truly love more than one woman simultaneously?"

"Yes, we can, though I never have."

"Ezra, I want you to love all the Woodlander women. But."

"Yes, Sweetheart?"

"Promise me you won't love them quite so much as me?"

He smiled. "I promise."

Annela was finally comforted but, after talking for so long, and spending many hours in tears, she was disinclined to make love, preferring just to be held. She turned over and snuggled against him while he had her safe and warm.

Per their agreement with Mirselene, they didn't make love the following day, as they had almost every morning for the last four weeks, but got up early and enjoyed a good breakfast.

She kissed him to show she was over her unhappiness, then went foraging with Tamar while Ezra went to cut poles and make planks. He had finally begun work on his pet project, the earth closet, and was preparing the frame's wooden beams, joists, and panels. He would need the help of Sharne and Dagma to fix them with pegs, but there was plenty to do now. There would also be a pit to dig and a roof to make.

Midday in the tropical forest of Samothea was always hot and sultry, and Ezra had just sat down to take a swig of water and rest for a minute when he saw Tamar returning with a full basket.

"Hello," he said, "Why are you on your own?"

"We filled our baskets when we got to the orchard, and Annela wanted to rest under a tree. I didn't want to rest, so I returned to read my book. Annela didn't mind me leaving her alone."

"I see. Annela's at the apple grove?"

"Yes."

Ezra returned to work and lined up the poles he had cut earlier.

"What are you doing?" Tamar asked.

"I'm making joists. I've cut these branches and will make them the same length and whittle joints at their ends."

"What are they for?"

"It's a new crapper. I'm making a frame that'll stand over a pit. There'll be steps up to the seats, and there'll be walls and even a roof so that it can be used during the night rain."

"Why do we need a new crapper?"

"Hmm, what?"

"Is the old crapper broken?"

"No. But this one will be where the wind will take the smell away from the camp, and there should be less smell because the, er, effluence will be covered by earth."

"Why does it need steps and walls?"

"Sorry, what?"

Tamar could see she was distracting him. She didn't repeat her question but quietly left to get her book and help Pepi with her reading.

Ezra didn't notice her leave, but a minute later, he stopped whittling the joint and stood still. In principle, it was fitting that he and Annela were separated. He ought to rest from sex so he could have a proper first night with Sharne but "Damn it all!" he thought, "I've not properly said 'goodbye.'"

He dropped the stone chisel and began walking into the forest, absent-mindedly wiping his hands on his trousers, smearing the grime and sweat around. He was making good progress toward the apple grove.

It was a fifteen-minute walk, and he was no less agitated when he arrived than he had been when he had left.

He saw Annela across the clearing, on the edge of the grove. She was sitting with her back against a tree, idly swatting ferns near her feet with a stick.

"Annela!" he called.

She didn't look up. He ran across the clearing and stopped about six feet away from her.

"Annela."

She looked up, startled. She smiled at him, frowned, and looked down as if she had only been dreaming.

"Annela, I don't care about Mirselene's rules. I will be with Sharne tonight only because you want me to, but until then, I will be with you every moment I can."

She shook her head as if to clear her thoughts, then smiled again, stood up, took a step and another, and then ran and leaped at him, wrapping her legs and arms around his back and planting her mouth against his.

He staggered, caught his balance, and held her tight. He walked a few paces and pushed her hard against the tree trunk. His cock was quickly stiff. He undid his trousers, pushed her skirt up, and sank his cock into her tight pussy. He began to ram her hard.

The tree bark bit into her back. His rough, sweaty hands were on the soft skin of her buttocks, gripping tightly.

Her moans were of joy and relief. She didn't care about tomorrow but wanted this moment to last forever.

Thrust after thrust rubbed her back against the scaly bark and reminded her who she belonged to.

Her wet pussy squelched. Her heart raced. She sucked on his tongue. She moaned, and after a few minutes, she came, the spasm arriving like a surprise guest.

He continued ramming her, pulling his mouth away to gasp large breaths of air.

She came again, her squirt soaking his cock and running in dribbles along her buttocks onto the ground.

He thrust in again and again. She was beyond speech now. She felt the hot pleasure in her pussy and the tingling joy in her legs, in the small of her back, and all over her skin. Another climax was building, and she gasped as it approached.

Ezra was close to finishing as well. His eyes were shut, and he put his mouth to her ear to whisper in a rasping voice in time with his thrusts.

"I love you."

Then he came, pushing in hard as his cock pulsed seed. A few thrusts more, and she had a final climax, sweet and gentle like a polite hiccough.

He leaned against her, supported by the tree, his cock still in her vagina until they could breathe normally. When he pulled out, she tried to stand, but her legs shook, and he had to hold her steady.

She laughed.

"I'm such a fool! We could have done this yesterday."

"You had to set your mind right. Now we can make up for lost time."

They walked hand-in-hand to a favorite spot by the stream about a mile away, where they had often made love on a bed of ferns. Here, they stripped and lay down. Annela climbed on top and rode him sedately and lovingly when Ezra proved he was ready. She alternated between swiveling her pelvis into a figure of eight and making long, sensual thrusts. He sucked her tits and ran his thumbnail along the curve of her spine.

