"Who is she, and why is she sitting naked at your table?"
Yup, as expected, the main question addressing the elephant in the room.
Nina, with no shame or modesty, had selected a matching bra and panty, black, in the same style as Laina was wearing, but Laina's was white.
Both semi nude women were studying each other, with Laina trying to digest the explanation that Nina had given.
"White Crow."
Nina spoke out, to the tattoo on Laina's inner left thigh, almost matching the black crow tattoo on Nina's inner right thigh.
Both women had ignored me mostly, as Laina was rapid firing questions at Nina, who in turn answered very professionally.
A loud noisy entrance, and then a knock on my door sent the two women scurrying into the living room.
"Hey, John, your yearly delivery."
"Thanks, Thomas, Merry Christmas."
"Same to you, Wife is baking a cobbler for the town party, you coming?"
"Wouldn't miss it for the world."
"See you there buddy!"
"Will do."
Thomas, the epic mailman had a storage container, the size of a pod he backed into position against my porch for easy access. He left as he had smaller villages and houses to visit around the mountain.
I wanted to go to town. But I can't leave them here alone.
While I was thinking that, they both donned Laina's old private school uniforms.
"That's a very good look for you both, bundle up, I need to go to town."
"Eh.."
Now I have to admit, the skirts on them were a little into the risque, as what used to be at knee length was now half up the thigh. They hopped to it, putting on the thigh high socks, fur boots and jackets. Me, I couldn't put on my old boys school uniform, or risk looking like the guitarist from ACDC. Not that I minded, I even had the hat.
I explained what is going on to the girls, and of course Laina had to explain the rules and stuff of shopping to her.
Leaving them to finish dressing, I would have opted for a smaller vehicle, but I have only one snowmobile, and it only holds 2 safely.
So I went to the attached shed, knocked the snow from the front of the doors, and checked over my Land Destroyer 9000, or SUV.
It fired up as if it had not been sitting for a few weeks, as I only use it to gather large amounts of supplies, or help neighbors out.
I fired up the seat warmers, as hot ass on cold leather does not mix.
I left it running, and went in to close up the house for the day. The snowstorm was not bad at the moment, but I grabbed some extra money in case we had to hunker down at the B&B for the night.
Not that I planned on it being an all day excursion, it was already ten in the morning.
The girls came out, and jumped into the SUV. One of them could have rode shotgun, but they were into the warmed back seats, and were not moving.
I followed the path the snow cat had taken, and it was slow going until we hit the salted asphalt.
Since the town was condensed, I left Laina and Nina at the clothes shop with money. We were to meet up at the pharmacy to finish getting their stuff they needed.
Something gnawed at me, and it looked like I would have to expand the cabin soon.
They dashed into the store to spend my money, and I made my way to the pharmacy.
"John!"
The older Native American man called to me, as I entered with a bag of winter herbs I cultivated.
I handed the bag to the man, and he shook my hand.
He was a friendly man, and damned good pharmacist, which I believe comes from him being and ordained tribal medicine man.
His sons and grandsons worked the pharmacy, while he manned his spiritual table.
He waved a feather over a small clay pot with strange things boiling up a mist.
"Man you have the strangest fate. You are tangled in deep with the old ways."
"Yeah, a strange smoke crow told me I am bound to a woman who once was a crow I rescued."
"HA HA HA HA"
"Old Crow brother has found his way home. My wife spoke to you? Did she mention me?"
"Huh?"
"I know all about your troubles, Mr. Seclusion. Unfortunately, you were born between the White and Black Crow star. Nothing bad will befall you, but you are not exceptionally lucky either."
"So this full moon thing is what?"
"A wedding."
"For real, like legally binding?"
"Yes. But it is a very long time coming."
"Wha?"
The medicine man started the story after offering John some tea.
"Long ago when the crow owned the mountain, there was a crow born with feathers not like everyones. They were black, grey, white, and brown. The brown had grown out, leaving only the three colors."
"The tribe did not know what to do with this strange brother, but while it was strange, it could see things happen before they happened. It used this gift to protect the tribe from predators, and dangers, even telling them to turn into two legs to scare off the wolves."
"However, he could not change, and while the tribe cared for him, they ultimately decided he was no longer useful as a bird."
"They came for him in his nest, but he was gone. In the night, he had seen that they were going to offer him to the gods as thanks, and he knew this would bring a great malice from the gods, so he left in the middle of the cold night to keep them from committing a grave sin."
"But it was no night to be flying, and the cold took his life. His body was never found."
"But while he was alive, he was favored by the darkest of the night black crow, whom visited his nest often, and the whiter than snow crow, who too shared his nest, now were distraught over the beautiful crow's disappearance."
"The two ladies split up to search for him. However, they too fell to the cold, but before they would vanish, it is said his spirit visited them both, to carry them to the stars to be together forever."
"But the gods said that was not right. The beautiful crow had to marry them both, but wanting to be alone, as he felt cursed to suffer the same fate, flew off to avoid his duties as a future husband."
"And now we have you here, pinned down finally. I mean some men would give their body parts to be between two beauties. Why do you run?"
He finished the story, and I had no answer.
I did not like how my life was going, on an endless circle, it was pure torment.
"Cant run from this. There is only so much patience the universe can give, and now its finally showing you its hand."
"So I just marry a bird?"
"I think you missed something. The Crow's were birds at one point, but not in the physical sense. We take the shape of birds, but were always two legs. She just does not realize it."
"But she was a bird, an injured crow I rescued."
"You do know crows are tricksters, right? You may have seen her as a bird, but she was most definitely human."
The bell above the door rang as the two women entered. The old man took this time to disappear, leaving a feather on the table.
We spent the rest of the time stocking up on things they would need.
After a lunch at the tavern, we drove to Laina's portable on the now closed for winter dig site.
We packed her things, though she will have to return to report things and such, but the small building was not entirely warm and cozy.
After loading up the essentials and stuff, we returned to my cabin.
Unloading only took a few minutes, and I stoked the fire alive, as the storm picked up outside.
I made us cocoa, and we watched some T.V. as we warmed up.
Once the house and bodies were warmed up, they started losing clothes again....