Mongol Nights

I skidded to a stop at the end of the burm and stepped off my board, watching the judging box. Sheila was strutting around like a peacock in full bloom. When it was announced that she had won the first round. She started harrassing me, “Lay down Bitch.” She said, “You loser! Better give up now.”

When they said that I was to go first on the next run, she pitched a tantrum, but they stood firm on it. I just turned and headed for the snowmobile that would transport me up the hill to the top. My brain was already sorting through the tricks I was going to be doing and seeing what I could pull. I saw a couple boarders off on another area pulling some complicated stunts and filed them away for later usage.

Thankfully, I didn't have to deal with her harrassment this time around. The transport was only good for one person. So she had to cool her heels until the snowmobile came back for her. Once at the starting chute, I stepped into the bindings of my board. “She won the last set,” I told the guy there.

He frowned. “And I bet she just ate that all up, didn’t she?” At my nod, he sighed. “You did good last time. Work the pipe a bit more and stretch out some of the higher stunts. You’ll do fine. Now get going.” He grinned and pointed me down the hill.

Laughing I launched myself down the hill to gain speed, then started mixing it up, getting some high time in the air and pulling some handstand type stunts, a somersault or two in mid air, and a couple rail skimmers. I was so concentrated on what I was doing that a snowball hit my helmet didn’t even faze me. I got to the bottom of the run and slid to a halt, breathing a bit hard from the strain. My knee and leg were screaming in pain, but I ignored the pain in favor of keeping up appearances even tho all I wanted to do was ice down the knee and upper thigh area for the rest of the day.

Looking up, I saw the panel of judges grinning at me. I took a bow and went over to one side. Somehow the competition had attracted a small crowd of onlookers. As I sat down, someone handed me a bottle of gatorade to keep me going. I looked up to say thanks and almost lost my jaw in shock. It was the old man from the vision! I must have looked like a fish out of water because he laughed and the words came to my mind, *close your mouth, ShadowBear, or else you’ll have flies in there.*

My jaw snapped shut and I managed a smile. “Thank you.” I said. The old man nodded, looking very incongruent in one of the ski lodge’s snow suits, and walked off. I formed the words in my mind, hoping he’d hear, *You keep this up, Little Father, and people will think you have a crush on me or something!*

I had the delight of seeing him pause and bend over slightly as laughter erupted from him. I smiled, then finished off the gatrade that he handed me. I dont know what was in that stuff, but suddenly my leg quit hurting and I felt energized. *A gift from the spirits, ShadowBear. You will need your strength for the upcomming days. But I do suggest that you get a brace for that leg. After all, we mere mortals are NOT indestructable.*

I laughed to myself, *Be nice, Little Father. I plan on giving a lesson to this woman and then soaking in a nice hot tub for the rest of my time here.*

*No you wont* came the reply as the old man turned to look back at me, *You’re needed elsewhere.* he grinned mischeviously, and even at this distance I could see the wink he sent my way*Never fear, ShadowBear, you will see your mate again. But in a land of snow and nomads instead of these mountains or a tropical paradise.* With that, he walked off into a crowd of people and disappeared.

Shaking my head at the news, I turned back to see Sheila botch her last trick and land face first in the snow. I went over immediately and said, “Are you ok? You need help?” I offered a hand to her if she needed assistance.

A hand came up and swatted mine away, “I’m fine, asshole. Just go away and leave me alone.”

She kicked off the board and stood up. I hid a smile as her nose now looked worse than mine. I turned and walked back to a corner where I could sit down and rest. After a few moments of deliberation, they announced that I was the winner this time. And to prevent another outburst from Sheila, they decided she got to go first. Which was fine by me. It gave me a chance to get my breath back for the final run.

She looked at me and growled, “You won this round, but I’ll make sure you wont win the last one. I’m going to win.”

I sighed and shook my head, “With that attitude, Sheila, you’ve already lost. Even if you win, you’ve lost.”

For once she was speechless. Finally she started to raise a fist to me. I lifted my goggles and looked at her, letting my face go blank. Whatever she saw in those eyes made her lower her fist and turn pale.

I lowered my voice and said, “Be very careful, Sheila, which tail you want to twist at this moment in time. The tail may be attatched to something that will turn around and bite you in the ass.”

