A Re-Greta-ble Happenstance
#18 of The Spellsinger Tales
Another Spellsinger Tale. Sometimes looks can be deceiving, and size doesn't matter.
This story is one that was never supposed to be told. While he never meant any harm in this matter, the fact remains that Jon-Tom abhorred his actions to his dying day. This is in sharp contrast to the other participant. She remembered it with great fondness. True, in her younger years she was careful who she told, for had it become common knowledge early on, the spell-singer would have been hunted down and likely killed. As time passed the matter lost importance as many things do.
It started one fine day, at the beginning of the winter season in the northern reaches. The inhabitants of those regions value hardiness. If one could not live on their own, then they had no value to the community as a whole. The main city, if you wish to call it that, was Brownbrun in the standard nomenclature. It had other names as well. Members of this community had contests of a sort, to determine the fitness of its inhabitants. These were held yearly. Participants were not given a choice. They were instructed how to survive without food or water. They had to make their own weapons if they needed them, and find their own way. At the end of two months, those who returned were declared permanent citizens. Everyone else died or were lost. The latter was much the same thing.
Jon-Tom was still young at the time, having by this time dappled in unions with non-human species. He also had never yet been this far north. His reason for being in this frigid country was never disclosed, though it had to be something Clothahump had him doing. Errands of this kind were common. Jon-Tom would have had company had Mudge not deserted him early on. "Listen mate," he cried. "That place gets so cold your balls freeze and clank together as you walk. You may not use yours (had he only known the truth) but I likes mine, I does. You're on your own."
Jon-Tom had the mental map, so getting to where he was heading wasn't going to be a problem. He walked until the landscape changed, and the weather grew colder. Then he pulled out his duar and tried to sing himself to his destination. That's not what happened. No one could say if it was his magic backfiring, or the severe winter blizzard that caused the problem. Needless to say he re-appeared in a blanket of white. Ice crystals stung his face. The wind howled so severely that his ears hurt. Even his map couldn't pinpoint his location. All he could see was white in all directions.
He drew his cape about him, protecting his front and his duar from the sand-blasting effect of the frozen precipitation. He struggled through drifts for hours before regaining some of his senses. He opened his cape, shoved in his duar and crawled in behind it. The howling stopped, with only a few flakes falling down the unsealed opening. But while he was now safe in the cape, the cape itself wasn't. It blew around, was picked up by the wind and carried miles away.
Jon-Tom awoke in the null-void of the spelled interior of his cape. He had heard a sound, which was mildly impossible, unless it had drifted down from the opening. He strained his ears. Sure enough, the sound was chattering, as of teeth. He called out loudly, knowing his voice would be dim. The chattering stopped for a moment. "Who's there?" "Me?" he called back rather stupidly. "Me who? Where are you?" He sucked in a breath. "I'm in the cape. If you happen to be wearing it, could I ask you to take it off and spread it on the ground?" He couldn't feel anything, but he heard, "OK! It's on the ground. Now what?" "Step back!" He stuck an arm through, hearing a gasp from the outside. He hauled himself out, falling flat in front of a pair of brown furry feet. Big feet. With big claws. He gulped and looked up. Towering above him was a bear. Now he had no reason to fear bears, but he had no reason to trust them either.
This one was looking down at him curiously. "Hello," he said. "Hello strange being that lives in the cloak. Are you a spirit?" The voice, while deep, had a female quality to it. "Uh no. I'm human." She thought about it. "Hue-Man." I have never met a Hue-Man spirit before." He shook his head. "Have you ever met any other types of spirits before?" She mulled that over. "No, I guess not. But they say the woods are filled with them. Do you have a name Hue-Man?" He nodded. "Yes, I am called Jon-Tom." "Jon-Tom...I like it. My name is Greta." She said it with a distinct Grrrrr at the beginning. "I'm so very glad to meet you Greta. Might I ask where we are and why you're here," he said looking at the open country, "out here in the middle of the wilderness?"
