Two Worlds (closed for DeathsKnight)

[TertiusHuman]

"You'll help with that? The soaking and wringing and soaking and wringing and then the working to get a pliable soft skin which we'll smoke tomorrow? Would you mix the solution in a big bucket and get Herta back in so she can suckle her pups? Which of the three do you want?"

I listened to her, mind not really there until she directed questions at me, I slipped the sunglasses on again, the glare of the sun starting to get to me since I was facing that direction. "Sure I'll help, it will be a good lesson. That way I will learn how to do it and the other hides will not go to waste. I usually cut them up and burned them."

"Not sure how to do the smoking thing, I don't have anything built specific for that, unless we can use the hearth. It is in the VIP section, it is closer to the surface and has a chimney. Perhaps I should show it to you later."

I gave Herta a quick scratch behind the ears before rising, "I'll take her in and well about keeping a pup... I have no idea how to keep or care for one, so I will most likely be a poor choice for that."

 

[dutchrain]

He burned the hides! Oh my … I was silent for a moment, shocked. Such a waste! Even if he didn't need them for clothing or bedding he could have bartered with them. And a hide beside the bed, or in front of the reading chair would make the rooms so much more comfortable.

Oh well. Only belatedly the rest of his words trickled to the right spot in my brain to make sense. Or not so much. VIP section? It would be behind one of the closed doors that I was sure of. On my little wanderings in the bunker I had encountered many locked doors. The library would be behind one, and now this VIP section too. There was a hearth there. I wondered if there were some nice hides in front of it. Maybe I should change my plans …

After a little while I decided to go on with the soaking plan. It involved getting out off my soaked coverall. Here, in the sun.

"I'll take her in and well about keeping a pup... I have no idea how to keep or care for one, so I will most likely be a poor choice for that." he said just before he got to his feet.

A short shake of my head, and half a nod.

"You could learn," I smiled. "They are great company, don't ask questions, happy with a stick to aport."

I simply would get him to fetch Herta away from the pups and get her back to them a bit more. I was sure he would grow to the idea of having one of them. Maybe tomorrow I would involve him in naming them. That certainly would kindle a bond.

When he left my thoughts went back to his virginal status ...

 

[TertiusHuman]

Of course taking Herta inside got me the time I needed to think. The dog of course seemed more than happy to head for her pups. I tagged along and opened the doors and gates for her. Would a dog really be such a great idea?

I pondered this thought much more than any of the other thoughts, they crowded around in my mind and just confused me, so I went to the easiest. A dog.

Well the list of pros and cons mounted up against each other and I knew that in the end, it would come down to the same idea as having a child. Of course that thought brought the other thoughts racing in and I had to sit down and distract myself.

Disassemnling a rifle seemed to work perfectly for that.

 

[dutchrain]

I was done with scraping the hairs off as well as the fat and bits of tissue. And I had opened my coverall to catch a bit of sun. And I waited. Listening carefully if Chris came back, so I could close my coverall again before he was too close.

And I waited. He surely took a long time to mix the solution. I undid the straps, rolled the hide to keep it from drying out too much in the sun. I closed my coverall.

And I waited a bit more.

Too wait easier I lied down.

 

[TertiusHuman]

I had stripped a carbine and had my cleaning kit in hand when it occurred to me that I was supposed to do something...a yes! Bucket of mixture that Eydis had spoken of. I placed the cleaning kit down, fetched a bucket and started to mix the mixture with water, with this finished, I picked up the bucket and headed outside, making sure to close the doors as I went.

Outside I climbed the track back up to where Eydis were, instead I found an empty frame, rolled up skin and Eydis laid out on the ground. Immediately I drew my pistol and flicked off the safety, scanning around for danger. Gently placing the bucket down, I crept closer and crouch silently next to her, feeling her throat for a pulse.

 

[dutchrain]

My hand shot up and had wrapped itself around Chris' hand, before I opened my eyes and before I fully realized it was Chris kneeling beside me.

"Sorry! I dozed off in the sun! Nothing happened. I am alright. I am sorry." Slowly I moved into a sitting position. He did not look pleased … I was still holding onto his though, and I squeezed it reassuringly and apologetically.

