By the time David had done his geology and security survey, Rachel and Maria had already placed their packs in the perfect camp spot beside a huge block of gabbro.

He walked over to join them, took off his pack and laid it alongside theirs. "What a fine spot this is," he said, examining the setting and pointing to the tops of the cliffs soaring around them. "It appears to be well hidden from almost any angle."

Rachel nodded. "We tried for years to find it again, and even knowing where to look, we couldn't. We tried from above and below and crossed the slopes many times in each direction. No sign of it."

David wiped the sweat from his brow. "While we're hot and sticky, let's unpack and set up camp so we cool before we bathe." He examined the fallen block of gabbro. "This seems an ideal place for our shelter." He unstrapped the roll of canvas and blanket from his pack, spread it out, and said, "I'll set it up for us while you ladies unpack, then go to the pools."

While the women organised the contents of the packs, David wedged the line from a corner of the oiled canvas into a crack in the rock at his chest level; then, he led the line from the next corner around a flake on the back of the fallen block. Rachel came over with a towel in hand as he adjusted the line. "That's an unusual shelter."

"I thought a low, sloping roof would not only make a good dew and rain cover but also help retain our body heat. I'll tie lines from the lower two corners around large rocks on the slab. That will enclose a tight little space between the cliff face and this rock, with the only opening a small triangle. We'll be hidden from the entrance ramp."

Rachel nodded and held up her towel. "Maria and I are off to the pools to bathe. You stay here to allow us our privacy."

A while later, as Rachel and Maria lay soaking and relaxing in the warm pool, Maria said quietly, "Mama, you've told me lots about me, about my body, but you've never told me much about boys – about men. I know you've tried, but I wasn't interested."

"And because of your indifference, I never pressed. Simply asked if you had questions about it."

Maria bobbed her head. "I didn't then, but I do now. We had begun studying sexual anatomy and reproduction at the hospital, so when David came in for dinner the first night, I showed him my interest."

Rachel chuckled. "Your insatiable curiosity. And did he show his interest?"

"He did. But I now realise why he went back and forth from endearing to reserved – not wanting to risk his cover."

"Of course. So, how did you break through to him?"

"The first night, I didn't. On my walk home, I thought of so many things I wanted to ask you, but you were already asleep. Thoughts of him kept me awake for a long time, and I slept late – rushed away to the hospital without asking."

"So, last night?"

"The gasthaus wasn't busy, so I had much more time to talk with him. I suggested wine instead of ale, and sensing his interest in it, I told him how we make it, and when that led to mentioning Switzerland, his manner changed."

"Of course, it would. He would see you as much less of a threat. So, from there?"

"He remained at the table long after dinner, and as we talked, I thought often of the sexual reproduction lectures and texts." She shrugged. "You know how I prefer experience to book learning, so after finishing my duties, I asked him to take me up to his room and show me how."

Rachel laughed. "That is so like you – insatiable curiosity."

"Only when I'm interested. And the more we talked, the more intrigued I became." She pressed her fingers to her mound and trembled. "I don't even understand how his things work; they're so different from my button and grooves."

"Oh! Every time I suggested we have another talk, you seemed so unconcerned, and I assumed you already knew about men. Here you are, eighteen and beginning to learn. I'm delighted you're not shy about it."

"I'll be nineteen in September. But why should I be shy? I'm curious, though – so many unfamiliar experiences. Like when I was tending his wounds, I watched the bulge as he expanded along his trouser leg. Did that mean he was interested in me? Should I have done something?"

Rachel chuckled. "Not necessarily, Sweetheart. Men rise for many reasons. Sometimes, when they're emotionally contented, as he would have been with your tender care. Sometimes, it happens for no reason they can think of, often when they're in deep sleep and almost always when they wake in the morning."

She looked at Maria and smiled. "The good times for us are when their arisings are about us, or when they're because of us. And fortunately for women, that's an easy thing to arrange. When we're hungry, a little hint, a show of flesh, almost any little thing we can imagine to show some interest, will turn on the passion."

