ICE BURIAL: The Oldest Human Murder Mystery (The Mother People Series Book 3) (12 page)

His voice ceased as he took her fingers, one at a time, into his mouth.
With his other hand he
went on caressing her arms, her breasts and belly
and thighs
. She
groaned,
an agonized
cry
of physical need. She wanted more, much more…

The
sound
exhilarated
Lief
,
and a desire so fierce he felt burned
by it
threatened to
overwhelm him. Never had he felt like this, never, but he must go slowly, slowly…

He moved his lips to her eyelids, her cheeks and forehead, and then her mouth. A gasp rose inside
Zena
at the intensity
of the passion that
rose up between them, but no sound emerged. His lips were too hard, too demanding, too bonded with hers for even a whisper to pass between them. Her mouth clamped down still harder in response. She
did not
know herself like this. She
could not
stop her mouth, her body. They pressed against hi
s
with frenzied strength
;
she felt her arms wrap themselves around him, her hands search every part of his straining body.

He
could not
wait much longer, Lief thought desperately. And then he felt her hips thrust up and out, grinding
eagerly
toward him over and over
again
, and he knew he
did not
need to wait.
Al
most out of control now, he slid into her welcoming flesh and was fleetingly aware that he had never in all his life known such joy, such utter
ecstasy
.

For
Zena
it was the same. Before he came into her she thought for a moment she would stop breathing from the intensity of her need. But when finally she felt him inside her the tension slowly smoothed out and she felt herself rise, held up in some unknown place by a warm mass of sensation deep within her. It was red, filled with fire, yet there was gentleness in it too, as if the fire knew its strength and
would not
blaze all at once, but slowly gather its forces. Higher still it propelled her, so that she was floating on the ever-expanding mass, and then she was flying above it, soaring and darting effortlessly even as she knew the fire inside her must soon explode and send her plunging toward the ground. And then it did; she felt the mass of sensation burst into fragments, sending its warmth, its blazing energy, into every part of her body, her breasts, her belly and buttocks, even her fingertips and toes. Down and down she
spiraled
, and then began to rise again as the mass came back together, smaller now, gentler, but still there. Lief felt her spasms and moved with them, and then he was unable to think at all.

She felt his body rise up above her own and then crash down again, saw that he was shaking uncontrollably. His face was strained and the tendons of his neck stood out like great cords. She watched, amazed, then closed her eyes as her body took over again, forcing her to press against him, harder, harder, so that the mass inside her could gather force once more, propel her into the air until the explosion came, then send her fluttering down, this time into the warm gentle calm of satiation.

Lief
was limp inside her. He sighed, a great sigh of repletion. He
could not
move except to pull her even closer,
could not
speak except to murmur her name over and over again. She pressed her face against his chest, felt the bristly hair there absorb tears she
did not
know had formed. Satiated and utterly content, she snuggled drowsily against him and closed her eyes. Warmed by the sun, by each other, they slept
.

******************

W
ind brought by the gathering clouds made
Zena
shiver. She sat abruptly, aware that a storm was brewing as so often happened toward the end of the day in summer. Pulling her tunic around her shoulders, she looked down at the still-sleeping
Lief
. His strong features were relaxed now, and his lips were curved into a
half
smile. She wanted to take him in her arms again, in gratitude, in wonder for what he had done, how he had made her feel, as if she were truly flying.
He w
as part of her now, she realized suddenly, as she was part of him. The thought was joyous.

There should be another kind of Akat, she mused, to describe th
e
experience
they had had together
.
Already, there were many types: Akate, which was fast and lustful, Akato, playful and full of laughter, and Akatele, a very tender kind of mating. There was Akatelo, slow and sensual, and Akatalelo, which was spiritual and close to the Mother. Perhaps she could call this new kind Akatolevo, Akat that flies.

“
Akatolevo,
”
she murmured, trying out the word to see how
i
t sounded. Then she frowned. Had
Lief
felt this too? Perhaps she had not been able to do for him what he had done for her.

He opened his eyes and looked at her, and she knew immediately that he had. His gaze was
languorous
, full of love. His words gave confirmation.
“
We can fly together, just as I said,
”
he told her softly, pulling himself up to sit beside her.