She turned and all but ran for the snowmobile, almost tripping on her board as she sat down behind the driver. The murderous look she threw over her shoulder at me could have melted a 6 ft circle around me where I stood. When that didn’t have any effect, she thumped the driver on the head and yelled at him.

I lowered the goggles back onto my face and sighed. “I’m beginning to really dislike that woman,” I murmered to myself. The people standing behind me were definitely not happy with her as the people who saw what started it all, spread the story.

Looking over at the Judges box, I spotted Kiefer staring at me with some concern. I grinned, shook my head and chuckled. Pointing at the top of the slope, I made wobbly motions and a couple spins. Then pointed to the figure making her run and hanging herself. He laughed and turned back to watch her do her stunts.

When I got to the top of the slope, the snowmobile driver and the guy manning the gates bracketed me. The looks in their eyes were not happy and I thought I knew why.

“You want to watch the pipe this time down,” the gateman said. “She threw something down as she was doing her run.” They were clearly pissed at this action. I knew word would get down to the bottom of the run.

The driver looked at me and grinned. “You want to really nail her with a good move?” he leaned in and whispered some instructions into my ear.

I laughed outright. “You two are incredible,” I chuckled. “I think I’ll save that one for the last trick of the day.” I shook my head and got ready for the most dangerous run of them all. “By the way, let'em know down the hill what’s going on. If this doesn't work, I’m probably gonna have some serious snow burn to be dealing with.” I paused at the gate, “And make sure no one else goes down this run until it’s cleaned, Okay?”

They nodded and I leapt into action. I pulled out all the stops, rail gridners, tail grabbers, 360’s. I found out what she had tossed down as I did a handstand at the top of one of the rims. I grabbed one of the objects and stuck it in a pocket before finishing the run.

The last move was really funny, I got some hang time and they called it a Moonie. Which is exactly what it was. I came down with my bare ass facing Sheila, then I pulled up my pants and came to a full stop as I finished buckling. As expected, they claimed I was the winner and the little bitch attacked me.

This time, however, I was not going to put up with it. Before she knew what had happened, I had her on her knees in a headlock that I could have easily broken her neck with. I looked up at Steven Mallory and said, “Keep everyone off that half pipe until you get the cleanup crews over that place with a fine toothed comb!” I pulled out a small metal caltrip out of a pocket and handed it to him. “These are all over the place up there. Complments of this woman.” I tightened my hold and she grimaced.

Mr. Mallory looked it over and his face turned red as the security guys came over. She was taken away in handcuffs to the relieved smiles of everyone involved. He snagged a radio and called to the guys up top and then switched channels for a cleanup crew.

I sighed.“Thanks, Steven. I hated to ruin people’s day because of her.” I grinned.

He laughed, joined in shortly by the five judges, “I’ll never forget the look on her face when you came down, with your butt hanging out like that.” Even the little girl was laughing.

I blushed, “Yeah, well, the credit for that one goes to your two employees up on top of the half pipe. Seems Sheila didn't make any friends topside.” I winked. “I’m just glad I got down the run in one piece.”

Kiefer moved to the forefront of the crowd, laughter still dancing in his eyes. He handed me a bottle of water. “So, you nailed the move for the first time. You get the honor of naming it. As if we didn't already know.”

I shook my head and took a drink. “I’m gonna call it Sheila Moonie,” which prompted hysterical laughter from all involved. I sometimes have a sadistic mentality. “I dedicate it to Sheila Montgomery. Because without her, the move would probably be still buckled up.” I was barely holding in the laughter at the last.

Suddenly, in the midst of all the laughter, my cell phone started ringing. I frowned, took it out of my jacket and looked at the number. It was Fred. I answered it. “Okay Fred, this must be important if you’re calling me in the middle of your own self-imposed incommunicado R&R of me.”

Everyone started drifting away now that things were finished here. The boarders spreading the news about the new move, the father and daughter heading off to a more tamer past time. The manager was called away to deal with the legalities. Kiefer, however, was the only one who stayed. I handed him my water, then picked up my board and nodded to a bench near the ski lodge. Kiefer headed ahead of me.

Fred's voice came through the phone, “Yeah. Yeah, I know. I know. But this can’t be helped. How soon can you get back into town and on a plane for Ulan Bataar?”

