Snow?

It’s snowing? In December? I thought we would never see snow again. Granted, we were on a higher altitude than at home, but it was odd to see that much snow for the first time in about ten years.

“Is this normal, Sophia, in the Black Forest? I have never seen that much snow in a long time.”

“Bloody foreigners... Of course it snows here, from November to February if we’re in bad luck.”

“Four months of snow? Are you fucking kidding me?”

“Yes, well, put on your skies, Alex... You can’t ski!” Sophia was surprised.

“Of course I can’t. For what reason would I need to learn to ski in my home region?”

“Kate and Tom can.”

“Kate and Tom had lots of holidays in winter resorts. I stayed at home, I didn’t see the point in travelling to an area with snow, just to go up a mountain and glide off it again...”

“Well, something we can learn you... finally... In return though...”

“You will have to wait, until I have sorted out things with Ambra.”

“Excuses, Alex, excuses... Anyway, best to start with langlaufen with you.”

“That’s all fine, but how do you clear the tracks you make...?”

“Ah...”

“Yes, ah... Before we figure that out, there will simply be no langlaufen or skiing. Use snow shoes instead, if we don’t have them, we’ll need to make them.”

“Yes, Sir!”

“Very funny, Sophia...”

“And fishing gets more priority now, ice fishing... Let the animals at peace for now, we need them making lots of little rabbits and little deer... And check the chimneys... we can’t let others know we are burning so much wood. Ask Ella for some kind distribution system for outgoing smoke. Concentrate some of the villagers in bigger but better isolated houses if you have to. For all I care, with this snow, let them build igloos as hiding places while they are on patrol... For fuck’s sake, don’t let them make a fire in the open...”

“Are we a bit stressed, Alex?” Kylie asked.

“I hate winters... Give me spring and summer, but no winters. I thought we were done with winters after the climate changes.”

“Not that much industrial activity left around here... Perhaps still in China, Brazil, India but to whom would they export? The US, the Russian and the European market is dead. Plus the effect of the nuclear bombs... nuclear winter... I doubt we’ll have warm weather in the coming years...”

“Hmm, Ella, that makes sense... Fuck... I had completely forgotten about that... Would there be a possibility to set up small hydro-electrical plants, just to heat us? I swear I read in a book somewhere... Ella, can you check up on that, with Mina? As a long term project? You had plenty of sleep last night, after all.”

She stuck her tongue out, looking smug and knowing perfectly well why I had said that.

“Fuck, it’s cold. Anyway, since you were so doing all so well in the last weeks, carry on... I’ll go ice fishing for some time.”

“With the other men?” Kylie asked, lifting an eyebrow.

“Yes, they insisted.”

“Men and their fishing habits... It’s like they are running from something.” Kara mused.

“We have to eat as much fresh food as possible, Kara, try to not deplete our stockpiles. You’re welcome to join.”

“Brr... In this cold?”

“Yes, well, there is a reason it is called ice-fishing.”

---

“So, Didier, Tom, finally some peace...”

“Complain about the women in peace...”

“Mostly about that, Didier. How about yours? Have you finally found a way to strike back?”

“No... I barely got away, told them you ordered me to go ice-fishing.”

“Hmm... I told them you insisted, next time we’ll have to get our stories straight.”

“Alex, what do I do? I have three now... In the house, sure they beautiful and all, but...”

“Tom, make sure it is mutually consensual. But to be honest, more for you than for them. But once you are cracking, make clear rules. Take the time to know them personally as you will live with them for a long while.”

“Yes, and once they are pregnant, no... they will still ask for sex...”

“Was yours planned, Didier?”

“She said she wanted a child, I always wanted a child, so yes. How about you, Alex?”

“Hmm... It’s a big question, I haven’t found the answer to yet. Sure we’re settling down now, but I don’t have your courage, Didier. And they are all so young...”

“Maria said she wanted another child... But it didn’t need to be one of hers...”

