The day of the summer solstice arrived. The village had been decorated with flowers for the upcoming wedding. Everyone was excited. It would mean giant feast with imported Roman wine. Rolf had kept his word and commissioned a pair of dresses that would be the envy of the other women of the tribe. Enid had spent the night outside staring at the full moon. The chief of the neighboring tribe had travelled to witness the event as had several of the wolf-kin. Silver-Tooth was not among them. This did not surprise Enid, he had been near death when last she visited the wolf-kin. The day was a rush of last-minute preparations. Enid and Hazel prepared for their wedding together. Enid felt no guilt. Lucius was dead by her hand, Allison would not be born for thousands of years so in her eyes, and the eyes of the spirits she was free to wed again. They had braided their hair through with flowers. The ceremony was set to begin at noon. The real oath would take place under the light of the full moon when it was at its zenith. It was the way of such things with the wolf-kin. It was an auspicious night a full moon, several planets aligned. Hazel seemed nervous.

“We have been preparing for this for three months, why are you nervous?”

“I have never been with a man.”

“He will get on top of you, he will stick himself inside you and he will thrust. You will feel all warm inside and then it’s done. There may be a bit of pain at first.”

“You make it sound easy.”

“It is, lay down and spread your legs. He’ll take care of the rest.”

“Is that what you and Rolf do?”

Enid shook her head and pulled another bunch of hair into the braid with the white flower-vine.

“First off, we have done nothing since our intent to wed was announced. No, I like when he gets behind me, he can be gentle, but I like it better when he holds me down.”

“But you’re so strong.”

“Yes, but in the sunlight I am not, and the last time we did it I had sun on me. It was good to have him in control.”

“I’m not sure I’d like that.”

“Tell him you just want to let him do his thing and get it over with, just with him on top. He’s a man, generally all they need is a warm moist hole.”

“You mean in the mouth too?”

“Yes, but if your goal is to get pregnant, you might want to make sure he uses the right hole.”

Hazel blushed.

“Rolf is a good man. He will know it’s your first time and he will be gentle. He is not one of your wolf-born who will treat you like a wolf, mount you and then leave you there brutalized.”

“But that is what he did to you.”

“Yes, but I asked him too, that is the main difference. Consent.”

“Will you be with us?”

“I don’t know. If I am wanted, I will be there.”

“You need to, if we are going to be bound by the spirits, we all need to consummate the oath.”

“At the same time?”

“Yes.”

“We’ll have to explain to Rolf the busy night he has ahead of him.”

“You go first?”

“No way, you go invoking spirts and fertility someone is going to get knocked up, and it had better be you.”

“I am nervous.”

“I will distract you.”

Enid dug through her bag and found a red silk bow and tied it into Hazel’s hair to finish off the braid. She then pulled out a mirror. Hazel looked at it with wide eyes.

“You have a mirror? Those are worth… more than…”

“Just look at yourself. You are so beautiful.”

Hazel touched the mirror and then her own hair. Enid sat down and leaned the mirror on the table and began tying her hair into an identical braid. She had used her shape changing powers to straighten it before dawn. She pulled out some lip gloss and dabbed it on. She didn’t think it through to terribly much. She had a limited supply, but because her bag could literally hold a warehouse full of things her limited supply would last her a century or more. The bag also held things in stasis so it would never stale or go bad. She grinned and put the mirror back then pulled one of her tablets. She tugged Hazel who was looking at her dress close and pressed her cheek together she snapped a picture. Hazel blinked as her image appeared on the screen.

“What is that?”

“It is called a tablet.”

Enid slipped it into her bag.

“What does it do?”

“Where I’m from it allows me to connect to something called the internet. Literally the sum of all human knowledge and all I have to do is ask it a question. It also takes pictures, like…I just did. But it needs power which you really can’t get here. So, I need to use it sparingly. But a picture with my oath sworn seems like it is worth my time.”

“You have seen such things.”

“If I told you a fraction of what I have witnessed you would not believe me.”

“Tell me one thing, please.”