She took his hand and they sat in silence, totally at ease with each other now and feeling no need to speak, until the strengthening wind drove them to their feet. The storm was moving fast,
Zena
realized. They must leave the high ridges.

“
I can smell it,
”
Lief
said, as if she had spoken.

Zena
nodded.
“
We should get down as quickly as we can.
”

Lief took her hand and held it firmly as they
hurried over the next pass and down the rocky slope beyond it, skipping from one foothold to the next, legs tensed, bodies balanced precisely
, inebriated with
the
joy
of their delight in each other.

Half-way down, r
ain hit their shoulders
,
and just as they reached the valley floor, thunder rumbled behind them. They darted into the woods, looking for shelter of some kind, and to their surprise heard the sound of laughter. Following the sound, they came to a small hut. Inside, they heard women
’s
voices, and again the laughter.

“
Their Ekali,
”
Zena
whispered,
abruptly
remembering her mission
.
“
This must be their Ekali
, the women
’s
place
. Perhaps I can take shelter from the storm with them. Then I can try to learn more about the young woman who will give birth.

“But what of you?
”
she asked, anguished at the thought of leaving him at all, and especially leaving him in his cold, driving rain.

“I will find a thick tree to shelter me,” he promised. “You must take advantage of this opportunity.” Smiling, he gave her a gentle push toward the shelter.

Reluctantly, she nodded, but went first to wash herself in a small stream. She would not give her name
, she decided
. She would
just ask if she could rest until the storm passed - and ask a lot of questions, see if they would talk.

The women
’s
chatter stopped abruptly
when she appeared.
“
I am sorry to intrude,
”
Zena
apologized,
“
but I hoped I could take shelter here from the storm.
”

“
You are welcome here,
”
an older woman said.

“
Thank you. I have been traveling for many days,
”
Zena
explained,
“
and will be glad to rest for a time.
”

A girl, hardly old enough for her first bleeding,
Zena
thought, watched her with curious eyes.
“
Where do you come from?
”
she asked, her voice eager.

“
From a valley to the east,
”
Zena
answered.
“
But before that I came from the sea, far to the south.
”

Reaching into her
pack
, she
brought out
a large
shell
in shades of smoky blue and pink, and some small pink ones with glossy
curved surfaces, and handed them to the girl.
“
Here are shells from that place. You may have them.
”

The girl
’s
face lit up.
“
I thank you. They are beautiful!
”

“
Tell me of your tribe,
”
Zena
asked.
“
I have not been here before, nor have the traders with whom I travel.
”

“
There are many people in our village,
”
the older woman said,
“
but traders
do not
come here often.
”

A round, dark-haired woman spoke.
“
We have a new Leader who is very fine and speaks to us often,
”
she said proudly.
“
He will come again soon.
”

“
I have heard of this Leader,
”
Zena
commented.
“
Is he as kind as people say?
”

“
He is very kind,
”
the dark woman answered, but
Zena
noticed that the girl
did not
look convinced. She decided to probe further.

“
I have also heard that sometimes the Great Spirit comes to a woman, and then there is a child,
”
she said.
“
At the last village that was true, and at others. Has this happened here?
”

The girl looked up abruptly.
“
It has happened to my friend Pila, who shares my hut,
”
she admitted, and her face was uneasy.

“
Is she happy about this?
”

“
Pila is very proud,
”
the dark-haired woman said firmly.

The girl made no reply, but
Zena
saw her lips tremble, and the fingers that had been caressing the shells fell still.

“
The baby comes soon?
”
She hated
to press the girl but
she
need
ed
badly to know.

“
Very soon,
”
the girl whispered.
“
I think the pains have already begun. But it must be returned,
”
she added forlornly.

“
Returned?
”
Zena
made her voice a question, pretending she had not understood.

“
To the Great Spirit,
”
the girl explained.
“
I know this but
I am
not sure if my friend understands. Still, I think she is
very
afraid.
”

“
It is not good to speak of these things to a stranger,
Brulet
,
”
the older woman rebuked sharply.
“
You are too free with your thoughts!
”

“
Yes. You must not speak so freely
,
”
the dark-haired woman agreed, frowning at
Brulet
. She turned to
Zena
.
“
There will be a fine ceremony in a few days,
when the infant will be returned to the Great Spirit,
”
she said, and again
Zena
heard pride in her voice.
“
Perhaps you would like to see it?
”