The Trapper: A closed thread

[Subo97]

OOC: Closed for Subo97 and McKenna

The American West, early 1800's

Ezekial Cooper moved out of the foothills into the wooded lowlands. He led his horse on foot, laden as it was with furs, as were the two ponies tied behind. The Rockies had been bountiful and riches awaited him if he lived long enough to collect the gold he had earned from a winter of trapping. Keelboats laden with gold and whiskey would be waiting on the Missouri to take his furs, but first he had to navigate his way through indian territory. He had purposely chosen to skirt the boundry between the Crow and Cheyenne. They would be wary of each other and would travel these lands less. He had only to be wary of both. The unmelted snow would help keep the indians in their teepees but also left a trail even a citified white man could follow.

He stopped to survey the woods below him, shifting his Hawken rifle in his arms. A trapper who wasn't watchful was bound to lose not only his furs, but perhaps his hair as well. He longed for a smoke, but until he reached open ground where he could see for a mile or more, the risk was too great. Patting his pocket and feeling the clay pipe against his chest was all the joy he could afford at the moment. Besides he was about out of tobacco. When he got to the Mizzou, he would buy all the tobaccy, whiskey and women he would handle. Almost out of tobac, the whiskey long gone and no woman in almost a year. Missing a woman had gotten harder after the whiskey gave out, Ezekial wasn't sure he'd survive it if he ran out of tobacco as well.

He noticed the horses shy before he heard the sound himself. It was the hi yips of indian braves. They were excited about something. At first he thought it was him and his trail, but then he realized that they were in front of him, moving from left to right. He led his horsed to a hiding place in a small copse of trees and tied them to a low hanging branch, then took his powder horn and rifle and moved forward to investigate.

Reaching the edge of a clearing, he leaned against a tree just as a pair of indians mounted on ponies struggled through the snow. They must have been running for a long time, as they were stumbling, obviously at the end of their run. Cheyenne, he murmered to himself as he watched from his hiding place. The second pony carried a young boy, the first a full grown brave. Halfway across the clearing, the second horse stumbled and the boy tumbled into the snow. The older man turned his pony and leaped to the ground, warclub in his hand.

Out of the woods came the source of the yips, a Crow war party, five in number, spreading out as they saw the fleeing pair come to ground. the older man moved in front of the boy, raising his club and emitting a defiant yell. The exhausted boy remained on his hands and knees as the Crow warriors moved in for the kill.

"Time to make some friends," Ezekial murmured to himself and raised the Hawken. The crack of the .50 caliber rifle changged the whole tableau before him. Four of the horsemen stopped dead in their tracks. One was just dead. The Crow milled about confused while Ezekial reloaded, something an experienced man could do in 30 seconds or less. His second shot nocked another Crow from his horse, spraying blood over the virgin snow. The Cheyenne warrior had taken advantage of the confusion to pull a bow from the boys fallen pony and let loose an arrow that downed yet another of the Crow. The remaining two turned their ponies and fled, snow flying from thier hooves as they retreated into the woods.

The Cheyenne warrior helped his young companion to his feet and turned to face Ezekial's direction. Ezekial stepped from the trees to place himself in full view and raised his hand in greeting.

 

[McKenna]

.

 

[Subo97]

Ezekial Cooper

Leading his fur laden pones into camp, Ezekial eyed the Cheyenne camp. Alert mind, calm body he told himself. These were not the first Indians he had dealt with, but it would be the first visit with these Cheyenne. Better men than he had come to grief through misunderstanding. It never hurt to be wary in the company of men he did not know, white or Indian.

They had approached each other warily in the blood soaked snow of the clearing where he had intervened earlier in the day. To his relief, the other man had shown himself fluent in hand sign and with addition to the few Indian words Ezekial knew they were able to make introductions, offer and accept an invitation to the Cheyenne camp. Great Elk, as he introduced himself, and his son, Wild Pony offered Ezekial the safety of their camp. He readily accepted, cutting his list of enemies from two to one, the Crow.

