Thin About Icebergs: Raven's Song

The weeks since Raven's birth had flown by in a blur and it was only in quiet moments like these that Max was able to sit back, relax, and put the pieces together again...

The trek back down out of the hills would always be largely a blur he thought - except for certain moments. One such was Alli's cousin's triumphant return with most of the trade goods he'd left with, as well as the addition of a nanny goat and a large baggie of mixed herbs that the family elder there had sworn would help bring in Alli's milk if brewed into a tea. Alli had first sniffed the contents suspiciously and then, apparently satisfied, brewed a pot of a medicinal smelling potion which she proceeded to drink copious amounts of at regular intervals.

Whether it was the herbs in the tea, or the stimulation from the near continuous suckling Raven provided, within seemingly a matter of hours Alli's breasts had begun to swell to even greater prominence than usual. Her nipples grew bigger and darker as well and initially just began to drip fluid with the least stimulus. When that occurred Raven attacked her new mother's nipples with even more determination, causing Alli to wince more than once and to seek out some of the more soothing unguents she'd brought with her applying them to her sore teats.

Seemingly between one moment and the next however, Alli's milk production went from a trickle to a flood. Max had noted that Raven suddenly seemed quieter, less fussy - and that she seemed to be sleeping better and a little longer. What he wasn't aware of though, for at least a matter of a few hours, was the cause.....or how much discomfort Alli was in because of it. He had seen her looking increasingly tired and cross throughout their short trek that day - the hours of their travel having been shortened by common consent due to the presence of the baby and the extra work caring for her caused. When they settled in for bed that night, Max climbed in to his side of the zipped together sleeping bag and leaned over to kiss Raven and Alli goodnight. As he brushed against Alli's breast she caught her breath and flinched away from his touch.

"Alli, what's wrong?" he murmured, concerned that she seemed to be in pain and alarmed at the first time she had ever moved to avoid his touch.

"Ohhhh Max. I've got milk alright....too much milk. Raven can't drink it all and I feel like I'm full to bursting."

He ran his hand gently over her breasts in the dark, alarmed at how hot they felt under his fingertips - her breasts jutted up over her rib cage, swollen and hard. They had been limited in their loving over the past few weeks, stealing moments away from the trek to be alone or trying to arrange intensely passionate but silent interludes in their sleeping bags late at night, knowing that one or more of the cousins was always awake and on watch. In this moment however Max found himself both achingly hard and tenderly concerned for his woman.

"Can I.......Alli....let me.......help you......please?"

"What..." she began and then gasped as his lips settled warm and soft around her already turgid nipple. When his tongue flicked lightly over the hard point she felt the drawing, burning, pleasure-pain of milk let down begin almost immediately. She sighed at the near instant relief from the intense pressure but then noticed her body responding in other ways as well. This was NOT like suckling Raven. The infant's hungry and eager sucking was pleasant, there was no denying that - she'd enjoyed nursing Clayton when he was a baby too. But this.....this was...... She rolled eagerly closer to Max, glad that she'd put Raven down on her other side tonight, hoping that snuggling with Max later would soothe her despite the pain in her breasts. Now, snuggling was the furthest thing from her mind. She could feel Max swallowing eagerly and suckling as gently as possible and she rolled toward him - wrapping one leg over and around his thighs, pulling his leg close against her pussy. She knew she was already wet and 'ready' but wanted this pleasure to last. Cushioning Max's head on her arm she stroked his back and shoulder as he continued to drain her breast.

Responding to her arousal he pressed his shaft against her thigh, letting her feel the dampness of the precum he was already oozing. He pushed his thigh tight against the wet flesh of her pussy, pleased when she responded. Her tiny gasps and whimpers of pleasure were nearly inaudible even to his ears and wouldn't, he knew, carry much beyond the boundaries of their sleeping area. The way her hips were eagerly thrusting and rocking though - grinding her cunt back and forth over his thigh - he wasn't sure how much longer that would remain true.