Enid pondered for a moment then she pulled out the tablet again and swiped into the pictures and found one of her in her flight suit, sitting on the air intake of her F-22N on the flight deck of an aircraft carrier. Something she was not supposed to do, but Hazel didn’t need to know that.

“What is that?”

“That is a jet. I know you don’t know what the word, but it can fly faster than sound moves. And it has enough…power to destroy ten villages this size. And it is on a boat.”

Hazel’s eyes were wide.

“You can’t tell anyone about these things, they won’t exist for a very long time.”

“I promise on our oath. Tell me more Enid.”

Enid glanced out the front of the round house. The sun was still low. They had time. Enid sat down on the bench beside Hazel.

“Do you know what an ocean is?”

“No, I do not know that word.”

“It is a vast body of water. It takes many days to cross. That jet needs a runway. Like, when you want to jump far you need a running start. The boat I’m on there is a floating runway. It is bigger than the village. And thousands of people on it and it floats over the oceans. Jets can only fly so far so they need someplace to land and take off from.”

“What do you do with…jets?”

“Fight wars.”

“So even in the future you were a warrior?”

“Yes. I wasn’t flying to fight in battle, I was flying because it was amazing. I will never feel as free as I did when I would go supersonic. Sorry, when I went faster than sound. One moment you were flying along then you pushed it faster and you’d be gone. It was like riding a wild horse.”

Hazel watched Enid’s face intently. She did not comprehend most of what she spoke of, but she was enraptured by Enid’s voice and her the look on of joy on her face.

“I have never seen you so passionate about something. I see why you been so sad when you thought no one was looking.”

Enid shook her head.

“I retired from being a fighter pilot a long time before I came here. I miss my children and my sister.”

“You are vulnerable during sunlight, was it dangerous?”

“Very dangerous.”

“Why would you risk yourself?”

“Why not? Living as long as I have can get really boring. You start to wonder if you can feel anything anymore. Being a fighter pilot, it was like living on the edge of a knife, one wrong move and you are dead. It was something my powers could not make me better at. I had to use my skill.”

“Do you feel alive now?”

“Yes, I haven’t felt this alive in…decades.”

Hazel pulled Enid close and kissed her.

“Tell me one other thing. Something that doesn’t have to do with battle.”

Enid weaved her fingers into Hazel’s.

“One of my daughters is a singer.”

“Is she good at it?”

“She is so good that at one point in time people would travel from all corners of the world would come to hear her.”

“Do you have any of that on the…tablet?”

“No, sorry, tablets didn’t exist when she was famous.”

“Could you sing your favorite song?”

Enid pondered for a moment. She started to hum the toon Lilith had song to her as a baby and she let the words flow from her mouth. Hazel tightened her grip on Enid’s hand. Her eyes grew watery. Enid wasn’t as good as Eyre, but she could hold her own when it came to singing. It made her a better predator.

“That was beautiful. Your daughter sang that?”

“Yes. I taught her that song, my milk-mother sang it to me.”

“You need to sing it for our children.”

“I will my love.”

Ingrid walked in and looked the pair over. She looked disappointed.

“It is almost time.”

“I think she was expecting us too not be ready.”

She walked back out and the pair giggled. Hazel kept Enid’s fingers interwoven with hers. Rolf was already waiting in front of the village’s shaman. He had no real power save for the fact the villagers believe he spoke to their ancestors and to the gods. Enid knew from experience, that was enough. Hazel and Enid took a place to the left and right of Rolf. The ceremony was short. The swore their oaths and Rolf kissed them both. The party was a wild one. Rolf did not drink heavily; The girls had advised him against it. Most of their guests had passed out at their tables in the long house and it was time for the real oaths to be sworn. Enid led them to the place that Hazel had prepared for the spirit-oath. Rolf complained as they trudged through the trees to the secluded grove. Fireflies floated at the edges casting a soft yellow glow. The full moon was nearing its zenith.