She was enthusiastic in her story. "Oh, oh, I know. We are to learn to live by our own whits, never to be a burden on our society, and toughen ourselves up for the hardships of life!" It sounded rehearsed. "Well OK then. I'm sorry to have intruded upon your training, or whatever it is. I got caught in a storm and lost my way. If you don't mind, I'll just take my cape and go." "No!" She didn't look angry, but she did look perturbed. "The cape is mine. I found it. You were in it, therefore you are mine. I need company. I need food. I need warmth. I need a friend." She placed her huge arms across her chest and glared down at him. Jon-Tom was no fool. One simply didn't piss off a bear.
"OK Greta, I'll stay. I have no idea where I am at the moment anyway." As he was saying this, his mental map was looking around the terrain. Sadly, it was coated in three feet of snow. He was able to pinpoint the closest town, only to find it miles away. "Greta doesn't know either. I got lost a long time ago. I don't know what day it is, or what week. I maybe should have been home by now." She sat down with a thunk and started crying. It was pathetic, though Jon-Tom, seeing this huge bear crying. Worse yet, he was really getting cold. Even Greta's tears were turning to little ice crystals as they ran down her furry face.
"Greta, we need to find someplace safe to stay. Have you seen and caves around here?" She stopped sniffing. "Caves? No, no caves. Just some holes in the ground." He sighed. "Do you know where they are at.?" She stood, orienting herself. "Yes," she said, pointing about six feet away. "There's one under the snow." He sighed. Crawling forward, he dug with his frozen fingers until a gap between two boulders appeared. Sure enough, he could feel air flow. He could make it, and if she squeezed, she might as well. "Greta, let's see if its a bit warmer down here." She came forward, and with brute force moved the boulders and slid down the hole. It only went down about five feet before leveling off. It wasn't particularly warm down there, but it was better than above.
"Greta, can I have my cape back?" She pouted. "No. This is my cape!" "Fine, can I borrow your cape." She thought it over for a while. "Yes, I guess so." He opened it and pulled out some food. He was always packing jerky. "Here, have some." She took it, sniffed it and shoved it into her massive maw. "Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. More?" He pulled out another big chunk. "Here." He chewed his with more care. She finished hers and smacked her lips. "That was good! I think I like you Jon-Tom." He relaxed a bit. "I like you too Greta." "Do you really? That's good, because Greta likes you too." Mentally he was shaking his head. She seemed nice enough, but she was dumber than a box of rocks.
He reached into his cape and pulled out his duar. "Ooooh, pretty. Are you going to play me a song?" He nodded. "I'm going to play a song or two. I hope you enjoy them." He strummed the strings, hoping for some inspiration. What he really needed was to be out of here. But she laid claim to his cape, and he was in no mood to fight with her. She might not very smart, but she was big. If he made her angry, there would be hell to pay. What he needed to do was make her consistently docile. A little Teddy Bear might do the trick. He played like Elvis and she loved it. There was no change in her demeanor, but she was happy to remain sitting through song after song. When he grew tired of playing, she clapped with her huge paws. "Bravo Jon-Tom! I like your music very much."
"Thank you Greta." "Jon-Tom?" "Yes Greta." "What's a Teddy Bear?" That was a good question coming from someone who literally was one. "Greta, what kind of bear are you?" She stood proudly. "I am a Grizzly Bear. That's what I am." "I see. Well a Teddy Bear is a doll that looks like a bear." She smiled. "Oh, I see. I had one once. Maybe I still do. I won't know until I get home." Then she got sad. "If I ever get home." She looked up at Jon-Tom. "Can you be my Teddy Bear?" Without waiting for his to reply, she grabbed him in an iron grip and pulled him in close.
He though his ribs were going to pop. Her grip on him was nearly a stranglehold. He was slowly asphyxiating to death. The lack of oxygen was having the effect of giving him an erection. Normally he would have been worried about embarrassing himself this way, but as he was about to die it hardly mattered. But his cock made an impression on Greta. She held him out a bit and gazed at his pants. "Oh!, Jon-Tom really does like Greta! Good. Greta has ever had fun with a boy before." He was glad he was able to catch his breath, but it was going to be a short respite. She was trying to undress him and doing a poor job of it. The fact was, he was still cold.
