A Quiet Strength
by Anon Allsop

-Part One-

-Twelve-

The comfortable days grew even hotter as time wore on for the young female, her predicament made all the more unbearable due to her condition. Smells made her stomach lurch, her breasts always seemed sore...was it this way for all women? She shuddered at the thought of thinking herself a woman, yet here she was in this form and getting used to it. Sadly, she felt it was something she would just have to do for the remainder of her days.

Often, she would make her way down the steep incline to crawl into the water, it's coolness helping calm the child growing within. Each trip down, caused her to Realize that as her middle grew, climbing up and down some of the more precarious rocks that were involved in moving about on her mountain, travel would soon become next to impossible.

Each day would find her seeking just a bit further out, trying to find a suitable place with which she could raise her baby once it had been born. From seeing her shadow, and noting the gradual swell of her stomach, she knew she would have to find something soon.

She wasn't sure at first if the fluttering of her insides was from her sickness or if it were the baby, but as it continued with greater frequency she attributed it to the child now swimming in her womb.

Her womb. She sighed, gently caressing her stomach as she sat resting in the water. Often this young one she was carrying would be flip-flopping within her and the very moment she eased herself into the water, the baby would instantly calm down.

She sat in the darkened shadows quietly caressing her stomach, wondering whether she was carrying a young male or female. Sighing heavily, she realized that as long as it is healthy she didn't care. Somehow her change with Leigh had created this pregnancy within her, and with it was a growing maternal.. feeling. She could tell that with each day that progressed in her delicate condition, her attitude toward her child was changing. And with that maternal instinct, she was also accepting that she was becoming more and more female.

Of course since she got onto this godforsaken land, she was a female, but only in body. No, at that point her mind was as male as it had ever been. Over time though, she could feel less and less of Parker and more and more of the female taking over.

Far off, she heard a coyote crying, it set off several, but she was not afraid. She had become used to the night sounds by now, the animals who could do her harm were kept at bay with the long spear she had found and fixed.

Slowly she pulled herself from the water and carried her clothing back to a temporary shelter of long branches that were leaning to a center live tree. Once inside this shelter she stretched out upon the grass.

That she was now going to be a mother, a parent responsible for the life of another human was not lost to her. She would cry, knowing she was bringing into this strange world a child with no real way to provide or protect him or her. It was a frightening thought, and in this world could literately consume her.. and her child.

She rolled to her side, tears changed direction as they rolled from her eyes. Deep sadness overwhelmed her as she cried for the predicament she found herself in. Fear clawed at her mind, questions boiled to the surface, casting doubt on her very existence and survival.

She knew that she was completely unprepared to be a mother, having no concept on how to birth a child without help. But to do it alone she must, for she knew no one on this planet. She could trust no person other than herself.

***

Sometime just before the sun had risen, she was already up and slowly working back toward her original shelter. The day was cloudy with a hint of rain, she could smell it on the early wind.

Using the spear shaft as a walking stick, she slowly meandered her way up a unfamiliar side of her mountain toward her more permanent shelter. On a much lower level, as she was rounding a boulder, she paused, noticing a small hole along the face of the outcropping.

Walking along a slight ledge, she carefully made her way to the hole. Pushing the spear in, just in case a wild animal were inside, she inched her way into the opening. As she inspected the entry, she realized that the cave went even farther back.

Just within the opening she found that she could stand somewhat. Stepping aside, she allowed light to filter through the opening. This cave was probably the size of a very large room, the floor was remarkably flat.

She looked up, trying to discern whether the ceiling was low or high. This was well above her outstretched hand. She could just barely touch it with the tip of the spear she held.

Realizing that there was a natural opening close to the size of her head, she smiled. She knew that this would make a perfect shelter, she could have a fire inside and the smoke would be carried out the hole on the top.

She felt giddy at her luck and for the remainder of that day, set about gathering her belongings from the first shelter and trucking it down to what she now considered 'the permanent' one. Also she tidied it up, cleaning the brush, dead leaves and loose rock, from the floor and making it very liveable.

Not long before dark, she had created a make-shift door, one that she could close and prevent most animals from entering. Satisfied, she set about to building a fire so she could cook a fish that she had caught in one of her many traps down in the river.

Working the bow in the groove of her stone, it wasn't long before she had a nice little fire going. Bigger sticks had been thrown on the dancing flame until the interior of her cave was illuminated in a soft yellow glow.

She began to cook her fish and as she did, her eyes were drawn to what looked like several objects drawn on the wall. Her heart jumped slightly as she moved closer to the image, it was almost like a story was being played out in the pictures. It was as though some ancient artist was speaking to her through the ages.

Walking back toward her small fire, she gathered a stick and carried it close to the wall so she could see the drawing better. She sighed at the beauty of the illustrations of some long ago inhabitants of this cave.

