2. Taru's First Trading Experience

         Taru slipped quietly through the forest.  She had risen before the sun when the air was crisp and cold to wander the wilderness and check her snares.  Ever since her stepfather had been killed by starving wolves the winter before the budding young woman had spent every waking moment hunting and gathering food, cutting firewood, fishing and otherwise preparing for the coming winter.

         Old Jussa had shared his knowledge and skills with his foundling child ever since she could talk.  Taru could move as silently through the forest as a lynx, could follow tracks as well as a wolf and had the endurance to run down a reindeer and slit its throat as it ran.  She knew the ways of beaver and elk and knew where to place her traps for rabbit, fox, mink and ermine.  The old trapper hadn't taught her much about the ways of people, but for the most part she was happy to wander the wilderness on her own so she didn't mind.  She could make warm clothes for herself from fur and leather but had never learned to wear a dress or care for children and was happy with her life.  She missed the old man's company but didn't know what else a man was for.

         The half-wild girl had recently found an ermine den whose residents had already turned winter-white and she had set out snares in hopes of some valuable furs.  She was thrilled to find four of the tiny predators in her snares when she arrived.  After resetting the traps for one more try she moved on to check her snares around the vast rabbit warren in another part of the forest.

         Along the way she passed through a wide belt of sparce-growing pines that contained a treasure trove of edible mushrooms and late-season blueberries that she couldn't resist.  She gathered as much of the delicious bounty as she could fit in her gathering basket and continued on her way with a blueberry smile and purple fingers.

         The rabbit warrens yielded seven fat bunnies, one of which she killed as it ran with a well-thrown rock, and a lovely fox that had been hunting for its own meal.  Taru noticed a beaver dam on her way home and managed to run down a pair of the fat rodents before they made it to the safety of the water's edge.

         The young girl was nearly staggering under the weight of her pack by the time she returned home but despite her weariness she still had plenty of work to do.  Leaving the ermines and fox for later she quickly skinned the two beavers, putting some of the meat to roast by the fire and hanging the rest up to smoke in her sauna.  the rabbits easily slipped their skins, then one hopped into the pot with some other goodies for a hearty stew later and the rest joined the smoking beavers hanging out in the sauna.

         Taru skinned the rest of the pelts and carried the pile of fur to the stream nearby where she cleaned and prepared them.  Once they were ready she left the soft furs tanning in the dying light and strung up the mushrooms to dry by the hearth.  The blueberries she spread in shallow cattail reed trays to dry for winter.  Finally, with all of her chores done for the day she was able to relax by the hearthfire and enjoy some delicious roast beaver and a cup of birch leaf tea.



         The next day was dedicated to tasks around the house.  There was a pile of wood behind the house waiting to be turned into firewood to start with.  Once the sun was shining brightly through the trees Taru moved to the birch grove nearby to peel some birchbark and sat in the sun on her favorite boulder making new baskets for gathering and food storage.  The fishing nets were next on the to-do list.  Before moving on to the next task she paddled out on the lake to place the repaired nets and mark their positions.  At mid-day she stopped to enjoy some rich stew and a refreshing cup of pine needle tea, then spent the afternoon felling trees and chopping them into firewood.

         That evening Taru sat by the crackling fire weaving cattail reeds into drying trays and making new snares from her supply of cord that she kept in a basket by her chair.  The wind wailed in the night and off in the distance a pack of wolves howled eerily at the autumn moon.  As used as the youngster was to being on her own she was only fifteen and it was a night for company and talk.  Taru wished there was someone she could share the evenings with.  It was easy enough to stay busy during the day when there was always a dozen or more tasks waiting to get done.  The evenings were much harder when she sat at home alone and passed the hours 'till bedtime.  With a sigh the girl set aside the last of the day's work and crawled into her cold, empty bed.  She lay there long into the night watching the embers slowly wink out before she finally fell asleep.



         A few days later Taru packed up her best furs and enough supplies to last a few days and set out in the general direction of the nearest village.  She didn't have much hope of finding much in the tiny hamlet but she felt strangely restless and there were a few things she needed to acquire before the winter snows began.  Her old handaxe was getting too battered and worn to use and she needed a new cooking pot before the old one wore through.

         Near evening Taru was thinking about making camp when she caught the scent of roasting meat on the wind.  She followed her nose cautiously forward until she could see the camp through a screen of trees.  It was a group of men in strange clothes she saw, laughing and talking in a language she couldn't understand and passing around skins of drink.  Foreign traders! she thought to herself excitedly.  Better than the village for finding the things she needed and the traders loved furs.  Taru had never dealt with the wandering traders herself but Jussa had told her that they always had fine trade goods.  Taking a deep breath for courage the girl stepped out into the light.

         The rough-dressed men around the fire stopped laughing at once and jumped up with weapons drawn to surround the stranger who had stepped out of the night into their camp.  They saw the close-fitting leather leggings and tunic of a woodsman, but when they looked closer they realized that it was a woman-child that had wandered into their midst.  They burst out laughing again and nudged and winked at one enother as they put away their weapons, making crude jokes in their own tongue.  One of the scruffy men stepped forward and shouted the rest into some semblance of quiet.  He appraised the slip of a girl standing fearlessly before him.  The top of her wild-haired red head didn't quite reach his beefy shoulder.  Her clothing, while well-made, was stained by moss and dirt and smudges of what looked like blood.  The tight-fitting tunic was slit and laced in the front, showing off a delicious curve of breast and the snug leggings accentuated the curve of hip and length of slim leg before disappearing into laced leather footwear.  Her young face was a bit thin for his tastes but pretty and the look in her eye was intelligent and patient (though innocent, he thought) as she waited for him to speak.

