The campfire blazed brightly in the cool night, it's warmth radiating to the men surrounding it and helping to keep the chill off.
"Getting pretty cold tonight, boys," announced Henri from the edge of the darkness. "Keep that fire going."
"Yeah, Boss," replied Bucky. "I"ll make sure of it."
"You're a good lad, Bucky Boy," Charlie piped in. "You make sure my balls don't freeze tonight, eh?”
"Yeah, you can keep my balls warm too, Bucky," teased Old Bill. "You won't even need a fire."
The older men broke out in laughter as Bucky shook his head.
"You men leave the boy alone. You hear me?" Henri scolded. "The boy outworks you fools every day without a gripe."
"We're just teasing him, Boss," Charlie replied. "I know Old Bill will keep my balls warm."
Bucky and Henri laughed as Old Bill snorted. "Fuck you, Charlie. You keep your own balls warm."
Bucky stood up and stretched. It had been a long day of digging. The mining claim covered a big area, almost seven days to walk across and so far yields were small.
Henri had been working this claim for two seasons already, closing on three. He claimed that if they found gold or nickel he could sell the claim to one of the large mining companies and we would all be wealthy. Old Bill and Charlie had joined him last season and agreed to return for one more. If it didn't pay out before winter they were leaving.
The boreal forests of the northern woodlands were huge, dense and difficult to traverse. Peat bogs, marsh and rivers covered the rocky landscapes of pines, firs and a variety of deciduous trees. The days could be hot and humid, the nights cold and damp. Flies, mosquitoes and other insects would swarm at times, making it unbearable to deal with and difficult to work.
Bucky found the work hard and the ground unforgiving. The rock and stone below the thin covering of soil, leaves and moss was hard and, at times, impenetrable. They would move along at a snail's pace as they looked for the spots Henri had marked on his maps.
"Hey, where you going?" Bucky asked Henri as he watched him pick up a lantern and leave the warmth of the fire.
"Just going to build a log cabin, be back in a few."
Bucky glanced over at Old Bill with a quizzed look.
"He's going to take a shit."
"Oh," Bucky chuckled. "Never heard that one before."
"There's lots you ain't heard yet," Old Bill said as he rubbed his finger under his ear. "You're still wet behind the ears, boy."
Charlie chuckled and shook his head. "Don't listen to him, kid, he's just a crotchety old bastard."
Bucky stoked the fire as Charlie and Old Bill laid down and wrapped themselves in sleeping blankets. He added another log before sitting back down on his comfortable stump that served as a chair.
Old Bill was having his third bad dream when Bucky realized Henri had been gone a long time. He had been mesmerized by the flames of the fire and time had passed quickly. He decided to wake up Charlie.
"Hey, Charlie," he said as he shook his shoulder. "I'm worried about Henri , he ain't back yet."
Charlie sat up and shook the sleep from his mind.
"How long he been gone?" he asked.
"Not sure, been a long time though. Old Bill had two dreams already."
Charlie got up and gestured at the sleeping man.
"Wake him up, tell him what you told me."
Bucky gently shook Bill awake and told him about Henri. Old Bill rose quickly, picked up his rifle and looked at Charlie.
"Get your rifle Charlie. Kid, grab a lantern."
Bucky scooped up a lantern and followed as Old Bill led them into the dark brush away from the camp. They scoured the bush slowly, carefully watching the ground in front of them as they navigated the thickness of the dark forest.
"Bill, over here," Charlie called out.
Bucky followed Old Bill and they joined Charlie at the opening of a small clearing. Henri was nowhere in sight but the lantern and his coat were on the ground.
"Henri?" Charlie called out. The sound echoed in the darkness across the clearing but was swallowed by the dense brush surrounding them.
"What do you think?" Charlie asked.
"I think we return to camp and come back in the daylight," Old Bill replied. "That's what I think."
Bucky stayed quiet and stared into the darkness. He jumped when Charlie put his hand on his shoulder.