She threw several more sticks onto her fire, hoping to shed more light on the caves interior, all around her there were pictographs. There were the outlines of hands, drawings of animals she recognized and several she didn't.

She sat back on her haunches, smiling at all of the art in front of her. Any man who could have witnessed that heavenly smile, would have fallen in love with her in an instant. The ancient paintings gave her the new found feeling of home, more than anything she had come across since she arrived on this godforsaken planet. For once she didn't feel as though she was alone.

-Thirteen-

A kindly old woman gently bathed Etu with a thin piece of leather, she lowered it into a clay pot and rinsed the sweat from it. The young warrior heard her squeeze the water back into the pot only moments before feeling its refreshing coolness once again dab at his fevered face.

She smiled as she noticed him watching her, yet continued with her ministrations. "You seem to be feeling better?"

Etu licked his lips and tried to talk, his tongue seemed thick, his mouth dry. The older woman gave him a small swallow from a translucent bag, most likely a stomach from some animal. He swallowed, eagerly until she pulled it back.

"How long have I been here?" He asked, his voice raspy.

She smiled, "You have been in my care for a half moon. You were very bad when Kutkutuk brought you to me, he is my son. They pulled you in a travois for many days themselves. I honestly did not think you would survive."

He groaned and looked up into the roof of the lodge, "Almost two moons?" He tried to sit but she pushed him back down. "I have to find the Aponi spirit!"

"You have to allow the great spirit to mend your body first, the Aponi spirit can wait." She pulled the blanket covering him down and examined where the arrow shaft had been pushed through his shoulder...it was the only way to safely extract the arrowhead.

He winced as she touched the area around the hole, "It is mending. You will probably live." Etu tried to raise his head, the severe pain caused him to become dizzy. She turned his head so she could inspect where he had been hit with the war club. "I am sure the Algonquin who attacked you, broke your skull. You should have died."

"I thank you and your son, Kutkutuk for helping me, that I did not...how much longer do you think I will need to remain?" He closed his eyes tightly until the pain in his head subsided.

"You will be ready when you are ready... and you are not ready." She replied bluntly. "I have seen men in better shape than you, die from being hit with a war club. Something happens on the inside, the seem just fine and then... they are dead."

Etu relaxed, even he knew he was too injured to try and leave. He sighed and closed his eyes, praying silently to the Great Spirit for his healing medicine; and for the protection of the Aponi Spirit.

***

Almost another full moon had passed Etu, before he felt well enough to began moving about. His head still throbbed when he stood, but he could feel that he was slowly getting stronger. It angered him that he was taking so long to get back to himself. Between the fever and the actual injury he felt he was losing valuable time. He sat down on a log and quietly watched the people of this Mohawk tribe.

"You are feeling well, my Oneida Brother?" Etu turned his head, just that motion caused him to wince.

"Ah, my friend Kutkutuk." He said with a smile, attempting to conceal the pain he was in.

"Mother says you are doing well. She says you will be able to go before the leaves capture the Spirit Sun's colors." He smiled and reached behind himself to scratch his lower back. "We are planning to make war on the Algonquin, if you are better, would you like to come?"

Etu thought of his responsibility to the Aponi spirit, but nodded anyway. A warrior must first repay his debt to the people who saved him. "I will help you make war on the Algonquin."

Kutkutuk grinned, he held out his huge hand and as each grasped his new friend's wrist, "How soon will you make war." Asked Etu.

"We will wait for the dark moon, we will move on their tribe the following morning." They both stood, he was almost a full head taller than Etu. "Heal well my friend, Etu. Heal well."

-Fourteen-

As the sun came up, the beautiful young girl sat above her new cave. Having found the exit where the smoke from her fire would ventilate, she created a labyrinth of sticks in an attempt to diffuse any smoke from attracting unwanted attention. It wasn't too elaborate, just purely functional. From any passers by above, they would just think it were some twigs that had become lodged in rocks.

April, as she had been referring to herself since that was the month she had been transformed, sat and looked out over her new domain. She reluctantly began to scoot herself down from the cave top, until she could gain better footing.

Carefully she picked her way back to the mouth of her cave, picking up broken branches and any burnable item as she walked. Once inside the safety of her cave, she stacked the wood to use at a much later date. From the shadow she cast upon the wall, April realized that there could be no denying that that bitch Leigh was telling the truth.

She watched as the feminine shadow upon the wall turned slightly and gently caressed the slight, unmistakable swell of her belly. The image caused her to sigh, she was destined to carry a child whether she wanted to or not. It was fear though that raced quickly through her extremities, always reminding her, that here she was alone.

