Early the next morning, Savage was out in her garden picking the last of the peppers, tomatoes, squash and cucumbers. Belle stood at the corner of the garden chewing on the cornstalks that were piled there while Scoops tried to steal tomatoes from the basket behind Savage.
"Scoops you're gonna get it; I'll make a nice hat out of you if you don't stop." She reached back, grabbed Scoops tail, and gave it a little yank. "Go in the cabin and get an apple, you don't eat tomatoes." Scoops gave up on the tomatoes, crawled up Savage's back, and lay over her shoulder. Dash raised her camera and shoot frame after frame of Savage with her animals. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of Jed playing with a red fox pup. They took turns pulling on each other's tails and rolling on the ground. Sharp yipping noises came from them both as they chased each other across the garden towards Savage. The fox shot under her outstretched arms while Jed jumped over both her and Scoops. Having had enough fun, Scoops climbed down and waddled towards her, she went into the kitchen and started searching the pantry for the hidden apples. Dash followed her every movement until she found the apples hidden inside a basket near the compact washer and dryer. She took pictures of Scoop hanging out of the basket and then washing her apple in Jed's water dish.
Dash went back to the door but only Belle was in the garden, she listened and heard two different barks coming from where she thought the river was. Hobbling in that direction, she came upon Savage playing tug of war with Jed. A piece of leather stretched between them that she realized was Savage's breechcloth. Her hip length hair swung around her body with her efforts to get her breechcloth, giving up, she let go and laughed when Jed rolled backwards into the grass. He got up and shook the leather around before trotting towards the river with it. Savage ran after him, dove into the water, and started to swim to the center with Jed right behind her. The entire game was caught forever on film; Dash changed out the rolls and went closer to the river. Her breath caught in her chest when Savage came up out of the water, the sun hitting the droplets made her tanned skin glow like fire. Dash could barely hold her camera steady to shot her pictures, her entire body trembled from the sight before her. Then she was gone. Dash searched the waters surface for Savage and only seen Jed. Far off to the left side, she saw her re-surface near a log sticking up at an angle from the water. She pulled herself upward and lay back to let the sun warm her body.
Dash switched lenses and zoomed in on Savage, her mouth went dry and her heart picked up. It was like looking at a Greek Goddess, the way her hair trailed down her side to float upon the water. The sun caressing her body with its fingertips. When she turned her head, Dash swore she was looking right at her. Every nerve ending in her body came alive when those pale eyes looked into her soul by way of the camera lens. Jed shaking the water from his fur broke her from the stare; she looked down at his white eyes and grinned. "I have no idea why I feel this way but you are one lucky wolf, you get to be with her forever." She hobbled back towards the cabin on weak legs and her heart tapping a staccato against her ribs.
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The late afternoon was spent sitting on the riverbank fishing for catfish, Dash gave Savage the evil eye when she held out a fat night crawler and told her she had to bait her hook.
"Uuhh ahhh, nope can't do it." She shook her head and leaned back as far as she could away from the worm.
"Dash it's only a worm, it won't bite you."
She shuddered and shook her head. "It's slimy and I'll get worm guts all over my fingers."
"Girls." Savage mumbled and then jumped when a cane found her ass.
Savage thought the sky was falling when Dash got her first bite; she pulled so hard on the fishing pole that the rig came flying back at them. Savage hit the ground and Jed ran back to the cabin. Dash looked around her searching for her fish and became confused when she saw Savage hugging the ground.
"What are you doing down there?"
"Oohh I just thought it would feel good to bury my tits in the dirt." She got up, brushed her breasts off and gave Dash a raised eyebrow. Green eyes were locked on her breasts and not wavering at all. "Hello, my tits to Dash." She waved her hand in front of Dash and snorted when green eyes blinked a few times before they moved up to her eyes.
Dash felt her face catch fire, she couldn't believe she had been staring at Savage's breasts and got caught at that. Then again she had never done it before so how could she know how not to get caught. "Sorry I was…"
Savage let her off the so-called hook and retrieved the fishing line from the tree branch. After baiting the hook, she threw it back out into the river and kept an eye on Dash. She didn't know how many more times her breasts could be smashed into the dirt. Twenty minutes later, Savage's eyes shot open when Dash yelled at her.
"I got a bite I got a bite!"
"Just don't yank on it yet." She slipped behind her, wrapped her arms around her and placed her hands over the top of Dash's. "Now when the fish hit's again, I'll show you what to do." They waited patiently and then the bobber went under and Savage gave the rod a sharp tug and felt the fish take off. "OK, now keep tension on the line and reel him in."
When Dash finally got the fish up to the bank, Savage fell backwards on to the ground laughing hysterically. The bluegill was three inches long; the night crawler it had gone after weighed more than it did. Dash pulled on the line until the tiny fish was at her bare feet. "Tori what do I do now?"
"Wait till…it grows…up!" She said between spurts of laughter.
"But Tori…" She looked closely at the tiny thing flopping around on the ground. She used a fingertip and touched its side; it jumped off the hook and all the way to the waters edge with Dash trying to grab it. Savage rolled on to her side and wrapped her arms around her stomach, tears flowed down her cheeks and she started snorting with each breath.
"Hey what are you laughing at?" Dash planted her hands on her hips and stared down at Savage. She advanced on Tori and dropped down to straddle Savage's hips, jabbing her in her ribs made Savage laugh all the harder. "It's not funny!" She jabbed her ribs again, lost her balance and landed on top of Savage. She looked up from where her face was between firm breasts and turned a bright red. At a loss as to what to do, she was saved when Jed came running and jumped on both of them. "EEWW wolf slobber!" Dash yelled and rolled off Savage and wiped her face and the back of her neck. She looked over at Savage and gave her a dirty look. "I can't believe you laughed at my fish, it was huge!" She held her arms out shoulder's width and smirked. "Well it will be in another ten or twenty years." She got to her feet and offered a hand to Savage. "Come on I'm hungry and since I suck at fishing and you didn't help much, I'm going to beg Scoops for food."
The rest of the day they played like two year olds, after they ate, they went to sit by the river and watch the bats swoop down for the water bugs floating on the water. The croaking of bullfrogs and a splash of water were the only sounds besides the beating of two hearts. Dash looked to her left and saw the peaceful look on Savage's face. Her classic profile stood out against the flames of the small fire. Her heart fluttered in her chest when pale blue eyes connected with hers.
"I'm going to miss this." She felt tears fill her eyes and her throat closed on her.
Savage saw her friend start to fall apart; she moved closer to her and pulled her into her arms. Running her fingers through her silky hair, she murmured close to her ear. "You can come back, I'll always be here." They sat by the river until Dash fell asleep in Savage's arms. Being as gentle as she could, she lifted Dash and carried her back to the cabin. Her heart had been breaking all day, but at that moment with Dash's face pressed against her neck and her hand curled against her chest shattered whatever was left. She knew that once Dash went back to Washington, she would never be the same. She chose her life of solitary existence and it never bothered her until Dash appeared. She laid her down in the bed, kissed her forehead and covered her up. Sitting in the chair, she braced her elbows on her knees, rested her chin on her clasped hands and watched Dash sleep.
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Dash woke to Jed licking her fingers and whimpering; she scratched his head and opened her eyes to see Savage sound asleep in the chair. Rolling to her side, she memorized her features and the way the corners of her mouth twitched. She continued to watch until blue eyes fluttered opened.
"Morning Dash." She stretched and yawned before stiffly getting out of the chair. Dash watched her as she headed to the bathroom and sighed. This would be the hardest thing she ever did in her life, leaving Savage's haven.
After packing her clothes in her backpack, Dash went in search of Savage and found her sitting at the rivers bank. Her eyes were trained on a family of beavers collecting brush for their den; each time one of them swam out Savage would watch it.
"You know that they build their dens in such an intricate way that it looks like each branch is woven so that it looks almost like a basket. I've never seen a den torn down by the river or time." She looked to her side when Dash sat down. "It's kind of like how we weave our lives; each memory is woven into the fabric that's our life. They stay with us throughout our years, keeping us company when we become lonely." She took Dash's hand, brought up to her lips and kissed her knuckles. "I will always remember this time." She turned when she heard Tommie yell their names, wiping a tear from Dash's face; she stood up and pulled her to her feet. "Guess it's that time." All Dash could do was nod her head and wipe away her tears.
Tommie watched as they walked hand in hand towards him, he had never seen his sister looking so lost. Not even when their parents died had she looked like she did now, his heart went out to her.
He cleared his throat and spoke softly. "I have my truck up in the pasture, so when you're ready Dash."
Dash let go of Savage's hand and limped into the cabin for her backpack, once through the door, she stopped, sat down on the bed and took once last glance around her.
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"You alright Savage?" Tommie whispered to her and touched her forearm.
"Yeah, I'm alright. Will ya tell grandma I need more books to read?"
"Sure, I tell her, can't believe you read those six I brought already."
"I haven't but with Dash gone I'll have nothing to do but read." They saw a tearful Dash limp from the cabin and give them a watery smile. When she spoke, it was rough and uncontrolled.
"I'm all set Tommie." She stopped in front of Savage and then moved closer to hug her. "Thank you for everything."
"My Pleasure Dash, you take care of yourself and see a doctor when you get back to Washington." She pulled away from her, squeezed Tommie's shoulder and walked towards where Jed was sitting by the cabin. "Go on boy lead them out, you know how Tommie is." She rubbed his head and watched him trot off. She waved to her brother and Dash before she went into her cabin. Tommie took Dash's backpack and held out his hand to her.
"It's not too far to my truck; we should be back at grandma's in about fifteen minutes."
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Savage sat down on her bed and looked around, her cabin felt empty to her. "You're insane Savage, you've lived alone most of your life." She looked to the wall near the nightstand and saw the dragonhead cane leaning there. Taking it in her large hand, she ran her fingers over the head and swore she could still feel the warmth of Dash's hand. Gripping it in her hand, she left her cabin at a full sprint towards the path that would take her up to the pasture.