"Come on, Bucky. Nothing we can do in the dark."
The three returned to camp, stoked the fire and sat quietly.
"Where you think he is?" Bucky asked.
"Bear, cougar maybe," Charlie shrugged. "Find out tomorrow I suspect."
"Fucking bear my ass," Old Bill grunted. "We would've heard something. I've heard bears get men before. It ain't quiet."
"What happened then?" Bucky asked.
"Try to rest, kid," Old Bill replied. "We will look tomorrow."
The men set out at daybreak. They carried water, food and first-aid supplies along with their rifles, enough to travel three days. Old Bill had insisted.
They paused at the edge of the clearing and looked around for any sign of Henri. Old Bill pointed to an elevated rock cropping on the far side of the clearing.
"That's where we start," he announced. "Now watch your step, might be a bog of peat under this clearing."
Bucky followed the lead of the older men. He had heard the tales of men stepping in a peat bog. A foot of peat floating as a solid mass on deep water could break open and swallow you up at any time. He was nervous, even though the ground felt solid.
Old Bill was scanning the grassy area of the clearing as they traversed, looking for a trail or a sign of Henri. Upon reaching the edge he paused and inspected the rocky outcropping.
"Looks safe," he announced.
The men climbed to the top and stood up at the edge. They had a clear view of the clearing and could even see their camp in the distance.
"Someone was watching us," Old Bill stated. "Shit."
He pointed at their feet and Bucky found himself looking at a large set of footprints.
"What the fuck?" Charlie exclaimed as he pointed at the indented soil. "No boots, just bare feet?"
Old Bill turned, stared into the distance behind them and gestured for the others to follow. He pointed at a faint trail running up the ridge and disappearing into the bush.
"Let's go."
Bucky and Charlie followed along as Old Bill led them along the trail. At the top of the ridge he pointed at a small lake in the distance.
"There is some kind of shack or something there, along the far tree line."
Bucky followed the shoreline of the lake until he could make out the place Old Bill was pointing to.
"Someone lives there?" Bucky asked.
"Maybe so," Old Bill answered. "Let's go find out."
The men hiked for almost two hours before reaching the lake. The ground had been hilly, the valleys dense bush and the ridges a steep climb. They sat for a bit and rested.
"How do you want to do this?" Charlie asked.
"You go knock, we will wait here and watch," Old Bill replied.
Bucky laughed as Charlie glared at Old Bill.
Old Bill stood up and shrugged. "We just take a look around before we get too close. You guys keep an eye out for anything odd."
They approached with caution. As they neared the shack a figure appeared at the entrance and looked right at them. It just stood there.
"Guess someone is home," Old Bill announced. "Come on."
As they got closer Bucky could see it was an elderly woman. Her hair was tied back in a long ponytail and she was dressed in some type of brown hide pants and shirt. She didn't smile.
"Hello," Old Bill said with a nod of his head.
The old woman nodded and went inside. The men followed and were shown a place on the floor to sit. Bucky nervously sat down and looked around as Old Bill began talking to the woman in a strange language. Charlie and Bucky exchanged confused looks as the conversation went on.
The shack was larger than it appeared and had sparse decor. A large sleeping area, raised off the floor, filled one corner of the room. A few wooden chairs and a tiny wooden table sat by the only window. A large fireplace filled the side wall of the room and appeared to have been recently used.
Bucky noticed a few things on the walls - string necklaces with stones, strings of beads, and long, thin strips of leather hanging on nails. On a small shelf were rocks, feathers in a bundle tied with a leather strip, candles and a small metal container.
"Uh, we need to talk, boys," Old Bill announced. "Outside."
They stood up and stretched before stepping outside. Bucky and Charlie waited patiently as Old Bill rubbed his forehead and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"All right, listen up," he said. "She figures Henri was taken to a place not too far from here. She says there's some... people... there who took him as a slave or something... I guess that's what she meant."
"No shit?" Bucky exclaimed in surprise.
