JC: William Redman Carter
Noble Savage
Chapter 13
By
Lazlo Zalezac
Copyright (C) Lazlo Zalezac, 2005

The students trickled out of the classroom in ones and twos as they 
finished their final exams. William sat on the floor across from the 
door watching them leave. Some looked confident, others angry, 
and a few as if they didn't care how they did in the class. Those 
who looked blurry-eyed or were sloppily dressed had spent the 
previous evening cramming in the hopes of learning the material at 
the last minute. 

When Lucy stepped out of the class, she rolled her eyes and 
smiled. Closing the door behind her, she said, "No surprises on that 
one."

"So what would you like to do until classes start this summer?" 
William asked while climbing off the floor. His eyes flicked over 
her conservative outfit, the skirt falling to below her knees. He 
appreciated the fact that she didn't dress like most of the women on 
campus.

Lucy stepped over to him and pressed against him while his arm 
reached around her waist. The year together had brought them to 
the point of casual intimacy. After his growth spurt during the 
preceding fall, he was now a couple of inches taller than she was. 
She answered, "I'd like to visit my parents for a couple of days and 
then I thought we might go visit your family."

"That would be nice," William said. They walked down the hall 
towards the exit of the building. He asked, "Where to now?"

"How about to your place for a swim?" she suggested. She had 
learned an important lesson from the Carter Clan. Swimming after 
a stressful event was an excellent way to relax. If the last exam of 
the semester didn't constitute a stressful event, she didn't know 
what did.

"I wonder why I didn't think of that?" asked William with a smile.

Looking over at him, she knew that he had thought of that. He 
always anticipated her desires, sometimes before she even had 
them. She said, "I bet that Ken is waiting outside in the Hugger and 
there are fresh towels by the backdoor of your house."

"You'd be right," answered William hugging her a little harder. He 
added, "There are always fresh towels by the backdoor of the 
house now that the weather is good."

"That still doesn't explain why Ken is here," Lucy said.

"True, but he doesn’t have to take us to my house."

They walked along in comfortable silence. William was thinking 
how nice the past year had been. Having Lucy in his life had given 
it an entirely new dimension. Sitting around and studying with her 
in his arms had changed an isolated activity into a shared activity. 
Where he had been alone, he now had company. Dining, shopping, 
watching movies, going to lectures, and campus gatherings were 
now attended as a couple. 

Where he once had to be satisfied with his thoughts alone, he now 
had an interesting partner with whom he could share his thoughts. 
Their debates on all kinds of topics were often long, but seldom 
heated. She challenged him like no one else he had ever met. Her 
mind was sharp as a razor and she could cut to the heart of a matter 
with a single question.

Reaching the car, William opened the door for Lucy. She slid over 
to allow him to enter without having to walk around the car. He 
took his seat next to her. Ken asked, "Home?"

"You bet," answered William. Settling back in his seat, he asked, 
"So are you going to miss driving us around when we get our 
licenses?"

"I hadn't really thought about it. It's usually just two trips a day to 
the university and back," answered Ken with a negligent shrug of 
his shoulders. He also knew that Ling would insist on him driving 
them when they had a long trip. He maneuvered the Hugger 
through the campus streets and then onto the main street. It 
wouldn't take more than fifteen minutes to reach the house. 

"I'm looking forward to driving," Lucy said. It wasn't that she 
minded Ken picking her up or taking her home, it was the 
shopping that was uncomfortable. She didn't like trying to buy a 
present for William with Ken waiting around watching what she 
purchased. It wasn't true, but she felt that it undermined the 
surprise. When she bought a new dress, she wanted William to be 
the first to see her in it, not Ken.

"Same here," said William with a grin. Wiggling his eyebrows in a 
bad imitation of Groucho Marx, William said, "It is rather hard to 
go parking with my girlfriend when Ken is sitting in the front 
seat."

Ken chuckled when Lucy lightly slapped William's thigh and 
jokingly said, "I'm not that kind of girl."

"You're not?" William asked in pretend shock. She was actually a 
very chaste young woman. 