Much of the pressure had been relieved in the breast he had been suckling and it was no longer hot and hard. He could return to it and drain her further if needed but for now he felt he needed to focus on relieving her other breast. Reaching below to cup one full buttock, pulling her closer and tighter, his fingers accidentally brushed the tight sphincter of her anus. She shuddered against him and moaned more loudly as the flow of her juices against his leg increased significantly. Max heard a low murmur of male Shoshone voices from the direction of the fire and quickly suppressed laughter but he doubted that Alli heard anything. As his mouth settled, warm and gentle, against her other aching breast she gasped and shuddered again, rocking hard against his thigh and trapping his rigid cock firmly between their bellies.

Her excitement was contagious and Max wasn't sure how much longer he would be able to last either but he wanted to finish inside her. Rolling onto his back in the tight confines of the joint sleeping bag he tried to pull her on top of him - a move that caused a squeak from just beyond Alli, reminding him abruptly of Raven's presence in their sleeping bag. Alright then, he thought, time for Plan B, sliding his hips further under Alli's raised leg until he could feel the swollen head of his prick pressing against the hot wet entry to her sex. One thrust of his hips buried half his length in her volcanic depths and he sucked harder for an instant feeling her pressing forward against him.

Her arms wrapped around him, nearly clawing his ass in her eagerness to have him inside her. Max found he could release her breast, his one hand clamped firmly around her lush ass pulling her forward as he thrust into her - his fingertips seeking again her tight rosebud and sliding in up to the first knuckle. His other hand moved between them, wedging itself down between their juncture, seeking the one spot that would give her the most pleasure. When he found the hard pearl of her clit he took it between his thumb and index finger, milking it much the same way he was milking her tit.

Alli began to buck against him, her pussy spasming around his cock, milking his cock in the final act completing their union. He sucked hard again, filling his mouth over and over with the sweet, hot milk from her body, swallowing hard to keep from howling like an animal at the incredible pleasure he felt. Alli, however, suffered no such compunction and her scream of pleasure echoed off the distant hills while Max pumped his spunk deep between her legs.

They collapsed into each others' arms, limp and sweaty and were halfway to sleep when a small coo roused them, reminding them of the responsibility they had assumed. Raven lay happily in the dark, her hand splayed across her face, talking to herself perhaps more than her adoptive parents. Now that she was receiving adequate nourishment on a regular basis she seemed to be a happy baby, seldom fussing even when wet or with a loaded diaper. She didn't even seem to mind that her diapers had been manufactured from old Tshirts and other bits of 'disposable' clothing and material. They all held and cuddled her equally, taking turns riding with her in order to spell each other and, while she seemed happiest if Max or Alli held her, she would chortle and coo up into the faces of her solemn, self-appointed 'uncles', bringing sudden grins to their faces and winks of congratulations at each other.

Alli had explained to Max that the role of uncle was traditionally very important - even more important than that of father. It was the uncle who gave the young boy his first bow, took him hunting, fishing....taught him those things of importance. Aunts would be similarly important in the life of the girls. She was, therefore, both surprised and pleased at the interest her cousins were taking in the little girl.

Ray told him privately, "We all helped save her in one way or another. And it was a really good thing for you to accept her so easy when Alli brought her back - not every man would have....white or Indian." He'd nodded at Max, "Raven is a good name.....ravens are good medicine. You'll see Max, she'll bring you and Alli luck."

Max had accepted Ray's words, knowing in his heart that Raven's luckiness - or lack thereof - was the furthest thing from his mind. She was a baby - an innocent - and a beauty at that with flashing black eyes and a head full of black hair that curled gently at the ends. Her smile rivaled Alli's own and lit up her face....and his heart. And when her little fist curled around his finger he always felt his heart melt. As far as he was concerned the trip back, while taking almost twice as long as the outbound trip, was far too short.