         He tapped his burly chest "I am called Henrik" he growled in the local tongue.  "We are traders looking for fine furs."  One of the drunken men behind him shouted "Show us your beaver pelt!" and the men around him roared with laughter.

         Taru didn't understand the joke.  "My name is Taru" she introduced herself politely when they had quieted again.  "I hunt all the animals of the Forest and I have many fine furs.  I do have some beautiful beaver pelts in my pack if that's what you're after."  This statement brought on another roar of laughter and crude remarks.

         Henrik waved his hand again for quiet, his own shoulders shaking with mirth.  "You have spirit, Little Huntress.  Come share our fire and our food and we will inspect each others' trade goods."  the entire band howled in mirth.

         Taru bowed formally to the trademaster "I thank you gentlemen for your generous hospitality.  I would be happy to share your campfire."  The young girl swung her pack from her shoulder and the big men fell over each other trying to make room for her by the fire.  They offered her juicy tidbits of tender roast meat and filled her cup many times from the skins they passed around.  She had never tasted fermented drink before but the taste was pleasant and soon her cheeks were rosily flushed.

         The young trapper unrolled the furs from her pack for the men to see and they all exclaimed over the fine quality and softness.  Taru had no use for the metal clothes and weapons they showed her, but settled happily on a finely-crafted axe, a sturdy pot just the right size and a shovel they talked her into.  Then they brought out the small trinkets like silver jewelry, beads and seashells and her eyes lit up.

         When the trading was settled the men built up the campfire and passed around more drink.  The four or five men still awake began peeling off their clothes as the fire and the drink warmed them.  Taru's face was flushed, her eyes shining as she saw bare man-skin for the first time.  She didn't understand why the sight of bare skin made her tingly but she liked it.

         Henrik sat beside her with his strong arm around her waist, steadily plying her with drink.  "Come, Little Huntress, you look hot and sweaty.  Wouldn't you feel more comfortable without all those clothes on?"  he ran a finger along the opening of her tunic,  caressing her firm breasts.  Her breath caught in her throat and her skin felt on fire where he touched her.  Unable to answer she could only nod in agreement.

         Eager hands helped her part company with her clothes before gently laying her on a soft bearskin that caressed and tickled her bare skin enticingly.  Henrik began to kiss her and nibble on her earlobes and neck.  She giggled drunkenly when someone becan sucking and nibbling on her toes.  Henrik continued to kiss her full lips as hands fondled her lush breasts and she gasped when first one mouth, then two began to suckle at her sensitive nipples.  The mouth furthest down trailed up her ankle and kissed up to her thigh, then firm hands parted her long legs wide and a warm body nestled between them as the mouth continued its journey higher.  A moan escaped her throat as the hot tongue tasted her boldly and explored her moist folds greedily.  Taru felt waves of incredible pleasure as a finger joined the mouth exploring her, then slid into her maiden chamber and was joined by a second finger massaging her inside.

         When she was making too much noise to kiss Henrik rose to his knees nude beside her and silenced her panting cries by replacing his tongue in her mouth with his much larger cock.  He began to move his hips slowly until her lips wrapped tightly around him and her began to pump more vigorously.  Her squirming dislodged the man between her legs, who raised up on his forearms and buried his own thick member in her flesh with one forceful thrust to the hilt.  The girl screamed around the meaty cock in her throat but her body was so far gone to pleasure that the quick pain was gone and forgotten in an instant.  Within moments of heaving bodies and pawing hands on her intimates she screamed for the first time in pleasure as her body rocked with orgasm.  The men penetrating her followed quickly, nearly choking her as the thick liquid shot down her throat.

         The lust-crazed men barely stopped to let her breathe and wash her mouth with the strong drink before trading places and using her again and again.  Sometimes they pleasured her, other times they only used her for their own pleasure.  One by one they fell away as their stamina gave out and they crawled into their own sleeping furs.  The light of morning began to grace the sky as Henrik, who had carried the girl to his own furs finally succumbed to exhasted sleep still buried in her tight body.

         After a late breakfast Henrik taught her the pleasures of making love by light of day.  Patiently he showed her what to do and where to touch to pleasure a man, how to take him into her mouth and throat without choking or losing breath.  When he was satisfied with her skills the big man rewarded her by taking her wildly from behind while bringing her to orgasm with his hand as the rest of the men cheered.

         The men quickly packed up their belongings and broke up camp.  They said goodbye to the young nymphet with trinkets and sloppy kisses.  Henrik gifted her with a silver necklace and a fine hunting knife.  He brushed some of the wild hair out of her eyes "Cold weather is coming and we go now to our winter homes, Little Huntress.  We will return again this way when the leaves begin to open on the birch trees."

         Taru gave the trademaster a wobbly smile.  "I'll be waiting with a pile of winter furs.  You'd better bring something special if you want more beaver."  The group laughed loudly at the joke as they moved off through the trees.

         "I have learned much from this trading trip" the young woman smiled crookedly "but perhaps next time I could trade with one man at a time?"  They shared a laugh before the big man moved off after his companions.

         Taru hefted her pack and shuffled off towards home herself, smiling and limping slightly.