"Okay, I want to be, but it is hard with Ken sitting in the front seat 
of the car," Lucy replied with a giggle. It had been a sad fact of 
their relationship. Getting time alone with William was virtually 
impossible. Ken and Lisa were always around the house since they 
timed their vacations for the times when he was away. They 
couldn't drive off alone. Her dorm didn't allow men on her floor 
and William obeyed the rules of the house stating that undermining 
the rules could lead someone else into harm.

From the front seat, Ken said, "I could take a nice nature walk if 
you desire."

Lucy didn't answer, but looked out the window until the car pulled 
up in the driveway. Looking at the front yard, she noticed that the 
burn circle where William had said he'd had a bonfire was gone. 
She said, "The burn mark has finally disappeared."

Nodding his head, Ken said, "Yeah. The grass has come back and 
is greener than the rest of the yard."

"That burn mark bothered my father more than anything else about 
this house. He loves a well groomed lawn, even if his falls far short 
of the mark," said Lucy. Her father had been waging a lifelong war 
trying to get the grass to grow under the large oak tree in their front 
yard. 

Entering the house, Lucy headed towards the guestroom to change 
into her swimming suit. She paused when William asked, "Where's 
Tim?"

"He's at a pizza party with some of his friends from school. He 
won't be home until eight," answered Lisa. After a long pause, she 
asked, "Would you mind if Ken and I go out for dinner tonight?"

"No problem. Have a good time," answered William as he 
removed his clothes by the door. He stretched as he waited for 
Lucy to finish changing her clothes. He smiled when he saw her 
walk into the room wearing her robe. It was a warm day and there 
wasn't any need for a robe, but he chose not to comment. 

They walked down to the pond holding hands. Lucy looked at her 
surroundings. Flowers were in bloom along the path. The leaves on 
the trees shook in the very slight breeze. Patches of blue sky were 
visible through the canopy of leaves overhead. The rays of the sun 
cast patches of light and dark on the ground. Birds were chirping 
and butterflies were flitting about. Magic was in the air and the 
name of that magic was spring.

When they reached the pond, William let loose of her hand and 
waded in giving forth a squeak when it reached his private parts. 
He called back, "The water's a little cold today."

"William."

William turned to look at Lucy wondering why she had called his 
name. Standing hip deep in the water, he watched as she dropped 
her robe. At sixteen, almost seventeen, Lucy stood before a man 
naked for the first time of her life. She trembled slightly as he 
gazed upon her body. The past year had transformed her body from 
looking fourteen to that of a young woman.

"You're so beautiful," said William in a reverent voice. She had 
taken him completely by surprise.

His words chased away any doubts that she had about the rightness 
of the time and place. Rather than move, she spread her arms to her 
side giving him full view of her body. She said, "I'm glad you like 
it."

"I love you," he said. He felt young and inexperienced looking 
upon her body. Unable to decide if he should approach her or stand 
there, he ended up standing there.

Lucy could see the indecision on William's face and knew that he 
was as lost as she was. She stepped into the water and, surprised by 
the cool chill, said, "Oh, it is cold."

William waded through the water to where she stood. As his 
genitals left the water, Lucy could see that he was erect. A sense of 
power washed over her at the realization of the effect that she had 
upon him. He put his arms around her and hugged her. 

Words were not enough to convey the feelings flooding through 
him. Taking her head between his hands, he kissed her softly. Lucy 
moaned as his lips brushed against hers. She pressed her body 
against his, feeling the heat from his hard cock against her skin. 

Her body was on fire. When he released her, she knew what she 
wanted. She wanted him to take her then and there. It wasn't a 
rational desire, she wasn't on birth control and they didn't have 
condoms. It was her most fertile time of the month and she knew 
it. At the moment, it didn't matter. She whispered, "Take me."

As far as William was concerned, no man in history had ever had 
such a temptation placed before him. William picked her up in his 
arms, cradling her across his body. He kissed her. Rather than 
walking towards the shore, he fell backwards into the cold water. 
The cold water washed over them, chilling their passion. It was the 
hardest thing he had ever done. Breaking the kiss, he said, "Not 
yet."

The cold water crashed through her hormone-induced insanity. She 
realized what she had almost done and understood the 
consequences that would have followed from their actions if she 
had followed her desires. Relieved that he had been strong enough 
for both of them, her love for him grew even stronger. She said, "I 
love you so much."