After that first night when Alli's milk had come in, he made arrangements to have one of the others watch the baby for a bit while he and Alli rode away from camp together - finding a spot where they could be comfortable and alone - often a fallen tree where Max could sit on a folded blanket, his jeans around his ankles, while Alli sat on his lap, his staff firmly embedded in her cunt while he suckled from her breasts. They could cling together and rock gently, arms enfolding each other while he reduced the pressure in her breasts to bearable levels - not incidentally renewing the depth of their bond to each other as well. Max found himself hoping that Alli never lost her milk entirely - these moments were so unbearably sweet - both tender and erotic in ways they had not shared before. The fact that such moments were immediately followed by their return to camp and Alli settling down with Raven to provide her with dinner did not detract one iota from the loving passion they shared.

With Bear rolling around his feet and gnawing on his boots (usually in preference to a deer rib), sitting in front of a crackling fire and listening to the low murmur of Shoshone voices - Alli leaning against him as she suckled Raven, the baby's eyes usually rolling until they located his face, then her dazzling milky smile before she settled back to nursing industriously, Max was as content as he had ever been. He always mentally crossed potential blindness off the list of possible birth defects at such moments, knowing it might be years yet before they discovered the full extent, if any, of Raven's challenges. Hoping that he would be as ready for whatever they found as Alli seemed to be.

He'd kept his eyes open as they traveled, looking for places he could build a home for the three of them - four if Granny could be persuaded to join them - but found fault with everything he'd seen thus far. Too remote - no fresh water - no trees for shelter - no game.... The list went on. The fact was, that aside from the size of her house, he and Alli had become settled at Granny's. They simply needed more room - and now that they had Raven too they had to have more space - a bigger home.

It had been, therefore, an enormous surprise as they topped the last ridge to look down and see the flurry of activity around Granny's little farmstead. Trucks, wagons, horses, flatbeds with bales and bales of hay.....and a new house rising along side the old one. The thick walls, built of hay and rebar made for a strong, secure home. Wide window ledges would grow medicinal plants and herbs for cooking and the long eaves of the southern exposure would let in the maximum light during the winter months, keeping the house cooler in the summer. Sunburned men were cutting and splitting firewood, while others set stone and cement in place for fireplace mantles and chimneys. A veritable army of women were cooking, weaving and sewing while plumbers made sure that various bathroom and kitchen fixtures worked and electricians strung wire up into the loft area.

Alli's mouth fell open with surprise and she and Max stared at each other dumfounded. She asked, "Did you...." trailing off when he shook his head in negation. The simple fact was that he had no more of a clue what was going on than she did but he suspected the little, silver-haired bantam hen of a woman that seemed to be shouting and stomping her foot in emphasis might have had something to do with the activity.

As they rode into the farm a number of people broke away from the work area to come and greet them, taking the horses and oohing and aahing over the baby in Max's arms. Granny pushed her way into the front, through the taller bodies surrounding her and immediately held out her arms.

"Want see my GREAT gran'daughter!"

Max laughed, handing the baby to her - surprised at how radiantly similar their toothless smiles at each other seemed. His boss laughed, shaking his hand, "I'll be damned. The old woman was right!"

At Max's quizzical look he explained, "She came in to the office the day after ya'll went up country. Said ya needed a bigger house, especially with winter comin' and the baby on the way. I thought maybe...." The older man glanced at Alli but Max shook his head slightly. "Anyways, we been workin' like a house afire since then to get a nice place built for ya'll. Seems yer Granny there thinks maybe yer gonna have a houseful a kids. If they're all as purty as this little gal then yer gonna need a bigger gun too!" He chucked Raven under the chin eliciting chortles of laughter.

Max laughed, "Hopefully not for a year or two, and I'll have all her uncles to help protect her.....whether she wants us to or not I expect."