"Greta, I don't have nice fur like you do. If I get undressed to, uh, play, I'll freeze. We need someplace warmer." She looked at him, and then to herself. "You're right. You have no fur." She sat down on a rock. "I'm not cold. What should we do?" He wanted to leave, but he knew that was out of the question. He was really unsure about having sex with her. He had nothing against her personally, and it been her who suggested it. But there was something about her manner that bothered him. She picked up his cape. "Would we fit in here? You fit, your nice instrument fit, the meat fit. Would Greta fit?" He sized up the suggestion. "You know dear, you just might." "You called me dear! Greta thinks you're dear too."
She grabbed the cape and pulled the opening over her head. She got an arm stuck and fumbled about until it slid into place and dropped. She disappeared. Jon-Tom thought it was fortuitous. All he had to do as seal it up and leave, dropping her off somewhere else. He grabbed up the cape. Her paw shot out and latch onto his arm. "Come in Jon-Tom. This is fun!" All at once, he was inside the cape. Greta still had a hold of wrist. "Good! Jon-Tom is with Greta. Time for fun!" He was still reluctant to strip. She didn't give him much choice. "Cloths off! Greta wants to have boy-fun!"
He did as he was told. There was little light coming into the cape, so neither one could see. "Is Jon-Tom ready" she asked breathlessly. "I want to have fun. I've had no kind of fun for so long." She grabbed for him in the dark, found his shoulders and pulled him close. He still had is erection. "Ooooh, nice. She pulled him up and down, sliding him across her belly." After about five minutes of this, she lost her grip on him for a second. He slid down farther, so that when she regained her grip and pulled upward, his tip caught in her opening. She let out a grunt. "Ooooh, that's even better!" She spent a few more minutes essentially masturbating with him. She was getting really wet and Jon-Tom was getting tired of her fumbling ways. "Look Greta, get me in your hole and then push. "Like this?" She had him in place and shoved. She let out a squeal of pain. "That hurt!" He could tell she was indeed a virgin. "It's going to hurt the first time. Let go of me and let me do it. Her grip was gone. He repositioned himself and pushed again. She whimpered. In his mind he could hardly fathom how this Grizzly made it in life. She was a wussy. "Hang on once more. I'm going to push and sink in all they way." He did. He could feel a pop and knew there was going to be blood.
Greta cried out. "Jon-Tom, that hurt!" "I said it was going to. Now we'll just stay this way until your body gets used to having me inside you." That didn't happen. She started a climax right away. It built until she was screaming/growling. When it was done she collapsed. And he hadn't even started moving. He was going to wait until she came too, but her muscles were squeezing him tightly. He was going to cum too, with or without thrusting. He figured he had better make the most of it. He pushed in hard. She grunted, half awake. He pulled back and started again. She grunted some more. All at once he went a little wild. His climax was coming and he pounded away harder than he intended. She shuddered and climaxed again, before he could. When he did let loose, he filled her up.
She lay under him gasping. "Jon-Tom, that was super great! Can we do it some more?" He was still hard and still in her. "Sure Greta, I guess so. I didn't hurt you?" She thought about it. "Yes, it hurt. Then it got all tingly and I felt funny. Good, but funny. I would like to do it again." She grabbed his hips and pushed him into her own body. She grunted happily. "Yes, like that. Can you do it again?" He smiled, though she couldn't see it. "Yes dear, I'll do it again." He pushed down hard, wishing he could have more leverage than he had here in the cape. They tended to kind of float within the confines. Then he thought on hanging onto her. He got a grip in her fur and using that, slammed away. At first she grunted, mixed with little squeals of pain. Then she came again. And again. And again. She had her arms around him, nearly crushing his ribs. He had to yell at her with what breath he had left. "Greta!"
She seemed to understand and loosened her grip. But her climaxes kept coming. He couldn't get one in edgewise. Not that he minded. Her muscles were like the rest of her, bigger than life, and containing more raw power than he cared to think about. He could see why she was still a virgin. Only another bear could possibly handle her. If there were none around, it might account for it. He was afraid for his own life. Her strength, if unchecked, was quite capable of crushing him.
