Tatyana smiled at Aleksandr's lightly snoring form. The tent about them fluttered in the cool wind, and in the distance she could hear the rushing water of the Bistraya River. Four months ago they had been married in St. Petersburg, and shortly thereafter they had embarked on a long trip to the Kamchatka Peninsula, the northeastern tip of Russia. They had journeyed on the invitation of Ivan, a classmate of Aleksandr, who was in Kamchatka, studying the cultural practices of the native Komyut peoples. The opportunity to visit the wild, untamed land seemed was one that the two could not bear to miss; they accepted the invitation at once.
Tatyana and Aleksandr were to meet Ivan Petropavlovsk the following week. He had provided a guide to them, who had led them to tour the volcanoes in the western part of the peninsula. They had seen the towering mountains spewing smoke and hundreds of miles of untamed forest. They were dirty, but content. Having grown up comfortably in the city, they had never experienced such solitude.
Tatyana was thirsty. She and Aleksandr had made love earlier in the evening and she had not bothered to put any clothes on. She stood up quietly and opened the tent, taking care to not wake Aleksandr. She stepped outside, feeling wild and savage as she looked up at the moon while naked. She slipped on some sandals, looked about herself one more time to be sure the their guide was still in their tent, and then hurried off to the nearby stream.
The cold bit against her skin, but she did not care; when would she get the opportunity to live so freely? She reached the stream, and knelt down. She could see her pale white form reflected in the moonlight. She gathered up some of the cold water with her hands, and lifted it to her mouth, drinking deeply. The water, disturbed by her hands, began to calm again. Tatyana looked down. She saw the reflection of a strange form, standing above her.
Tatyana attempted to spin around but a heavy hand locked onto the back of her neck, the other hand clasped over her mouth. Another form jabbed her belly with a gloved fist, knocking the air out of her nose and stopping her from screaming. Tatyana felt a liquid being poured into her ear. Her breathing slowed, her muscles weakening. And then she collapsed into the arms of her captor.
The form with the gloved first took a step back. He was dressed in the clothes of an indigenous Komyut priest, a cloak drawn heavily over his head, a wood mask concealing his face. But if his mask was off, Tatyana would have recognized her friend Ivan. Ivan looked to the Komyut warriors gathered about him, one of him was holding the unconscious Tatyana. Ivan gestured to the tent where Aleksandr was still asleep, instructing the Komyuts to follow him.
***
Ivan sat silently in the corner of a dark cavern. At its center was a long stone slab, about it dozens of candles. The smell of burning sage filled the air. Lying on the stone slab was the naked form of Tatyana. Her arms and legs were stretched out, bound by ropes to the corner of the slab.
Were he another man, Ivan may have been aroused by the sight of his classmate's bride in front of him. But Ivan had no interest in her. For a year he had lived with the Komyut people as part of his studies, slowly earning their trust. But they refused steadfastly to let him view their religious rituals. Of most interest to Ivan was the rituals the Komyuts undertook while preparing to go on a raid of neighboring tribes. Ivan was desperate; being able to witness such a ritual would make him the star of the St. Petersburg academy. He had to strike a deal with the Komyuts.
Tatyana moaned quietly. She was waking, her head tossing from side to side. As if on cue, a young Komyut woman walked into the cavern. She was completely naked, with long black hair that stretched to her buttocks. Balanced on her head was a jar. Tatyana tilted her head as best she could, her uncomfortably stretched body barely able to move.
Tatyana began to plead with the Komyut woman, perhaps hoping that she could understand Russian. The Komyut woman simply smiled warmly, looking down at Tatyana. Tatyana realized that her words were unintelligible. She bit her lip and began to cry. The Komyut woman still smiled warmly. With a hand, she brushed away one of Tatyana's tears, cupping her cheek. Perhaps that gesture made Tatyana more comfortable, as she relaxed a little.
The Komyut woman reached up to the jar on her head and took it in her hands. Perhaps Tatyana thought about how thirsty she was. She did not turn away as the Komyut woman put the jar to her mouth. A liquid poured from the jar into Tatyana's mouth. It was only after two gulps that Tatyana clearly realized that it was not water she was drinking. But it was too late. The Komyut woman held Tatyana's face gently and poured the rest of the liquid into Tatyana's mouth.