 "I love you," said William. The cold water might have chilled his 
passion, but it hadn't killed it. He loved the feel of her body in his 
arms. His erection was sending out constant messages that it had a 
biological function to perform. He said, "I need to calm down a 
little."

Reaching down between them, Lucy ran a hand over his cock. 
Giggling nervously at her first encounter with a hard cock, Lucy 
said, "You're right. I do too."

They slowly separated although their eyes never left the other. 
They swam a little in the pond to allow their passions to abate. 
When they finally exited the pond, William's erection had 
disappeared. They dried side by side, not talking but 
communicating through looks, gestures, and light touches. Picking 
up her robe, she reached out with a hand. He took her hand and 
they walked up to the house.

As they walked, a question that had bothered Lucy for a long time 
came to mind. She asked, "What are the two scars on your chest?"

"I cut myself when my Great Grandfather died as a sign of 
mourning and respect," he answered while pantomiming how he 
had performed the act.

"How old were you?" asked Lucy shocked at his answer. 

"Three," answered William. Seeing the look on her face, he said, "I 
knew what I was doing. I knew that I was the first to honor him in 
that fashion."

The idea that a three-year-old boy would take a knife and cut 
himself in that fashion was staggering. Frowning, she asked, "Did 
it hurt?"

"Yes, it did." 

When they reached the backyard, Lucy said, "I'd like to lie out in 
the sun for a little while."

They spread their towels and lay down on the ground with their 
backs to the sun. William, his dark skin giving him greater 
protection from the sun, said, "We can't stay out too long. Your fair 
skin will burn easily."

"Ten minutes should be long enough." 

"Long enough for what?"

"To warm up," answered Lucy. Supporting her upper body on her 
elbows, her breasts hung down with hard nipples barely grazing 
the towel. She glanced over at his naked back taking in his 
muscular build. Clothed, he looked like a typical kid his age. 
Undressed, he looked like a highly trained athlete. 

Inside the house, Lisa and Ken were preparing to leave for their 
night out. Lisa looked out the back window and saw the pair 
sunning themselves. In a soft voice, she said, "Ken, come here and 
look at this."

He stepped over and looked out at the young couple. Putting a 
hand on his wife's shoulder, he said, "It’s about time."

"They look so cute," she said. Her maternal feelings were set on 
high.

"Our little boy is growing up," he teased.

With a slight smile, she said, "Yes, he is."

"Let's leave them their privacy," suggested Ken. A few minutes 
later, husband and wife slipped out the front door for their evening 
out.

Wondering what they would find inside the house, Ken opened the 
door and let Lisa enter first. Seated comfortably on the couch, 
William was reading a book while Lucy rested her head on his lap 
reading a different book. They looked up at the couple entering the 
house. William asked, "Did you have a good time?"

"Yes, we did," answered Lisa with a blush. Over dinner they had 
discussed the conversation that William and Lucy had in the car 
about going parking. Leaving the restaurant, Lisa had giggled like 
a schoolgirl when Ken announced that they were going to do a 
little parking of their own. It had been a lot of fun and reminded 
them of why they had fallen in love in the first place.

William was about to ask why she was blushing when his cell 
phone rang. Fishing it out of his pocket, Lucy sat up to allow him 
to move. Answering it, William said, "Hello. This is William 
Redman Carter."

For several long minutes, he listened to the person on the other end 
without making a comment. Lucy watched his face trying to 
determine if he was receiving good news or bad. Finally, William 
asked, "Are you sure?"

Another minute of silence passed until William said, "The end of 
August."

"Thank you," said William after another minute of silence. He 
folded up the cell phone looking thoughtful. 

Lucy tried to determine if he was upset or happy. The neutral 
thoughtful expression gave no clue. Concerned, she asked, "Is 
something the matter?"

"A White Buffalo was born," William answered absently. Turning 
to Ken, he said, "Turn on the news."

"What's so special about that?" asked Lucy puzzled by the 
announcement. Lisa, curious as well, waited for his answer.

"It is a sign that has long been awaited by the Sioux," answered 
William. Snapping out of his introspective thoughts, he explained, 
"It is not my story to tell, but I shall tell you a shortened version of 
it."

