I hope no one thought I had given up on this. It was a hard one to handle for me, but I hope you will enjoy it: Dawn.

Stone

18. The Footie

The train arrived in Greenwood just before dusk. As they crested the final ridge before the village, they were amazed as how it had changed since their last visit, just over a month ago. There were at least four additional side streets with new houses, either built or under construction. Stone estimated that there were an additional 100 new buildings.

The main street had been extended through the new cross streets, and new businesses were under construction along it. The saloon and adjoining blacksmith shop were now near the center of the community, instead of at the north end.

Even though it was late, Stone saw the smith, Notchless hard at work with his forge.

“Yo Captain,” the smith said in greeting. I fear that you come at a bad time. My stables are full, and I don’t think that Henderson will have any room for you in the saloon either. The annual game is on tomorrow, and the town is packed. We were busy with all the people moving in anyway, but the game has just clogged things up more. I think it is a 90-minute wait to get a meal, and forget about lodging. Even rooms in most houses have been rented out.”

“Well, we slept in the rough last night,” Stone said. “We can do it again. Can you sell us a couple bales of hay and a sack of oats for the horses?”

“Sure, and you can water them at my trough,” the smith said.

“So why all the new construction in the north end of the village?” Stone asked.

“You are the blame for that,” Notchless said. “When you said we will pay no taxes people in Sarn started moving in. Then a couple weeks back, the Duke banned slaves for the people, and that started a flood of people moving in to avoid his ridiculous taxes. He sent collectors to Greenford a couple weeks back, but your soldiers set them packing. Six of the men from here went down there to help, leaving two to look after this town.”

“Yes, I guess I’ll need to get a report from them,” Stone said. “I’m surprised they aren’t here, clamoring for their back pay.”

“No surprise there,” the smith said. “The town has been paying their wages. After they stopped the collectors, the council in Greenford decided that the town should pay them. Most of them are seeing local girls anyway, and I doubt they will want to go back with you. The town here formed a council – I am on it – and decided to levy a 10% tax rate. It will pay for our soldiers, and a few other civic projects. We hope to cobblestone the main street, among other projects. Plus we have been providing three meals for any of the new people who come in. After three days, they have to fend for themselves. Most have a job within hours. The tax collectors didn’t go back to Sarn, but became bandits, and about half the people coming in have been robbed of their food and goods.”

Just then one of the soldiers came in. “Sergeant Harress reporting, sir.”

The soldier reported on the battle in Greenford with the tax collectors, repeating much of what the smith had said. Stone learned that the 14 soldiers from the two towns faced nearly 100 from Sarn, but only a few of those were training in mounted fighting. About 44 of the attackers were killed or wounded, to only one Greenford soldier wounded. His horse was wounded as well, and had to be up down. Two of the mounted enemy surrendered, and the rest ran away, apparently to become bandits, mainly on the road from Sarn to Greenford.

The two who surrendered agreed to work for the village down there in return for eventual citizenship in the village. They told us that the Duke had stopped paying his soldiers, which is probably why they turned to banditry. If they had returned to Sarn empty-handed, bad things would have happened.

“The smith said that most of you fellows don’t want to rotate out,” Stone said.

“No sir,” the sergeant said. “Only Dension hasn’t found a girl down here. The rest of us would leave if ordered to, but really don’t want to go. The fellows down in Greenford say they feel the same. These little towns kinda grow on you.”

“Hrumpf,” Stone said eloquently. “We brought 48 men with us, thinking we needed to use 16 to replace you fellows. But if you want to stay, then you may.”

A huge grin appeared on Harress’s face, then it darkened. “Begging the Captain’s permission.” Stone nodded. “Would it be possible for me to choose the man who replaces Dension? My girl has a sister, and I’d like to choose someone that would be suitable for her. I know several of the lads who would make good mates for her.”

“This girl lives in the house you board in?” Harress nodded. “Why don’t you pick out four men and take them to dinner there tonight? The girl will be happier if she picks her own man. Let me know tomorrow night, and I’ll make sure the man she choses rotates in.”

“You are a genius, Captain. I’ll head off to see your men. I heard they are camping north of town.”

“One minute,” Stone said. “Are we expected to pay board fees for your men?”

“No sir, the town took that over when they started to pay us, including back fees.”

“Good enough,” Stone said. “Take this with you if you are going to the camp.” The big man hoisted the 100-pound bag of oats on the sergeant’s mount, which staggered a bit under the added load. The soldier walked his horse slowly out of town.