When the time came, she thrust faster, balancing herself by holding his upright hands, their fingers intertwined.

She came first with a shaking orgasm and an ecstatic moan. A few more thrusts brought him off as well.

They rested an hour together before the next about, lying on their backs in the ferns, looking up at patches of cloudless blue sky framed by the grey-green forest canopy. The stream gurgled happily nearby, and a few irrepressible birds chirped in the branches. They were a long way from the camp, and it was unlikely anyone was close enough to hear them talk, yet they spoke in whispers or just lay in silence, holding hands and breathing deeply.

Annela climbed back on Ezra and kissed him like she thought it was the last time they'd ever kiss.

When he was aroused enough, she climbed off, knelt on all fours, and presented her bottom to him. He knelt behind her and kissed her back, working his way to her buttocks, starting her off with his fingers on her pussy.

She squirmed prettily. Soon, her sensitized clitoris retreated under its hood, and he began to finger-fuck her.

She began to buck and moan.

She folded her arms and rested her head on her forearms, pushing her bottom up higher to show she needed more than his finger. He knelt and pushed his rock-hard cock into her tight vagina with a satisfied groan. This was doggy-style at its best for her because Ezra was so much taller and because he got maximum penetration.

He began thrusting, holding her by the hips. She bucked rhythmically and pretty soon was on that plateau of pleasure where she felt she was floating, and every touch was like fire. She pushed the top of her head into the soft bracken fronds.

He gripped a tit when he started thrusting faster, and she arched her back, lifting her head, her mouth open, her eyes tight shut. He grunted, and she moaned. It was a human noise for once louder than the forest noises.

When it came, her orgasm had many peaks jolting her spine. She shook her head and cried out. "Oh, God!"

Still, he trusted. He pulled out and thrust in again and again. She could only moan and sigh and cry, "Oh!" when she squirted.

Eventually, his peak arrived, and he gripped her tightly and made his final few thrusts, fucking her hard until he unloaded inside her with a deep groan.

They rested again on their backs, holding hands. The hot sun shone at an angle through the trees, making carefree doodles on their bare skin. There wasn't much to say or energy to say it, but occasionally, they laughed together for no reason.

When she had the energy, Annela climbed onto Ezra in her favorite position, resting her head on his chest or putting her hands in his beard.

After a while, she said, "One more time?"

"I'll try," he said gamely, "but I can't promise to finish."

She started with long, passionate kisses. Then she moved to his neck and shoulders with pecking kisses and small flicks of the tongue. By the time she had worked her way to the right side of his rib cage, his cock was hard. He sat up and maneuvered her onto her back. She spread her legs wide, and he lay on her.

Though it was the fourth time that day, she moaned low in her throat when he pushed his well-used cock into her slick passage. Their lovemaking was slow and gentle, trying to make it last as long as possible. He bent his head down to take a tit into his mouth, and she put her hands in his hair, holding him to her.

They fucked at this comfortable rate while the sun moved into the fourth quarter of the sky, lengthening the dull shadows of the trees that fell over his thrusting buttocks.

Annela was moaning loudly now, her eyes shut, her back arched, her body responding to the need built in her by his ownership.

Her climax was slowly building, but Ezra's stamina was waning. Like a marathon runner, he dug deep and pushed himself, breathing heavily. He stopped to rest a minute and started again. When he stopped five minutes later to sleep again, Annela indicated it was her turn.

He lay on his back, and she climbed on him. At first, she lay full length and moved only her hips, fucking as slowly as they had before. Then she straightened up a bit, pushing with her hands on his chest. She went a little faster now.

Ezra was pretty convinced he wouldn't be able to cum this time and was amazed Annela had the sex drive to reach a climax herself, but she seemed to be building nicely to yet another orgasm. The note of her moans deepened as her speed increased. Her every breath was a gasp.

Now she lay back down on him, and they shared the movement, thrusting together for the last few frantic minutes until, finally, she shook and gasped with a sexual spasm, and moments later, Ezra surprised himself with another joyful release.

Spent and exhausted, she collapsed on him, and they lay together, satisfied at last, drifting into a short and silent sleep.

It was sunset when they woke, and they knew it was time to return to the camp. The water in the nearby stream was warm enough for a quick bath, so they dived in, washed off the sweat, semen, and squirt of their marathon lovemaking, and walked back toward the camp, carrying their clothes.

It was dark when they neared the camp; its fire was a ghostly amber beacon flickering between the trees. They stopped, dressed, and said a final goodbye before crossing the clearing to the center of the camp to take their places at the feast.

If they felt guilty about disobeying Mirselene, it was too late to apologize or make amends. Nothing was said, but platters of food were handed to them, and, absurd though they sounded to their ears, polite inquiries were made about their day.