"I was dreaming. So vividly I didn't hear you. Sorry."

In my dream it had been my mother coming into my bedroom. But then the scent hadn't been hers … I shook my head to shake the lingering impression out off my head.

 

[TertiusHuman]

For a moment I was pissed, but it ebbed away when she looked so apologetic. I shook my head and gave her a slight smile, "I thought a cat got you or even worse one of those roving parties."

I flicked the safety on the pistol again and took hold of her hand, as I rose, I drew her to her feet as well, realized that we stood close together and I was still holding her hand. For a brief moment I didn't know what to do, then I released her hand and stepped to the side, towards the bucket.

"Sorry I took so long, it actually kind of slipped my mind."

 

[dutchrain]

It was nice standing close to him. A moment I dithered if I would lean forward a bit and kiss his chin. But I only smiled when he steeped away and pointed at the bucket.

He had nearly filled it! Just as I had hoped. That would mean a lot of sloshing and soaking …

I unrolled the hide and slowly let it down into the bucket. After I had rolled the sleeves of my coverall up a bit I gave the hide a good 'wash' for a minute.

Then it was time to wring. Holding my hands up higher than he did once in a while made for some water running down his arms. Other times it ran down my arms. After a few more soakings and washings and wringings it was time to let the hide rest in the bucket for a quarter of an hour.

We both were quite wet.

Without saying a word I unbuttoned my coverall and stepped out off it. Dressed in my loincloth and breast band I draped the coverall over the lush grass.

"Better get yours off too, the sun will dry us."

 

[TertiusHuman]

It was quite interesting to do this washing, sloshing, wringing and finally wringing, but it was quite messy. I wondered if there was anything cleaner to this when she suddenly stepped out of her coveralls, dressed in just her loincloth and what she called a breast band. I suddenly realized that she had a lot more plains and angles to her than I could remember.

"Better get yours off too, the sun will dry us."

For a moment I didn't understand and then I realized that she meant my clothing. She was right and since it would be silly to leave her alone again, especially in her state of undress, to fetch us dry clothing, that her suggestion actually made sense.

I undid the buttons on my own coverall, then undid the belt and placed it in easy reaching distance. Then followed my boots and finally I stripped out of my coveralls, spreading it out on the grass as well. Regulation underwear protected my own modesty and for the first time in years, I actually realized that the scar along my arm and shoulder stood out quite pronounced against my skin. Why didn't I notice that in the shower?

 

[dutchrain]

His skin was so fair! Only his hands and his face showed he came outside in the sun once in a while. His arms a bit too. Just in time I ordered my tongue to stay inside my mouth and to not lick my lips.

"Now we sit down in the sun for a bit, then we wring it one more time as thoroughly as we can and then we start working the hide until it is completely dry."

I sat down. Patted the grass beside me. I glanced at the scar on his arm and shoulder. I had touched it a few days ago, when we brought the deer and Herta back to the bunker.

"It could have healed better if had been stitched better, but it doesn't seem to hinder your use of your arm," I said matter of factly. "Do want to tell me what happened? We have time to fill …"

 

[TertiusHuman]

I sat down next to her and when she mentioned the scar, I looked at it and grimaced slightly, "We had to use metal staples to pull it together, stitches just wouldn't have worked. It is a bit stiff during the winter, but further on I really can't complain about it."

I looked at the skin soaking in the bucket, wondering how we are going to work it dry, then glanced at her, before looking at the view into the valley.

"Well we suffered an attack from a small militant group. They had a few rockets and they used it on the bunker's door. We managed to drive them off, but the door had been damaged and we had to fix it. While working on it, we supported it with lumber that we have cut from those trees to the West. To this day I am still not certain what exactly happened, but two of the struts holding the door gave in and the sudden shift in weight was too much, the door broke free from the last two hinges holding it and fell. Luckily it didn't land on anybody, but out of reflex I had grabbed at it to steady it."

I chuckled, "I know it sounds silly, but reflexes can be very overpowering in any situation. As I realized that I couldn't hold the door, I let go, but one of the metal pieces from the torn off hinges caught my arm and practically cut if open like a...hot knife through butter. I was very lucky though, it damaged a bit of tendons and cut into bone, but didn't sever an artery. It took the doctor a long time to staunch the blood and after that there were the infection to deal with, the slow recovery since we didn't have any blood left."

