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Driving back to the claim after a quick stop to restock some of the things they were running low on along the way, with some good traveling music flowing through the Jeep's speakers Becka nodding her head to the beat as she drove.

"Man, this is some beautiful countryside we are traveling through." she noticed as they moved into the foothills of the Cascade range. "This is one of the most relaxing commutes I have ever had, at least it's not everyday, but we have good weather and a good producing claim to work, life couldn't be better." Becka said as she turned onto the maze of forest service roads that lead to the claim.

"Yup, I must say it is a lifestyle that keeps me coming back year after year, just plugging away. It sure is something almost unheard of in the modern world, but ya can't beat the scenery." The Possum said.

"...And here we are; Our golden home-away-from-home." he finished as Becka pulled into their mining camp seeming untouched from the events that so changed their lives a mere twenty four hours ago.

"We should probably bury what's left of that bear before it starts ta raise a stink" Greg said heading to the scene of the attack only to find very little remained.

"Welp, looks like the wilderness cleaning crew came by and took care of most of the leavings... the great circle of life I suppose." Greg said at the few scattered bones and assorted gobbets of entrails that remained from the local scavengers the night before.

"Efficient little buggers, glad we could share the wealth of that unexpected bounty." Becka said with a nod placing the scattered bits in a bucket with a camp shovel to bury further up the hillside.

"Now I am under doctor's orders to make sure you don't over do it, do you think you can work the sluice if I can bring you buckets of pay-gravel?" Becka asked.

"Yes, mother." Greg groused. Smiling with a sigh. "Sorry hon, I'm used to doing for myself and this dang busted arm has be almost incapacitated. Makes me feel like I am taking advantage of all your hard work." Greg said eyes downcast.

"Hey, we are _ Partners _, and Partners do for each other, if all you can do is feed the sluice with a hand shovel than that's what you are going to do, I will be glad to haul buckets if that's what it takes, not unlike what happened in that movie last night." the Badger informed her partner. Greg nodded.

"Yeah, I know, you are right, and if it weren't for you I would have to call off the rest of my season sitting at home tel this arm mends itself. Call me a stubborn old cuss, thanks Becka, you are truly one in a million. If ya don't mind I'll keep ya company as you work that sample hole."

"Thanks love, I'd like that." Becka said reaching out to caress the Possum's cheek fondly.

By mid afternoon they were down into the good pay gravels Becka filled two buckets and took them down to the river.

"I wish you'd let me at least carry a bucket." Greg complained.

"Doctors orders, you are not to do anything that could re-injure your arm. these buckets are heavy, and trying to carry only one will throw you off. I don't mind besides you love it when I strip to the waste once I work up a good sweat." the badger said setting the buckets by the sluice and peeling her sweaty shirt off wipeing her ample chest before tucking it in the back pocket of her cargo shorts.

"Now that's Better." she said taking a breather.

"Indeed it is darlin. I could look at that all day, really cheers a body up." the older possum nodded with a grin. Grabbing the hand shovel and started feeding the sluice box.

"I'll bring you a couple more in a few minutes, Slow and steady gets the gold." Becka said as she trudged back to the forth sampling hole stopping in at camp to take a couple more heat tabs and grab some more water.

"The boulders don't seem to be as tightly packed in this hole." she said setting two more buckets near the sluice box. "You feeling ready to break for lunch?" the sweaty badger asked. Greg gave a nod.

"Sure thing Becka, those two make twelve buckets you have hauled down from the bench. What do you fancy for lunch hon?" Greg asked straightening up with a crackle of old joints grinning at the half naked badger.

"Well, there is a part of me that wants you to bend me over the camp table and fuck me silly." she said striking a pose that would stop traffic.

"I think I might be able ta help ya out there, just standing like that is waking 'Big Willy' from his slumbers." The Possum chuckled taking her in his arms and planting a toe-curling kiss on Becka's muzzle. As his free hand wrapped around her shapely tush in those cargo shorts delivering a lusty squeeze before grabbing a hold of the base of her tail and giving it a long slow tug, which elicited a sharp intake of breath and a shudder of pleasure from the Badger.