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Tommie had just opened the passenger side door for Dash when he heard Jed bark and run off towards the trees. He squinted and then saw his sister running towards them. "Hey Dash I'm going to put your backpack in the back." He nodded his head to where Savage stood at the edge of the tree line a few yards away. "You know she never comes up this far." Green eyes looked to him and then to Savage, it took her two seconds to start limping towards Savage. They meet halfway and just stood there staring at each other in an awkward moment.
"I carved this for you." Savage held out the cane to her and then pulled her into a tight hug; she buried her face against Dash's neck and felt tears fill her eyes. Dash held onto her neck and fought not to break down. When she pulled back, she laced her fingers in dark hair and pulled Savage closer to her. "I'll come back and see you, I promise." She pulled Savage down and placed a soft kiss on her lips then walked to Tommie's truck sobbing softly. When she got into the truck, Savage was gone but the twisted trees waved to her as the truck pulled away.
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Savage dropped to her knees just inside the trees and sobbed into Jed's thick fur. She sat there until she had no more tears to cry. Without looking back, she went back down the incline to sit beside the riverbank and stare out across the river.
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A tear stained Dash got out of Tommie's truck and was enveloped in grandma's arms, her sobs tore at both grandma's and Tommie's heart. While Tommie retrieved her backpack, grandma took her into the house. Taking the sobbing Dash into the living room, she sat them down on the couch and let Dash cry into her shoulder. Long minutes went by until Dash had calmed down enough to let go of grandma, she wiped her eyes and nose on the offered Kleenex and sniffled.
"You know you can come back any time you want, Tori hasn't left her little world in the last fifteen years."
"She never leaves, not even to come up here?"
"Nope, she says her life is down there. Your boyfriend called about an hour ago, he said he was about an hour away and would be here soon." She didn't get the response she thought she would with the news. Dash just shrugged her shoulders and nodded. "I put some tea on, you want some?"
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John pulled his BMW 600SL into a parking spot and looked around the small town with its ancient homes. Brushing invisible lint from the pleats in his trousers, he fixed his tie and walked up towards the front door of Hazel's bed & breakfast. He reached for the bell on the door, thought better of it and used the tip of his LeBlanc pen. He waited and primped his hair and buffed his spotless nails until Hazel opened the door to him.
"Can I help you?" She so wanted to wipe the flour from her hands on him for some strange reason. Made her wonder where Tommie and Savage got some of their hygiene habits.
"My name is John W. Hartwin; I am looking for my girlfriend Dash Monroe."
"Ohh, come on in she's in the kitchen." She held the door open for him and sneezed the second he went past her. "Sorry hay fever season." She used her apron and wiped her runny eyes and nose. "This way." She held out a hand and pointed to the kitchen door. "She's having…" She sneezed every time she got close to him. By the time she made it into the kitchen, her eyes were watering and her nose was sore. "Weirdest thing Dash…" John walked around her and sent her into a sneezing fit. She gave up and left the kitchen.
With one look at Dash, he grimaced and planted a plastic smile on his face. "Dash you look so different." He took in the whole picture and sat down as far away as possible. "Did you have a car accident, I told you to get rid of that truck and buy a German made car. He leaned across and saw the sutures above her eyebrow. "That's going to be a terrible scar; you need to see a plastic surgeon." Dash just sat there with her mouth hanging open in total shock. "I can not believe the doctor sutured your face with black thread." He placed his hands on the table, saw the dusting of flour covering the surface and then placed them in his lap.
She ran a hand down her face and hoped that when she uncovered her eyes he would be gone. Grandma walked into the kitchen, crossed behind John and started sneezing again. "For the love of Gods!" She left the room again and decided to sit on the couch.
"John, I was attacked by four crazy asshole men while taking pictures, they tried to rape and kill me and all you care about is the color of the sutures?"
"That's what happens when you come to a place like this." He held his hands out. "These people are uncivilized, not like our friends in Washington DC. They have morals and are upstanding citizens who work."
"And just what are you insinuating?" She stood up from her chair and paced. "The person who saved my life may not have a job, live in a cabin and not have a penny to her name but she took care of me. Which is more than you can say!" She pointed a finger at him and saw that he wasn't paying any attention to what she was saying but was looking at her injured thigh.
"As soon as we get back, I'm taking you to my plastic surgeon. He's the best doctor around and is very discreet about his patients."
"Will you just shut the Hell up and listen to me? You walked in here, took one look at my busted up face and the first word out of your mouth has to do with a status symbol car. Did you even give me a hug or a handshake? NO!"
He sat there with eyes wide and unable to say a word. "I didn't want to touch you and cause you pain, plus I just bought this silk tie and you have flour all over that ugly T-shirt." He scrunched up his nose when he saw that it was three sizes to large for her small frame.
"I like this shirt!" She tugged on the front of it. "It's Tori's and it hasn't been washed in two days and I may never wash it because it smells like her!" She stepped closer to him and grabbed his silk tie so hard that she knew it would have permanent wrinkles. "And further more, she doesn't shave her legs, wear clothes, lives with animals, bathes in a creek and smells a Hell of a lot better than that fucking bug spray cologne you wear!" She wiped at her watering eyes and nose. "That shit may cost two hundred dollars an ounce but OFF Bug spray is only two bucks and kills bugs just the same!" She grabbed her cane, jabbed him in the chest leaving behind a round dirty spot. "I'm leaving and I don't want to see you anywhere near my apartment EVER!"
"But Dash I moved all of you clothes to my apartment!" He went after her and gave grandma a look of disdain when she wiped her nose on her apron. "I had Goodwill take all of your furniture."
She turned on him with fire dancing in her green eyes. "You did WHAT? What in the Hell were you thinking! I would never live with a shallow mother fucker like you!" She went up the stairs and slammed the door to her room. John followed behind taking in the worn boards of the steps and the old style door handles. He stopped out side of the door and knocked.
"Dash does this mean we're breaking up, I all ready told everyone we know that we are getting married." The door was flung open to reveal Satan's spawn, Dash's hair stood out at all angles from her angry finger's pulling on it, she swung her backpack over her shoulder and raised the cane at chest level.
"Move before I beat you to death you shallow, self serving, egotistical, chauvinistic, PRICK!" She jabbed at him with her cane until he back up and away from her.
"Does this mean that we won't be having sex?"
Dash let out a roar that had grandma covering her ears; she swung her cane, smacked him in his shins and limped down the stairs. Seeing grandma trying not to laugh, she went over to her and gave her a hug.
"Send a message to Tori that I'll have her pictures in a few days. I'll send them here so you can give them to her." She kissed grandma's cheek and limped out the door. She stopped and gave grandma a small smile. "Thank you for everything."
John faltered for a few seconds on the stairs; he heard the front door close and then just sniffling. He walked down the stairs and looked around the room to see grandma wiping her eyes.
"Where did Dash go?" He asked while still looking around the room.
"Get a clue bug boy, she left you."
"She left, how could she just leave without us discussing our future." He took a seat across from grandma and straightened the pleats in his trousers before crossing his knees.
Grandma thought he looked like a flaming drag queen but didn't mention it; she just sat there and observed his hideous primping habits. "Wanna buy a clue bug boy; you have no future with Dash because you're a shallow asshole who isn't worried about how she feels but what the exterior Dash looks like to your money hungry friends."
He just stared unblinkingly at her with a plastic look on his face. "We have been dating for four years, I had our wedding and everything planed out, including the weekend honeymoon in New Jersey."
"I got the impression that she had no idea what's so ever that you two were engaged let alone getting married."
"I even talked to her boss about her quitting at the end of the next week." He fixed his gelled, earthquake; typhoon and volcanic eruption- couldn't-move-a-strand hair and gave grandma a raised perfectly plucked eyebrow
Grandma gave him the famous Edwards look. "How big of you."
"I'm the man and I make all the decisions, Dash would have no need to work. Her job would be to stay home and entertain my work associates. I was just promoted to a full partnership in my brokerage firm, I am an important person."
"Good, that means you can impress the plastic people you know with the new Barbi doll you'll find at the preppy bar you go to. 'Cuz bug boy, Dash is too good for you and I'm glad she found that out before it was too late." Grandma waved a hand at him. "Go on now; I heard on the TV that the DOW is dropping thousands of points a minute." She laughed at the pale shade that washed over his face; he jumped from the chair and ran out the door. "And don't come back now ya stupid asshole! Us uncivilized, jobless and un-moral heathens like being this way, it's my right!" She grabbed her favorite straw hat with the foam deer antlers sticking up from the top and went to visit Tommie at his office.
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When she retold the conversations she had overheard, Tommie was rolling on the floor with tears in his eyes. He knew that Dash had some fire in her but never thought she would do something like that. When he gained some composure, he looked into his grandma's pale blue eyes.
"Do I have a chance with her?"
"Gods Tommie, if I could get away with tossing you over the bridge I would." She tossed paper clips at him and then started shooting rubber bands until he hid under his desk. You big idiot, you seen how she was when she left Savage, do you think that happens everyday?"
"I just thought it was that woman thing, ya know…like what they have in movies."
"Tommie stick to Rambo and Blade, did you ever pay attention to what Savage talked about. The mystics, the soul mate theory she believes in, reincarnation. Ever read any of her books she wrote about the ancient female Amazon warriors of Greece?"
"Hell I thought it was all fantasy stuff, mushy girlie dreams." He shrugged his shoulders at her. "She may be my sister but I still think she's weird."
"Thomas Eugene Edwards, when we get home I want you to go in her old room and take a good look around you and then you will read her last book or I'll chase you all over this town with my car."