"No shit, kid," Old Bill replied. "She'll show us the way, but first you gotta service her."
"What ?" Charlie choked out.
"Not you Charlie," Old Bill smiled. "She wants Bucky Boy to do the deed."
Bucky stared at the two men. "What does that mean?"
"It means you fuck her good, she takes us to Henri," Old Bill explained.
Charlie chuckled and patted Bucky on the ass. Bucky moved away and glared at him.
"Come on, kid," Old Bill said as he gestured to the open door. "Get fucking."
As Bucky entered the shack the two men chuckled and walked away. Bucky closed the door and saw the old woman standing in front of the bed. She reached back and untied her hair, the long, graying bundle cascading down her back and over her shoulders.
She undid the bone buttons of the shirt and let it fall to the floor. Bucky was surprised to see a pair of firm breasts the size of large apples under the garment. She tugged down the pants and stood naked in front of him. A large mound of graying hair lay nestled between firm thighs and long, slender legs.
He became rock hard as he watched her slowly climb onto the bed, her shapely hips and firm ass seductively undulating as she moved. He stripped down and moved to the bed.
She put her hand up - stop - and looked him over. With a smile she gestured for him to join her and reached for his cock as he nestled close to her.
Her hand grasped him in gentle, firm grip and slowly stroked him as his hand traveled her body. Her brown, tanned skin was soft and smooth under his fingers. He stopped her hand as he was almost ready to cum and she smiled and took her hand away.
She lay on her back and put her arms above her head as she spread her legs apart. Bucky took the hint and began kissing her neck and working his way down to her breasts.
The hard purplish nipples felt good in his mouth and she moaned as he suckled them. He slid his hand between her legs and his fingers were welcomed by the hot, wet folds of her pussy. He slid a finger in between them and pushed it into her.
She moaned and he felt her hands on his head, pushing him lower. He trailed his tongue along her stomach and moved himself down between her legs.
The patch of grey was soft on his nose as he buried his face between her legs. She tasted surprisingly sweet and he licked her fervently as she moaned and moved her hips. Her thighs pressed tightly around his head as she climaxed, his face becoming slick with her juices.
Bucky moved up on his knees, pulled her hips up and slid his cock into her. It was wet but tight as he worked the full length into her. She wrapped her legs around him as he began fucking her, pulling him in as her nails traced razor thin lines on his back. Slow thrusts became frantic fucking.
With a loud groan from Bucky and a guttural moan from her they climaxed together, Bucky's seed going deep inside of her while her legs squeezed him tightly. He lay forward and caught his breath as she milked his cock dry. She relaxed her legs and he slipped out of her, a few dollops of cum running out and onto the bed.
They lay together for a few minutes before Bucky rolled onto his back. She climbed over him, got off the bed and began to dress. He decided to follow her lead.
Once dressed she tied her hair back up and smiled at Bucky. He thought she looked pretty, younger somehow. He pulled his pants on while she moved about. As he was buttoning his shirt she came to him and put her hand on his chest. Her fingers lingered for a moment in the light hair and sent a shiver through Bucky. His loins stirred at the touch.
She put her hands up and dropped the leather strip of the necklace over his head and around his neck. She smiled, kissed him on the cheek and said something he didn't understand.
Bucky smiled back and examined the pendant that now hung on his chest. It was a small piece of bone and highly polished. He liked it.
"Thank you, Ma'am," he said with a grin.
He leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead while he buttoned up his shirt. With a grunt he pulled on his boots, then picked up his coat before following her out the door.
***
Charlie patted Bucky on the shoulder as the men followed her along the edge of the forest. The bush was thick and the shoreline thinned out quickly.
"Good job, kid," he chuckled. "She sure seems to have liked it."
Bucky grinned. "I did my best."
She stopped and pointed at a ridge in the distance. It jutted out just above the trees. Old Bill spoke with her in that strange language until the conversation ended with her walking away. She paused to give Bucky a touch on the face with her finger and a smile before she returned to the direction they had come from.