Their camp had been made just west of Choszczno, consisting of cars, trailer, several tents, and tethered team of horses. Claudia and some of their tribe were in town; Danjel expected they would be back shortly. He sat near a low campfire, Alaric at his side, whittling at a length of thorned vine he'd picked up while walking with Karina, as she foraged.

      He did that sometimes, without need, tagged along with someone else about their work, just to see. The ones who knew him least seemed to afford him the most honors. He was thinking it out of place. Claudia told him to allow such things. The curtseys and bows were romantic and all, fun at times, but he was beginning to feel they were serious. It was uncomfortable.

      Alaric snatched the length of vine. He laughed, and held it up before Danjel's forehead, as if to mock him with crown of thorns. Danjel swatted the vine away, then realized, afterward, as he glared at Alaric, that his fingers bled. Reflexively, he drew them to his mouth. Sweet. Not the taste, not to him, anyway. Just, the taste of blood made him think of that name, and that there were some who applied it to him. Daerick. Angelo. Estasi.

      A small hard-topped utility vehicle towed a trailer toward their camp, with several riders on horses cantering alongside, and Danjel was glad for the distraction. He stood and walked to meet them. Claudia looked down from her gray as he approached. There was a couple within the SUV, and a small child in safety seat behind them. "Who are these?" Danjel asked as he reached up and lifted Claudia from her horse.

      He shook his right hand to fight the lingering sting of the thorn. "Adelle and Patrick," Claudia said. Danjel noticed the spot of blood aside her left breast, but she seemed to be staring at his hand.

      Claudia took up Danjel's injured hand in both of hers, cradled it. "You've cut yourself," she said.

      "You really wanted to quit," Danjel reminded her. Claudia was breathing more heavily, breasts and little spot of blood just about heaving. Why did that make him want to kiss her? She was about to drink his blood.

      "I know," she whispered, but she pinched the wounded fingers so that the blood welled up. She bowed then, and just as Danjel felt her lips curl about his fingers, he turned them both away from watching eyes.

      "You don't want them to see," he hissed to her. Or, did he not want that? Claudia didn't even seem to hear. She was leaning back against his chest with the first two fingers of his right hand within her mouth, sucking forcefully for the blood she wanted. He had her by the mouth. He could just lift her mouth toward him. Danjel might just draw his fingers away from her and kiss her. He saw himself doing it. In his mind, Claudia was already naked.

      No, he couldn't really do that, especially not in front of everyone. Danjel pulled his hand from her. "Enough," he told her. Claudia looked hurt and pressed her cheek to his chest. Danjel thought she might be listening for his heartbeat. It raced.

      Adelle and Patrick, as they must be, had climbed from their vehicle. Patrick held a small girl in his arms. "Are you John?" he asked.

      Danjel turned to face the newcomer, as he made an attempt to discreetly wipe his fingers on his pants. He mad a nod. He sometimes introduced himself as John without even thinking, yet didn't think the name to himself in his head.

      "Claudia and Elzbieta said we might share your camp for the night. We'd feel safer."

      "You camp around here much?" Danjel asked.

      "We're from Bydgoszcz," Adelle said, "I lost my job, you might say, and we decided to go to a place I know near one of the lakes."  She was keeping the details to herself, but that was wise.

      Danjel smiled. "You are welcome to stay here. We were just about to build-up the fire and have supper."

      "We'd be glad to help you out," Patrick said.

      Danjel just nodded. He looked over the camp. The computer team, whatever their tentative name of the day, was working on their projects around the area of Robbie's car. Alaric was building the fire, with some small amount of help from Cyprian. Karina busied herself with some preparation of herbs lain out on a wide piece of cloth. Elzbieta and Merideth had gathered about Adelle and her daughter to coo, but soon would be experimenting again with constructing bows and arrows for hunting game.

      Claudia introduced Patrick and Alaric. Daniel overheard something said about Celts. Soon Patrick and Alaric were sharing a bottled beer and laughing, while Claudia was bent over Miko's shoulder in a lesson.

      Danjel knew what he would do. He went into the trunk of the hovercar and dug around through his things. He found the guitar Joy had given him. It was a six string bass.