He slouched down behind his desk; with a sheepish look, he nodded his head. "Yes ma'am, I'll do that. What's for supper?"
She threw her hands in the air and left his office mumbling about if she hadn't delivered him herself she would swear he was switched at birth.
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Dash drove straight her office building, took the elevator up to the third floor and limped to her office. The second she walked in, she saw the boxes sitting in a corner with all her personal things packed in them. Dropping her backpack on her now clear desk, she went towards her boss' office. The second she walked in, he jumped up from behind his desk.
"Dash I thought you quit?" His eyes widened at her battered face. "What happened to you?"
"I did what? When did I do this?" She leaned against the front of his desk and tapped her cane on the floor. "This is what happens when you take on four poachers. Think I can be a Playboy pin-up?"
"Uuhhmm…are you OK?"
"I am now, thanks."
"I'm sorry Dash." The look on his face was sincere and caring. "John came and saw me on Thursday and said that you were quitting after your vacation. I had your stuff packed for you to pick up. Was I wrong in doing that?"
"I'd say! I can't believe he did that, I swear I'm going to tear him apart!" She limped back and forth in front of him. "I'm not quitting but I won't be back until after my vacation. But I will develop the pictures from the shoot and my article for the layout." She stopped at the doorway and turned. "And if that asshole comes by here, tell him I died."
She checked the light outside of the darkroom door before she entered. One of the other journalists was looking at some negatives when she walked in. She nodded at him and then got the items she needed to develop her shots. As she worked, the other Journalist sat quietly and watched her. She was well known for her un-orthodox way of printing pictures, she always trashed more than half of her shots. She never looked at her negatives, she remembered what shot she needed and threw the rest out. So when she started to examine each and every shot, he became engrossed. When the fist picture hit the rinse pan, he pulled it out, his jaw dropped and all his breath came out in a whoosh.
"Oohh my Gods, who is this woman?" He held the print up to the light and had it snatched from his fingers.
"MINE!" She took the picture and gazed at the shot she had taken of Savage laying on the log and felt her heart pick up as it did when she shot the picture. She placed it closer to her and gave him a glare to singe the hair off his body. "Touch another one and I'll beat you to death." She raised her cane and waved it front of him. "Back off!" He raised his hands above his head and sat back down in his seat. When she was finished, she took all her shots and went to the supply room. She searched through the room and found a leather binder, taking it to her office she sat down to work.
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Savage wandered around her cabin, running her fingers across the kitchen table and touching the coffee cup that was still sitting where Dash had left it before she left. It was hard for her to accept that it had been almost two days since Dash had left her little haven. She wanted to send Jed with a note to her grandma to see if Dash was still there or if she had gone back to Washington. She had actually sat down and written the note only to throw it away. She thought that if she knew the truth, the pain she felt in her chest would get worse. She ran a fingertip across the cups edge and then brought that fingertip to her lips. She could still feel the press of their lips and the feelings that erupted in her body. They were feelings that she had wrote down at times when she imagined what it would be like to have the other half of her soul standing by her side. Now, she may never feel it again. She went to her bed, lay down and pulled the pillow that Dash had slept on to her face. She could still smell her soft scent mixed with her own. Tears filled her eyes and slid down her cheeks, she had never cried as a child but was sure making up for it now. Jed came in and jumped up on the bed to snuggle against her side, she knew he felt the loss as she did.
When the night came, she could see the full moon through the window by the bed. She crawled over Jed and slowly walked outside and went down to the rivers bank. Looking towards the bridge, she could just barely make out the dim lights of the houses above. Dropping to her haunches, she threw her head back and howled into the night. She was answered first by Jed and then other dogs in the area, soon the entire population heard the symphony of pain from Savage.
She woke up the next morning curled in a fetal position and cold; she had lay down and cried herself to sleep. Now with her body stiff, dirty, hair tangled, she still felt the hollowness in her soul. She barked deeply for Jed and saw him come trotting from the cabin with a clean breechcloth in his mouth. He shook it and then ran towards the stream with Savage following behind.
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Dash worked through out the night getting her layout finished and then working on the photo album. She was tired and sore when she got up from her chair, she tried to stretch but her injuries cried out against it. Putting the album in her backpack, she swung it over her shoulder and left the building. Limping the two blocks to her truck, she cursed when she found a parking ticket under the wiper. After the day before she didn't think anything else could go wrong but it had. Driving the six blocks to her apartment, she had to search for a place to park; her temper was ready to flair and burn Washington to a crisp.
All she wanted was to take a hot shower and sleep; she opened the door to her apartment and let out a howl that brought her neighbors into the hallway.
"Sorry but someone seems to have taken all my furniture." She waved to her neighbors and closed her door. She walked through her now empty apartment and dropped her backpack on a wooden crate she had used for her CD's. She checked her phone and found it disconnected along with her electricity.
"You mother fucking asshole John." She went into her bathroom and the only thing left were the hooks on the shower rod. Trying the water, she had cold but no hot water. "Can't be any different from the river or stream." Shedding her clothes, she stepped under the cold spray and cussed in languages she didn't know she knew. It was the shortest shower of her life, within three minutes her teeth were chattering and she had a very high respect for Tori. "My God how can she do it every day?" She used her clothes to dry off and pulled a clean T-shirt and shorts on. No sooner had she walked from the bathroom than John walked through the door.
"Didn't I tell you to stay away from me?" She grabbed her cane and pointed it at him.
"Wait Dash, can we at least speak like civilized people?"
"You have exactly ten minutes starting right now." She looked down at her watch and noted the time.
"Why can't we be together, everything was fine until you went to West Virginia?"
"Let me tell you a little story." She limped across the room to her backpack, pulled out the photo album and sat down on the crate. "Come here and I will also show you what I experienced." She opened the album to show the Capon Bridge. "This is Capon West Virginia, but of course you were there for a very brief time. When I got there last week, I thought an easy shot take a few pictures, write up a little history and be done with it. While I was standing on that bridge, I saw something swimming down in the water that I later found out is a myth for the area. They call it the Capon Savage; it's a protector of the riverbanks and everything in the woods. No one has ever seen this thing except for some poachers that came back in very bad shape after their encounter." She flipped the page to show shots of the lush foliage along the riverbank and of Jed playing with the fox. I found out from a park ranger that Hazel was a kind of authority on the Savage. When I drove into that small town, everything was so serene. The people were friendly and Hazel turned out to be quite a lady. She has eleven grandchildren and the park ranger is her grandson Tommie, they live a simple life with none of the worries of trying to keep up with the Joneses. Even with being direct descendents of Joseph Edwards one of the first landowners and who Fort Edwards was named after back in the 1700's. They are just everyday people who show how much they care for each other by way of simple gestures." She turned the page to show Scoops stealing apples from the basket. "I found out where I needed to go to investigate the Capon Savage, so early one morning I started walking. I found these two huge trees that are completely twisted together at the top." She ran her fingertip across the picture of the trees and looked up into John's eyes.
"Those trees are not twisted at the top, they're just regular trees." He said after looking at the picture.
Dash ignored him and went on with her story. "I can't even fathom the chances that two trees hundreds of years old would still be standing let alone intertwined with each other. Behind these trees, I found a path and heard rifle shots. I followed the noise and surprised four poachers shooting at some deer and an old crippled cow."
She turned the page and showed him a picture of Belle standing in the garden at Savages. "In a way this cow opened my eyes, if not for her I would never have experienced complete unselfishness." She turned the page to show a profile shot of Savage, the look on her face was peaceful as she looked off into the distance. "I would never have met Tori; she saved my life that day and more." She ran her fingertip across Tori's cheek and swore that she felt the softness of her skin come through the picture. "She took in a total stranger who was trespassing on her land. She tended my injuries, gave me her bed, fed me and showed me that it's not the material things in life that matter but what we give each other of ourselves." Turning the page to show Tori with Scoops lying over her shoulder, she looked up at John. "She lives alone in a log cabin, no electricity, no outside influences, she grows what she eats and kills only what she needs to survive. All our meals were cooked over an open fire, at night; we sat there and listened to nature sing." She turned to a shot of Tori sitting with Jed at her side near the riverbank. "She taught me how to fish John, what have you ever taught me? When's the last time we just sat and talked until the sunrise?"
"I can change Dash; I'll do anything if you stay with me."
"Really, would you give up your life here in the city, your fancy clothes, car, friends or modern technology to live in a log cabin? You see this cane?" She held it up and ran her fingers across the dragons head. "She carved this for me because she knew that I would need it to get around. All you wanted to do was send me to a plastic surgeon; she didn't cringe at my battered face. She doesn't care that my face will scar or I may limp for the rest of my life. To her, it's what's on the inside that counts not the packaging." She turned the pages until she came to the one of Savage lying on the log, she traced her body with a fingertip and felt her heart speed up and tears form in her eyes. "She's a beautiful woman both inside and out, her soul is so pure that it makes me hurt."
"Dash I can be what ever you want, just tell me what to do."
"OK, here's a test for you." She got up, walked over to one of her plants and held out to him. "Stick your hands in the dirt John."
"What, you want me to put my hands in the dirt?" He shook his head and backed away from her. "What will it prove Dash besides that I'd have filth under my nails."
"That's it John, boy you're smart." She dug her hand into the pot and held the dirt in her hands. "This dirt is your losing straw; you with your manicured fingernails would never dirty your hands for anything. Tori works the earth to survive, you survive to work. If not for people like her, you would starve to death. You look down on people who don't dress in the finest of clothes, drive expensive cars or actually work for a living." She went back over to the album and showed him a picture of Savage standing by her cabin with her body covered in dirt streaked by running sweat. "She works hard every day but her pride comes from within, you're proud of having the fanciest car at the firm."
John stepped closer to her and looked deeply into her misty green eyes; he had never seen her cry or the look of love in its purest form shinning from with in. He swallowed hard and looked away before he spoke.
