Almost a week had passed since their arrival and Brazen was glad to sit still for a moment. Plissken's constant traveling had reminded her just how much she liked to have a steady place to call home. It wasn't exactly that she couldn't continue to drift just she preferred this situation much more. Susan had made a friend. Her name was Marie. The woman had two children and oddly her husband, Alex or Scar as they called him got along with Snake. They scouted together and it was natural for Marie and Brazen to get together while they were "working". Marie had been the one who Plissken said would teach her. That was true. Brazen was finished with the bear hide and had learned to cook.
Of all the things that had passed since Malloy had appeared it was her time with Plissken that was the most astonishing. He'd opened up to her since they had become lovers and she realized he had a sincerity to everything even his indifference at times. Brazen smiled to herself in the dark. The night before had been proof of her thoughts. She had comeback from the far side of the camp to find Snake laying out on the tarp by the fire. When he called her over Brazen had expected him to be pushy and lusty as he had been all the preceding days. He wasn't. Snake had her lay down beside him; arm wrapped around her and looking up at the sky. Brazen had never seen so many stars but the surprise was when Plissken went on to name the constellations. It was the first time he'd taught her anything on the trip or at least taught her with that purpose in mind. They had laid there for hours while he explained astronomical navigation. She even heard a little about how he picked it up to help navigate over Siberia during the war.
The whole night left her stunned. It was still dark now but Plissken had left. Today they were to be in a ceremony. Snake had been vague about it but he had made clear his reasoning. First was in order to stay the chief had asked that he become an Indian and the other being the logic of having a close trading partner. The destination he had chosen way back in LA was only a few days ride from here. It all made sense and Brazen didn't question it. She trusted him to make the right decision.
Susan was to be part of the ceremony too but Plissken couldn't tell her anything about her part. The knowledge was for women only but he had arranged for Marie to be with her during it. Brazen shook her head laughing quietly to herself as she stretched. Of all the things, thoughtful was one she never imagined associating with Plissken. It took her sometime to dress before she made her way in the freezing pre-dawn air to Marie's tent. The curiosity easily outweighed her usual distrust and served to calm her.
All of that had happened hours earlier. Brazen now found herself sitting in a different tent. She was supposed to be reflecting on who she was but after an hour she had put it aside. Briefly she wondered if Plissken had to do the same thing. The thought almost caused her to laugh out loud in the silent tent. If that was the case someone would have an argument on their hands. Plissken knew exactly who and what he was. Unlike most people he seemed completely comfortable with the answer too. Really there was no way of telling with him. He kept everything hidden or so skewed you'd never know the difference.
Brazen opened her eyes and examined the rattlesnakes they had painted up over her shoulders. Earlier they had told stories to receive body art. She had shared the story of her and Plissken up on the pass in the blizzard. They had told her the snakes over her shoulders symbolized that a snake, quite literally in this circumstance, had her back in trouble. She had another animal too. They had added a pair of bear footprints to her stomach. It was supposed to be her, a bear. Marie had told her it symbolized strength, unknown abilities, bad tempers, curiosity, fighting skill and femininity particularly maternal aspects. She didn't know if that was so true. Maybe that was what she was supposed to be doing?
Why had they made her a bear? The bad temper part made her wonder what Plissken had been telling the scouts about her. She hadn't fought since she was here so that was the only way they could know. It was the unknown part that Brazen found most applicable. She didn't know who she was anymore. She wasn't a cop. She wasn't a criminal. By moral standards she was but Brazen had always found the ideas of moral crimes hokey. Who was she? Brazen thought maybe listing it out in her mind might clear things up now that she had time to systematically go through. She was Plissken's companion, his lover or at least the woman he seemed to want, maybe she was even his friend. She was an ex-cop, a little sister before her brother had been killed. Her father died not long after so maybe she was an orphan too. That was when the Force had picked her up for the academy, at 16. She was a psychologist, a profiler and a computer specialist. There weren't any computers now so maybe that was irrelevant?
There were things she definitely wasn't too. She wasn't a killer or a fight starter like Snake. She preferred peace and to talk things out. That had led to problems whenever they argued but even if she had been a fighter Brazen wouldn't get physical with an argument. She had seen what happened to other people who hit him. She wasn't a liar or a thief. Snake had stolen supplies along the way but Brazen hadn't. Sighing she looked up feeling like she had yet to uncover anything she didn't know.
Susan looked up at the young woman across from her. She had horses painted across her stomach. Brazen laughed under her breath. She wasn't a horseback rider that was for sure. Snake had tried to help her and three out of the five times she'd fell out of the saddle as soon as the horse started to gallop. Eyes opened and stared in her direction. She suddenly felt embarrassed. Smiles followed and then movement. Brazen still didn't know what was happening tonight.
Standing with the other women she felt cold air. Turning toward the tent flap she saw Scar standing there. The mark across his neck that gave him his name seemed eerily prominent in the firelight. Then she saw what was in his hands. It was Snake's gunbelt. Brazen tried to fight down the nervousness. What had happened? He held them out to her and she took them noticing blood smeared on the metal.
"Bring them with you."
Brazen wanted to ask questions but by the time she looked up he was gone. The blood was still wet to the touch. She wanted to question the women but instead she was offered a mug of something. The other women were drinking it. Susan peered into the cup. The contents smelled bitter but she didn't want to look weak among the others. She was supposed to be a bear. Taking a breath she downed the whole glass of warm liquid. Susan was glad she had. She never would have taken a second sip. The taste was so awful she had nothing to compare it to. It was just the worst thing she'd ever tasted.