Stone grabbed one of the heavy hay bales in each hand, and headed back to the camp, leading Doug. Rayla was at the camp, organizing the set up and minding the children, who ran out to meet ‘Daddy’ when he appeared over the ridge.

Through the evening there was a stream of people from the town who came to the camp to meet with Stone. They were immigrants who were unable to gain acceptance to either Greenford or Greenwood, generally since they had been in businesses that were already in the towns, and didn’t need competition from Sarn. In one case a farmer arrived driving a steer, which he donated to the wagon train, including butchering the meat. He was thrilled to learn that there were no beef cattle farms in Greenstone, and that the Captain suggested he move his herd north. What’s more, a man he knew owned dairy cattle, and donated cheese and milk for the children. Stone told them to go north with four soldiers for protection, since beef on the hoof would be enticing to hungry bandits.

Other craftsmen were told to wait until Stone returned from Sarn. There was a printer, with his presses and type on two wagons. Stone pulled out the book written by Miss Relants and her husband, and the man said he would be able to start printing it as soon as he had a new shop up. Minutes later, a paper-maker appeared, then a glassblower, and a tinker. Stone hoped for a grist mill operator, like the saw mill operators he had already sent north, but was told that none had left Sarn yet, due to the costs involved in carting the heavy equipment.

All were happy to wait, and finally, long after Rayla and the children had gone to bed, Stone was able to join them in their little tent.

The next morning Stone headed to town in the morning, anxious to find out more about this ‘game’. Apparently the field was three miles long, with goals built at either end. Over 100 boys had come up from Greenford, and there were almost twice as many from Greenwood ready to play. Stone immediately insisted that the sides be even: the surplus Greenwood boys would wait until there was an injury or someone tired out. The others would all get to play in the second half.

The game started at 8 a.m., and the half time for lunch would be at noon. At one p.m. the game would resume until the final whistle at 5. The trophy, originally called the Duke’s Trophy, was renamed The Captain’s Cup, and Stone was asked to throw out the first ball. He heaved it over the 200 boys swarmed in front of him, and they moved in a great mass to chase it, with all 200 in a huddle around the ball, using force of weight to push the ball one way or another.

The result was a slow-moving game, although it might have run faster if all 200 home boys were allowed on the field. After a half hour Greenford scored the first goal, and the Greenwood players swarmed around Stone, begging to have the full team on the field.

“No. You boys need to learn to use tactics,” Stone said. He broke the team up into groups of eight, and told them to scatter themselves around the playing field. When Greenwood got the ball, they would kick it to one of the other squads, and quickly move the ball up the field. The boys caught on at once, and agreed to try the method.

At first it seemed a disaster. For a full mile, Greenford controlled the ball, with 100 against eight. But then a Greenwood player managed to kick the ball wildly towards one of the roving squads. All the Greenford players chased, but when they got to that group, the ball had been kicked to another group, and the mob had to chase after it, never catching up until after a tying goal had been scored.

Soon Greenford realized they would have to split up and cover all the Greenwood squads. The result was a faster moving game, with skill starting to triumph over brute force. When the bell rang at noon for lunch, the score was 24 to 22 for Greenwood, a record score, since most games ended in single digits.

The boys came over to Stone before going for their food, telling him the game was much more fun to play, and the injuries were way down. Both teams raised a cheer for ‘the Captain’ and then headed to the meals tables the mothers and girlfriends had set up. Stone and Jason, who had watched the game with more interest than his father, were also fed.

Jason was sure he wanted to play, but it was clear that the youngest boys were 15 or so. The boy agreed that his mother would not allow him to play until he was that age, or at least that size.

In the second half, Greenwood put many fresh players on the field, and as a result the game ended 51-47 in their favor. There were no broken bones in the match, which was unheard of, and mostly minor scrapes and bruises treated by the healers.

The Captain presented the Cup to the winning team, and there were cheers from both sides, with Greenford claiming they would win the rematch. Some people left right after the game, so it was possible for Stone and his family to get a good meal in the hotel that evening, even though the rooms were still full and they had to sleep another night in the tent.

Rayla had only watched about an hour of the game, losing interest, as did many of the women who didn’t have a son or boyfriend playing. She went shopping instead, and bought many trade goods, including the bolts of material that she knew she had to return with unless she wanted to face the seamstresses at her peril.