"You're in love with her." He turned to face her and dropped his eyes to see her tracing the picture with her fingertips. "I can't believe I've spent four years dating you and you turn out to be a lesbian."
"Love shows no gender, it shows no boundaries, you will never know love because you can't give it."
"I can give love, I loved you."
"Bullshit John, you loved the idea of saying I was yours in front of your groupies." She closed the album and held it to her chest. "Now you can go brag to them and tell them that you dumped me because I'm permanently scared." She pointed to the door with her cane.
"You will never work in DC again Dash, I'm an important person and I'll see to it."
"I don't really give a flying fuck, do what ever you want. One more thing John, what's my full name?"
"Your language is intolerable, you belong with those savages, and it's Dash Monroe."
"Wrong!" She slammed the door behind him and locked it. "Maybe my language is John but that's none of your damn business anymore as if it ever was." She went to the window of her living room, opened it and climbed out onto the small balcony. She sat and listened to the sound of traffic, the horns blaring, sirens wailing and the constant hum of the city. What she wanted was to breathe fresh air, hear the crickets chirp and look into a pair of pale blue eyes.
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Late that night grandma heard a low noise come down the hallway from her bedroom, she picked up the bullbat she kept on her nightstand and crept towards the noise. Stopping outside Savage's old bedroom, she placed her ear to the door and heard sobbing. She opened the door and found Savage curled up on her bed hugging one of the T-shirts Dash left behind. It had been many years since her granddaughter had cried and just as many since she had been in her old home. Savage and Tommie had come to live with her after their parents were killed in a plane crash, it was hard for to think that it had been almost 25 years since her daughter had died. Easing down on the edge of the bed, she ran her fingers across wet cheeks and whispered to Savage.
"You miss her don't you?" Savage nodded her head and then moved so that her head was resting in her grandma's lap, her soft sobs continued for long minutes. "She'll be back, you just wait and see."
"When grandma, when will she back."
"Now Savage, you're the oracle of the family. You tell me when she'll be back. I will tell you this, she broke up with that asshole boyfriend." She chuckled at the way Dash had torn him into pieces before she left.
"She did?" Savage wiped her face and looked into eyes so much like her own. "But she came up here just to see him?"
"Ohh I wish you'd been here, he's a dandy! A typhoon couldn't move his hair and the prissy ass way he sat!" Grandma rolled her eyes. "That asshole moved her out of her apartment while she was here, he gave all her furniture to Goodwill and made wedding plans."
"They were getting married and she dumped him?"
"HE was getting married, Dash had no idea that she was supposed to be the bride."
"Doesn't really matter either way, she's not like me." More tears filled her eyes.
"Did you fall down and hit your head or something, you're the one who wrote all those books about love knows no gender."
"I believe that but does Dash?"
"That's just something that you'll have to wait and find out. Now get some sleep and stop worrying for nothing." She placed a kiss on Savage's temple and left her to ponder over what she had said."
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Dash felt worse now than after she had been beat up, she had slept on the hard floor with her backpack as a pillow. That act of stupidity had her bent over at the waist, a stiff neck and her ribs aching. "I should have just gone and gotten a room instead of sleeping on the floor." She groaned and rolled her eyes when she realized that she was talking to her dead plant. "I bet Tori doesn't talk to plants." Just the mention of her name made her insides feel warm and fuzzy. "What are you doing right now Tori, feeding Jed, swimming in the stream or sitting there by the riverbank?" She picked up her backpack and other things that she had found left behind and went out of her apartment. Fifteen minutes later, she was in her truck and searching through the clutter inside. She opened the passenger door and a hardback book fell at her feet, she picked it up and saw the last name on the binding. 'Edwards.' Turning it over she saw the rest of the name, S. Edwards. "Ohh grandma you put this in here, you sneaky old woman." She opened the book and saw the dedication page held only a few words. "For my heart and soul, where ever you are." Closing the book, she got in her truck, drove to the post office, mailed the album to grandma and then went to the nearest motel. Without even bringing her stuff into the room, she dropped down on the bed and started reading. When she reached the second chapter, she faltered, went to the last page she had read and reread the last paragraph again.
"You wrote about two women being lover's?" A huge grin came over face. "You've got some balls lady." She continued to read until she came to the last paragraph and felt her heart slam in her chest.
"Through the centuries of time they will stand proud, branches twisted to be as one." She closed the book and held it to her chest. "Ohh my Gods, Tori wrote this." The most obvious things started to click in her head, things that had been right in front of her and she hadn't seen them until now. "Son of a bitch!" She looked at her watch and saw that she had spent two days of uninterrupted reading. Limping from the room, she went out to her truck and headed to the Interstate.
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Grandma picked up the express mail package and saw the return address with Dash's name. Pulling the box open, she pulled out the leather bound photo album and looked at the gold lettering at the bottom. 'Dasha Gabriella Monroe' flipping open the album, she looked at the beautiful 8x10 color pictures of Savage's haven. The ones that interested her the most were the ones of her granddaughter. She knew her granddaughter was a striking woman but the way Dash had captured her very soul amazed her. She had to laugh at the picture of Savage laying across the log, if she knew that Dash had been close by with her camera, she would have thrown a fit. "After all this you still don't have a clue as to who Savage is. Poor Dash, you're as dense as Tommie." She took the album and went up to Savage's bedroom, she was still asleep, which was unusual for her.
"Savage it's eight o'clock are you gonna come out of hibernation?" Grandma pulled the long hair from where it covered her granddaughters face. "My Gods, I just noticed you have clothes on!" She pulled on the back pocket of the faded Levis Savage wore.
"I didn't want to scare anyone." She grumbled into her pillow.
"Well, if these pictures get out, you'll have to scare off every man within 200 miles." She laid the album next to Savage's face. "Just came a few minutes ago, Dash sent them." That brought her out of bed in a split second.
"Dash sent them, I thought it would take more than a couple days." She ran her fingers across the leather and then saw Dash's name at the bottom. "Her names Greek, it fits her." Tears came to her eyes when she saw the pictures of Jed and the other animals, then a light blush covered her face when she saw the ones of herself. "I didn't even know she was taking pictures of me."
"I'd say she is a very good photographer, she captures what most people never see." Grandma squeezed a muscular shoulder. "Come on I'll feed you before you run out of here."
"I'm gonna take a quick shower first, then I'll be down."
Grandma shook her head and left Savage looking at the pictures, she wondered about Savage taking a shower, she expected her to go out in the backyard and use the garden hose. "Strange damn kid." She said to herself before going into the kitchen.
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If Dash had a gun, there would have been cars all over I-395-495 and 95, she wondered where people got their driver's licenses. If there was a driver on the road going 20mph, she got stuck behind them. What she wanted was a cattle pusher on the front of her truck so she could shove them out of her way. She drove down the grassy median, around the slow ass person in front of her, across four lanes of traffic and up the RT. 50 exit. Halfway up the ramp, she hit a traffic jam.
"GODDAMNSTUPIDASSFUCKINGVIRGINIADRIVERS!" She took her truck up the edge of the ramp and got stuck right behind a huge accident. Opening the door, she stood on the running board and tried to see why no one was moving. Not being able to see, she got out and stood on the hood of her truck. What made her almost fall off was seeing John crying and using his silk tie to try and fix the smashed front in of his BMW. "See that asshole, all that money and it's nothing but a big clump of smashed nothing." She got back in her truck, put it into four wheel drive and took the grassy slope up and around John and his BMW. The whole time laying on her horn and laughing.
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Hazel sat in her kitchen drinking coffee and doing the crossword puzzle from the TV Guide, Savage had left to go home fifteen minutes earlier after trying to eat her out of house and home. Her granddaughter looked haggard and ready to drop, she knew that she had not been sleeping much and eating less. She sure hoped that Dash would show up soon before Savage got some wild idea and started walking to Washington. At the sound of the car pulling up in front of her house, she went out the kitchen door and saw a ragged looking Dash limping towards her.
"Dash you look worse than…Tori!" She chuckled at the way Dash's hair was sticking up all over her head, the wrinkled familiar T-shirt and the bare dirty feet. "My Gods child where have you been?"
"In Washington." She held up the book she had read. "Did Tori write this book?"
"That one, nope." She grinned at her. "Look at the name on the cover real close, that's an S if I'm seeing it right."
Dash looked at the cover and stared at the name S. Edwards. Her brow wrinkled and she shook her head slowly. "I was so sure Tori had written it, the last paragraph mentioned the twisted trees near the path to her cabin." She smacked her head moaned from the pain and swore under her breath. "I am so stupid and blind, is she still down at her cabin?"
"Should be by now, she left about twenty minutes ago."
"Tori was up here, but you said she never leaves her haven."
"This is the first time in fifteen years; I found her in her room early this morning crying."
"She was crying, why?"
"Come with me Dasha and I'll show you her room, I know you'll find it very interesting."
Dash gave her a raised eyebrow at the mention of her full first name, then she remembered the photo album with her name embossed on the bottom.
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Dash walked into the bedroom that used to be Savage's and let out a whistle, the walls were covered with maps of old Greece, Britannia and what is now Russia. Along with old lithographs of Fort Edwards and the surrounding area. Shelves covered with every book imaginable, ancient myths, Greek history, the Spanish American war, civil war and one entire shelf full of books by S. Edwards.
"Is that a complete collection of Edwards's books she has?"
"Yep, let me show you something." She held out an old family picture to Dash. "This was taken many years ago, so you have to use your imagination.
Seeing her friend's familiar features, she ran a finger over her face. "Tori looks like she's about ten years old." She looked up at Hazel with a puzzled expression on her face.
"Nope, Savage was ten." She pointed to the young Savage in the picture. "Victoria was her mother."
"I am so stupid!" She ran from the bedroom.