“Hmm... Looks like you will be in for a world of trouble. I have no idea how family life will look like with so few men around. Perhaps it is a natural order. But we don’t need more children, it’s a matter of wanting them. Like it should have been. Have the village women asked outright to make a child with you, my dear sheriff?”

“Yes, but I thought it to be one of their seduction tactics...”

“Perhaps, Tom, perhaps... But since IVF is now out of the question, no men are returning from the war, assume it will not always be the case... in their mind.”

“I had always assumed a child needs to born out of love, not the other way around...”

“Let’s keep it that way, Didier, but that will limit the number of children significantly... Even with all the women around us.”

“Kate wants a child, Alex...”

“Odd, I haven’t heard her talking about it yet...”

“Yet...”

“Hmm... There are plenty of reasons not to want to have a child. Radiation, cancer, deformities, pregnancy complications without medical help, infertility, plundering gangs and open warfare. But one reason that is gone now, is the parenthood. A child will be born in a clan, nurtured by a lot of women, without children.”

“And be spoilt...”

“Not necessarily, Didier. The child will still need hunting skills, reading and writing skills, survival skills and lots of military training. As long as we don’t give children a preferential treatment because of its parenthood, all should be fine.

“And laws...”

“Yes, Tom, we’ll need new laws too. None will be **** to have children, to have sex, men, women or children. Sadly, some of the Bird section are pregnant now, **** without birth control, they are now **** to carry the child as we can’t do abortions. Our birth control will not last forever, so that protection will fall eventually. Condoms, the same.”

“An entire new world...”

“An old world, but with new laws. Where possession will be shared in the entire clan. No more hoarding, all in function of survival of the clan.”

“Lots of thinking to do...”

“You think we have enough fish now?”

“Sure, but they don’t need to know that...”

“Too late, Alex. Isn’t that one of yours?” Didier gestured with his head in a direction behind me.

“Soon you will realize, they aren’t mine. I am theirs... Oh, no... Elfie...”

“Brave, obedient Elfie...”

“With you perhaps, Didier, but with me? Nothing but nose butting, complaining and never, ever listening...”

“And yet...”

“Yes...” I sighed. “One of my losses...”

“Welcome, Elfie...” Didier smiled at her.

“Hi, Didier and Tom.” She greeted them. “Looks like you already have plenty of fish for a few days...”

“Perhaps, Elfie...” I sighed.

“Then why are you still here, Alex?”

No word about the others, being with me.

“We are giving thanks to the god of fish, and pray to the families of the fish we caught. To forgive us, to thank them for their sacrifice...” I replied, with a straight face.

“That’s the most idiotic thing I ever heard!”

“Are you saying I am an idiot?”

“You behave like one.”

“Was there a reason for your insolence, disturbing men on their fishing trip?”

“Insolence? You left me. Without a word. You promised we would train.”

“I did not. I told the others I would go fishing, and I haven’t promised we would train today.”

“Yes, you did.”

“I didn’t, but why are you wearing regular shoes in this snow? Haven’t we told everyone to not leave marks in the snow?”

“There weren’t any left.”

“Then you should have made a pair for yourself.”

“I don’t know how.”

“Yes, you do.”

“I don’t. Are you calling me a liar?”

“You behave like one.”

“Hmpf!”

“Don’t stamp your foot on the ice! You know what... I’ll carry you out of here.”

“On your back?”

I took both her legs, lifted her up from the ice and swung her over my shoulder.

“Sort of...”

With her head upside down, she was a lot quieter, I have to admit.

“There, much better...”

“Alex, please...”

“You’ll wait until we’re off the ice. And be still now. Unless you want us to both fall through the ice.”

“Goodbye, Alex.”

“See you next week.”

“If I survive this week, I will...”

“Please, Alex, we are off the ice now...”

“Ooow, all those beautiful marks in the snow...”

I bent over and simply dropped her in the snow.

“Now, Elfie, we will start our training. You will gather branches, tie them together and brush your footsteps away, all the way to the camp. Then you will make proper snowshoes, take the leaf rake, and cover it up even better. You did make a detour, now did you?” I frowned at her.