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"Yes!..." "Oh Fuck, Harder! Slam that fat cock into me!" Becka hollered raking her claws across the surface gouging deep furrows in the sturdy wooden table that was creeking under Greg's passionate assault.

Greg gave a solid slap across her well sculpted rump causing Becka you yelp in delight.

"Yes! Gods I love fucking in the great out doors!..." she grunted. "Shit... Soo close"... The Badger snarled as her orgasm washed over her like a tidal wave. She let loose with a bellow that caused Greg to skip a beat as she writhed beneath him gushing like a fountain in her release. Gripping the table as she panted trying to recover, Becka babbled incoherently. Greg pulled out of the limp Badger noting the state of her he commented.

"Such a mess you made. Welp clean up on isle three..." he said dropping to one knee and proceeded to lick her clean.

"Noooho-oh!" Becka burbled. "Yesss! don't...stop... cant take it... more." she whispered hoarsely.

"Oh, ya want me ta stop?" Greg asked with a smile in his voice. Becka wiggled her short stubby tail.

"...Safe-word...what the fuck is the safe-word?" she burbled as Greg chuckled, stood up and brought her a jug of water. Taking a seat on the bench as Becka tried to get her eyes to focus. "Can't...fucking...move! You Evil, Evil Possum!" she slurred and feebly tried to swat at him without much luck.

"Thank ya Love, that was the first time I have ever bent someone over a table like that, it was right fun, But ya know what they say... 'Age and treachery will always win out over youth and skill.' You doing okay hon?" Greg asked caressing his lover and fozzling her hair as she recovered from her torpor.

"Oh yeah.. I Really Needed that Love, I can be such a horny wench sometimes and you take such good care of me..._ Partner _." Becka gave Greg a look that was so full of love it caused his heart to skip a beat.

"Oh Lordy Becka, you are the one, ain't cha?" He asked in a voice barely above a whisper.

"Soul-mate?" the Badger asked. The Possum nodded. "Could be, I've never met one before, but I know I have never had anything like this experience in all my twenty six years. All I know is I'd like to see where it leads us. You have to meet my friend Shawna, she's into all this new age mystical stuff. She can come off as a bit of a feather head, but she can be surprisingly deep and insightful. I should give her a call when we head back to town." Becka said rubbing her face and slowly ratcheting herself to a sitting position on the tabletop placing her feet on the bench next to Greg.

So tell me about Shawna." Greg said.

"She's a short, Perky Ferret, with cornsilk blond hair and green eyes, into Yoga, Herbs, Crystals, Astrology, Tarot, and some ancient mystical stuff she has not explained to me yet, we went out on the full moons and did some weird stuff but she has a good soul and loving heart."

"She sounds like a Hoo-Doo woman!" Greg said.

"What's a Hoo-Doo woman?" Becka asked genuinely puzzled.

"A practitioner of the old ways uses rocks and herbs to work charms, the movement of the moon and stars in the sky, time and tides to infuse potions and spells... mostly they are good folk. A might queer in their mannerisms, some folk say they is 'Moon struck." Greg grinned. "Heared tales of one livin in the haunted woods on the other side of the cemetery when I was growing up as a boy, was never brave enough or foolhardy enough to go have a look-see fer myself though." he said with a wink.

"Yeah, that sounds like Shawna, she reminds me of a bright yellow butterfly. Kept saying my true destiny was not in the pathway of the modern world but to trust in the elemental spirits of this world to ...guide... me... to my true... calling... Oh, Fucknuts." Becka paused a look of utter shock on her face.

"Becka, you okay?" Greg asked placing a hand on her thigh.

"huh? Oh, Yeah... Just remembering something she said to me back around the end of October is all... Wow, I've got to call her." the Badger said reaching for her phone, which was in her pants, which she wasn't wearing at the moment.

"Doubt you will get a signal way out here love." Greg chuckled at the uncomprehending look on the Badger's face as she kept padding her hip.