She knew that millions upon millions of humans have bore their young, she would just add to it, becoming one more of that vast number. Thinking of the bitch Leigh in his former body, doing god knows what in Park's name. She frowned, and gritted her teeth. As insane though as it may sound, she hoped that Leigh would find herself on the business end of a dagger. Knowing her...him the way she did, deep within she felt that he would piss someone off and within a year, be dead.

She again looked down, this time her hand gently cupped a sore breast that was confined within the deer hide. She tried to imagine how it would have been to have a child placed within her womb in a traditional way. Closing her eyes she drew upon all the memories she had had when she was Parker, only she was now the female and the man who was bedding her was the big man she watched relieve himself in the stream.

How strange it would be to feel the steady climb of an engorged penis against your body and it not be yours. How you part your soft knees to expose your feminine parts to a male suitor, and actually WANT to be filled. She felt a chill race down her spine as her imagined partner began to penetrate into her willing womb. She could feel her body rocking against the soft, lush grasses next to the river. Faster and faster he pumped his hips, pinning her willingly beneath his bronze body.

Several times since she saw him, had she allowed her mind to ponder over that scene, but never before had it affected her so. She felt her legs twitch and before she could do anything to quell the strange feeling, odd little jolts of pure energy coursed and throbbed between her parted thighs.

She stifled a grunt and quickly clutched her vagina, embarrassment coursed through her. Realizing what had just happened, she groaned and looked up..somehow just touching herself, thinking about having sex has caused her to climax as a female.

As her body climbed back down from its sensual overload, she dejectedly stood and cried. Here was another example of just how female she had become. Wiping her tears, she straightened up as best as she could, picked up her spear and headed out. Her next stop, a bath to cleanse the impurities from her soiled body and garments.

-Fifteen-

Kutkutuk caught up with Etu several days later, his face harbored a concern to which Etu noticed. "What is the matter, Kutkutuk? Your face grows long like the late day shadow."

The bigger man sighed, "Our war has been put off. The Great Father wants to create a union with several tribes before we turn our attention to the Algonquin."

"A Union?" Etu studied his friend as he asked. "Which tribes?"

Kutkutuk began naming them off, "Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga & Seneca."

He raised his eyebrows and gave a quick tilt of his head. "We will become a powerful nation."

Etu thought of what this might mean for his people, no longer would they have to fear the Algonquin, instead it may be the other way around. "What will we call ourselves after we become one great nation?"

"The Great Father is calling us 'Goano'ganoch'sa'je'seroni' Kutkutuk smiled as he nudged his friend.

"The Big Roof People?" Etu chuckled as he scratched his head. "We will strike fear into the Algonquin...fear of our large lodge roof"

The comment caused Kutkutuk to openly laugh, his straight white teeth contrasting against his bronze skin. He shook his head in the negative toward his friend, "I think...the Great Father is thinking of many nations together as one."

Etu nodded, "Let us hope so." He again smiled and caused Kutkutuk to laugh. "A roof will not strike fear in an enemy's heart... unless it happens to fall upon his head.

The humor did not fall short as Kutkutuk grinned, "You are a funny man Etu, you are always good for a laugh."

-Sixteen-

The two young friends stood close to the front as all chiefs from the five Indian nations sat in council and contemplated the foraging of one great nation. The Great Father stood and addressed those assembled, in his hand he held a single stick high overhead.

"You there, what is it they call you?" He pointed to Kutkutuk.

"I am Kutkutuk, warrior for the Mohawk." He spoke as he stepped forward, then gave a reverent nod to the Great Father.

"Kutkutuk is like all warriors of our great Confederacy, the Mohawk, the Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga and Seneca! Strong, powerful & proud." He gestured to each of the tribes as he spoke, finally he faced the man who stood before him.

"Alone, we each are like this stick." He held it aloft and then placed it into Kutkutuk's hand. "When our enemies attack, we are often powerless to defend our women and children."

As he nodded, Kutkutuk's powerful muscles flexed and easily broke the stick in half. The old warrior then again approached the tribal chieftains.

He walked over to the first chief and spoke for all to hear, "My brother the Mohawk, what say you?"

"The Mohawk will join." The man stood, handing him a stick similar to the one that Kutkutuk had broken.

He again walked to the next chief and again spoke loud, his voice carrying so all could hear. "My brother's the Oneida and Onondaga, what say you?"

In unison, they each stood proudly saying, "The Oneida will join! The Onondaga will join!

One by one each of the Chiefs offered up their symbolic sticks to the Great Father, he slowly carried them to where Kutkutuk stood. The young warrior accepted them, and as he held them out, the Great Father took up a thin piece of leather and tied them together in a bundle.

"The hide is our union, it is what binds us together as one. Where one stick is easily broken, five are not!" He held out his hand to Kutkutuk, who began to flex his powerful muscles. The bundle only would bend, he could not break them.