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Savage striped out of her clothes, tossed them on her bed and put a breechcloth on, Jed watched her with interest, he grabbed her Levis and ran out the door with them.
"Jed you rotten brat!" She ran after him and saw that he was heading for the path; he picked up speed, dropped her Levis and started howling. Savage stopped and knelt beside him and scanned the area for poachers. What she saw took her breath away, Dash half running half stumbling towards her. She jumped up, ran towards her, and caught her in her arms before she fell. Sinking to her knees, she pressed her face into Dash's heaving stomach and sobbed. Dash tangled her fingers in the long wild hair and pushed Savage back from her and sank to her knees. She looked into pale blue eyes with misty green and smiled.
"I've caught the Capon Savage." She brought their lips together in a soft lingering kiss, pulled back and brought their foreheads together.
"You came back."
"I had to, I left something here." She pulled back and gazed deeply into her eyes. "I left my heart with you, I love you Savage."
A loud creaking sound came from behind Savage; she looked over her shoulder and saw the two huge trees behind her swaying. She scooped Dash up into her arms and carried her down to her cabin. Easing her down on to the bed, Savage laid down beside her and cupped Dash's face between her large hands. "I love you Dasha, I don't know how to…I've never…"
She pulled Savage down to her and captured her lips in a tender kiss. She waited for Savage to open her eyes or breath. "Savage?"
"Dash are my ears supposed to be ringing?" She peeked from between slit eyes.
Dash cupped the side of her face and ran her thumb over a moist bottom lip. "You've never even kissed anyone have you?"
"Just you that way, I've never even dated." A light blush crept up her neck with her admission.
"Come here." Slowly she teased Savage's lips with her tongue, then pulled her bottom lip between hers and sucked gently. A deep moan came from Savage; she released her lip and slowly slipped her tongue between her lips. She moaned and pulled Savage closer when their tongues dueled for the first time. She wrapped her hands in the long silky hair, moved her one leg over Savages hip and flipped her onto her back. They continued to kiss until they were both breathless. Dash gazed down at the chiseled features and couldn't believe that she would be her first. Tracing Savage's dark brows with a fingertip, she let them glide down her cheek to stop at her chin. She traced a small scar below her bottom lip before brushing her lips across it.
Her voice was deep and smoky when she spoke. "You're beautiful Savage."
"I'm average," She kissed Dash softly and added. "You're the one that's beautiful."
Dash brought her head down to kiss Savage's strong chin and trailed her lips and tongue down her neck to stop at the hollowed area. Flicking her tongue, she tasted the saltiness of her skin and a faint flavor of vanilla. Coming up onto her knees, she straddled Savage's hips and let her fingers barely touch her skin. Circling her breasts but never touching her hardened nipples made Savage arch her back and moan deeply. Dash loved the feel of her muscles rippling beneath her soft skin and the way goose flesh rose behind. Bringing her hands back up to strong shoulders, she looked deeply into darkened blue eyes and read the passion behind them. Dropping her head, she kissed the soft flesh above each breast before taking parted lips captive for a kiss that had stars shooting off behind her eyes. She found out that Savage was a fast learner and she didn't know if she herself could handle what was to come.
Savage had never in her life had her body react the way it was doing with just one touch from Dash. Her insides quivered and jumped, a fire burned in her veins to where she thought she would combust. The way Dash moved against her hips made her nerve endings arc off of each other. She gasped and arched her back when warm moist lips pulled on her nipple and sucked gently. Deft fingers worked at the belt of her breechcloth, she lifted her hips and felt the soft leather being pulled from under her. Reaching out, she ran her hands up under Dash's T-shirt and felt hot damp skin beneath her hands. Pushing the shirt upward, she pulled it over Dash's head and threw it to the floor. She rolled them over and ran her hands down her lover's body until they came to the waistband of her cut-off shorts. Unfastening them, she slipped them off Dash's hips and threw them to join the rest of their clothes. She braced herself on her hands, hovered over Dash, and captured her lips for a long deep erotic kiss. She let out a gasp when her nipples brushed against Dash's and felt her stomach tighten. Going on instinct alone, she kissed her way down Dash's neck and stopped at the junction between neck and shoulder to nip and suck the warm flesh. She felt Dash arch against her and press her hips into her. Small strong fingers threaded through her hair and held her tighter. She released the soft flesh and saw a deep purple mark blossoming; the wicked grin that came to her lips went un-noticed. She growled when a hand found its way to one of her nipples and rolled it between small fingers. Her hips pressed downward causing her to moan deeply and continued to press herself into Dash.
"Move your thigh between mine." Dash wrapped her leg over Savage's hip and pulled her into her; slowly she moved against her lover's thigh and felt their wetness coat each other's warm skin. Wrapping one arm around Savages muscular back, she placed the other at the back of her head and brought her down for a deep kiss. As they moved against each other, Dash felt herself getting closer to the place she had never been before. Their kiss ended and Savage buried her face against her neck and pushed harder against her thigh. Deep moans vibrated against her neck, muscles tightened and started to shake, as Savage got closer to her release. "Come with me Savage." She muttered and arched her back and thrust her swollen clit against a hard thigh. She felt her muscles clench, her center twitch and let out a loud cry when she climaxed. A deep howl was yelled into her neck and she felt Savage thrust against her and shudder. Their bodies continued to move against each other as ripples ran through their bodies. Dash moved her hand between them and ran her fingers thru her lover's wetness; she moaned and rolled Savage part way onto her side. Looking into tear-filled eyes, she kissed her gently on her lips, then the tears from her cheeks. "I love you Savage Edwards." They traded kisses while Dash slipped her fingers between wet swollen folds. Teasing her lover's center, she slipped her middle finger in up to its first digit and pulled out to repeat it until she felt Savage relax. "Baby I won't go any further if you don't want me to."
"I want you to, I know it'll hurt but I trust you." She brought their lips together and explored with an intensity that had Dash seeing stars. She thrust her hips when she felt Savage enter her and press the heel of her hand against her twitching clit.
"Gods…Savage…more." She pulled on her lover's hand and had her insert two fingers inside of her. Thrusting her hips against her lover's hand, she slipped her finger deeper inside of Savage and felt the muscles tighten around her finger. She was getting close and didn't know how much longer she could hold on.
Savage felt her lover's juices flow over her fingers, her muscles clench around her fingers each time she thrust against her. It was making her own center twitch and her wetness flow from her; she gritted her teeth and thrust hard against Dash's hand. A searing pain shot through her body and then faded. Rolling her hips, she thrust faster until she felt a volcanic eruption take her body. She screamed out and heard Dash do the same, they thrust against each other again, all sound became distorted, and images flashed behind their closed eyes. They wrapped themselves around each other and lay gasping for air and still feeling their bodies ripple and tingle with aftershocks. Dash could not explain what had happened to them. What ever it was, it felt right. She heard Savage mumble against her breast and looked down into pale blue eyes so full of love that her heart hurt.
"I love you Brie, I knew one day that you would come back to me."
Dash gave her a puzzled look and was about to ask her what she had meant when a soft snore came from between parted lips. She wiped the tears from her lover's face, closed her eyes to exhaustion, and joined her in peaceful sleep.
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Images haunted Dash in her sleep, they flicked by so fast that she wasn't able to see them clearly but could feel the emotions coming from them. Different times, places, names but always the same overwhelming love. Just before she woke up, she saw a familiar form come before her, the sight of pale blue eyes smiling down at her and the caress of a calloused hand against her cheek. A deep sultry voice came to her ears and called her Brie. She opened her eyes and looked into the peaceful face of her lover. Brushing back the long silky hair from her face, she leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss upon her lips. Tracing the fine thin lines of scars, she found on her lover's face, she ran her finger down to trace one on her upper chest that was shaped like a crescent moon. Pressing her lips to it, she then heard a soft sigh and fingers brush through her hair.
"Morning Dash." Savage mumbled and pulled her lover close to her body. "Gods I'm sore all over." She moaned and tried to stretch.
"Savage, you called me Brie last night, and then I had the weirdest dreams." She looked up into her lover's sleepy eyes. "I saw you in my dream but it wasn't you, does that make sense?"
"More than you know, I can't explain it verbally, I can only put it into words."
"That's another thing Savage Edwards," She crawled on top of her and went nose to nose. "Why didn't you tell me who you really were, here I was living with a famous author and the river beastie and I didn't even know it?"
"I'm…'cuz I'm stupid sometimes." She grinned and then kissed Dash softly before getting out of bed. "I'm hungry, grandma sent me back with a care package." She picked the bag up off the table and moaned. "I think she sent me back with the rocks from her garden." She searched through the bag and came out with a box of cinnamon pop tarts.
"Pop tarts? You mean you're not gonna go out and steal a squirrels nuts and make me chew on pine cones?"
Savage grinned at her. "That's what were having for lunch." She shocked the Hell out of Dash by pulling a seldom-used toaster from a cabinet.
"Damn I wanted to see you heat those up over the fire." She crawled out of bed, stepped up behind Savage and wrapped her arms around her waist. Pressing her face into her back, she closed her eyes and sighed. "You know I've never had this before."
"What Pop tarts?"
"No, what we had last night and waking up in my lover's arms."
Savage turned in her arms and cupped her face, she really didn't want to bring up Dash's ex-boyfriend but she needed to understand. "What about what's his name, you were with him four years."
"Seven minutes of him grunting and then running to the door doesn't count. I was like a damn hood ornament to him, nothing more." She laid her head against her lover's chest and told her about her relationship with John. "I loved him but not like your supposed to, I think it lasted so long because I hardly seen him and when I did it was for an hour or two at most. Pretty pitiful huh?"
"It just wasn't meant to be." She hugged Dash closer and kissed the crown of her head.
"You know I read one of your books and I wanted to strangle you afterwards."