      He sat down where he had before and plucked at the strings for tune. He felt someone watching. Patrick caught his eyes. "Aw, you play. I have an old Fender and an amp in the camper."

      Danjel smiled. Even better. "You wanna play?"

      Patrick hurried to dig out his guitar and amp. He even had a cord to draw electricity from the car. Soon they were playing whatever old songs they knew. By the time dinner was finished, they were back at it, trying to teach each other parts of songs they knew. They had a bright fire still going and music enough. Sometimes, if they recognized the song, someone else would sing it in the language they knew best. If not, Claudia would read to the tribe from her many files she kept on the ancient tribes.

      When it got quite late, Adelle announced that Maureen had already gone to sleep and quiet would help. She asked Patrick to come to bed. Danjel helped him carry the amp back to his camper. He wished them a good night. Most everyone had taken this as a sign to get some sleep. They thought it best to move on the next day.

      It usually did come to they. It seemed they left terribly philosophical or deep things to John but settled into a limited form of democracy in which certain tribe members spoke together and voted.

      Alaric and Merideth were still by the fire. Danjel walked over to them. "Do you want me to watch the fire?" he asked.

      Alaric shook his head. "We'll watch. I'll wake you later, if we need to sleep."

      Danjel looked for his tent. There was a small light within that cast shadows on the fabric walls. No one moved inside. Danjel gave a nod, then went to his tent. He ducked inside and then sat to remove his boots. Claudia stirred under her blankets. She murmured something that might have been French.

      "Sorry I woke you," Danjel whispered and pulled off his jacket and shirt both.

      "I was awake," she said, still not coming from her cocoon of flannel and fleece.

      Danjel wriggled out of his pants. He brushed his fingers through his hair. The small flashlight Claudia must have held went out. There was only a very dim light cast through the green nylon of the tent walls from the fire outside.

      "Come under here," Claudia said, "It gets cold at night still...I didn't know Poland was so cold."

      Danjel shrugged to himself and felt for the edge of the blankets. He thought, as he slid beneath, that Paris might have another climate, he couldn't remember if this were true. But, Claudia's father had money; they might have spent vacations on the Riviera for all he knew. He pictured Claudia on a beach, sandy, laughing, but very much covered by some manner of damp white dress. Danjel thought of ancient pictures showing ladies in bathing gowns.

      No more Parisians visiting the Riviera on holiday, it was part of Gaul now.

      Claudia drew Danjel against her with both her hands. Something about the situation was suddenly frightening. "What are you doing?" he asked in whisper.

      Something like a huff came from Claudia in darkness. "I thought maybe you wanted me and I should show you it was all right," she sighed.

      "Well, yeah, but what did you want?" Danjel asked, but in his head, where Claudia couldn't hear, he was already inside her. He slipped his arms beneath Claudia's shoulders to better know where she lay.

      "Non specific and perhaps girlish desire to have you near me as I sleep, but then I thought, meeting my small requirement might seem to you a horrible tease."

      What was torture was Claudia being so physically and intellectually mature and so...uncomfortable with emotions. "You're allowed to tease." he said, then breathed a sigh. Maybe he shouldn't have put her on the spot for such a direct answer, yet at the same time, didn't he deserve a clear yes or no? "Sorry?" Danjel kissed her, licked at her tongue quickly, then drew away. He rolled to his back, removing his right hand from her.

She turned toward him, and drew one leg up over his. "I made it not romantic?" She whispered, "Or, is that you being allowed to tease?"

"Claudy." He smiled wide, despite the frustration he'd felt, as he reached for her face.

She reached for his shorts.

Danjel hissed a breath and closed his eyes. "What?"

"You said, 'yeah', you wanted me, and I'm allowed to tease." The palm of her hand pressed against his cock.

Danjel drew in a deep breath, opened his eyes, and then put his hand to Claudia's wrist to move her hand from him. How did it go? "Even the seeker of knowledge operates as an artist and glorifier of cruelty...he compels his spirit to perceive against...the wishes of his heart."

"You-" Had just quoted Nietzsche to her.

Danjel turned again, putting his back to Claudia. He wanted her. In his mind, they were already making love. But, he wasn't going to actually do it, not if he couldn't believe she wanted him.