“Of course I did... But all the way... It’s more than two kilometers!”

“Some practice will do you good. You have too much energy to be wasted. I will send you on patrol duty with Ella, she will teach you how to cover your tracks, see and not be seen... Hear and not be heard... I wish we could enforce in it the cave too... Especially with you...” I was smiling now.

“Will you be with me?”

“Of course I will, someone will need to keep track of your progress, be critical about your performance and above all, make sure no one sees us doing that.”

There goes my quiet Sunday... More than six kilometers walking on show shoes... Awesome.

“When will you kiss Ambra?”

“You know of that?”

“Of course I do, she told me.”

“She told you?”

“Alex, when you told me of her, I reached out... We’re good friends now. You know she is very smart, right?”

“Of course I know. She is also very empathic, very logical in her thinking and very protective of our circle.”

“And very beautiful.”

“And very young.”

“Or you very old...” She smiled teasingly at me.

“You forgot that patch, Elfie. Ah! Ah! Clean it up... Good.”

“Your girlfriends don’t mind.”

“They don’t. I’m the luckiest man in the world.”

“They all seem very happy with you, I agree with Ella, this is an upside down world. Perhaps women will be in power now.”

“They will be, Elfie. You know damn well, they already are. They either realize it already, or they should be made aware of.”

“So, one day I could rule you all?”

“I wouldn’t be so sure. We have to stop thinking that way. Hereditary rulership should never have been installed in history, nor lifetime rulership. Nor individual rulership. We need to learn to think as one single organism, yet with enough leeway to stimulate individual thinking. It will be a progress to find the best solution for us all, learning the lessons from the past.”

“But you’re the commander... You rule us all now.”

“I don’t, Elfie. If they don’t agree with me, they simply could disobey me. So far they have accepted my advice. But should I make bad decisions, my so-called underlings would set me straight very fast. As they have done so... And continue to do so... Power corrupts, Elfie. Unless you have equals around you that can intervene.”

“Ah... That’s why you waited so long with Ambra. So she could grow more leaves and stand up for her own. And simply ask you for a kiss.”

“Her first kiss, Elfie... But yes, that is why I waited. I like my relations to be in balance. She would have done everything I asked of her, without question, without hesitation if I had been an asshole. But if had been an asshole, my girlfriends wouldn’t be my girlfriends. And if they had been assholes, they wouldn’t be either.”

“Ah... That’s why she waited so long, you don’t like to be ****...”

“Not in the slightest, Elfie. I like to take my time now and yet...”

“Yet...?”

“I’m not sure what is happening with me...”

“I don’t understand.”

“Me neither, anyway, Elfie, we’re back at the cave. You need to rest. I need to rest.”

“Perhaps we can rest together?”

“No, Elfie... Djeezes... I would never get my rest with you, always talking, talking, talking...”

“I do not!”

“Yes, you do...”

“Are you calling me a liar?”

“You behave like... uh-oh... what’s going on...?”

Kylie was gathering the troops into full battle gear, white cloaks above it, guns and everything not covered, sprayed white.

“Nothing to worry about, Alex, otherwise we would have radioed.” Kylie quickly said.

“So...?”

“We need more practice in snow operations, recon and such.”

“Excellent idea, Kylie... Where are we going?” I asked with enthusiasm.

“You are tired, Alex, you should stay here.” Kylie almost ordered me, but there was a faint smile on her face.

“No... Please... I just had two hours with her...”

“No, she will come with us, to continue training.” Kylie must have seen the relief on my face. “But Ambra and Emma will stay behind.”

“Ah... Okay...”

Why the teasing smile then...?

“Emma will take watch duty over the campsite.”

And that leaves me with Ambra...

“Kylie, I told you I would take my time...”

“Take all the time you need, Alex... She will too, but...”

“But...?”

“She needs some time with you. She finally is fully aware you want her, she wants you. It’s confusing for her. She doesn’t know what to expect being in a relation with you. You need to put her on ease.”

I sighed. This was going to be a difficult conversation.