Copyright © 2001
Kree8Tion

by Kree

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Days passed slowly and together Maggie and Michael built a home. Michael had
already cut into the wilderness but as a team, they forged their place in
the world. Nothing was wasted. Everything was shared. Often they would sit
outside on the bench Michael had made and watch the sun set. Side by side
they would sit and talk. They would talk of past accomplishments and future
dreams. They fit so well as a team that nothing seemed impossible.

Maggie would often question Michael about what was beyond their land.
Michael couldn't seem to emphasize the dangers enough. Again and again he
would tell Maggie

"Darlin, don't ever go beyond our boundaries. It's not friendly out there
and the Indians have been cheated too many times by the army to trust any
white man. I'd lose you for certain if they got their hands on you."
Maggie would nod and stare at the horizon.

On one particular morning, Michael announced he was heading into town.
Maggie begged him to take her with him. She'd been working for months with
only the cabin walls to look at and she wanted a change in scenery. Michael
said not this time. The Indians were rampaging and he felt safer with her on
his land. He wasn't worried about them approaching his land. He'd made his
own private peace and made friends. But they would have to pass through
hostile territory now to get into Dalta. He knew the Indians would honor his
boundaries but he also knew that to travel outside of them meant total loss
of that protection.

Maggie only stared at him. She tried her best not to pout. But she'd been
working just as hard as Michael and needed a change of scenery. Michael
watched her face and smiled whenever he turned his head away from her. When
he was finally ready, he turned, kissed her softly and promised her a
wonderful surprise when he returned home. Waving as he moved down the dirt
path, Michael considered turning back to get Maggie but shook his head,
knowing she was safer where she was.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Michael's figure became too small to see, Maggie turned and entered the
home. She no longer referred to it as the shack but the home was the best
she could do. She had her plans for today. It was Thursday. Laundry. One
chore she detested above and beyond the others. She was so happy with
Michael that she did her best not only to complete her chores properly but
to find ways of making them not so boring and tedious. She was so successful
with most, but laundry was laundry!

Carrying the basket down to the river, Maggie sat on the rock and just
listened. This was her favorite place on all the land and it always took her
breath away. The leaves were already beginning to change color but today the
air was still warm with a promise of stalling the winter snows for yet a bit
longer.

Maggie was just about to bend to pick up a piece of clothing when she could
have sworn she spotted movement in the brush on the other side of the river.
Pretending she hadn't noticed, she grabbed an item and began to wash,
sneaking peeks and listening. There! There it was again. A man! She could
tell by the broad naked shoulders and Maggie felt rather than heard her own
intake of breath. Frozen where she sat, she watched as another shape took
form in the darkness under the trees. Michael had explained about Indians
but these were the first Maggie had ever seen. She sat amazed at the sight
they allowed her to see.

The two men stood in glory, their loincloths barely masking their gender. A
woman softly moved to stand between them, her deerskin dress covered with
beads and feathers, as if she carried an entire story. Maggie stared at the
trio and they stared back. She recognized the feathers in the men's headwear
as those of Michael's friends. She waved but instead of waving back, they
turned and without a word, were gone.

"Well! Not even a by your leave!" Maggie tried to concentrate on her task
but the sight of those Indians played with her mind. Her curiosity grew and
soon she found herself, rising and following the path near the river. She
kept peeking at the other side for some sign of where they had gone but she
could see none. It took her a while but finally, Maggie reached a place
where she could cross the river and carefully stepped her way. She stared
deep into the woods before deciding that since she'd come this far, she may
as well keep looking. She was determined to make friends with Michaels
friends and once she decided her mission, she felt compelled to follow it
through.

Maggie walked for so long, she almost came close to giving up her idea of
meeting Michaels friends. She sat on a tree stump to rest her feet and
looked around her. None of this area looked familiar but Maggie was sure she
was still on their land. She and Michael had ridden, side by side, exploring
the land and both became familiar with the markers showing invisible
boundary lines.