I looked at her and grinned, "And that is how I survived and got this nice souvenir."

 

[dutchrain]

"Reflexes can be bitches", I said softly. "I once tried to catch a falling knife … I am very glad you survived and that you had help."

So really absentmindedly I moved my arms a bit, and put my hands down to lean back on them. One hand just happened to land directly beside Chris' naked thigh.

"It is not a bad souvenir though. And a great reminder to not try to catch falling doors!" I smiled at him. "A nice soft buckskin vest would irritate the scar much less than the coveralls and other stuff you wear. Or a wadded shirt. That would be great too, maybe only wadded over the scar, that way it wouldn't be too hot in the summer. I think the skin there is very sensitive to heat and solar radiation? Does it get itchy then? A nourishing cream would help too, if I can find some aloe vera I could make you one."

A moment I looked around. This was not the right place for aloe to grow wild, but maybe there was some in the old garden. Some people planted them because they liked the spiky leafs.

Then I giggled.

"Or maybe we could find some in your freezer! That is filled with wonders! But no ice cream sadly. I once had ice cream, they made it at Parkers' for a special treat after we got rid of those attackers. With mashed fruits, honey and cream. It tasted wonderful! It was fun eating, once a drop fell of my spoon and landed here!" I pointed at the spot on my chest just above my breasts it had fell down on.

And that was enough. Back to business!

"Now we slosh the hide around a last time and then we wring it as hard as we are able to. And then it gets back on the frame and we rub it with a roundish something. A big pebble, the back of a ladle, or a specially carved stomper. It should be round, no sharp edges and big enough to fit in your hand. I think I'll use my knife, the knob is a bit small, but the hilt is long enough I can hold it comfortably."

 

[TertiusHuman]

"Well it does get itchy when the sun gets hold of it, that is why I cover up most of the time. I don't know about it any other time."

He chuckled along with her about my freezer, "Well I think there might be some, but we should check the old farm as well. You did want to harvest some of that honey."

When she directed my attention to where the ice-cream had landed, I followed her finger involuntarily and looked up at her face again as fast as I could. Not a soldier! My mind said, but why would I want one? I almost missed the rest of her words, trying to get a grip on myself.

"Well I might have something bigger than the knife's pommel. I am not sure what they used it for, but there are these metal balls welded on to handles in the garage. They are smooth and should work perfectly for what you have just decribed. Should I go fetch it so that you can see?"

 

[dutchrain]

"The honey! I almost forgot about that. Depending on how many bees there are and for how long the honey hasn't been collected there could be loads! Lets go tomorrow? The weather should keep." I looked up at the sky and nodded. It should keep nice for a while. But I also noted something else.

"Do get these balls, there is only a few hours of sun left for today, and I want the hide dry by then. Means we some hours of hard work ahead of us. But first we'll get the hide out, then I'll get it back in the frame while you get the balls."

And thus we stood in front of each other once more, wringing the hide. I loved to watch Chris, now I could see his muscles clearly, flexing and relaxing as we pressed the solution out off the hide.

When at last only a few slow drops formed I nodded at him, pulled at the hide and when he let go I swung it over my shoulder and turned to the frame.

 

[TertiusHuman]

Working was never a problem, but I felt a bit self-conscious standing there in just my underwear. Of course I knew that Eydis was looking at me in a way much more than just idle curiosity. But I could not complain as I was busy doing the same. It was interesting to see her body move without the coveralls in the way. How her toned muscles bunched to perform a task and then relax when not, the way her leg muscles moved as she shifted position.

I would be lieing if I said I didn't look at her breasts, it was almost like the breast band added a new dimension to them. It was really fascinating. Then she declared the hide dry enough and sent me to fetch the balls as she turned towards the frame, showing off quite a sight. I swallowed, snagged my coveralls and pistol and fled the scene.

Inside I finally got a grip, slipped into my coveralls and then I fetched the ball hammers or whatever they were, then poured water into a bottle. Outside once more, I climbed the embankment and held up the metal balls for Eydis to inspect, "How would they work?"

