California Soul
#3 of 1849
The life of a 49er was hard- in between the heat and exhaustion of a California day and the threat of Indian attacks, undeserving claim-jumpers and other miners all looking for the same treasure, these men would stop and think about the decisions they made that led to this. For Clarice Vulpino, concealing her feminity was much tougher than all these things- hiding the fact that "he" was indeed a "she" from literally hundreds of males who had not seen their girlfriends or wives in months.
And being a vixen she would soon be in heat in a few weeks, meaning that for the charade she had put on, the guys would treat her the same way a lion treats a juicy steak. Her only hope would be to travel with one of the guys back to San Fransisco under some pretense, then remove the mask and costume of a masculine 49er for a frontier vixen's sun dress, adventure for motherhood. She could not maintain that gruff, inverse falsetto forever, she could not drink beer and smoke and eat like a savage forever, she could not cuss like a sailor all her life- she was a woman and needed the gentle yet strong hands of a compassionate husband who would love her until the day they died.
"Why not Sheng Lee?", she thought out loud. He was also a fox, kind and noble, had received enough cash and was also a member of a marginalized group. For a moment, she thought of how socially-unacceptable for a mixed-race wedding would be, but then again women prospectors were not usual either. It was at that moment her plan was set in motion.
"Sheng Lee- I have received a note. Rudy Pentesila wants to talk to you over by his cabin for a private matter," David Carrington spoke to the fox, now proficient in English after a year of immersion in the language. Sheng Lee knew that the cabin was inhabited by only one miner, Clarice in disguise as a male but Sheng Lee was the only one who knew the identity of 'Rudy Pentesila'.When he entered the cabin, he was met by Clarice nee 'Rudy' in her prospector's uniform which included the helmet she seemed to always wear. (She blamed an Indian tomahawk blow which disfigured her face as the reason for wearing the identity-obscuring headwear.)
"There is a reason for me calling you. I'm in heat and will need to leave for San Fransisco. You saved us from claims-jumpers and settled disputes in my favor, helping me to earn this. The days of prospecting are over for me but I was not a failure at it by any stretch of the imagination" She pointed to her poke, the prospector's bag bulging with many dozen nuggets of gold next to her pan, sieve, and pick-ax.
"I think it's time for your reward," she said removing her uniform to reveal a tight-fitting union suit, the underwear for a man of that time period.The sight of a female in male underwear took Sheng Lee aback but when she started removing that to reveal her naked body, Sheng Lee could feel the fire between his legs. Within no time at all, the miner and her bodyguard were necking, kissing as she helped Sheng Lee take off his clothes. He had never been in love with anyone and now this woman came out of nowhere to take him to the mountaintop. The night had come the two California foxes were completely naked and completely in love.
"In China, the warrior must prove his wisdom and strength before marriage."
"And you have- your strength protected me and your wisdom made me wealthy. Now make sweet love to me," she said taking the initiative from the somewhat-unwilling fox. "I'm not easy- I'm just desperate for a man who can understand what I've been through this whole time. I'm alone, a stray in this world and I wanted a strong man so badly. You cared for me. You are more beautiful and desirable than all the gold in California," she said touching her muzzle to his and kissing deeply. Soon, his knot had hardened as the female 49er continued to announce her love both in thought and deed.
"Come, we will make love", as he started to drip over her knees and thighs and in a moment resembling divinity, the fox entered her.
"Dig deeper, dig deeper, Sheng Lee I have so much treasure", Clarice said.
"Yes, it's all mine. All this treasure's mine and I want it so much" the Chinese fox responded. She thought of the beauty of the bay, the mountains laden with gold, the untamed spirit of the West with each of her boyfriend's thrusts. Clarice thought of the people who would inhabit this land in the future, hard workers, the ones who saw the beauty in simple things yet had an eye towards the truly great. She thought of the boomtown of San Fransisco with its cheats and ne'er-do-wells that would one day be a city of honest men, she thought of Oakland, that beautiful city on the bay, she thought of Sacramento the capital of the state devastated by a cholera epidemic but soon to be a city of millionaires, all the while engulfed in what can only be described as pure pleasure. Soon, Sheng Lee could take it no more and he exploded into Clarice, thinking all the while about the Golden State.
"Our children will soon inherit this land- this land of California," she said with an exhuasted yet triumphant look on her face. She could see the trust in her lover's eyes and knew that in this moment, she would be as happy and peaceful as she would ever be. The two lovers fell asleep in each other's arms, thinking about their new homeland, their new life with each other. She felt safe and warm in Sheng Lee's arms, which she had never felt in years, not since the Indians massacred her family.