"I discovered that last night. I wanted a third go, so I ran my fingers up and down the back of his neck, shifting my hips a bit. It was as if I had thrown a switch; he quickly grew again inside me."

"A third time? How long were you together last night?"

"I got off at eleven, and we started to walk home at half past midnight, so an hour and –"

"My God, Maria, you've a very strong stud." She turned her head toward the shelter and smiled. "Most men need an hour and more to get it up again. Women are lucky; we can keep on going until we're exhausted. I've never been lucky enough to be exhausted by sex."

"I was the night I met David. Thoughts of him filled my mind all the way home, and I lay in bed rubbing myself to explosion over and over until I finally drifted to sleep."

"Ummm. I've done that – alone. But I meant with a man. So, last night, did you explode with David?"

"Two or three times each time we did it. I couldn't believe what I'd been missing."

"You're a very lucky girl, Maria. I used to have a lot of trouble exploding – reaching orgasm– when I was with your father. The doctor said this is common with women – speaking of father, when did you last bleed?"

"I started a week after the moon, like always. And remembering what I had just learnt about the cycle, I told him there was no risk of making me gravid."

Rachel nodded. "I don't know what David's other qualities are or what his background is, but as a virile stud, as a kind, gentle person, and as a leader, what I see so far is impressive."

"So, Mama ..." Maria hesitated. "What can I do to make it better for him? I enjoy him so tremendously – it's so intense. I can't imagine he gets the same from me. How do I make it better for him?"

"It's a complex system, Sweetheart. It's completely different between men and women. The parts between his legs are tied to his mind, while ours are tied to our emotions, to our feelings."

"So what can I do?"

"You simply have to show you enjoy him. It is as simple as that. He will enjoy you more; it will boost his confidence. The more you show him you enjoy what he does, the more he will do what you enjoy. You're the leader. Women rule men by maintaining control of their dangling bits. Never forget that, Maria. Women have ruled the earth since Adam and Eve. Men mistakenly think they have."

"I play with my button and grooves." She looked down and stroked her blonde mound, which was barely above the shallow water. "Do men play the same way with themselves? I'm sure they must."

"Yes, Sweetheart, but you need to ask him, not me." A smile grew on Rachel's face as she thought. "He may know as little about these things as you, but being open and honest with each other is the finest way to learn. You're obviously attracted to each other, you both seem to have a high drive, and you're in a safe time of your cycle. You stay here and relax while I go talk with him."

Rachel soaped and rinsed, then stood to dry with a towel, her mind wandering to her own youth. She dressed and smiled down at Maria. "You're a beautiful woman – quick and intelligent. You deserve a fine man like David. Let me see if he's interested in calling on you."

A short while later, in the shelter, Rachel sat and spoke with David. "Maria and I have been talking. First, to relieve your mind, as she told you last night, there was no risk of pregnancy. Second, for your gratification, she told me she enjoys you tremendously. Third, she told me that except for her fingers, she was a virgin last night. Finally, she asked me to tell her how she can please you more, to tell her what excites you and to explain how you relieve yourself. I decided you could tell her better than I."

David was flummoxed, completely taken by surprise. He stared into Rachel's eyes as he tried to think of what to say. "I enjoy her tremendously as well. She has such an endearing innocence and curiosity. My God, she's so beautiful."

"You need to tell her that, David. Tell her often how beautiful she is. Women love the confirmation. Be honest with her about your feelings, all of them, the good and the bad. Sharing honesty is the finest way to get to know one another."

David looked again at the entrance to the shelter, expecting Maria to appear. "She's taking a long time."

"She's at the pool waiting for you so you can talk privately. Take a towel so you can bathe while you're there. I'll finish arranging here."

He slowly nodded as he stood, a smile growing on his face. "Thank you. I don't know what else to say." He shuddered. "Thank you."

Maria lay on her back, relaxing in the pool as he approached. "Come join me. The water is so comforting, and it eases the aches."