Maggie tried to scream when she felt the hand cover her mouth, but all sound
was muffled by the dark hand. She watched silently while an Indian moved in
front of her, grabbed her wrists and tied a rope around them before she even
knew what was happening. She felt a cloth wrapped around her mouth and tied
securely behind her head. She stared in fear, noticing the feathers in the
headband of the Indian in front of her. Michael had explained time and again
the different feathers marking different tribes. These Indians were no
friends of Michael's! Fear gripped her stomach. Michael wouldn't be home
until long after sunset and he had no idea where she'd gone. Tears filled
her eyes at the realization she'd never see her husband again. Stupid! What
a stupid idea to follow those Indians. What would happen now?
Maggie's only answer was to be lifted off her feet and placed on a horse in
front of one of the braves. Just before they rode off with their new
prisoner, Maggie turned to the right and could have sworn she got a glimpse
of one of the men she'd seen near the home. She shook her head. Wishful
thinking. Maggie's tears fell silently and inside her heart broke.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Maggie slumped against the skin of the teepee. They'd dumped her inside and
hadn't been back since. She cried listening to the noises outside. Once, she
attempted to crawl through the entrance but an Indian stood guard and
mumbled and motioned at her to get inside. She crawled back in and cried
even harder.

The soft noise made her turn her head. The knife blade through the teepee
skin made her start to crawl backwards. The hand sliding through the slit
made her heart pound. The face that followed the hand made her sigh in
relief! Michael!

She crawled towards him and started kissing his face as best she could with
the gag still in her mouth. Michael held her face in his hands and just
stared, the relief on his face just as clear as her own. He kissed her
forehead and motioned with his finger across his lips to keep silent. Maggie
wanted to slap him then. She had a gag in her mouth. Of course she would be
silent! Michael must have read her mind because his face changed from relief
to anger. She felt her shoulders shiver but didn't have a chance to do more
than that when she felt Michael silently pull her from the teepee. He led
her quietly through the forest to where his friends stood waiting, holding
the reins of horses. Michael did not speak but climbed on his horse. Maggie
stood on the ground looking up at him and just as she was about to stamp her
foot, she felt herself lifted off the ground and dumped upside down on the
saddle in front of Michael. She felt the saddle horn digging into her left
side and then felt Michael's hand on her waist pulling her closer to him.
Michael didn't speak a word on the long ride towards the home. When they
reached the boundaries of their land, Michael spoke to his friends in their
language. She tried to remind Michael her hands were still tied and that she
still wore a gag but Michael ignored her. She kicked her legs trying to get
his attention and Michael slapped her bottom as a warning to keep still.
Michael leaned forward and whispered to Maggie.

"Maggie. That gag will stay where it is for a little while longer. In the
meantime, think about what you did. If you say or do the wrong thing now, I
might decide to spank you in front of my friends. They are insisting I use a
switch."

Maggie didn't even want to move after that. Michael's voice spoken in quiet
anger was enough to keep her still. She knew that once they were alone,
Michael would let his thoughts run free and she was in perfect position for
him to act on those thoughts.

When the goodbyes were finished, Michael turned the horse for home. Maggie
lay over the saddle in front of Michael and expected his hand to find her
bottom each time she felt his body move. She unconsciously tightened her
cheeks, waiting for the impact and each time, she relaxed not feeling any.
She knew he was angry and she lay there, almost wishing he would just get it
over with. Following those Indians just to satisfy her curiosity had left
her in danger. She knew whatever happened now, she deserved it but the
waiting was agony.

Michael's silence was beginning to unnerve Maggie. She lay there expecting
any minute that Michael would make good on his promise that if he ever had
to spank her again, it would be without her petticoats covering her. She
waited and squirmed, the saddle digging into her stomach. She waited and
worried. She waited and almost wanted to scream at him to do it now. Michael
didn't move. He just rode home in silence.