I stopped dead in my tracks. “You want me to go to Mongolia? WHY for gods sakes.”

“Shut up and listen,” came his annoyed voice. “I wouldn't have called you if the photographer I had sent there had done his job and not stupidly got involved in a few things that he shouldn’t. The environmentalist agency is willing to give our company another chance after seeing the Andalusian spread you did. “ He muttered, “How the hell was I supposed to know that Andrew was a religious fanatic?”

I refrained from mentioning all the christian stuff in his office and on his person. By this time I had sat down on the bench next to Kiefer. He immediately started to nuzzle my neck. “So what’s the job?” The lips stilled at my neck.

“Snow Leopards,” came the prompt reply. “You’re going to be spending time with the Mongol nomads in the mountains, photographing the snow leopard. When you’re done with that, they want some pictures of the procedures that the nomads use when hunting with Golden Eagles in Kazakhistan.”

I groaned as both the information and Kiefer’s teeth on my ear came at the same time, driving me almost insane.

“You have got to be kidding me. What in hell did this guy do to the populace? Try and destroy one of the holy sights?” I winced at the thought. “Wait, dont answer that, Fred. If he did, I’d be tempted to break his legs for him.”

A chuckle from both men came at the same time, but Fred said, “You dont want to know. Anyways, the people involved were impressed with your work and won't take no for an answer. You need to be back here yesterday. They’ve got two months to document the leopards and the eagles. Two months that started a week ago.” There was a click and a dial tone.

Kiefer finally looked at me. “Does that look mean what I think it means?”

I nodded and told him what I was up against. “That and the fact that I’m not a religious fanatic will help.” I smiled and leaned against him, unmindful of the photographers that may or may not be hiding out. Suprisingly, I didn't care either. I sighed and turned to look him in the eyes, “I have to go, and go now. Fred said that they needed me there NOW. “

He nodded and whispered, “Get going, keeper of my heart. Otherwise I’ll be tempted to drag you off to a cave somewhere and ravish your body until you beg me to stop.” His eyes burned with desire as he looked into my eyes.

I pulled off the gloves and undid the front of my jacket. I pulled out the beaded necklace, the one with the bearclaw on it, that was around my neck and took it off. Looking at Kiefer, I looped it around his neck and letting my hand slide down to his heart, I said, “Take care of this for me and I will always be with you, no matter where I am.”

He put his hand over my heart and we sat there for a couple moments before it happened. As if the thought hit us both at the same time, we drew our hands back to clasp them together between us, then move our hands twards our own hearts. In unison we said, “Keeper of my heart, be safe until you return.”

I leaned over and gave him one last, lingering kiss before heading to the rental place, and then back to the cabin to repack. As I left him sitting there, my leg from thigh to ankle started throbbing. Now, each step was agony, as if my heart and my leg did not want to leave. Hell, I didn't want to leave either, but I did anyways. I left him sitting there, alone, in the snow, remembering the taste of my lips caressing his.

*************

A week later, I found myself planted in the middle of a Mongol Nomad camp with my camera and my laptop. Both of them had all the bells and whistles with them. Including the special telephoto lens for the digital. I looked around and sighed at the wild beauty of the place.

Imagine nature in its most primal setting and you’ll have Mongolia. It’s beautiful, wild, dangerous and breathtaking. According to those that I was working with, the place has little changed since the time of Ghengis Khan. I can honestly believe that, too.

I was set up in a small yurt with my translator. Thankfully for me, I had bought a knee brace for the rigors of this place. I had a few hours to get settled before climbing aboard a Mongol horse and riding out to see what could be seen. It took us three days to find the right area for the Leopards. The nomads showed us where they had been spotted and pointed out the fresh tracks.

Nodding to them, I got pictures of the tracks and anything else related to the animal I could get before dark. Just before returning to camp, I set up some infared cameras and others with night vision lenses attatched to them. Attatched were pressure pads so that if an animal did come that way, the cameras would go off.

Back at camp I was greeted with a truly interesting sight, as well as the buttered tea and yak meat. It was a Shaman. My translator was equally suprised as well. He told me that the woman had shown up a few hours after we had left and simply sat near the fire. She was accorded all the honors due to her but aparantly, when asked, said that she was waiting for the ShadowBear to return. Which really threw not only my mongol friends, but myself into shock.