He decided to try a different tact. "Greta, hang on a minute. He pulled out, followed be a disappointed grunt. He repositioned himself behind her and bent her into the proper position. In his cape, her large size, massive frame, and great weight made no difference. He found her hole and lined up with it. He pushed in. She let out a happy grunt. "Ooooh. Good." she cooed. He too was happy in this position, far from the reach of her incredibly strong arms. He was able to concentrate on his own pleasure, knowing full well that she was quite capable of having her own. He pounded away for a full ten minutes. The entire time she was busy making noises. Her last climax was nearly cock-crushing. Even then, she pushed back repeatedly against his thrusts. He came after an enormous build-up of tension in his loins threatened to tear his insides out.
When he finally pulled out, she let out a disappointed grunt. She turned on him in the dark. "Jon-Tom is done? Greta was having fun!" "So was I Greta. But I need to rest." She sighed. "OK, you rest. I will rest with you." She pulled him close, gently this time. "Greta will not hurt you. She is strong, but she will be gentle." And she was. The two fell asleep for who knows how long. When he awoke, he needed to use to bathroom. He couldn't, or rather, didn't want to, do it inside the cape. He nudged Greta. "Hey, my big furry bear, do you need to use the bathroom?" She yawned and nudged him back. "What is bathroom?" "You know, relieve yourself? Make water?" "She caught on. "Oh that. Yes, I suppose maybe Greta had better." They climbed out of the cape, seeing the interior of the cave well for the first time. Their time in the blackness of the cape had allowed their eyes to see in the dim light. It extended back at least thirty feet before the darkness hid its depths. It was far enough back to do their business and not be bothered by it.
While she did hers, he stuck his head out the hole. It was still below freezing out there. Snow had drifted over the opening anyway. He figured there was food in the cape, and he had his duar. Greta's company was hardly stimulating mentally, but she turned out to be really good in the physical category. He could deal with the situation for a few more days if he had to. She returned from her business. "Jon-Tom. I'm hungry. Should we look for food?" He shrugged. "Do you know where there is some?" "There are streams with fish. No berries anymore. Pine nuts are gone. No, not much out there. Do you have more meat?" He reached in, feeling around for supplies. He always found it odd that he could pack in so much that he could never bump into when he himself was inside.
He pulled out several apples and some more jerky. Her eyes grew large. Mmmmm." She ate them down without stopping for a breath. She must have been starved for a long time. This quest, or whatever it was she was on, must really be harsh. After eating, they climbed back into the cape. It certainly was more cozy than the cave. She was immediately interested in sex again. It was like a new toy for her. She couldn't seem to get enough of it. He had to admit, he was into it too. For one thing, even though she occasionally let out a yelp, she was a big girl. He wasn't likely to break her.
The routine lasted about three days. Jon-Tom was concerned that his food would eventually run out and convinced her to leave the area. They climbed up and out into a face-warming sun. The air was still chill, but the sky was clear and the snow was beginning to melt. Jon-Tom oriented his map, and began choosing a way out of their present location. "Greta?" "Yes Jon-Tom?" "What is the name of your home?" She looked at him. "Home is home. It's where we all live." "Yes, yes, I know that. Your name is Greta. What is the name of your town?" "Oh!" she exclaimed, brightening. "Growlsen!" He checked his map. At first nothing came up. Then it circled around until it settled on Brownbrun. More than one name! It wasn't the first time. And it was the closest community to where they were.
"Good going Greta. I think I can get you home. Would you like that?" She jumped up and down. "Oh yes, very much. Do you know the way?" "Yes my dear, I do. It will take a couple of days to slog through this mess, but we'll make it." She looked the direction he was looking and unceremoniously picked him up and began wading through the deep drifts. Well, he thought, this is one way to travel. She made remarkable time. He wondered at that. If she was still this strong while undernourished, what would she be like in full health. And how long had she been out here? If the weather he had just witnessed was any indication of the normal, it's a wonder she was still alive.
He looked around as she walked, and indeed there was little in the way of forage. The two traveled like this for miles, working their way around downed trees and huge boulders. As night was setting, they chose to set up camp on a small rise overlooking a stream. Greta was delighted. She waded right into the freezing water. After no more than a few minutes, there was a pile of fish on the bank. Jon-Tom managed to call up a fire the old-fashioned way, with a couple of rocks and a bit of dry grass. The bear watched in fascination. "Fire from rocks? You are very lucky to have such magic!" He laughed a little. "No, Greta, it's not magic, it's science." Her face scrunched up. "Sigh-ants?" He patted her. "Close enough. You just need to find the right kinds. Here, try it." The stones were a bit small for her big paws, but after several unsuccessful attempts, she got the hang of it. " Greta can do Sigh-ants!"