The Cheyenne camp was laid out near a small stream, about a dozen tepees. As they approached the camp, the inhabitants came running to greet the trio. Of the crowd, two caught his eye right away: Laughing Maiden, Great Elk's daughter and Seeks Many Wives, his brother. The brother looked at Ezekial with suspicion, but the daughter was more expansive, taking Ezekial's hand and holding it to her cheek. He had not seen, much less touched a woman in almost a year, let alone one as beautiful as Laughing Maiden. Her dark hair and deep doe like eyes entranced him and when she reached up to touch his beard, he laughed in emberrassment and joy. Even covered in deerskin, the beauty of her form was obvious. ezekial tried not to stare, but his eyes continually returned to the maiden until she stepped behind him and followed them to her father's tepee.

Inside, Great Elk bade him sit on buffalo skins on the ground, scattered around the small fire that kept the tepee warm. Great Elk produced a pipe and filled it with tobacco, offering it to Ezekial in a gesture of ceremony and pleasure. As they smoked, Laughing Maiden brought a bowl of food and offered it to her father who insisted on her serving Ezekial first. She offered the bowl to him, bowing her head. Taking it from her, Ezekial's fingers grazed hers and he paused a moment, reluctunt to end the unfamiliar experience. They stood frozen a moment until the girl looked up. Emberrassed, Ezekial pulled the bowl away. Inside the tepee, it was silent. Outside, he could hear the boy regaling his friends with his version of their battle. ezekial feared he had made a misstep, but Great Elk laughed, slapped him on his back and offered him the pipe.

As they lounged in the teepee, Great Elk introduced a long line of relatives , both male and female, including his brother's many wives. As they communicated crudely back and forth, his host picked up the corner of a buffalo robe and pointed to a drawing of a buffalo hunt on the tepee wall. Patting Ezekial's Hawken, Great Elk suggested by hand signs that they hunt buffalo in the morning and Ezekial readily agreed. A buffalo would feed this encampment for weeks and insure Ezekial of friendship for a long time. He readily agreed.

All through his meal and the hours long story telling session that followed, Ezekial's eyes kept returning to Laughing Maiden and on occassion he caught the young girl watching him as well. Once their eyes remained locked for what seemed an eternity until one of the other women pulled her away. she dropped her eyes at that and followed the other woman, but turned as she left the tepee for one last look. His own eyes had followed her the entire way, watching her hips sway as she walked away. She smiled shyly as she moved through the tent flap and he kept finding himself looking in that diection for her return.

As the men ate, smoked and talked, plans were made for the buffalo hunt, and it was decided that Ezekial would stay with the clan until the worst of the snows melted and Great Elk's people were ready to move on. In addition, Great Elk insisted that Ezekial would share the chief's tepee. Ezekial agreed, but excused himself to stepoutside, not used to so many bodies in one place at one time, being used to his own company for so long.

He walked downstream from the camp to relieve himself, watching his breath rise up to the star lit sky, the sun having fallen during their feast. As he stepped up to the small bluff to return to the camp, he saw a figure standing in the dark, watching him.

 

[McKenna]

.

 

[Subo97]

Ezekial Cooper

Ezekial drew a breath as the young Cheyenne girl stroked his cheek. She probably had never seen a beard before and certainly had never felt one. The softness of her hand was electric. It had been a long time since he felt the touch of a woman, yet the situation was fraught with danger. A wrong move here could cost him his hair. He could not afford to insult her fther by taking advantage of her and yet could not afford to insult her with rejection. His decision making process was complicated by the fact that she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, civilized or not.

Laughing maiden dropped her hand and raised her eyes to him as if expecting reproach. He tried to reassure her and winked, a bit of whimsy that set her to giggling and hiding her face in her hands. Ezekial himself laughed at sheer joy over her innocence, his loud voice booming across the stars. He began walking toward the tepees, deciding that openess was in both their best interests. She walked beside him, glancing up at him and smiling, trying to wink back, both eyes closing at once. He laughed again and stopped to show her how, even reaching out at one point with two fingers to hold her eye open. Pretty soon she was winking and laughing, practicing her new found talent as they wandered through the teepees toward her father's hearth.