Max had grabbed his tools and set to work alongside the others, discovering in the process that he had a definite gift and creative flair for decorating an 'adobe-type' home. An old wagon wheel was wired and suspended making a dramatic focal point and 'chandelier' for the Great Room, an ancient horse collar became the frame for the vanity mirror in the small, half bath under the stairs and an old barn door, sanded and varnished became their kitchen table. There were plenty of Native American touches too. Bright splashes of color that were trade blankets sewn into new upholstery covers, or saddle blankets turned into throw pillows and rugs, a huge medicine shield hung above the fireplace and a decorated buffalo skull looked out above their door. And it seemed like the ubiquitous dream catchers were everywhere - in every window and every free hanging space. Alli murmured to him at one point that EVERYONE had given them one as house warming gift but that she suspected eventually a few of them might disappear here and there. One of the prettiest, he thought was a simple one that hung in his home office, made of deer rib and undyed leather and sinew with pheasant feathers to decorate it. It looked, he thought, the way they 'should' look. And in the nursery there was a rainbow colored zoo full of stuffed animals made from saddle blankets, trade blankets and the occasional animal hide. Sturdier and, for the most part, more easily washable than the more typical 'stuffed animals'.

Sturdy, locking gates had been built across Raven's nursery door and across the top of the stairway down from the loft. Granny huffed at the notion but both Max and Alli had insisted and the loft had become their private territory. Granny had a bedroom and full bathroom directly off the kitchen, at nearly the opposite end of the big house, and once she went to bed, Max and Alli were free to play and indulge themselves however they wished. Bear had originally fussed a bit about not being able to sleep upstairs, discovering as he grew that sleeping on the steps was not only uncomfortable but increasingly impossible. However, with no one downstairs to tell him otherwise, he soon found that Max's big easy chair by the fireplace was the prize spot to sleep. After scolding him for it every morning for several weeks Max gave up, sheepishly accepting the falsa blanket that Alli handed him and using it to cover his chair with every night before bed - less for Bear's comfort than to protect himself against the wool like clumps of shed hair that Bear left behind every night.

As colder weather settled in there was significant down-time from his construction work, giving him ample time for home projects. The little things that Alli asked for didn't usually fill up his day either and he and Bear didn't need to hunt often to keep the larder stocked. To avoid boredom and help provide their necessities he turned his hand to building toys and baby furniture. At first using simple, Shaker-style patterns he built a high chair for Raven, a child size rocking chair and some brightly colored wooden building blocks. But then, starting to get bored he also made a small wagon filled with alphabet blocks with a soft braided rope for her to pull it.....once she got big enough to walk at any rate. And small kitchen cabinets for her room for her to play house with. That caused Alli's eyebrow to go up so he also built her a rubber band gun.....knowing that at least one of her 'uncles' had it in mind to teach her to shoot a bow when she got bigger. Small pieces of wood became the head and limbs of a doll and he found ways to attach hands to arms and feet to legs with small interlocking eye bolts. The body had him stumped however until Granny appeared with some of her ubiquitous rabbit skins to trade him - she would finish the body and clothes for the doll if he would make her a board designed just so - this long - this wide at the base, this wide at the top - fan shaped across the top - small holes pierced around the circumference - a good quality board but lightweight and not too thick. Max tried to get her to tell him what she needed it for by suggesting that it would help him choose the board and make what she wanted if she did.....the old woman didn't buy it, cackling with laughter and heading back into the house.

Her old home had become Max and Alli's offices and workrooms - providing them with a warm, sheltered location, close by, where they could work undisturbed and still be together, being at home for meals or whenever Granny or Raven needed them. It also gave them some privacy during the day where they could be alone together. Max continued to 'assist' Alli and suckle her whenever possible - always at least once a day while she was still nursing Raven too. But 'their time' - time when they could be together - uninterrupted and unhurried - was always at night. After dinner when Granny would head off to her room to watch TV and go to bed, and they would put Raven to bed before falling into bed and into each other's arms.

Tonight was no exception. When Alli got done with her shower and entered the big upstairs bedroom, Max was already naked, bent over and carefully feeding more logs into the fireplace. She admired the long line of his back that tapered from his shoulders to his ass. He'd always been fit but now building houses and the long hours of riding and hunting had toned and tightened his muscles. She could literally see the definition in his thighs and glutes.....but even more interesting, at the moment, the way he was bent over, was the way his bag hung. From this angle they looked like lion's balls and she sprawled on the bed, lazily fingering herself.

"You must be warm......and relaxed......" she suggested slyly.