"Once when the Sioux were hungry, two young men went out to 
find food. They encountered a beautiful woman dressed in White. 
One of the men desired the woman and reached out to take her 
without regard to her desires in the matter. He crumbled into dust 
at her feet. The woman spoke to the other young man telling him to 
return to his people and announce her coming.

"The woman in white came to his people bringing with her a 
bundle. Unwrapping the bundle, she gave the people a sacred pipe 
decorated with eagle feathers. She taught them how to pray using 
the pipe.

"She explained to the men the importance of the Buffalo, of 
women, and of children. To the women, she explained that what 
they did was as important as any action taken by the strongest of 
warriors. To the children, she explained they were the future of the 
tribe. 

"After giving them her wisdom, she told the people that she must 
leave them, but that she would return one day. When she walked 
away, she fell to the ground and rolled over four times turning into 
a White Buffalo. 

"The day after they honored the pipe, game turned plentiful. The 
Sioux have been waiting for her return since that day."

"That's a nice story," said Lucy.

"It is more than a story. It is the spirit of the Sioux," said William. 
"Each tribe of the plains has a different story of the White 
Buffalo."

Now that William had finished telling the story, Ken turned on the 
television. He flipped through the channels until he found one that 
was giving the news. The group watched the news without talking 
until a short thirty-second clip about the birth of the White Buffalo 
was aired. Seeing the calf, a shiver went through William. He 
grimaced when they pointed out that this was the first generation 
of calves conceived after he had destroyed a curse over the Native 
Americans. His picture had been displayed for a third of the 
broadcast.

After the news clip had been played, William said, "You can turn it 
off now, Ken."

Having seen the faces of the people looking at the Buffalo calf, 
Lucy understood just how significant the event had been. The 
reference to him removing a curse reminded her of the high profile 
he had within the Native American community. She had witnessed 
occasions in which Native Americans had greeted him with awe. 

William stood and went to his desk. Opening the drawer, he pulled 
out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. He slipped out the back door 
to smoke and think. The Sioux Medicine Man had requested that 
he come to the ranch where the calf had been born. It would be 
August before he would go and he wondered what would happen 
when he went there. 

Watching him leave the house, Lucy wanted to run after him. She 
held back knowing he needed to be alone with his thoughts. There 
were some things that he had to face alone. 

Ann said, "I think it is wrong for someone so young to have such 
responsibilities."

Nodding his agreement, Ken said, "And such public 
responsibilities, at that."

"Would you make some hot chocolate?" asked Lucy thinking that 
William would appreciate it.

"How about I make some brownies?" asked Lisa.

"Can I help?" asked Lisa hoping that she wasn't imposing.

Smiling, Lisa said, "Sure. Come on into the kitchen with me."

While the two women prepared the brownies, Ken left to pick up 
Tim from his party. Sitting in the backyard, William stared up at 
the darkening sky. He exhaled and watched the smoke from the 
cigarette disappear into the dark. 

The various tales of the White Buffalo came to mind. Among the 
tribes of the plains, this was the most popular subject of their 
stories. In all of them, the buffalo represented a return to prosperity 
for the tribe. He couldn't help wonder if his time in the dark pit was 
related to the birth of the White Buffalo. It was such a powerful 
symbol. He knew that others would wonder the same thing. 

He planned his trip to visit the calf. Before he could visit the ranch, 
he would have to spend time in a sweat lodge. The real question 
was where he would go to a sweat lodge. His choice could have 
significant repercussions. After considering all of the options, he 
decided there was only one choice. He'd go to the Native American 
College and use the sweat lodge located there. Politically, it would 
be an act that emphasized the unity of all tribes rather than giving 
preference to any single tribe.

His hand went to his chest seeking his medicine bag and finding 
nothing. He had never replaced the medicine bag that had been 
destroyed in the pit. Taking a deep breath, he knew it was time to 
replace it. For that, he would have to return to Arizona. He snuffed 
out the cigarette and put the butt in his back pocket. 

It was an hour and two cigarettes later when Lucy opened the back 
door. As the spring night air chilled her, her eyes sought him 
without luck. In a soft voice, she called out into the dark night, 
"William."

"What is it, Lucy?" he answered, surprising her with the fact that 
he was seated near the door.