The fish lasted no longer than it took to cook them, though she wolfed down two before they could be touched by the flames. "Greta eat many fish this way. Greta has been hungry a lot." "I'll bet you have been dear. How long have you been out here?" She shrugged her broad furry shoulders. " Greta not know. Me not know what time it is now?" Time keeping here on this world hardly matched that of back home. He had not mastered the differing interpretations. A day here wasn't the same length as back home, nor was a month or a year. They were similar, but different. "Greta, when did you set out of this...journey?" Her eyes lit up. "We all set out on Redpaw's Day!" That didn't help. "What is RedPaw's Day?" She looked at him like he was nuts. "Redpaw's Day is the day we remember our great ancestor. It was he who brought winter to our lands. Winter makes us tough. Winter removes the weak. Redpaw made Growlsen what it is today!" It sounded like a speech remembered by wrote. Still, if this day she spoke of was the true start of winter here, she had been wandering a total of three months and five days. Spring was fighting its way into the northern reaches as they spoke
"OK Greta. I understand. If I'm figuring this correctly, you've been out here over a month longer than you were supposed to. Will your family still accept you back?" Her brown eyes teared up. Apparently that was the wrong thing to ask. "Jon-Tom is not kidding Greta? I have been out here that long?" He nodded mutely. She jumped up suddenly and did a dance. "Yeah for me! I will break the record." She just as suddenly sobered up. "That is if Jon-Tom will truly take Greta home." He nodded, a little spooked by her errant behavior. "Good" she cried. "Now Jon-Tom and Greta get back into the cape. Greta wants more boy-fun! We can have fun when we get back home too. Jon-Tom will be my Teddy Bear and Greta will be his Grizzly." He said nothing. If she was this big, he certainly didn't want to meet her parents. He was already feeling a bit like he was stuck in some demented Goldilocks tale.
That night in the cape was as fun for them as the previous times. Greta seemed to last longer between orgasms, and he did his best to keep her satisfied. But as the days drew to a close, and the city grew closer, he tried to ease up on their activities. He didn't mention it to her, for then she would have insisted on more. And the fact was, he was tiring out. At last, they made their way into a valley. At the bottom could be seen spires of smoke rising from a multitude of chimneys. To him it looked like something plucked from viking mythology. The central building rose up hugely; all carved beams and huge stones.
The nearer they got the the city, the more Jon-Tom lagged behind. He was wearing his cape, and had been, so the first he could slip away would be the best time to leave. But she kept turning to him. "Hurry Jon-Tom, hurry! We are almost home!" It was dark when they got there. She ran ahead, towards her goal. He just stopped. He stood under a sign that looked good to him. "The Tooth and Claw" was both inn and tavern. He stepped inside, glad to be free of Greta. He wished her the best, but he had a mission to complete. But not tonight. Tonight was rest and beer.
The innkeeper was behind the counter. There were only a few customers. They all stared at the newcomer. The innkeeper let out a low whistle. "A human? What's this would coming to?" He walked up to the counter, ignoring the other looks he was receiving. "Your eyes do you justice, my fine wolverine. I would hope that such lovely orbs could see as well as please the eyes of others." The she-wolverine just stood there amazed. One of her customers hooted out, "Watch dem words, Horwah! He's prolly jus a shyster!" Quicker than eyes could see, the innkeeper grabbed a mug, sent it sailing and nailed the unfortunate badger square in the head. "Shut up, you piece of shit. If he likes my eyes, let him say so." Then she looked hard at the human. "Do you really like them?" He smiled. "I always try to tell the truth. And yes, I do, but no more than the rest of you!"
