She lifted the furs off her, allowing him a full view of her curves and peaks. She wore nothing save for a lily in her hair. “You have all day to sleep. Come to me.”
Lord of the Caves Part 20
Oh-see-rah dove under the furs and snuggled with Ee-shee-nah. The cave was utterly silent, so everyone was asleep save for a picket at the cave’s mouth, but he would be watching and listening for danger. Oh-see-rah could relax and enjoy.
“I have never made love to a High Priestess,” he whispered.
She giggled. “And I have never been with the Lord of the Caves.”
They made love and cuddled together.
He and Ee-shee-nah remained intertwined. He grinned since he never expected to live let alone be home with his love. Slumber found him.
Someone shook his arm. “You better wake up.” Ee-shee-nah’s voice.
He swallowed his sigh and opened his eyes. It was likely still light outside.
Hah-nah-pah was standing beside them. “Sorry to bother you. We have visitors.”
Oh-see-rah forced a smile. “Do they have problems?”
Hah-nah-pah shrugged. “They’re out in broad daylight. I would think so.”
Oh-see-rah climbed out of his furs and pulled them over Ee-see-nah. “Tell them to come in.”
Hah-nah-pah left and ushered in a young woman and two small boys. He backed off.
Oh-see-rah smiled. “May I help you?”
The woman was tall, her boys small. Oh-see-rah squinted. The smallest boy had faint hairs on his face and legs. Wee Folk? Here? Oh-see-rah wished he could’ve slept all day.
“I am Oo-tah-nah,” she replied. She patted the tallest boy. This is my son. The little one is my mate.”
“I’m Wee Folk,” the smallest one said in a shrill voice. “My name is Lol-non.”
Oh-see-rah nodded. He was familiar with them. They dwelt at the opposite end of the dell from where the horses lived.
She picked up Lol-Non and held him on her hip like a small child. “We live with the Wee Folk. This morning, a Terrible Thunderer ate his older brother.”
“Please help us?” Lol-non asked.
“Did this Terrible Thunderer have a bad eye?”
Lol-non and Oo-tah-nah looked at each other.
“How did you know that?” Lol-non squeaked.
She slapped her hand over his mouth. “Forgive the outburst, Lord of the Caves. He is upset.”
Lol-non’s little eyes got big. “Lord of the Caves? Please forgive me.”
Oh-see-rah tussled his hair. “You’ve had a bad day.” Then he motioned with his hand for Hah-nah-pah and Oh-koh-rah to join them. He told them what had happened.
“Let’s go kill the beast,” Hah-nah-pah said.
“Shall I tell the other men?” asked Oh-koh-rah.
Oh-see-rah shook his head. “Just the three of us. Oo-tah-nah can guide us.”
“Me, too.” Lol-non raised his hand.
Oh-see-rah laughed. “You would slow us down. And you’re too tiny to fight anything larger than a rabbit.”
Lol-non shook his head. “I’m not staying here.”
Oo-tah-nah squeezed his cheeks. “When I get back, I will punish you.”
Lol-non hung his head.
“I’ll take care of him.” Ee-shee-nah took him and held him on her hip. “I shall keep him too busy to mouth off.”
Taking plenty of throwing spears, the three men quickly followed Oo-tah-nah out of the cave. Oh-see-rah hated hiking in the daylight, but the monster had to be stopped. She led them without wavering, so she knew the Dell well. Why she would choose a mate not much taller than a baby was a mystery, but Oh-see-rah didn’t need to know why. He would rather sleep.
She kept a stiff pace, and they quickly made it to the land of the Wee Folk. It didn’t look different from home. He didn’t see any Wee Folk about, but they no doubt were asleep.
They tromped through waist-high grass taller than the Wee Folk. Perhaps they had hid in it. “Hold up.”
Oo-tah-nah halted and faced him. “Are you tired? We’re almost there.”
Oh-see-rah couldn’t help but grin. “I’m worried about an ambush in tall grass.”
“The Wee Folk are now my folks. And the Terrible Thunderers are too big.”
“Let’s go slow.” He scanned this sea of grass with an occasional oak or buckeye providing shade but found nothing.
She continued for a short distance. Stopping, she pointed to her right. “We dwell in that hollow.”
Though it appeared to be a giant sinkhole, he nodded. It was likely the safest home for these tiny folks.
She entered hollow through a flat gap flanked by solid rock.
Oh-see-rah would’ve appreciated a welcome from them. “Where are they?”
Hah-nah-pah chuckled. “If I was that tiny, I’d be huddling in my burrow.”
Oo-tah-nah huffed and turned around to face them. “Like everyone else, we dwell in caves.”
The three men caught up with her and stood under an immense pine.
“I still don’t like it.” Oh-see-rah scanned the grassy open area but saw nothing.
Hearing noise above him, he gazed straight up.
A huge net plunged toward them.
TO BE CONTINUED Copyright 2021 Charles Suddeth
C. T. Suddeth 
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