He closed his eyes, and tried to calm his breaths. Danjel felt Claudia curl against his back, but there was no teasing this time, only warmth. A minute passed, then Claudia whispered, "I love you." He was the happiest man.    

                      †               †               †

      The tribe started early the next morning. They cooked breakfast over the dwindling fire, then put it out and covered the coals, before loading up and moving out. Adelle and Patrick followed at the end of the line. The group reached Stargard the same day and decided to stop for a late lunch.

      They found, within the small city, a lot with recreational vehicles for sale. "Omen?" Claudia asked aloud. She took Merideth by the hand, and walked through the rows of trailers, campers, caravans, wagons, and RVs.

      "If we had a larger trailer, would you stay with John and I? I mean Alaric too?" Claudia asked.

      "I think Alaric would agree, I do not see why not. We might trade with Robbie or one of the others for an unwanted vehicle and use that as trade in for a new trailer."

      "Just what I was thinking. John and I still have quite a bit of money. This seems like a good time to make our big purchases."

      "Let's go find the others," Merideth said.

      It was not difficult to find the tribe, most were meandering the same lot. Robbie and Elzbieta were standing with their friends: the three that had joined the tribe with Robbie, and the two brothers, Cyprian and Mikolaj, that had followed with Elzbieta. They also wanted to find a better arrangement, had not decided what would be best.

      Claudia listened to their arguments. Helena and Cyprian were now riding in Robbie's car most often, and sleeping in it. Robbie, Leonore, Marek and Miko were in tents at night, and in one of the cars by day, sometimes riding with Karina, Elzbieta, and the many plants in Karina's mini. Elzbieta was gracious, stayed wherever she was allowed, and rode wherever she could. Karina was tolerant, but could not really be expected to give up her mini, it was now converted into something of a greenhouse and had only the frontmost seats available for passengers.

      "Robbie, if you had the trailer that Alaric and Merideth have now, and we offered to help you customize the interior as needed, would you share with Leonore, Marek and Mikolaj?"

      Robbie thought for a moment. "I'd still need the car to tow it."

      "But would you all share happily?" Claudia asked.

      "It would need work," Robbie said and looked to Leonore, "and Leo and I should get the bed that is there now."

      Claudia nodded. "How much money do you all have to spare? Miko and Cyprian, you too, the six of you?"

      They discussed it amongst themselves, and as it turned out, Cyprian and Mikolaj had left home with a decent sum, and Leonore made more than most people her age, between the legitimate jobs and the selling of black boxes. Robbie also had a steady income from various consulting and programming jobs.

      "Share out the money to buy a van, nothing fancy, stripped down is best. That way the van will tow the trailer, and Cyprian and Helena can sleep in it at night. Perhaps, they can even fit Miko in some nights to share the privacy as well. This way, all the crew will be together. Merideth and I can help you convert the trailer. We cook outside so the stove can be ripped out to make room. Your trailer could also function as our office."

      "I think it's fair enough," Leonore said.

      "All right," Cyprian agreed.

      Claudia smiled. "Now Elzbieta, Karina, how can I help you?"

      "I would like to buy one of these old style wagons," Karina said. Claudia saw the row she pointed out. They were made of wood and metal both and sat high and narrow between large thin tires. "I just don't know if I have enough money. I might, but then I will have none for the future, and I no longer have an income. But the mini has become a greenhouse and I have no room to think or work or set a proper altar."

      "I understand," Claudia said and tried to show reassurance by touching Karina's shoulder. "They can't cost so much. I will help you. We all should help each other this way when we are able, of course, and I know that you would do the same for us."

      "And we all benefit from Karina's knowledge and apothecary," Elzbieta chimed in.

      Claudia smiled wide. "Robbie will clean out his car to be traded. Cyprian will purchase a van, Karina a wagon to be towed by her mini, and I will purchase with Merideth a new trailer to be towed by Alaric's jeep."

      The group nodded and Karina and Cyprian left with Helena to choose their vehicles. Claudia looked to Elzbieta.  "Do you need anything?"

      Elzbieta shook her head in a bow. "I will be fine if I sleep in the car, and it is getting warmer now, the tents will be fine."

      Claudia kissed Elzbieta's face. "You are Goth," she said.