"My evil grandma strikes again?" She chuckled and released Dash so she could get their pop tarts. "Ya know she sent other books, she knew you would be back."
"She did huh?" A small smile came to her face. "Why did you quit writing?"
"Ohh I just got tired, I had my first book published when I was fifteen and after so many years of doing nothing but writing, I got burned out."
Dash choked on her pop tart, she cleared her throat and gave Savage an astonished look. "Fifteen! You had your first one published at fifteen?"
"Yep, grandma sent it off to some publisher in New York. I didn't make much money at first but then after I had others published, my bank account grew. I live off the royalty checks."
"Are you rich?" Dash didn't know anything about what an author made off their books.
She shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know grandma manages my money for me. When I need something, she takes the money out of my account."
Dash pressed their bodies together and kissed her lover's chest right over her heart. "You're a dream come true."
"So are you Dash." She hugged her close and buried her face against her warm neck, she picked up the scent of their bodies mingled together on Dash's skin. It was calming and erotic all at the same time. Pressing her lips to the warmth, she kissed her way down to an erect nipple and teased it with her tongue. A soft moan came from Dash and she wrapped her arms around her lover's neck and pulled her closer.
"Keep that up and Jed will think we forgot about him."
"He doesn't care…" She nursed gently and kissed her way over to Dash's neglected breast. "He's with his girlfriend." She scooped Dash up and carried her back to their bed. What she then did, had Dash arching her back on the bed and gripping the furs in clenched hands. Green eyes popped open when Dash felt a warm tongue exploring her folds, she looked down the length of her body to see her lover's dark head between her thighs and her long hair draping over them. Bracing her heels in the mattress, she moved her hips in short thrusts and gasped when her center was penetrated by Savage's tongue.
"Where did you…learn that?" She forced out from between panting breaths. Her answer was mumbled against her nether lips sending a vibration through her body that took her over the edge with a scream. She collapsed in the bed and lay there gasping for breath and wondering. She moaned when her lips were captured and she tasted her essence on her lover's lips and tongue. Savage pulled back a bit and looked into a flushed face, tracing a bottom lip, she asked.
"Was it OK? I don't really know what made me do that."
"More than OK, you can do that anytime you want."
Dash made sure that Savage wouldn't be able to walk for a week, she was laying between her thighs with her head resting on her lower stomach after an earth shaking climax for both of them when Savage begged her to stop.
"Can't no more…" She groaned and rolled over and moved down the bed to pin Dash down with her body.
Dash brushed sweat soaked hair back from her lover's face and placed kisses across her brow. "For two people who don't know what they're doing, I'd say were doing pretty good."
"Little voices telling me what to do."
"Same little voices that wrote the sex scenes in your book?"
Blue eyes closed and Savage dropped her head down to bury against a strong shoulder. "I uuhmm was using my imagination and what I remembered from my dreams. I'm a huge pervert in my dream world." She grinned and nipped at warm flesh. "Picture yourself making love to someone and then watching yourself do it, it's like a porno flick."
"Ooohh can I share your dreams?" She had no idea why she said that but for some reason Savage brought out her perversions.
"You already do…I mean you were there kinda…last night…speech impediment!" She garbled a few words, grunted and pointed to a book sitting on her nightstand. Dash reached over the top of Savage's shoulder and picked up the leather bound book, she opened it to see bold scripture covering the pages.
"Savage…I can't read Greek." She turned a page and saw that it was written in the same strong penmanship but in English. "This is your diary."
"Yeah, I write stuff down all the time. Life long habits are hard to break." She snuggled into Dash's body and closed her eyes. "That's where my books came from, my dreams." Her deep even breathing told Dash that she had fallen asleep. Dash started reading and didn't stop for two hours, what she had read explained a lot of why Savage lived the way she did. Dash saw it as pieces of other lifetimes all mingled together, what hit her hard was the descriptions of the other woman that Savage often saw in her dreams. The resemblance between her and the other woman were uncanny. Not to mention, Savage was describing the dreams she herself had through out her life. She wished she had her own diary so that she could compare them. She had never planed on going back to Washington to retrieve her belongings from John, but reading Savage's diary changed her mind. Laying the book on the bed, she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.
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Tommie tip-toed into the kitchen, reached out to grab a cookie and felt a foot connect with his ass. "Get out of those cookies, those are for Savage and Dash." He spun around and grinned.
"Dash is back, where is she?"
"Where do you think she's at you little dummy, she's with Savage." Grandma handed him a container with his name on it. "These are yours leave theirs alone. Did you know Savage was here last night?"
"She was here in this house?" He dropped into a chair and shook his head. "It's been years since she was home, why was she here?"
"When something's bothering you, where do you come?"
"Ohhh, I got it. Is she OK?"
"Well considering that a little blonde tornado blew out of here and was headed that way, I'd say she's more than OK." She placed a glass of milk in front of him and pointed a finger. "Hands off Dash, she's not for you."
"Ain't fair, the best looking woman around here and she wants my sister. Then again maybe their just friends." He shrugged his shoulders and ate his cookies before going back to work.
Grandma rubbed her face and mumbled. "Still say I must have screwed up his delivery, wonder if it's to late to drop him on his head?"
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Dash groaned when the hot water beat on her aching shoulders, dropping her head down, she let the water hit at the back of her neck. She had woken up lying on top of an exhausted Savage and decided to take a shower and then make supper while she slept. She was starving and knew that Savage had to be to, they had only eaten a Pop Tart all day. She started shampooing her hair, when the shower door opened and a warm body pressed into her back.
"Why didn't you wake me up?"
"You looked so peaceful and I wanted to surprise you with supper." Dash rinsed the soap from her hair and turned in her lover's arms. She placed a kiss on her chest and turned her so that she was under the showerhead. Running her fingers through waist length hair until it was completely wet, she poured shampoo in her hand and washed Savage's hair. Low moans came from Savage when Dash's fingers massaged her scalp. "Now I know why you go in the creek, it's got to be hard to wash you hair in the shower."
"I've never had it cut so I'm used to it." She tilted her head back and let the soap rinse from her hair. Taking the lofu sponge, Dash soaped Savage's body, washed every single area and paid attention to some too much. She found herself pressed up against the shower wall and her lips captured in a deep kiss. They straddled each other's thighs and moved slowly against each other, soft kisses and caresses turned into clinging and loud yells when they went over the edge together. Dash hug onto Savage for dear life, she couldn't keep her knees from buckling under her.
"I can't walk." She whimpered and then yelped when Savage moved and cold water hit her chest. Savage turned the water off and then lifted Dash so that she could wrap her legs around her waist. Capturing her lips in an exploring kiss, she walked out of the bathroom and blindly made her way to where she hoped the bed was. Feeling it against her knees, she eased Dash down without breaking their kiss.
Tommie stood in the doorway with his mouth hanging on his chest and no air in his lungs. He watched them lie down on the bed and caress each other. He had no idea of what to do, he closed his eyes and turned to go out the door and fell right on his face. He yelped and yelled out when something smacked him on top of his head and then hissed.
Savage jumped off Dash, fell on the floor and felt Dash fall over the top of her. They were all at eye level with each other. Ice blue and dark green connected with shocked brown.
"Hi Sis just thought I'd drop by, fall on my face in your doorway, get beat up by a Bobcat and see how ya were doing. So how you guys doing?" He tried to grin at them, except it was hard with his foot being attacked by sharp claws and teeth. "Sis could you get your cat to let me go?"
"Why I think you kinda deserve to be chewed on, you pervert."
"Can I help it if you were sucking face when I walked in?"
"Guys I don't want to break up the sibling thing here but what does Jed have in his mouth?"
Jed stood in the doorway with a chewed up work boot in his mouth.
"Ohh that used to belong to one of those poachers, he likes to take a little something each time he catches one." She pointed to the bobcat. "Jed take your baby outside with you." He dropped the boot, picked up the bobcat and carried it outside with him.
"Uhhmm…grandma sent me with another care package and some more books." He climbed to his feet and tried not to look at a naked Dash. Savage stepped in front of her lover to block her brother's stare.
"Tommie go out and start a fire for me."
"Uhhmm OK." He rubbed his face and stumbled from the cabin.
Dash wrapped her arms around her lover and buried her face in her wet hair. "Savage tell me he knew about your sexual preference."
"Ohh he knows about me, it's you that floored him."
"Ohh, well I guess it's a little too late to tell him huh?"
Savage turned in her arms. "You can say that." And kissed her tenderly. "When the kiss broke, she hugged her close and whispered in her ear. "I love you Dash."
"I love you to." She kissed her lover and smacked her on her ass. "Come on I'm hungry."
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Tommie fell off the stump he was sitting on and Savage's mouth dropped open when Dash came out of the cabin wearing a breechcloth and nothing else. Savage reached over and smacked her brother. "Keep your eyeballs away from you know where or I'll poke them out."
"Better get use to it Tommie; I'm now the other river beastie." Dash down next to Savage and squeezed her thigh. "Right baby?"
"Yep, we're gonna terrorize poachers by chasing each other through the trees."
"Or we can just make out under those two huge trees that are joined at the top?"
Tommie gave her a raised eyebrow and snickered. "Ohh great, another nut case, I keep telling Savage there are no trees up there that are twisted at the top."
"Yes there are Tommie, that's how I found the trail that comes down here." Dash said and stuck her tongue out at him.
"Uhhmm Dash, there's no trail either." He shrugged his shoulders and looked to Savage. "After all these years, the only way I can find the right spot is from my tire marks and this big ugly rock at the edge of the trees. You know how everyone keeps saying I get lost?" He saw Dash nod her head. "It's because I get lost coming in here and Sis sends Jed out to find me." At the mention of his name, Jed came trotting up with the bobcat in his mouth. "Sis he does know that he's a male wolf and not a female bobcat doesn't he?"