"Until Grandfather Sun sets forever, we have become the most powerful nation; a nation to be feared by our enemies! We stand before the Great Spirit as the Iroquois Confederacy!"

A great cheer rose from the throats of the warriors and women alike. For once, all felt as though they could live without fear. Several warriors were boisterous and eager to set upon the Algonquin and shouted as much to the Great Father.

Like a great conductor, he held out his hands and the crowd settled almost instantly. "No! No! NO! We are not going to set out to destroy our enemies, overwhelming them with our power." He slowly lowered his hands, rotating his palms up. "Our enemies will know what we are capable of... that is what will protect us! We will become a league of peace and power!"

Several of the younger warriors exchanged glances, for in their blood, they wanted to scrub the Algonquin from the earth. The Great Father shook his fist as he still held one palm up. "If our enemies do not respect our peaceful ways, then they will come to fear the Iroquois Nation!" He suddenly brought his fist down into his palm, the smack could be heard far back into the crowd.

As fist struck palm, the entire body of Iroquois as they would collectively be known, erupted in great cheer and boisterous glee. Etu glanced to Kutkutuk and raised his eyebrows, both were pleasantly surprised by the decision of their Great Father.

-Seventeen-

It was dark, the moon was but a sliver in the sky, the young female sat in water up to her chest. It had been an incredibly hot afternoon and the comfort she felt from the cool water was very welcome.

All about her was a multitude of night sounds, crickets, frogs and night birds. Their constant cacophony and the moving current was hiding any sound she made quite well. She was sitting in a particularly dark bend, and had no fear of being seen. Low hanging trees and reeds seemed to conceal her from view, blocking the naked woman from the unwanted eyes of potential harm.

With her long blonde hair pulled back, braided in a hap-hazard way. She quietly washed the sweat from her body, paying close attention to her sore nipples. She held no doubt now that she was well on to her way of becoming a mother, even if she desired it not to be true, she knew.

She cleansed her skin using a small flat reed-woven cloth she made herself, it was slightly rough but when soaked just enough it worked rather well. As she ran the 'cloth' over her slowly expanding belly, she marveled at the thought of a real human growing inside.

Throughout the heat of the day, the tiny child inside of her womb seemed to be quite active. Now though, the cool water seemed to give the little one some buoyancy, it had settled down almost as soon as she lowered herself into the stream.

'How could this be possible?' She thought to herself as she chased a flutter across her stomach. She had been forced to accept the fact that she was now a female and a mother to be.

She let her mind dwell upon that fact... mother to be. She knew, though unwillingly, she had been transformed into an exact duplicate of Leigh. She also knew that as part of the transformation process, the semen from her former testes had somehow been absorbed into this fertile feminine body. Even though she hated Leigh with a passion, for stealing her identity, she could take some solace that part of her former self would live on. Albeit through her offspring.

She studied her feminine curves in the soft light of the moon, Leigh was despicable...but she was also very lovely. At least if she was stuck until death, she would be beautiful. The young mother sighed.

Frustration grew in her as she cursed aloud, yet all that came to her ears was a guttural noise. As each day progressed, she could not create words because of whatever Leigh had forced down her throat. As far as she could tell, she had been deposited on this godforsaken planet for nearly 6 months. She again tried to whisper but it came out sounding like a deer in rut.

Gritting her teeth, she sank lower in the water until her head was completely under. With a shake of her head, the braid came loose and copious amounts of platinum blond hair began to drift about her face under the water's surface. Once again, as she rose to the top, she quietly pushed her hair back and blinked the water from her rather long lashes.

Slowly she stood, yet stayed concealed within the darkness of the shadows. Her eyes, accustomed to the light searched out for any danger lurking in the wood. There was none.

Quietly she retreated to the bank and watched as thin little droplets of water rolled down her womanly body. Again she sighed, for as much as she had seen, she was still not used to seeing it on her.

She felt the underside of her baby's bump, guessing that she was now somewhere near to six months along. The ever growing child within her body, causing a pull upon her back. She could tell as well that there was a slight expansion of her breasts, for the hide was becoming more and more tight with each day.

'Six months pregnant? I could just die!' She groaned to herself, as she thought of the impossibility that she was living through. She straightened up and set her jaw, she wouldn't let this destroy her. Her own mother had carried a child in this way several times, and he.. she, always thought of her mother as weak.

Now as if a veil had suddenly been removed from her beautiful eyes, for the first time she saw her mother as a very strong woman. Not Leigh's mother but Parks. Somehow she realized that the inner strength of a woman is something that she was going to have to discover, tapping into a vein, all of her own. She knew she could, she was strong and felt the power flow within.

The young beauty picked up her belongings and retrieved her spear from the tree it had been leaning against. She would be a survivor, for only the strong survive! She headed back toward her mountain, imbibed with a strange certain sense of raw feminine power... a quiet strength if you will.