Finally arriving home, Michael stopped the horse near the front door. He
climbed down then slid Maggie off the saddle. He looked in her eyes and
Maggie waited for something to happen then. Michael surprised her by
removing her gag then untying her hands. She wrapped her arms around his
neck and hugged him tight. She had been so sure she'd never see him again.
"I'm sorry Michael. I was so afraid. I'm so glad you came for me. I'm sorry
Michael. I thought I'd never see you again. I'll never leave home like that
again. I'm ssssssssssssssooooooooooorrrrrrryyy" The last word began her
crying. She sobbed and sobbed, her head resting on Michael's chest. Michael
held her and let her cry.

"I know Darlin. I know. Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. I thought I'd never see you again
too. You scared me half to death! Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. I know. You're safe now.
Shhhhhhhhhhh." Michael kissed the top of her head and hugged her tight.
"I'd half a mind to turn ya over my knee all the way home Maggie but I just
want to hold you too. That was a damn fool thing to do and I could have lost
you."

Maggie stiffened at his words. She held him tight knowing she'd feel the
movement if Michael tried to turn her over on the saddle right there. She
knew in her heart, that if he did, she would deserve it. She realized way
too late what a stupid thing she'd done.

"I know (sniff) Michael and I'm sorry." The more they talked, the more
Maggie relaxed.

"I know ya are Darlin'. Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. I still don't know what I'm gonna
do with you, but for now, I'm just gonna hug you close. You're safe now."
Michael held Maggie tight all the way home. He carried her into the shack
and undressed her and carefully tucked her into bed. After placing a kiss on
her forehead, he watched while she fell asleep.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Maggie woke up to sunshine. It must be awfully late! Normally, they were
both wide awake before dawn. She rose, dressed and walked outside to find
Michael sitting on the bench. Maggie stood well away from him, waiting to
see what he'd planned to do. He still hadn't decided whether or not he was
going to spank her and Maggie didn't want to be close enough to find out.
Maggie stared at the ground for a while and when she dared to take a peek at
Michael, he opened his arms wide as if calling her. She ran and sat on his
knees and snuggled into his arms and cried all over again. "I'm sorry
Michael. I didn't know the dangers. I didn't know. I'm sorry."

"Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Darlin. I know y'are sorry. I know. I'm sorry too for
leaving you behind. I should have realized you needed to be away for a
little while too. Shhhhhhhhhhhhh."

"I'm glad you decided not to spank me Michael. I was so afraid you were
going to and you were soooooooooo angry. I was afraid." Maggie hugged
Michael tight to show him she was happy with his decision.

"I haven't decided yet Maggie. I just know that right now, the most
important thing for me is to hold you."

They sat and talked a while longer and Maggie tensed each time Michael made
a movement. But again, Maggie relaxed in his arms when he showed no sign of
turning her upside down. She remembered well the look on his face the last
time he spanked her and as the days past, she watched his face carefully.
They talked often. They talked about the danger Maggie had gotten herself
into. Michael patiently explained the different tribes again, this time,
emphasizing the animosity between the tribes. They talked of the land and
whether or not they believed it would ever be surrounded in peace. They
talked of the ride home that night and how good it felt to know they hadn't
lost each other. Each time they talked, Maggie carefully searched Michael's
face. She felt restless. She still cried just about every time she told
Michael she was sorry. She kept waiting for him to turn her upside but
Michael never did. Day by day, Maggie began to relax and to slowly get back
to life the way it was before her adventure.

They talked of Michael wanting to spank her that night. They talked of
Maggie expecting it that night. Michael explained that it would have helped
him to get over his anger with her and his fear that he thought he'd lost
her forever. Maggie admitted that had he done so that night, she would have
known he'd forgiven her and it would have almost felt like a release and a
finality to the entire nightmare. Michael had smiled then.
"Ahhhh my Maggie. I love you so."

"I love you too Michael. and I'm sorry." That began the flow of tears once
more, but by now, they were silent tears. Maggie felt they were now tears of
joy and not tears of remorse. She knew the signs and she would have known if
Michael intended to spank her. She hugged him then. She hugged him and they
talked on.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

continued in part 3

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