She saw Marie with the bear pelt Brazen had been working on when the gagging stopped. The cup was taken from her hands by someone. Who she couldn't really tell but Marie was motioning toward the tent flap. Glancing down at the gunbelt she nodded and started to move. It must be time to go on to the other place they had been setting up earlier in the day when she had come to this tent. Marie wrapped the bear around Brazen's shoulders. It was soft and remarkably warm even in the evening chill. Brazen looked at the darkening horizon trying to figure out where the day had gone.
There was no time to think about it as they ushered her barefoot across the frozen ground and inside the huge, round tent. There were already a lot of people inside. It was hot, so oppressively hot with a raging fire in the center. The fur was taken from her and she watched the girls spread it on the far side of the fire. Brazen just wished for more of an idea about what was going to happen.
Her eyes turned down to the guns and then roamed the people inside. Snake was not here yet. The blood had her worried. Maybe something happened, maybe they killed him? She tried to push away the fears but they wouldn't go. The lump in her throat was growing and she wanted to sit. Marie stopped her and whispered she had to stand quietly until the others arrived. She tried but her legs shook. What if he was dead? Tears pricked up in her eyes but she tried to force them down. She had to be quiet. Who knew what might happen if she ruined this ceremony everyone seemed to be taking so seriously.
Taking a breath she looked up at the fire. People were around it adding something that was smoking. There was a man with a wolf's head mask staring at her and she looked away. His gaze was too intense. Smoke started to fill the area and Brazen coughed rubbing her eyes. It burned. Her eyes and lungs felt on fire and the room was getting hotter. She felt faint but Marie was there encouraging her to stay up. Brazen struggled and finally looked up from tear blurred eyes.
They widened. Snake was there across the fire now. She could see him through the pale smoke. His left side had been painted in red and orange flames that ended in wisps on his cheek near the scar and just below the patch. His hair was soaked presumably from the sweat that was rolling off of him. Brazen just noticed she was doing the same in the heat. When she touched her own hair it too was wet. Her attention quickly returned to Plissken. There was blood or red paint in two streaks down his chest and a bear print right in the center of his chest. Brazen tried to work out what it all meant. The fire was obvious. If anything, Snake was like a bonfire, temperamental, dangerous, hypnotizing and destructive.
Susan struggled to make out more through the smoke but it was impossible. She wasn't even sure if Plissken knew she was there. He hadn't looked up from the man with the wolf's head since she noticed him. She swallowed hard to fight the vertigo that was rising. Briefly she wondered what they had given her to drink. The taste was still there in her mouth and she didn't much like it. More smoke came from the fire and Brazen pressed her eyes shut. Marie was pushing her now gently toward the fire. Glancing back she tried to clear her eyes and see the woman with her. It was impossible but she could hear her instructions.
Fighting with her vision Brazen joined the two men. The fur felt soft under her feet as she walked up to Snake. Her eyes were down to defend them from the billowing smoke. The spinning set in again as soon as she stood still. It took effort to look up. She was instantly sorry she had. Now she could see the source of all the red. Plissken had two huge puncture wounds in his chest, one on each side. They still trickled blood slowly though it seemed the flow had all but stopped compared to the apparent traces of the earlier bleeding. Brazen didn't see any sign of pain in his expression. In fact he seemed detached. Not really drunk but drugged and he swayed slightly. She wondered if he'd been given the same bitter liquid. There was no time as the wolf pushed her arm toward Snake. It was the side she was holding the guns in. Smiling she got the idea and held them out to Plissken but he didn't take them. Confusion joined the spiraling room and the temperature that were threatening Brazen's consciousness.
The wolf touched the buckles on the belt and Susan struggled to understand. Things were blurring even her thoughts seemed intangible. What was she doing? She couldn't remember. The buckle was pulled toward Snake. Suddenly she remembered. Gently she wrapped the gunbelt around his waist and buckled it in the front. No wonder they had taken his guns if they had stabbed him. Her mind was still on the wounds when she realized she had said something. She couldn't place what she had just said. Plissken was speaking too but it was muffled and appeared like a muted television. Brazen tried to focus but it was lost in the haze.
The next clear moment was lips on hers. Snake's lips in a kiss that made it harder to breath then the oppressive warmth. The salty taste of sweat overpowered the lingering bitterness from the drink. She could feel his hot hands sliding down her sweat covered back. Her skin tingled strangely from his touch, some after impression of feeling his skin against hers. Susan wrapped her arms around him too dizzy to keep her footing alone. His arms pulled tighter and his lips were down near the rattlesnake on her shoulder. That image was followed by spiraling vertigo that only cleared when she felt the soft fur under her body and Plissken's weight pressing down on her. She had forgotten everything else around them except for the scorching air and the man touching her. The fire on his face was smudged when she got a look at his face. Her body still felt electrified by the after impressions. She could still feel his hands on her back even though they hadn't been there for sometime.
The vertigo had subsided some but clarity hadn't returned. Once more Plissken was kissing her. It was an odd sensation that followed. It felt as though the fur and ground was giving way beneath them. That feeling was intensified by the sensation of Snake somehow kissing her from inside. It didn't make sense, nothing did at the moment. The sensation was one of his body passing into hers. It was impossible but the feeling remained. Few images followed that last one but Brazen couldn't make any logical connection to them. Things faded and returned but she felt no fear of the uncertainty because he was there with her.