"Well for one you are not wearing any clothes, and cell reception out this far can be spotty at best. Iffin ya really need to get in contact with this friend of yours, your best bet would be to use the sat-phone in the jeep."

"Oh, right... No, it's just I suddenly got an overriding urge to call her, let her know what's happening is all.

"Uh-huh... when was the last time ya talked to her?" Greg asked.

"Oh, uh... a few months ago the spring equinox I think, Why?" Becka asked picking up the jug and draining half of it in one go.

"Well we are coming up to the middle of June, summer solstice is next week. She probably just lit a candle and did a sending, like a summoning spell to get back in contact with you, she probably stopped by your place a few days ago found you were outta town and Called up a fetch-spirit to track you down." Greg said with a knowing smirk. Becka looked incredulous.

"That's ridiculous, there is no such thing." The Badger scoffed.

"It's the Hoo-doo, I tell ya. " Greg replied with conviction "Don't believe me, give the little Witch a call, betcha she's burning a candle as we speak." The possum chuckled walking over to the jeep and retrieving the satellite phone as Becka pulled her cel from her cargo shorts to look up Shawna's number.

Greg handed it to her with the biggest grin, Becka tried to make a face as she placed the call...

"...Love and Light you reached Shawna Moonchild!" the overly perky voice chirped.

"Hey Shawna, it's Becka...." The Badger started to say before being interrupted.

"Becka! I just Knew you were going to call!" the Ferret giggled.

"Uh, how did you..." she paused, Greg's grin widened.

"Oh, I have my ways..." The Ferret teased. "I tried stopping by your place and you weren't home, and when I called the warehouse they said your contract was up..."

"Do you have a candle burning on the alter for me?" Becka demanded. Greg chuckled.

"Um, yeah, I couldn't get in contact and your cell was out of range or something so I..."

"Oh God Damn it!" Becka exclaimed, Greg burst out laughing.

"What? What happened? Where are you Becka?" Shawna asked sounding alarmed and confused. "And who is that I can hear laughing in the background?"

"That, Would Be Greg. And I'm gonna kill him." Becka said glaring daggers at the hysterical Possum.

"Wait, What? Becka, your Aura is all convoluted! Tell me what's going on. Are you in danger?" The Ferret asked panic starting to edge into her voice.

"What??? No, No everything is alright. I am out in the Cascades and suddenly got an urgent feeling I needed to call you, Greg said you sent a 'fetch spirit' to find me and have me get in contact with you, he said you were a hoo-doo something or other and..."

"Becka, Becka! Listen to me... I have to meet this guy How does he Know about this stuff?" Shawna demanded.

"He said he heard about people like you growing up and his description was pretty spot on with all the weird stuff you are into, anyway, when he told me all this I called bullshit, but he said you probably had a candle burning on the alter to compel me to call... You do, don't you?" The Badger asked pointedly

"Well...Yeah, sort of... I was worried about you and it's Harmless, really. And it worked, didn't it?" Shawna's voice brightened "and you see, Told ya magick works!" the bubbly ferret giggled.

Looking at Greg who had tears streaming down his cheeks from the laughter "Fine!...You win." she snarled at him before turning back to the call.

"Any-way, Beckers, the reason I wanted to get in touch with you is I was wondering if you wanted to get together for Solstice! It's going to be uber powerful this year, a huge full moon and everything!" Shawna's enthusiastic voice chirped.

"Uh, yeah... Let me call you back on that, it sounds like a lot of fun, you still have your camping stuff?" Becka asked her violet eyes taking on a wicked gleam as she winked to Greg who shrugged with a nod looking around pantomiming ' __B_ ring her here?_' Becka nodded. Greg gave her the thumbs up.

"What?...Yeah, Why?" The new age nut-job asked.

"How would you like to get away from the city for solstice and really do it up right with me?" The Badger asked.

"Um... let me check my cards.." the Ferret asked. Becka could hear cards being hastily shuffled and laid out..

"Oh my God!" Shawna exclaimed.