I stepped forward into the firelight and nodded, “I am ShadowBear, Honored One.” There was a pause as it was translated.

She nodded and then proceeded to speak rapidly to those around her, shooing them away from the two of us. Amazingly, all of them except for my translator left. He looked uncertainly at me, then at her. She shot an agitated stream of words at him, and he argued back until I placed a hand on his arm.

“It’s okay, Chen.” I said after watching her eyes, “I think I can get along without you for a while. Whatever she asked you to do, go ahead and get going.” He left.

She looked at me in the eyes and motioned me to sit next to her. As I sat down she smiled and said, in almost perfect english, “Welcome to Mongolia. I’ve been waiting to see what the old man was going to send into my realm.” Her eyes twinkled with laughter.

Shaking my head, I laughed, “I only met him a few weeks ago, Honored One.” I dipped a ladle into the pot of buttered tea near the fire and offered her the cup with both hands, then snagged some for myself. “Your presence confirms what Little Father has told me where I was going to go. Now, perhaps, you will tell me why I am here.”

She smiled, “Don’t get all formal on me now, Diane. You may call me Jin Mai if you must call me anything. I have another name, but that is for a different time and place,” she winked. “As to why you are here, there is a problem that only you can solve. It requires only a day of your time.”

I nodded. “I will try to do what I can, but I don't think the people I work for will be too happy about it, Jin Mai. The Snow Leopard project has priority. But if you can back me up on it and make sure they know what’s going on, I’ll help out.” I drank some of the tea, letting the warmth seep into my body.

Jin nodded, “Oh, don't worry about that. And you wont have to even go very far for this one.” She sighed, “It’s this. A village ten miles from this place is being terrorized by something that even I can’t get close to. It’s mangled several children and adults. No one has been able to get a glimpse of it.”

Shaking my head, I said, “Are they okay, the children and the adults? Do they have medical attention?” My brain was working overtime at this point. “Are there any descriptions of this thing?”

She said softly, “They will be fine. The Doctors without Borders people are helping those that need it. But no one can give a clear description of this thing. I went looking and found what appears to be a large track of a bear heading upwards into the hills. But nothing else.”

I nodded, “Tomorrow, we will see what I can do for this village.” I smiled, “But now, I need to get under some covers because, unlike you, I’m not used to freezing my tits off sleeping under the stars.”

She laughed outright and said, “Sleep, ShadowBear, for tomorrow you will see this done.” She put a hand on my shoulder and I was out like a light.

I woke to find myself in a yurt with a warm body next to me. Rolling over, I found myself face to face with the only man to make my hormones run overtime. I opened my lips to say something to him, but he put a finger over them. Seconds later his lips covered mine in a soft, sensual kiss. I closed my eyes and gave myself up to his passion.

Suddenly, I felt the cool air and opened my eyes in shock at the feel of the rough bark of a pine tree digging into my bare back. I groaned as it dawned on me that this was a dream. But Oh, what a dream. Kiefer’s lips feasted on my hard nipples, making me forget about anything but him. My hands, frantic to touch him, ran themselves through his hair as he kissed his way down my body. I was on fire, as if I were in the middle of the sun. Never had this sensation been so intense as right now.

His hands caressed their way down my ribs as he knelt before me. I spread my legs and felt his mouth close over my wetness. His tongue was like a whirlwind on my clit while he worked two fingers into my heated pussy. I couldnt help it, I arched against him as a silent scream of orgasm tried to make itself heard. Lights exploded behind my eyelids as he didn't wait for me to come down but swiftly stood and impaled me on his cock.

This wasnt love making, this was hard, primal lust taking over. In the back of my head, my rational mind was warning me that this was only a dream. My subconcious mind told it to shut up and go away as I was pounded and thrusted against the tree behind me. All I could hear was the ragged breathing of Kiefer and the soft whimpering that I was doing when I could actually get a sound out of my lips. Lips, that were being constantly caressed and nibbled by him.

Then it happened, it felt like the whole world was having one big orgasm through me. It was like stars exploding all around us. My whole body began to shake and tighten. I looked at Kiefer to see that he was going through the same thing I was. Our moves became more frantic as we topped out and a sun exploded in both of us.