 

[dutchrain]

With half an eye I had been watching to catch the first sight of Chris coming back again. When I saw him, I had to press my lips together a moment, then smiled.

He had dressed again! Oh well … I was only wearing my loincloth and my breast band so all was well. Half well.

"How would they work?"

I took one of the balls out off his hand, weighted it in my hand.

"Great I think. The handle feels good and the ball is heavy enough to lighten our task." I showed him how to press against the hide to make sure it would be soft and pliable when it was dry.

"In a few hours we should be done", I encouraged him. "I'll start at the top on the left, you on the right, we'll meet in the middle and move down and then we'll get back to the top again. Dinner might be a bit late today …"

Working side by side was nice ...

 

[TertiusHuman]

It was not the first time that dinner would be late, at least they still had bread left so there was not much work to actually eating a light meal before bed. I watched as she went to work and then followed suite. Since she was still in practically her underwear and it was getting quite warm with the exertion of working on the hide, I paused to unzip my coveralls and slid my arms out of the sleeves, allowing it to fall to my waist where my weapons belt kept it up. Adjusting the holster to still be able to get to the pistol quickly if the need should arise, I went back to work.

Once we came to the middle there was no real preventing our hands touching as we both pressed on the hide. I didn't comment on it, but I would not say that it wasn't nice. Working alongside somebody on a brand-new project. A chance like that didn't come along every day in my world in the bunker. Of course with her help it was much cleaner than it had been in months and with the winter coming...

"Do you have proper shelter during the winter? I know it is a stupid question, but I am a bit curious about your home, since you know mine so well."

 

[dutchrain]

It was as nice as I had thought it would be. And when he took his arms out off the coverall it got even nicer. Touching his hands or shifting my stance so I touched his hips with mine when we reached the middle, it took my mind perfectly off the monotonous work at hand.

"The winter? It is only the start of spring now. Our houses are okay, we'll have the whole summer to do some repairs and the shallow hole and the overlapping bit of rock shelters us anyway. The layout of our houses might look a bit strange to a visitor, storage rooms are build in the rock, bedrooms in front of those, still under the rock roof and because of that they have quite low ceilings, and the living rooms/kitchens in front of the bedrooms. In the back of the hole is an emergency latrine, and most houses have a small one attached. Two buckets, one for urine and one for the rest. A bathhouse stands in the middle of the houses and we have a big tub to soak in in it." I had to take a break. Talking while working the hide broke up my rhythm. I ran my hand over the hide and was pleased to feel it was drying and getting very pliable.

"Just a bit longer, until it is completely dry. Otherwise it will be as hard as a piece of wood tomorrow. My house is a bit different, since I started to build it when I felt I was big enough to live on my own at seven years old. They let me, they even helped me. I didn't want to live under the lowish rock ceiling, so I build alongside it. The house I build was perfect for me then, and when I grew up it grew with me. My elder sister build her house around two hundred meters away from us when she married her husbands. They wanted a bigger house than was possible at the hole. Because they were three already and they wanted kids. About a hundred meters above their house are our ice cellars. Some other storage 'rooms' are all over the place, in hollow trees, in holes in the ground, and in tree tops."

I was working rhythmically again.

"You should visit us. My family loves visitors."

 

[TertiusHuman]

It did sound quite interesting.

Maybe I should take her up on that offer and go visit, just think of all I could learn.

Learn...

I studiously went about working the hide, what if I showed up there and more women walked around like this and wanted to have children? The thought made me pause for a few moments.

Yeah ok then, cross that bridge and all that.

"Let's just hope they don't see me as a militiamen and I might actually take you up on that offer some time."

I thought for a moment about something she had said, "Did you say your sister had husbands? Like plural?"

 

[dutchrain]

For the first time he seemed to be truly pondering a possible visit to my family. I kept my silence and waited for his answer. He kept working until he suddenly paused a while.

Then: "Let's just hope they don't see me as a militiamen and I might actually take you up on that offer some time." Before I could answer, he came up with a second question.

I grinned.