They stopped at the tent flap and he looked down into her deep brown eyes. He suddenly wondered if her father would become distraught if they entered together and he paused, but she opened the flap and waved him through. He was too big and the tepee was too crowded for his entrance to go unnoticed and all eyes turned to him.

Great Elk rattled off a string of Cheyenne words at his daughter without gestures. Ezekial recognized a few key words like "guest, white man, moon," as well as her name. The men all laughed and Laughing Maiden blushed. Looking around behind the men, Ezekial saw the women hiding thier gggling faces in their hands. They were obviously the butt of a joke and Ezekial smiled sheepishly.

Great Elk waved him to a seat in front of himself, offering Ezekial his pipe and smiling. At least the chief was not ofended by Ezekial's meeting with his daughter and Ezekial breathed a bit easier. He took the pipe, drew a deep draught and passed it back to Great Elk who made a gesture of friendship then passed the pipe to the circle of men. he then did something unexpected, waving to his daughter and beckoning her to sit behind him, just a bit to his right.

"Tomorrow," he spoke and signed, "we shall hunt bufalo and have a great feast. We shall eat the meat and use the skins to shelter our women and children." he then paused and looked at Ezekial. "How many women and children do you have?"

"None," Ezekial replied and the men around the fire muttered.

"This is not good, Ezekial Cooper," Great Elk replied. "Your winters are too cold and your nights are too long. There are not enough furs to replace a woman, you must find a wife."

Ezekial smiled. "White women do not like the wilderness. They are afraid under the stars."

Great Elk smiled, and Ezekial was late to realize the trap he had fallen into. "Then," said Great Elk, "you must take a Cheyenne wife."

 

[McKenna]

.

 

[Subo97]

Ezekiel Cooper

Amid the light hearted banter Ezekial sensed a serious undercurrent. Great Elk had obviously noted the interest that the trapper had in the chief's daughter. His light hearted teasing revealed as much. Taking an Indian wife would ensure his safety, at least in Cheyenne territory. Yet there was still the danger if inadvertant insult. On the positive side, the chief had broached the subject first.

Were there rivals for the girl's hand in the tribe? Would he be making more enemies than friends? It was as hard to believe she had no suitors as it was to keep his eyes off her. She was undeniably beautiful, even under her deerskin dress her form was obvious. Her long dark hair fell to her shoulders, but it was her large brown eyes that drew him like a moth to the flame. He would catch her staring at him, locking her eyes with his own before she demurely lowered her head. Time and time again, their eye play was interrupted by her father's teasing.

"We shall hunt buffalo when the sun rises, Ezekiel Cooper," her father told him. "Perhaps you would like to rest."

Ezekiel had expected to sleep in the open, but was surprised when Great Elk had insisted on providing him with a tepee. It was a great honor, thought Ezekial, yet perhaps a bit of a trap as well. he could hardly refuse and when Great Elk told Laughing Maiden to go prepare his furs, Ezekiel wondered if some traps were worth falling into.

Great Elk rose and with both his children escorted Ezekiel to a small tepee on the edge of the camp. His horses were hobbled nearby and his furs were inside, stacked against the edges of the small tent. A small fire was already burning in the middle, the smoke rising to and through a small hole at the top. It would be the coziest night he had spent in a long time.

"Come to my tent when our guest is satisfied with our hospitality," Great Elk told his daughter and turned to walk away, pausing only long enough to pull the still curious Wild Pony. Feeling awkward and ignorant, Ezekiel did the only thing he knew how to do. He smiled.

 

[McKenna]

.

 

[Subo97]

Ezekial Cooper

When the young indian girl caressed his face, Ezekial sat still, lest she discover how uncomfortable she made him feel. The pleasure of the young maiden's fingers brushing his beard and his cheeks only reminded him of how long he had been without a woman's touch. When her fingers lightly touched his lips, he had to force himself to sit still and ignore the stirrings in his loins. After months in the wilderness with no company but his ponies, the girl's presence was intoxicating.