"Well are the cards in alignment?" Becka asked rolling her eyes.

"It's a little confusing but Yes! Are you sure we won't be like busted by the cops this time?"

"What? No... it's wonderful out here, besides I want you to meet Greg and we can all celebrate the solstice together."

"Um, Becka... You know I do my rituals Skyclad, will this Greg guy have a problem with that?" Shawna asked.

"Shawna... I am speaking to you on a sat-phone, in the Cascades, and I happen to be ;_ Skyclad _; as we speak. Believe me, Greg is cool with it."

"Becka! Why in the world are you Naked??" the Ferret asked.

"Because Shawna... He just finished Fucking Me into a stupor, that's why, and when I came out of it the first thing I just Had to do was call YOU!" Becka huffed with a giggle.

"OOOH, Ya gonna share him with me?" Shawna trilled, seduction oozing from her voice.

"May-bee. He's _ Very _ 3-G, and is totally unlike anyone I have ever met. Which is why you have to meet him and he has to meet you." Becka said looking over at Greg as a smile scampered across her muzzle.

"Sounds like a plan, so, is he cute?" Shawna cooed.

"Perhaps, tell ya what; I'll call you tomorrow evening and we will work out all the details."

"K, Love and Light, Beckers!" the ferret chirped disconnecting the call.

Becka closed the phone as Greg was still softly laughing wiping his eyes as the Badger handed the phone back to him.

"Ya think she blew out the candle?" Greg said with a chuckle in his voice.

"Oh shut up!" Becka snapped with a grin of her own. Greg laughed.

"So, ya want to bring her out here for solstice?" think a city kid like her can handle it out here in the wilderness?"

"I think so, she's kind of a nature spirit and she is really interested in meting you, and she asked if I would share. Would you be up for that?" Becka asked.

"Oh Really? Well that is her call in my book, but if she's as nice a person as you say than sure we can all have a bit of fun together." the Possum shrugged. "What's her work schedule like, or is she in school?"

"Uh neither, like you said she's one of those _'Moon Struck'_folks, so she lives on a stipend. But she makes do." Becka said with a grin,

"Ahh, Gotcha, well don't make no never-mind, iffin she's a friend of yours, she should be okay in my book, Ya don't think she will go off the deep end when she catches her own case of Gold Fever, do ya?"

"Honestly, If I know Shaw-paws, the way I do, she will just see it as pretty, shiny metal useful for it's mystical energy. She is the most Un-materilistic person I think I have ever met. But she does have a tendency to let things fly out of her mouth without breaks." the Badger grinned.

"Well okay then that sounds like we are in for a good old time, we will make sure to send her home with her very own souvenir she can pan herself. Do you have any idea what she has in mind for her Celebration?" Greg asked opening a couple of large can's of stew for lunch.

"Not specifically, if they are like the other ones I attended she usually calls the elements, from the cardinal points of the compass, then evokes the god and goddess of nature, generally shares oatcakes and home brewed nut brown ale or mead, then generally some kind of prosperity working or healing for friends. Perhaps observing the seasonal changes, that kind of thing. From what I've seen, her practice generally falls into the 'Good Karma' side of things." Becka said bracketing the words good karma in finger quotes.

"Okay, she sounds harmless, I've seen a few things I couldn't explain when I was passing through N' Orleans, not saying I believe in all that mumbo-jumbo, but I have seen things that should not be possible that I can't come up with a rational explanation for so I just chalk it up to _ 'Hoo-Doo' _." he said with a wink stirring the bubbling stew.

"Mkay, that makes sense. I've seen a few things with Shawna that didn't fit into my standard accepted view of reality, so I know the feeling. Instead of trying to explain it, I put it down to the mysteries of the unexplained. And That Stew is smelling Really Good!" Becka said.

"Thought you may have worked up an appetite, what with shoveling all those buckets and getting plowed into a puddle of Badger Fudge Ripple, and all." Greg Grinned dishing up a bowl of hearty stew for his hard working, and hard loving partner.

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