"Yes. Marge couldn't decide between two of the four guys courting her. She tried them all out, kept trying out the two and still couldn't decide between them. Both kept trying to outshine the other's courting, and she was getting worried their parents and family were not very pleased with the time and resources they spend on and at her. So she invited them both for a private meal at the same time and made them a proposal. They reached an agreement before dessert and announced their engagement after dessert. As she said, the problem was they were brothers, and them being brothers helped enormously at reaching the solution." I checked the hide again, leaned over to check Chris' side too.

I decided it was dry. Finally! I turned towards him and announced we could take it off the frame and get everything inside. When he reached for one of the bands I stopped him by putting my hand on his arm.

"Chris, if you don't arrive waving your arms, weapons I mean, waves of your hands would be appreciated and answered, the first who spots you will call out and all will come running. They really, really like visitors. A nice meal would be prepared in your honor, and they will expect you to tell a few stories. Of which you have enough, only think of what you could tell them about how you found me! My only worry is, one of my sisters or nieces or cousins or a few of them might start to chat you up as soon as you arrive and then it would be up to me to tell that story. Again, if I went home before you were ready to visit us. I really can't stay longer than Herta needs to recover. My family will get worried. About me, and about Herta. I should leave in a day or three. But I could come back, or you could accompany me …" I took my hand off his arm after a final squeeze only now realizing I had been stroking and squeezing his upper arm the whole time.

 

[TertiusHuman]

It really was a strange world she lived in. I tried to imagine how it should feel to share somebody you loved and just couldn't get my head around it. As she declared the skin ready, I reached out and she stopped me with a hand on my arm. The skin on skin contact was strange, not quite the same as accidentally touching each other during work or moving passed each other. It was way more direct.

She started to explain about her family, but by the time she came to talking about her family, she had me heavily distracted as her hand stroked and squeezed my arm. When she finished, I gave her a lopsided smile, "You know, I think it will be better for you to return to your family without me. When you feel that they will not freak out at my arrival, you are more than welcome to come and fetch me. Gives me time to prepare a present or two. It is after all seen as rude to arrive at a place as a guest empty-handed."

I grinned at her, "In your case I'll make an exception, since you did bring a dog along."

 

[dutchrain]

"Well, to be exact the dog brought herself and the littles ones were an extra!" I giggled.

I was glad he wasn't against coming to visit us anymore. And I was glad he wasn't too distracted by my caresses to answer. I felt a warm blush sneaking up on my cheeks. I flashed him a smile and turned around to unstrap the hide. When I was done I rolled it together and handed it to Chris.

"You take that, please, I'll take the frame and the rest, and drop it off in the commons -I'll sort through it after dinner- while you open that VIP room with the hearth? Why don't you have a smokehouse? Smoked meat tastes nice and keeps a long while especially when you store it in a cool place. Right now or in the autumn, when the harvest is in, we have some leisure time. I am sure I could get a few people to build you one."

A bit worried I was overdoing it I looked up at him.

"I don't want to press you into having people here. Or in you to visit us. Which my family will really love BTW and if you think I should 'prepare' them for your visit I'll be happy to do so. But I simply can't get my head around the fact you have been on your own for so long. I know I probably would go mad if I couldn't be with my family, my father's group or Parkers after a while on my own in the forest or on the plains."

My eyes kept wandering back to his back, to his shoulders while he lead the way back inside.

 

[TertiusHuman]

She handed me the hide and I gathered up her coveralls when it became clear that she wasn't going to put them on while we were inside. No wonder she was so tanned if she lived outside in as much clothing when I found her in.

"Well I don't have a smokehouse, but there is a smoking machine, well not much of a machine really, just a container actually in which you can smoke your meats. I don't like the taste much, that is why I either dry or freeze my meats."

I opened the outer door, waited for her to pass and then closed it behind us, I had to admit that I wondered for a few moments how she'd look in the underwear that I saw piled in one store room...

"Basically I adjusted to being alone, since my people did not leave all at once, it was not that hard to adjust to beieng alone. I guess it will be different for you since you are used to having a large group of people around."

I placed the hide on a far table in the common room and with a few jerks and folds folded her coveralls and placed it on the table closer to her, "Now about that supper."