Ezekial's stoicism crumbled with Laughing Maiden's question. Your skin, is it so pale all over? He laughed, remebering his last bath in a mountain stream months before. Would she have laughed had she seen his pale buttocks bobbing in the water,paler even than his chest. He had often gone shirtless in the summer though what coloring he had gained had long since faded.

A man had to watch his hair and he was playing a dangerous game with these people, but a man who trapped in indian country was not the kind of person likely to quail in the face of danger. He had faced bears, puma, blizzards, pararie fires and hostile indians, all for the sake of beaver and marten pelts and gold. The more the young girl paid attention to him, the more the rewards outweighed the risk.

Ezekial winked at the girl and laughed again as she tried to copy him as he removed his powder horn and bullet bag from his shoulders, sliding their straps over his head. Standing to tower over her, he reached to his waist and drew his tunic over his head. The girl's eyes widened as she looked at his pale chest, partially coverd with dark hair. She reached up with her hands and he dropped to his knees to allow her access to his chest. Fingers splayed wide she moved her hands across his pale chest in amazement, pausing for a moment as her fingertips brushed his nipples, hard from the cold and her attentions. Down over his ribs to his waist and across his washboard abdomen, her hands wandered, eyes wide and lips pursed on a small O.

Ezekial reached out with his large hand and placed it on the back of her head to caress her hair. she raised her sparkling eyes to meet his, then lowered them shyly but did not resist the pressure of his hand as he pulled her face to his chest.

A low sigh escaped his lips as he felt her warm cheek against her skin. she gripped his waist in her hands and emitted a low purr as she moved her soft face against his white chest.

 

[McKenna]

.

 

[Subo97]

Ezekiel

As Laughing Maiden's hands brushed the warm, wet water over his upper body with her gentle hands, Ezekiel squeezed his thighs with his hands. Wanting to return the caresses, he refrained from not only fear of her reaction but also in doubt of his ability to control his large, rough hands. Like his sister's dolls in long ago Baltimore, the indian girl seemed to soft and fragile for the likes of him. He closed his eyes and thought of another time and place, half a continent away, of a young woman bathing a baby, gentle hands eliciting soft coos and gurgles from the child while he watched from afar. Taht had been when he was civilized, before he turned his back on civilization and civilizations woes.

As her hands moved off his chest to stroke his ribs, the girl leaned into him and gave his skin a quick lick. At first Ezekial thought it might have been an accident, but then she returned for a longer lick, her warm, pink tongue sliding across the muscle of his chest. Instantly, his back stiffened and his muscles hardened as he reacted to her exploration of his flesh. He could feel his loins harden as well as she stopped and looked up at him, fear in her eyes. That fear tore at his heart and he reached out once again to caress her dark hair. "It's all right," he said, not knowing if she could understand him, but hoping she recognized the tone, "You're very soothing....and so very tempting." He slid his hand down till his palm cupped her cheek, looking into her warm eyes. He smiled and brushed his thumb across her lips as she looked at him. she parted her lips slightly and he slid his thumb between her lips enough to touch her teeth. She playfully bit him and laughed as he jerked his hand away. In retaliation he grabbed her hand as if to bite her back but held her hand and pressed only his lips around her thumb.

She started to pull away, but he held her arm still and she stopped struggling to look at him, eyes twinkling. Ezekial turned her hand over and kissed her palm. He heard her catch her breath and kissed it again, his own tongue this time darting out to caress her skin. This time it was her turn to lay her hand on his hair as he continued with another kiss and lick to the inside of her wrist. "I don't know about me," he whispered, "but I can attest that you taste delicious." He felt her fingers grip the locks of his hair with her other hand as he continued kissing up her arm to the inside of her elbow.

he stopped and leaned back, pausing to gauge her reaction. Her brown doe eyes were even wider and she didn't breath for a few moments. Then with an intake of breath that made her breasts rise under the deerskin she wore, she leaned back from him and a shudder ran the length of her body.

Ezekiel's eyes darted to the tepee opening as if acknowledging to her that she could escape but the young girl did not move. Using his hands, he signed for her, "I have been alone...in the mountains...for a long time.."

