History of the Changelings Billy Barker, Zorn, Brad Jenkens by D.A.Sanford - HTML preview

To the camp grounds

Now that things have settled down after the farm visit, Thoughts turn to the last settlement in our area, the camp grounds.

In the time before, camp grounds was a vacation spot that had cabins around a small lake. The now meeting house was once the office, store and rec room. The second floor was the owner’s home. That is now the mayor’s home. Reva was the first to settle there.

“I want to go to the camp grounds. I need to gather the health records of each. They may have a healer there. That would be a god send. Extra hands. What do you say my husband? Want to see if it is a new field for you to plow?”

Ginger laughs as do my other wives.

“If we are going, what do you say if I said that all of the flock goes?” I ask.

Ann is the first to speak but she reflects Blaze and Betsey’s opinions.

“We had a flock wives meeting when you and Ginger came back from Daisy’s farm. I for one am tired of traveling. If it is not an emergency, we will let you go with Ginger. She always should go to check on their health. You, well let’s just say that you still have a wonder lust. You wonder who you will lust after.”

That caused a few of my wives to laugh so hard that they had to run to the toilet or pee right there.

The three are more than capable of running Cross Roads while I am gone. All of the residents are more than capable of defending our village. Ginger gathers what we need for the trip. This time we will need to scout out hides along the way. Set them up in the fashion that Daisy establish. We take Betsey’s bag with the extras that we may need.

Since these hides will benefit both places, I will get Reva to kick in some supplies to stock on the way back. I will make a map as we go. I do think that it will be a good idea to stock a few bottles of vinegar.

I get the usual night before send off. They miss me as much as I will miss them but they have the rooms to expend their energy and they will involve the FT’s. I really do not want to know and if they want me to know, they will tell me. I have come back sometimes to find them content.

We set out in the morning. All know that this will take a few days to get there. Not because of the distance but setting up those hides. Again, this area is rocky terrain. We should not have trouble finding the needed caves.

Just like Daisy, we walked around until mid day, then explored the area to find suitable hides. Unlike Daisy, I have told Ginger that we will, on the way back, take the extra time and find hides in between the ones we find on the way to the camp grounds.

It was on the third day out that we crest the hill. There in a valley, was a small lake. We walked closer and heard a bell ringing. People were going to what appears to be defensive posts. I need to make our intensions known. I yell,

“Attention camp grounds, we are friendly.” We stop where we are. “You need to tell Reva that Cross Roads Billy and Ginger are here. We will wait here.”

It was only a matter of a minute that we see Reva come out and wave us to come on in.

Caution is paramount to living. I commend her on her people loud enough for them to hear. You could tell that they were appreciative.

Reva invited us to the meeting room along with the residents. She addresses her people then us.

“These are the two that I met along the way to Daisy’s farm. Billy here is the one that introduced himself by driving me out of the hide. I learned so much from them but most important, the red ribbon. Billy, Ginger, I thank you for coming here. I hope that this is more than just a visit.”

I’m not going to misinterpret anything so I keep my mouth shut. Ginger tells them that she is making a complete history for all the residents of both Cross Roads and the farm.

Now she wanted to include camp grounds.

“Do you have a healer here?”

A canid raises her hand. “I have the basics in potions but lack the high heal to treat major injuries.”

Ginger tells her and Reva that she will need to come to her clinic.

“It will take about a week but I will be able to teach you how to do that or stabilize them enough for me to get here. Reva, I see a few harpies here, if the needs are urgent, you can send one to the clinic as a messenger.”

Then Ginger looks to the harpies and asks if that is alright with them. They said that it would be their honor to do that.

“Now Billy,” Reva asks, “while Ginger is talking with our healer, why don’t I show you around.” She knows about the first time at Daisy’s so she looks at Ginger.

“Is it okay with you that I show your flock leader around?” To which she tells Reva that it was with the flock wives’ permission that if he wanted to be shown around, he could with our blessing.

I look out and see the harpies bouncing and raising their hands. I call on them.

“You mention flock, what do you mean by that?” You could almost see the moisture flowing.

“My first wife is a harpy and was without a flock. I met her in a hide a few years ago. We hit it off and she asked if I would let her travel with me. Said yes. A little later we mated and became a pair. Blaze started to call me her flock leader. Ginger and two others are also my wives.”

Now Ginger pipes in. “We flock wives are now sisters. Blaze is the first wife. She is a harpy, we have two felids and a canid in the flock. Blaze does not want to have any more harpies in the flock but she is not opposed on having Billy share the comfort to others.”

She looks at me and asks me if Blaze was the only harpy that I have been with. I tell her yes. Ginger now looks at Reva.

“I think that you may want to show him where these women live so he can see what he may need to add to the Blaze room.”

By their excited faces at the mention of the Blaze room, they have heard of our third floor. I say to Reva.

“Would you please allow one or more of these lovely ladies to fly to Cross Roads to let them know that we have arrived safely. Of course, they would have to stay the night with my wives.”

One of them volunteers and before Reva could say anything, she was off.

Reva assures me that the three others will be able to show me their nest.

“Now why don’t we start to walk around.”

We casually walk around while Ginger talks to their healer. This is a nice place. Plenty of space between cottages. All look well taken care of. They take pride in their community.

The harpies were more than inviting as we were close to their cabin. It seems that they are not obsessed with how much or how little clothing worn. They were already on the nude side. They invite me to see their nest. I take them up on it.

I got to know all the residents here. There were actually more closed couples there than single. I found it actually enjoyable just to sit and talk with others. Not that I don’t like the other’s but it is nice to just relax and swap tales. They have quite a few of older people who met after this world went to hell. They are happy to hear my tales, especially how I found out that I needed something other than candy to eat.

Even here, there are few human females. The species will eventually die out. In my travels, I have only seen two but here, there are three but all are over sixty. Again, I think that the species will die out. I can see that this world will soon be only populated with the other races.

It’s not that we will be missed, we caused most of the problems.

I have noticed that there are a few of the old cottages on the far end of the lake that are in need of repair. They are on the large side and the occupied ones on this side are couples. The large size would be too much for a couple and would be impossible to heat during the winter. I do feel that if this mutant problem is finally put to rest, I want to fix one of these large ones as a get away but the mutant problem is here to stay. As is the virus.

As long as people are living, we will never run out of the three. The human runners have gone away but so has the human population.

With no human females, other than Jenny, in my life, I don’t need to worry about children. Jenny, does not have any children. I figure that she may not be able to have them or I am sterile. Either way it does not matter. All my wives are different races and I can’t get them pregnant.

We talk to everyone. Ginger has her medical records so, after a few days, we are ready to return home. This time Ginger is having their healer come back with us. It has been decided that we will stay with the four hour travel hides. The extra ones would actually be a waste of resources.

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