"What can I say, he's lovable." Savage wrapped an arm around Dash and hugged her; I'll explain later about the trees and trail. Right now I hear some steaks calling our names."
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Dash came back to the cabin from retrieving stuff from her truck; she carried a gym bag with a few articles of clothing and her tennis shoes. Every thing else she owned was at John's apartment. She didn't know how she was going to bring up the subject of having to go back to Washington to savage. "Don't be a chicken shit Dash, just tell her."
"Tell me what?" Savage stood behind her with a worried expression on her face.
"I said that out loud huh?" She ran her fingers through her messy hair and let out a long breath. "I need to go back to Washington to tie up some loose ends." She stepped close to Savage and placed her hands on her hips. "There's some personal items that John took from my apartment that I want back and I need to turn in my resignation at work."
The last part brought a small smile to Savage's face then disappeared. "You're quitting your job, why?"
"Because I don't need to work, I've lived on very little money all these years and I have a healthy savings account to show for it." She laid her head against her lover's chest and spoke softly. "I don't need money, just you. I want to stay here with you, not travel all over the world." Tilting her head up, she caught pale blue eyes looking off into the distance. "I want you to teach me everything you know." Sparks fired behind blue eyes and then dropped downward to stare into soft emerald green eyes. "Will you come with me to Washington and help me get my stuff?"
"Where you go I go." Savage whispered before kissing her with a tenderness that made Dash's heart pound.
"Is tomorrow too soon? I really want to get everything taken care of and go on with the rest of my life with the Capon Savage."
"I'll warn you now, it's been a long time since I was in a car and I've never been outside of Hampshire County."
"You've never been away from here? Not even to see other counties?"
"Nope, never felt the need and I was afraid to leave in case…" She stopped and looked up at the rough-hewn timbers of the cabins ceiling.
"In case what, tell me Savage." Dash cupped her cheek and pulled her head down so she could read what was going on behind her eyes.
"It's a very strange story and you might…no I know you'll think I'm insane." She took Dash's hand in hers and led her over to their bed. Taking a deep breath before she started, she placed a kiss across small knuckles and offered dash a small smile. "I don't have the normal type of dreams that everyone else has, they're more like flashes from past lives." She looked to their joined hands and continued. "Since I was little, I would see myself in these dreams as an adult, they were in different times, places but always with the same people. As I grew older, I was part of what was going on around me; I could communicate with the people around me. I could feel the clothes I was wearing, hear the sounds, smell the wood smoke in the air and the undying love I had for my companion and vice versa. I fought different enemies, could feel pain both emotional and physical, hear the clashing of swords or the crack of a rifle. What lingers in my heart is the loss of my eternal soul mate." She gazed into misty green eyes and saw the pain Dash had for her. "I remember us planting two oak trees side by side near where our cabin was. They represented the two of us. Death took her from me before those trees could mature, I was left empty inside. On my final breath I cursed the Gods for their unfairness." She felt the tears slid down her cheeks and the soft squeeze of the small hands held in hers. "A voice came to my ears in a dream telling me that when the two trees became one, we would be together again. Besides myself, only she would see the trees."
"Then what Tommie said is true, there are no trees."
"No, those two trees were cut down when this area grew, the cabin was never occupied because it was said to be haunted. It was torn down at the same time to make more farming land."
Dash leaned into her lover's side and tried to picture everything in her mind. Closing her eyes, she left her mind go and saw flashes of the past come to her. "The cabin was in Dan's pasture, the two oak trees were off to the left of the cabin in a clearing. Clover and wild flowers filled that small area then dropped off to where a small stream flowed down into the river." She opened her eyes and saw the tears flowing steadily down her lover's cheeks. "We have to go to Washington tonight, my diary is the key." She pulled Savage to her feet and hugged her tightly. "I'm home."
"Yes you are I would have waited another century for you."
Savage was going to change into real clothes when Dash laid a hand on her arm. "This is what we are and if the rest of the world can't accept it then the Hell with them." She took leather shirts from the trunk and handed one to Savage. "But neither one of us is going to flash the city of Washington; jail and a breechcloth don't mix to well."
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On the ride up to Washington, Dash kept glancing over to her lover; Savage was a little green around the gills and was sweating even though the air vents were blowing on her. Dash ran her hand up and down her forearm to try to get her to relax her grip on the seats edge. Usually if a passenger acted that way it was because of her driving, not this time, Savage was suffering from carsickness.
"We're almost there, another five minutes until we get to Johns."
Savage glanced sideways and swallowed deeply. "Good because my stomach feels like it's going to jump out the window." Dash gave her a reassuring smile and took her hand in hers.
"Hope not, I'm a sympathetic cookie tosser."
Hitting her turn signal to make a right turn, she pulled her truck up into the underground parking lot of the high-rise apartment building. Finding a spot close to where John's assigned spots were, she parked and turned her truck off. Before she could pull the keys from the ignition, Savage was out of the truck, leaning against the door and shacking. "Maybe this wasn't a good idea?" She said to herself as she made her way to her lover's side. Wrapping her arms around Savage, she pulled her into a tight hug and pulled her head down to her neck. "I'm sorry Baby, you should have told me."
"I thought it was something that I would have grown out of, who ever heard of a person thirty some years old getting car sick?"
"It's not as uncommon as you think and what do you mean thirty something?"
"Uuhhmm…I don't know how old I really am?" Her voice raised an octave with the last word. "I'm not even sure what day of the week it is most of the time." She raised her face and grinned. "Not really important when you've been waiting centuries."
"Guess not, come on lets go get my stuff so we can lose track of time together."
They took the elevator to the penthouse floor, Dash should have known what it would do to Savage, but it was fun to watch her eyes grow wide when their stomachs dropped. When the doors opened, she took her lover's hand and led her down to the end of the hallway to John's door.
"Come on caveman, time to scare the bastard." She hit the button for the door chimes and groaned at the sound of tinkling music that played. "Fucking Tinker Bell asshole." She chuckled when Savage nudged her shoulder and pushed the button down continuously until they heard John yell from the other side. He flung the door open to meet narrowed green eyes.
"Dash you came back!" He stepped forward and was about to give her a hug when she pointed a finger at him.
"Back off asshole, I came for my stuff not you." She gave him the once over and busted out laughing. "Pretty pajamas!" He wore a pair of baby blue silk pajamas with pink horizontal stripes running through them. To make it worse, he had black satin eye blinds hanging down over his eyebrows.
"You should talk; you look like something from the Smithsonian history department. What are you supposed to be little running dyke?"
Before he could say another word, Savage stepped around the door jam, grabbed him by his throat, lifted him off the floor and pushed his squirming body against the wall.
"Didn't your mother ever tell you that if you can't speak kindly to others than keep your mouth shut?" He struggled for something to say.
"Baby put the asshole down; we don't want him pissing all over your feet." She pointed to the huge wet spot at the front of his PJ's. "What a man."
"Is he a bed wetter too?" Savage asked her after dropping John to the floor.
"Glad I never had the chance to find out." She kicked him in his foot and waited for him to catch his breath. "Where's all my stuff at?"
"Spare room…boxes…bags…I threw out a lot of stuff." He jumped and grabbed his groin when Savage bared her teeth and barked at him. He looked down at the puddle forming around him. "Get you stuff and get out!" He climbed to his feet and ran to his bathroom.
"What a loser." Savage shook her head then followed Dash.
Dash was ready to go and rip John into tiny little pieces; he had thrown out most of her Levis, T-shirts, sweatshirts and anything that didn't have a designer tag on it. Taking what she wanted of her clothes and all her personal papers, books, photo albums and her winter coat, she left the rest in a pile in the middle of the floor.
"Fucking asshole I hope he has a miserable life." She picked up a garbage bag and slung it over her shoulder while Savage picked up two boxes. "Let's go home, I hate being in the same state with that slug." When they reached the front door, they turned to see John in the living room. He shivered at the deep growl coming from Savage, ran into the bathroom and locked the door.
"Should have brought some road kill to stuff under his bed." Dash saw the raised eyebrow of her lover. "What? I think he deserves it and worse. Serve him right for throwing out my Elmer Fud socks."
"You can have mine." She gently kissed her lover's lips and ran her fingertips across her cheek. "I have Bugs Bunny slippers you can wear."
Dash was shocked, her Savage with novelty items amongst deer skin breechcloths.
"Those will look cute with what I'm going to be wearing for the rest of my life."
"Even better, Jed chasing you. He loves those slippers."
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Their last stop was to turn in her resignation, collect her equipment and personal items from her office. The looks they got when they walked into the building were priceless. Dash didn't think that anyone would be there that late at night but remembered that they were doing the final proofs before printing. Taking Savage's hand, she led her down the hall to her small office. Her stuff was still packed in the boxes and in the corner.
"Some of this stuff I don't need so I'll just leave it here for whoever." She opened a box and quickly looked through it and set it to the side, the next one, she opened it and a light blush covered her face. Savage raised an eyebrow and looked at her.
"What's wrong?"
"I can't believe I left this in my office, worse yet, someone else packed this stuff." She opened the box and tilted it towards her lover. "One reason to quit my job." Savage looked into the box and started laughing; wiping the tears from her eyes she sobered from the look Dash gave her.
"Uuhmm sorry, I never pictured you for the type to play with toys."
"I'm not…don't…I…it's new never been used." She rushed out.
Savage stepped up to her and kissed her lips. "Not for long it's not." That made Dash's face turn a deeper red. "Any other little toys in these boxes?" Savage wiggled her brows at her and grinned.
"Uuhhmm…well…I stayed at a hotel during a safe sex convention and I sorta became friends with one of the sellers." She ran a hand down her face and groaned. "Got a shovel so I can dig a bigger hole for myself?"
"Are you telling me that the seller left the Hotel the new employee of the month in sales?" She laughed when Dash blushed and nodded her head. She groaned when her boss stepped into her small office and gasped.