"We made some hot chocolate and brownies. Would you like to 
come in and have some?" she asked.

William grabbed his cigarettes and lighter before standing. 
Walking towards the open door, he answered, "Sounds perfect."

His words reassured Lucy and she held the door open for him. As 
he passed through the door, he paused just long enough to kiss her. 
Needless to say, both wished that the kiss had lasted longer. 

William sat down at the dining room table while Lucy brought out 
steaming cups of hot chocolate. He grabbed the cup and wrapped 
both hands around the base appreciating the warmth given off by 
it. Seeing Tim sit down across from him, he cautioned, "It's hot."

Giggling, Tim answered, "That's why they call it hot chocolate."

Chuckling at the obviousness of the answer, William said, "Thank 
you, Tim. I learned something new today."

Lucy brought out a plate of brownies and placed it in the center of 
the table. Looking at him, she said, "I hope you like these. We 
added walnuts to the batter."

"They look great," said William reaching out to take one.

Giving him a motherly slap on his hand, Lucy said, "Wait until you 
get a plate."

"Yes, mother," replied William with a grin. Looking with longing 
at the brownies, he said, "You should have brought out the plates 
before the brownies."

"I just wanted to make them taste better. Haven't you ever heard of 
anticipation," she teased. 

Lisa came out of the kitchen with a stack of plates. She set them 
around the table and everyone sat down. Lucy made a great 
production out of setting a brownie on William's plate. Tim just 
grabbed one and started eating.

The conversation flowed around the table with ease. No one 
mentioned the White Buffalo. Lucy discussed her vacation plans. 
The conversation turned to the summer sessions at the university. 
It was her plan to take enough courses to finish out her junior year, 
but it would be difficult. Of course, the real reason for going to 
school was to stay close to William over the summer. Last summer 
had been torture and she didn't think she could survive this summer 
away from him. 

William shocked everyone at the table when he said, "I'm going to 
talk to your father about having you live here over the summer."

"I'm not sure that's a good idea," Lucy said despite the fact that she 
really liked the idea of living with him. She wasn't sure how her 
father would respond to the request. 

"I don't think that your father will have a problem with it," said 
William as if reading her mind. The one who he was really 
concerned about was her mother, but he knew her objections 
would last only a minute at the most. 

"You don't?" asked Ken looking at William as if he were mad.

"No."

"Why?" asked Ken.

"Why?" asked Lisa sharing her husband's view.

"Why?" asked Lucy.

Grinning at the conversation, Tim decided to add his voice to the 
chorus, "Why?"

"Because I intend to ask his permission for me to marry you," 
answered William just before biting into his brownie.

***

Author’s note: The White Buffalo appearing in this story is a 
fiction, as are all of the events and characters depicted within it. 
The legend of the White Buffalo is found in many forms and 
variations. I constructed an abbreviated form of the story for 
William to tell based on a version that I heard decades ago. It is my 
hope that no one is offended by the liberties taken with a legend 
that is important to so many people. 

The birth of a White Buffalo in modern times is not a fiction; it is a 
fact. Miracle, The Sacred White Buffalo, was born on August 20, 
1994 at the Heider Farm in Janesville, Wisconsin. It was an event 
that was celebrated by many Native Americans all across the 
continent. Some openly wept on hearing news of the birth. Miracle 
died a decade later on September 19, 2004. 

The Heider family did not allow commercialization of the White 
Buffalo. They allowed visitors to come by the farm seven days a 
week to see Miracle. Visitors were admitted free of charge. 
Thousands came to see Miracle and few left unchanged by the 
experience. Visitors are still welcome at the farm to visit the grave 
of Miracle. 

It should be noted that the members of the Heider family are not 
Native Americans. Despite that, they opened their farm and hearts 
to the world. I’m sure this great gesture of respect for the beliefs of 
others was not always easy to make. Visitors, no matter how well 
meaning, are often a burden.

I have never met a member of the Heider family, but I would like 
to extend my heartfelt thanks to them. Thank you for reminding me 
that generosity, respect, and understanding still exist in this world. 

Visit the link below to learn more about Miracle.
http://www.homestead.com/WhiteBuffaloMiracle/