Hazel took Enid’s hand and they took Rolf’s hands and they stood in a circle in the center of the grove. Hazel began to chant as the moon hit its zenith. Enid and Rolf spoke with her. They had all rehearsed the oath for several days before. It must be done properly for it to be binding.

“Spirits of the Moon, Spirits of the Trees, Spirits of the Earth, Spirits of the Elements we pledge ourselves to each other. We will hold no jealousy; We will love and protect each other as we would ourselves. We will give up wolf-born to the pack so they may be trained. We will love our children. We ask for fertility and long life and health. We ask for prosperity of our people. In your name we swear to live by the tenants of the spirits.”

As the last words was spoken there was a flash of light from the moon and their hands were bound together. A woman’s voice echoed in the grove.

“Rolf of the Breman tribe, Hazel of the White wolves, Enid, Mother of Spirts, Empress of the Eternal Night your oath is acknowledged. You are bound as you were one soul. We grant you, our blessing.”

Another flash of light and wave of energy washed over them. Silence descended on the grove. And Rolf looked at them. The embraced each other. Hazel started to pull off her dress. Enid followed her lead. Rolf looked between them.

“What are you doing?”

“For the oath to be binding it needs to be consummated.”

He coughed.

“Here? Now?”

“You don’t want us?”

“I didn’t say that.”

He hurriedly took his wedding finery off and stood naked with them. The grove had a soft warmth about it. Enid tried to tug Rolf closer but found she lacked her normal strength. She glanced around.

They did not…fuck me. It is too late now.

She pulled Hazel close and kissed her deeply, then did the same with Rolf who didn’t give any resistance this time. The trio lost themselves in each other for what seemed like an eternity. When Rolf finished. He collapsed on the grass. Enid kissed Hazel and snuggled her. Rolf started to snore loudly. Enid laughed.

“I hope my strength comes back soon or it is going to be a long night.”

Enid rolled off of Hazel and stared up at the moon.

“You are okay with him talking to you like that?”

“It gets him excited. Gets me a bit excited too.”

Enid slid her hand along her abdomen. Another child would not be what she is looking for. At least she was full of blood thanks to the Roman legion that strayed too close. After several minutes she sighed and sat up. She pulled on her dress. Hazel started to do the same. Enid moved to try and lift Rolf to get his passed-out form dressed but she found she still lacked the strength.

“What the fuck?”

“What is wrong?”

“I’m weak. I can’t even see in the dark. What did the spirits do to me?”

“I…I don’t know.”

Enid swore in several languages and eventually pulled her Atlantean armor out of her bag. She pulled it on and activated it. The armor’s magical strength kicked in and she started dressing Rolf. She scooped him up in her arms.

“Let’s go get some sleep.”

Hazel nodded and yawned. The girls trudged into the village. The gate guards laughed heartily when they saw Rolf’s sleeping form. After they passed them, Enid shook her head and said in a mirthful voice.

“He is never going to live down being carried home by his wife. They are going to tease him mercilessly.”

Hazel laughed then yawned. Enid put Rolf into the bed. Hazel sat on a bench and watched Enid peel off her armor and put it in the bag. Enid yawned too.

“Why am I so tired? I don’t need to sleep.”

Hazel took Enid’s hand.

“Maybe you should my wife. Just in case the spirits have robbed you of your powers so you could carry a child?”

“God damn it. My body is not a baby machine.”

“Well, you did ask for it as part of the oath did you not?”

“I should have asked for a different oath.”

Enid collapsed on the bedding and Hazel snuggled in behind her.

*****

When Enid woke, she felt Rolf’s large hand across her chest. When she shifted he opened his eyes lazily and smiled.

“It was not a dream then.”

“No, no it wasn’t”

Hazel had rolled on her side and was facing away. She was still wearing her dress. Enid was naked and Rolf was eyeing her.

“Can we…?”

Enid kissed him.

“We’re married, aren’t we?”

She felt his hands slide down from her chest and between her thighs. His probing fingers causing a gasp of pleasure to escape Enid’s lips. Enid imagined many more mornings like this, and a smile came to her lips.