She sold some of the beef to the local butcher, since roasts and steaks were not appropriate for travel. The men still had a good beef stew each night, and beef jerky for when the fresh meat would have gone bad. She met up with Stone just after he had presented the Captain’s Cup, with the children trailing behind.

“So, are we ready to pull out tomorrow morning?” he asked as they greeted him.

“No,” Rayla said.

“Why not?”

“The butcher said that tomorrow is marrying day this month,” she replied. “His daughter is being wed by the mayor, and he asked if we could stay until after the ceremonies. He said his daughter would be honored if the Captain and his family were at the ceremonies. I said we would be there.”

Stone sighed. Even if he was not the one doing the marriages, it would still mean another day in town. Then he noticed something in Rayla’s eye.

“Wait,” he said. “Is there more to this than … Do you want to get married?”

“A dolly cannot marry her master,” Rayla said, almost by rote.

Stone detected something he had seen in her weeks ago. “If her master orders her to marry him, what happens?”

“Then the dolly would have to obey,” she said, a wide grin appearing on her face.

“I order you to marry me tomorrow,” he said. “Contact the mayor and get us on the list.”

“As you order, master,” Rayla said, and then skipped like a schoolgirl as she ran off to find the village mayor.

“What’s wrong with Mommy,” Jason said, confused by her odd actions.

“She is just happy,” Stone muttered.

“I don’t think I will ever understand grownups,” Jason said.

“No, and don’t expect that you will. Especially the female ones.”

-------

The next day the marriages started at noon, and Stone and Rayla went first. Apparently the honor of being married in front of the Captain was less than being married the same day as the Captain. Rayla wore her best dress, and looked lovely as they said their vows, in front of the two children.

When the ceremony was over, they walked back to the camp, and found their tent missing. O’Breyne, the driver of their special gypsy caravan, approached with a smile on his face, pointing over the ridge at the edge of camp. “I moved your tent over there, for privacy,” he said. “I will look after the kids for the rest of the day, and they can spend the evening in the caravan. I’ll sleep underneath, or inside on the floor if they get scared being alone.”

Stone was about to get angry at his tent being moved, but calmed down as Rayla dragged him towards the new location of the tent. “Hush,” she said. “I told him to do it. I wanted you alone for our first time as a married couple. You are going to get lucky this afternoon, and tonight.”

‘Get lucky’ confused Stone. Up to now Rayla had been afraid to do more than oral sex, claiming his member was too large, and would tear her apart. But now?

Inside the tent she started to undress, and helped him out of his buckskins. Soon they were naked, and she lay back on the pile of furs that made their bed.

“But I thought you were scared,” Stone said.

“I am, a little,” she said. “But I know you will be gentle and stop if I cry out.”

Stone started. He was a bit tentative. He had done this before, but only with his old body, which didn’t seem as dangerous as this one. He went slowly, and there were no screams of ‘stop’ so he continued.

An hour later they lay back and Stone’s member finally flopped out. They had actually done it three times, with Stone able to go flaccid and then regain his hardness without pulling out. Rayla blinked her eyes a few times and then smiled at him.

“Was it good for you too?” she asked.

“Perfect, but I think you have drained me. Did it hurt?”

“Not a bit. I am a dolly, after all. My body was built for this. Expect to leave the kids with O’Breyne a lot in the next little while. But let’s go to the river and clean up, and then to dinner. It must be dinner already.”

It wasn’t, for another two hours. It has just seemed like it had gone on forever. But the kids ran up to hug and play with them until it was time to eat. Then, after dinner it was family time, and when it was their bed times, O’Breyne came by to collect them. Not long after, the captain and his new wife left and walked hand and hand over the ridge.

That night was long and pleasurable for both they newlyweds. Again Stone was able to get erect two or more times in Rayla, who claimed that feeling him harden inside of her was ‘exquisite’. And after they finished once, and Stone felt he could never go again, she managed to use some of the dolly tricks that were engrained into her brain to brink him to the brink again. It was just before dawn when they went down to the icy river to clean up and head back to the camp for breakfast. They were first served, and finished before their excited kids came running over to hug them. O’Breyne followed, and admitted that Emily had been too scared to sleep alone in the caravan, so he came in and slept on the floor. The sound of an adult breathing was all the little girl needed, so she quickly settled down and slept soundly for the rest of the night.