"Do you wish to be alone now?," she asked, hands fluttering, glancing at the tepee flap herself.

Ezekiel looked at her, black hair flowing over her shoulders and down over her gentle curves. "No," he signaled, "No." Laughing Maiden smiled and lowered her eyes. Ezekiel reached out to her and lifted her chin with his fingers to look in her eyes. He winked at her and smiled. "Good," he whispered and leaned in to kiss her lips.

 

[McKenna]

.

 

[Subo97]

buffalo hunt

Ezekiel eased over the crest of a small rise, gliding smoothly on the damp prairie grass. Keeping low to avoid a profile he moved slowly to a rock outcrop just below the crest and nestled in behind it. To his left Seeks many Wives stalked on his hands and knees, his body covered with a wolf skin, the wolf's head covering his own. Less than a hundred yards away, the buffalo grazed unconcerned, a lone wolf being no threat to the herd. Heads lowered, they gnawed the grass unaware of the hunting party ranging beyond the low hills.

The hunting party had left the encampment before dawn, trailed by many of the women and young boys. Luck had been with them and they came upon the herd in mid morning with the sun at their back and the wind in their face.

Ezekiel eased his Hawken up and balanced it on the rock, aiming at a young bull grazing in front of him. it was old enough to be full of meat and yield a good hide, but young enough so as not to be too tough. He steadied his aim at a spot right behind the bison's shoulder and waited.

Moving to within 25 yards of his intended prey, Seeks Many Wives raised himself to his knees and aimed his bow. His arrow struck it's target and the buffalo lurched forward. A second arrow to the neck brought it to it's knees. Ezekiel pulled the trigger and his Hawken barked, sending it's fifty caliber slug into the Bison's chest and heart, dropping it where it stood.

At the report of his rifle, the herd began to move forward and away, then burst into a gallop as the remaining hunters rode over the rise on their ponies, bows in their hands. They charged down at the flank of the herd, loosing their arrows as the buffalo thundered past.

The very earth shook as the large herd stampeded across the prairie in front of Ezekiel. he methodically loaded, fired and reloaded his rifle until the herd passed, leaving four dead buffalo in front of his perch. He stood up, intending to retrieve his horse behind the hill and follow the hunt but noticed wild Pony riding toward them. Seeks many Wives hailed his nephew and the boy rode up to them laughing gleefully. Ezekiel gathered from their conversation that the boy had killed a buffalo, perhaps his first. Also, the hunt had been so successful that Great Elk had called halt, not wishing to take more from the herd than the Great Spirit had provided for their encampment.

By mid-day the women had caught up with them and the butchering began in earnest. Ezekiel saw laughing maiden working with Little Wren, but Ezekiel joined the men in ranging around the scene, driving off the wolvwes and coyotes attracted by the smell of death.There was an immediate feast on some of the buffalo organs, heart, liver and tongue, some of it ceremonial and raw. The rest was quartered and carried off on travois back to the encampment where cooking fires were stoked up for a great feast. Strips of meat were hung to be dried and smoked, Hides were stretched to be cured and dried. Sinews were saved for sewing and even dried dung was collected for fires. At the end of their caravan, Great Elk had turned and thanked the herd for it's generosity and the gift of life.

Back in the camp, Great Elk beckoned to Ezekiel to sit by him and praised him for his four kills. The long muzzled Hawken was a spource of amazement and curiosity among all the hunters. They had heard of the great firesticks, but his was the first to be carried into their camp and it was a source of great awe and envy.

While they were talking, or attempting to, laughing maiden came up to them and knelt before them, offering Great Elk and Ezekiel bowls of water to drink. Besdie her Little Wren did the same for Seeks Many Wives. Seeks Many Wives drank his fast and stood, his chest full of pride. He grabbed Little wren by the wrist and ddragged her to a nearby teepee, swatting her behind as he pushed her before him. "His fire is up," Great Elk joked, "It was a good hunt."

"Yes, good hunt," Ezekiel repeated and drank his water, looking over the rim of the cup into Laughing Maiden's doe brown eyes.