"Dash ohh my Gods!" He gave her the once over and grabbed at his chest. "I never thought you were into leather." He then noticed Savage standing to the side, his eyes widened, mouth dropped open and he waved a hand at Dash.
"Get a hold of yourself old man." She rolled her eyes when he fell to his knees in front of her lover. She stepped in front of him and tapped him on his forehead. "Forget it she's unavailable."
"Damn! Just my luck." He got to his feet and held out his hand. "I'm Bob, Dash's boss and you're the Goddess from her pictures." Dash swung her head and gave him a narrowed look.
"Excuse me but what do you know about my pictures of Savage?"
His face paled and all words fell from his mouth in a garbled heap, all Dash understood was wallpaper.
"Wallpaper?" Her eyebrow rose and she looked to the computer on her desk. Hitting the on switch, she waited for it to boot up. As she stood there, she caught Bob ringing his hands nervously. "Ohh my Gods!" She watched as the picture of Savage lying on the log came up on her screen. "I will kill someone before I leave!" Savage stepped behind her, placed her hands on her shoulders and massaged the tight muscles. She leaned forward and whispered in her lover's ear.
"Let them have their little fantasies, you've got the real Savage."
"I know but all these morons will be drooling…" She moaned when Savage breathed into her ear when she spoke.
"You get to drool over me for the rest of our lives, just rub it in before we leave if you want."
"OK." She caressed the large hand on her shoulder and gave Bob an evil grin. "Bob I quit."
"What, but you said you weren't quitting that John was wrong."
"He was wrong; he had no business telling you anything. This is coming from me, I quit, resign, retire, whatever. I'm running away with Savage."
He knew what she said was true by the possessive way they held onto each other. Nodding his head, he smiled at her and held out his hand.
"Good luck Dash, live and enjoy. You deserve it." He waved to them as he left her office.
"Come on let's just take the rest of the boxes and I'll sort through them later. I have plans and no one is going to screw them up." She got a dolly from the supply room, they loaded all the boxes on it then went to the elevator. As they waited for the doors to open, she saw the other Journalist that had been in the darkroom when she was developing her pictures. She watched his eyes pop wide when he saw Savage, before he could approach them. She pulled Savage down for a hungry kiss and didn't release her until she heard a loud thud. "Think I rubbed it in enough?" Savage was trying to catch her breath and was lost as to what Dash was saying.
"Huh?"
Dash turned her head to show her the man lying sprawled out in the hallway. "Did I rub it in enough?"
"I'd say so." She gave her a quick kiss and pushed the dolly into the elevator. "Come on little Savage, we have something to finish."
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The noise that came from their motel room drove out the residents on either side from their rooms. The room was a disaster area, boxes lay on their sides spewing their contents, leather garments lay around the room and two bodies tangled together with the sheets lay on the floor next to the bed. Exhausted and sated, Savage lay on her back with Dash draped across her, their loud snores kept the hum of the vibrator that was still in Dash's hand company.
The ringing of the telephone went un-noticed by the pounding on the door didn't. Savage eased out from under her lover and yanked the door open with a deep growl of
"WHAT?" She snarled at the motel manager who was standing with his hand raised to pound on the door.
"I've had complaints from other rooms that you have an animal in your room, pets are not allowed." His eyes widened and he took a step back when she bared her teeth and barked at him.
"Solve your animal problem?" She asked with a deep growling voice.
"Uhhmm yeah it does." He stood there in shock after the door was slammed in his face. "Werewolves in my motel, what's next?" He slowly made his way back to the office.
Savage picked Dash up and placed her in the bed then crawled in next to her, she spooned against her back and fell asleep with her face buried against the back of her neck.
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The ride back to Hampshire County was different than the trip to Washington, Savage played major channel surfer with the radio. After having her hand slapped a few times, she settled on a country station and annoyed the Hell out of Dash by singing along with an exaggerated twang.
Dash glanced sideways at her bouncing lover. "Can I ask you a question?"
"Depends on what you're asking if I answer."
"OK, is the reason you don't ride in cars because you keep getting thrown out at a high rate of speed?"
Her eyes grew huge and her mouth dropped open. "Did grandma tell you that? I can't believe she told you. My ass was sore for a week after rolling into that ditch."
"She threw you out of the car?"
"Yep, she didn't like me making fun of that guy from CCR. He says burning funny." She shrugged her shoulders and mimicked her most hated word repeatedly. That was until she noticed that Dash had took their speed up to 80mph and started to laugh like a lunatic.
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Dash pulled into a spot in front of grandma's and looked over at Savage. "It's time to break the news to grandma." She got out of her truck and waited for her lover. They looked towards the front door when grandma stepped out and grabbed her chest.
"Ohh Gods my little baby was in a moving vehicle!" She came towards them and looked Savage over. "No bruises so that means Dash didn't throw you out."
She made Savage jump by grabbing her ass. "I was close that's for sure, damn word is stuck in my head now."
"So where did you guys go, do anything naughty?" Grandma wiggled her gray brows.
Savage grinned like a little kid. "We went to Washington, made John piss himself, Bob worshipped me by dropping to his knees, cleared the motel out, scared the manager and almost got thrown out of the truck." She turned to Dash and winked. "Did I miss anything?"
"Nope that just about covers it." She shook her head and took Savage by her hand. "Won't ever be able to go back to that motel." She mumbled under her breath.
"And what went on in the motel?" Grandma asked as she went back to the house.
"Place was attacked by werewolves." Savage mumbled.
Grandma stopped turned and raised a finger at her granddaughter. "You and your howling, I knew you it would get in trouble one day. Now come on you two I made double chocolate fudge cake."
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Savage was licking her plate and getting stares from Dash. " Grandma do you believe in Alien abductions?" Dash pointed to Savage. "If not, there's your proof."
"I've noticed something different about her, especially her being somewhat clothed except that it doesn't cover the bite marks on her back. Would there have been an animal attack in that motel room?" Dash blushed and hid her face behind her coffee cup. "Uhh huh, just what I thought." She bent over and kissed the top of Savage's head. "About damn time, but then I know all about you two from Tommie the village slut puppy."
"That blabber mouth!" Savage pulled the cake pan over to her and took another piece. "He's a pervert, stood there and watched."
"And I thought it was bad when he lost his virginity at fifteen, those were details I didn't want to hear." She shivered and rubbed her arms. "It's worse when his sisters a 35 year-old virgin."
Dash snickered and yelped when Savage kicked her under the table. "Well it solves one problem, now we know how really old you are."
Grandma ignored the heated look her granddaughter gave her. "So Dash are you here to stay?"
"Most defiantly, think this area can handle two Capon Savages?"
"Just keep on howling and you won't ever have to worry about anyone ending up in the haven."
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The sound of tapping brought Dash from a deep sleep, she searched the bed but found only a cold spot next to her where Savage had been. Opening one eye, she searched the room until she saw the glow of an oil lamp coming from the kitchen along with the tapping noise. Crawling from bed, she stumbled towards the kitchen and saw her lover typing away on an old Selectric typewriter. Resting her chin on a broad shoulder, she watched long fingers type at a hundred miles an hour.
"What are you writing baby?" She grumbled close to Savage's ear.
"My muse is back." She turned her head and kissed Dash's cheek. "I had to get this written before I lost the details."
"Is it the continuation of the eternal love affair my little Warrior Bard?"
"Yep and hopefully my re-entry into the literary world." She stopped typing and pulled Dash onto her lap. "You've always been my muse."
"Do we get to be on the covers?"
"Maybe under the covers." She brought their lips together in a soft kiss.
"I like that idea better." She wrapped her arms around her lover's neck and was carried back to their bed. While they lay snuggled against each other, Dash ran her fingers across the warm skin of her lover's stomach and sighed. "Savage, tomorrow can you help me with something that's been terrorizing me for years?"
"Anything you want it's yours."
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They stood upon the Capon Bridge, Savage was leaning on the railing looking down to the water while Dash stood in the center of the bridge and tried to peer over the railing.
"How far down is it to the water?"
"Don't really know, I guess around a hundred feet or so." She turned and motioned for Dash to come closer. "Come here baby I won't let you fall, I promise." With hesitant steps, Dash walked into her lover's open arms. "Are you sure about this?"
"Not really but I have to get over it, if I do then maybe that dream will go away."
"The one with the big hole of fire?"
"Yep, takes years of my life span every time I go through it. Not to mention I can't handle standing on a footstool."
Savage released Dash from her hold, stepped over the railing and stood on the other side. Taking Dash's hand, she pulled her closer and kissed her tenderly. "Close your eyes and I'll help you over."
"Savage what happens if…" She was silenced with a finger.
"Nothing will happen, do you trust me?"
"With my life." Dash closed her eyes and felt herself lifted over the railing, then strong arms wrapping her in a tight hug. "Kiss me Dash." When their lips came together in a deep kiss, Savage stepped backwards off the bridge and they plunged downward until they hit the water below. Still kissing, she kicked them to the surface. When they came apart, Dash looked around them and saw nothing but water.
"We jumped?"
"Yep."
"Uuhhmm…something just swam up under my breechcloth."
Savage gave her an evil grin. "Don't worry, it's just the little fishes."
"Another Savage mystery solved."
The new novel that Savage wrote in record time shot to the number one spot on the best sellers list. She swore it was the picture that Dash had taken of the Capon Savage standing in the shadow of the trees at the river's edge that caught a reader's attention and imagination. Dash knew better than that, it was the way her lover could weave a tale of the heart and make you feel it deep in your soul that sold her books. Dash made more progress with herself by delving deeper into her lover's dreams of the past, in return, she pulled a kicking and screaming Savage into the future. That was until she discovered the games on the Dash's laptop.
The End
Capon's Savage
By Larisa
Hecate3366@frontiernet.net