She poured him a beer. He offered payment. "Naw. Keep it. That pile of filth over there just might be right, you might need to be watched. But I'm good with picking up on what is and what isn't trustworthy. I like you. What's your name?" He thought about it before answering. He hoped to be out of here tomorrow., but... "You can call me Merriweather." She eyed him. "Merry or Mary?" Verbally, they sounded the same. "Merry if you must, though it's altogether as one word." She thought about it. "Well, the weather is turning a bit more merry, so Merry it is. So human, can I get you anything else?" "Yes, a room would be nice. I intend to leave in the morning so I only need it for one night."
"A room you say? For only one night?" He nodded. "I have just the thing. I'll show you to it now if you like. Then you can come back down and get some food and drink and tell me about yourself. We see few of your kind up here. Your sad lack of fur makes you ill-suited for our hardy clime. You can tell me all about where you're from and where your going." It sounded good to him. The room was well furnished. In fact, it seemed a bit lived-in. He looked at his host. "Yes, these are my quarters. I have no intention of charging you for the use of my inn, leastwise in cash. It seems to me that you are a rare find. I have no intention of letting you go with putting a little mileage on you, if you get my meaning." He did. "Madame, that works fine for me!" She smiled, showing sharp white teeth. "It's agreed then. And don't call me madame. I know you didn't mean it as an insult, but it could be taken that way. My name is Horwah."
They returned to the common room. The number of her clientele had increased during their absence and he had to deal with more stares. But they soon ignored him in lieu of discussing the news. It seems the chieftain's daughter had returned from the wilds. She had been given up for dead weeks ago. He listened intently, trying to learn as much as he could. He knew better than to ask directly, being a foreigner and all. Horwah was busy helping pass drinks and food, but in between times she sat across from Jon-Tom. They discussed his life and what he was doing here. He told her about getting stuck in the blizzard, without mentioning magic or the bear.
He in turn asked a few polite questions about her, her job as innkeeper, etc. Then he allowed the conversation to drift to what the news was all about. He put on his dumb face. It was one of his best. "Well, Merriweather, the only way to be a full fledged citizen is to undergo the RedPaw ritual. You go out and live in the wild in the toughest conditions. Those who return are made citizens and are considered strong enough to breed and carry on their lines." He nodded, absorbing this. "Does it matter what species you are?" She shook her head. "No. If you wish to live up here, its the rule. You'll find no humans here, nor amphibians, nor avians. There are many who have tried over the years."
"So, just for argument's sake, lets say that I wanted to live here. That means I would have to undergo the ritual?" She smiled at him. "Yes it would. But you would have to wait until the next RedPaw's Day." He knew that much already. "So, when do native born locals undergo this ritual." She tapped the counter. "Well, that depends. Not everyone develops in the same way. So it depends on the species." He made a non-committal motion with his head. "OK. I can get that. How old is this, what's her name; Greta?" "Greta set out on Redpaw's Day at the age of nineteen months. She will have her birthing day celebration within the week."
Jon-Tom choked in his beer. Now he knew that he couldn't judge a species maturity by months or years, not in this crazy world, but that meant that she was barely two years old! He regained his composure, wiping the foam from around his mouth. "Two years you say. What would that make her in human years?" He was afraid she was going to get wise to his questioning. She answered him unperturbed. "I'm not certain. When do your females come into heat?" He had the question asked of him once. "It's variable. I would say at sixteen years, give or take a couple of years." "Well, if that's the case," here she did some quick calculating, "I would say that Greta is around eight or nine years old in human years."
He didn't say a word. Poor Greta. She wasn't stupid or retarded, like had had considered as a possibility. She was a child. A huge, formidable, sweet child. And he had spent days screwing her. He knew he shouldn't call it rape, since she was willing. But he did, and others might see it that way as well. He was feeling sick to his stomach. "Horwah, I think I need to lay down. I'm going to go upstairs if you don't mind." She patted his arm. "You go ahead and get rested up. I'll be along after the bar closes."
The wolverine did double time in closing up the place. When she opened the door to her room, she was greeted by three distinct things. The first, and most glaringly obvious, was the fact the the human was gone. Seeing as there was only one door to the place, she had no idea how he managed it. The second was that he hadn't stiffed her (no, not that way) for there was a small pile of coins on the bedside table. But strangely enough there was a toy sitting on the bed. It was a lovely little likeness of a bear. It had a note on it. "For Greta from her Teddy Bear."