"It was good," Annela's ears heard her mouth say, though she was sure her brain had not been involved. Sitting away from her, Ezra mumbled something himself, which seemed acceptable. The usual merry conversation continued around them, and they were left in peace to think or eat as they desired.

Ezra ate ravenously, and Annela picked carefully at a few morsels. Soon, the platters were collected, and a pregnant silence fell on the tribe. Mirselene stood to make an announcement. Annela held her breath, though she knew what was coming. Ezra was confident and ready to comply.

"Ladies," Mirselene said, "as you know, our cow Bessie is ancient and barely gives any milk."

This was different from the announcement everyone expected.

"You also know that, because of all your hard work and the additional good work of Ezra, who is so handy at woodwork, we have already filled our quota of wooden tools, spears, poles, and staffs for next month's trade."

There were nods all around. This was a welcome piece of news.

"It has therefore been suggested that we negotiate for a new cow, using up some of our stored goods and spending some Cloner Tokens. I take it you all understand what this means?"

There were more nods, but not from Wildchild, Tamar, or Ezra, who asked to be told. Mirselene explained:

"It means we ask the Mariners to get a price from either the Herders or the Cloners for a calf. The Herders may not be willing to sell an animal, but the Cloners surely will. The risk is that the other tribes will wonder why we spend Cloner Tokens on a cow when we haven't bought a child in eight years. As you know, we are still buying Cloner Tokens only to allay suspicion. My answer will be that we can wait another year for a child but not for a cow."

"Now that everyone understands, what is the general opinion of the policy? Shall we proceed and try to buy a new cow?"

There was a little discussion among the tribeswomen, but the answer was a unanimous Yes.

"Thank you," Mirselene said. "Now that it's time to douse the fire and retire for the night, there is one more thing to say. Annela and Ezra have been bedmates for a month plus a little bit but it is time for Ezra to move on. This month, Sharne and Ezra are bedmates. We all wish them a fruitful union."

This was the expected announcement, loudly seconded around the camp. Ezra stood and took his place by Sharne and Pepi while Annela looked away and, soon afterward, went silently to her hut. She was followed by Erin, who tapped at the doorpost and walked in. She didn't stay long, but later, just before the night rain began, Wildchild and Tamar, carrying their backpacks, extra pillows, and blankets, entered Annela's hut.

It was clear that, though Annela had not wanted comfort, she wouldn't be allowed to be alone. Indeed, Annela welcomed the two girls, who had been her guests the first week they arrived at the Woodlanders' camp when Annela had been Ezra's nurse.

Meanwhile, Pepi had been claimed by her grandmother, leaving Sharne and Ezra to go to her hut alone. They had barely spoken.

In the hut, Sharne cleaned her teeth with a stick of soft bark dipped in a cup of salt water. She offered him her cup and stick.

When they had done, she invited Ezra to sit on the edge of the bed and sat next to him.

"Well," she said at last, "bedmates!"

"Yes, bedmates," he agreed.

Then she launched herself at him, her mouth on his, pushing him flat on the bed. She lay on him, kissing him deeply, and, of course, he kissed her back.

Kissing, however, was all he did. There was no arousal: no blood pumping into his loins, no glands setting off an erotic fizz in his brain.

It was clear that Sharne had learned her lessons well from Annela's descriptions of sex with Ezra. She was full of erotic movements, running her hands on his body, spreading her legs to sit astride him. She was a good kisser, too, flicking her tongue in and out of his mouth. But she could also tell he wasn't responding. She pulled away and sat up.

"I, I'm doing it wrong, right?" she said.

"No, you're not. It's me," he replied.

She shook her head in disbelief.

"Look, Shane," he continued, "I have something to explain and to apologize for."

"It's all right, Ezra, I understand. I wouldn't expect you to fancy me after you've been with Annela."

"Oh, God! Sharne. It's not that. It's not that at all. I do fancy you. I mean, you're strong and beautiful and sexy."

Ezra had come to know Sharne well from working with her in the woods and liked her very much. They often made each other laugh. He admired her strength, and as was natural in a healthy male, even one in love with another woman frequently found himself physically attracted to her.

"It's just that I disobeyed Mirselene and went off with Annela this afternoon."

He left the implication silent. The truth was that he had exhausted himself fucking Angela so many times; he had neither the sex drive nor the energy to fuck Sharne as well.

"I'm sorry. It was thoughtless of me. I thought only of Annela, though I knew tonight would be our first night together. Please forgive me?"

"I know you love Annela."

"I do. But that won't stop me from loving you or my bedmates."

"Even though I'm ugly?"

"Sharne! It's not true!"

How, he wondered, could such a strong and capable woman, a mother and, in practice, second-in-command to the chief, lack self-confidence? She wasn't delicate and petite like Annela, but she had an athlete's grace, and he just learned that she had very kissable lips. He also liked her curving buttocks. There were times when Sharne bent over to pick up a log or tool, and he'd had an erection imagining what she would be like as a bedmate.

"Darling, you're not ugly. I will prove to you tomorrow how attractive I think you are. Just say you forgive me for spoiling our first night together, and let's go to bed."


To be continued