David undressed, rising quickly in excitement.

Maria stared at his prominence. "Mama and I were talking about how it swells and lifts. She said it's often an automatic thing, not connected to desire."

"This one is definitely not automatic. Your beauty brought it on, but let's leave that for the moment. Your mother said you have questions I might be able to answer."

"Come lie beside me, let the water relax you, tell me about your parts. They're so different from mine."

"My God, you're an innocent beauty. So curious, so gorgeous and so ... so endearing." He slipped into the water beside her and kissed her nose. "These wounds make kissing awkward."

"I'll clean them and apply fresh dressings when we finish here." She pointed to his shaft sticking above the water. "That's called a penis in German; what's its name in English? How do you stop the swelling when it starts? There doesn't seem room in your trousers with it this way."

"Also, a penis. It's often impossible to stop. Sometimes I can divert my mind, but with inspiration like you causing it, nothing works."

"Nothing? What about stroking it like I stroke my button? That always relieves my tension. I was doing that while waiting for ..." His throbbing interrupted her. "Oh, my! It's waving to me."

"Your words are doing that, giving my mind an image of you playing with yourself." He gazed into her eyes. "But, yes, I do stroke myself for relief, though I much prefer doing it with a woman. The feeling is so much more intense, but that's not always possible."

"Will you show me how? I'm curious."

"Curious! God! That's an understatement. Why don't I instruct you how to do it for me? You'll understand it better that way."

Maria followed his coaching, and a few minutes later, she smiled as she listened to his breathing change, saw his legs tense and his toes curl, recognising the signs from her own self-pleasuring. A while later, she watched the pulsating geyser. "My God!" she blurted, looking at the creamy trail across his abdomen and chest. "The school lessons were well short of this. The instructor said there were many seeds released. Tiny microscopic seeds, but I never imagined this much." She leaned and kissed his forehead. "Was that pleasing to you?"

"A huge relief. Taking matters in hand is my way to quickly turn to the important things. I've always been amazed by how fast my mind clears and how fast the frenzy for relief dissipates once I spurt. My balls stop aching. I relax. I think clearly again. Speaking of clear thinking, it's getting cold. We need to finish here, get into warm clothing, finish setting up camp and start cooking dinner."

They soaped, rinsed and dried each other, then dressed. Back at the shelter, Maria looked closely at David's lip and cheek, and after dabbing them gently with alcohol, she decided they needed no further attention other than light pieces of gauze taped over them to keep them clean.

While David and Maria were at the pool, Rachel had finished unpacking and arranging the shelter. The slab inside was covered with thick moss, and she had spread the three bedrolls on it. Ranged at the side were the rucksacks, and she had removed the food, the stove, the cooking pots and utensils.

Rachel and Maria began preparing a stew of ham, carrots, turnips and split peas in a kettle on the Primus. Once it was simmering, they all sat around the little stove and ate the last of a loaf of pumpernickel with slabs of butter as they waited for the stew to cook.

It was just into twilight when the stew was done, and as he turned off the stove, David said, "We need to finish cooking, be finished with any need for light before it gets dark. Our tiny light can be seen for a long distance and catch an eye, compromising our position. Take a good look around now while there is still some daylight remaining. Make a mental map of where our shelter is, the route to our latrine rocks and the cliff edge. Everything has to be done in the dark. There's a big moon from an hour before midnight until dawn to show the cliff edge if you need to get up."

The evening dew grew heavier, so they moved to the shelter to continue eating their stew. As they finished, he said, "It's warmer to sleep in the nude. Our clothes are damp from the dew and the day's perspiration, and they'll only make us colder if we keep them on. Our body heat will soon warm the bed, and if you need extra warmth, we can cuddle." He chuckled. "I think we know each other well enough now to do that. Out to pee while there's still a bit of light, then to bed."

He was the first back into the shelter, and he rearranged the bedrolls into a single bed. Much warmer this way than individually. After stripping, he crawled under the covers and began warming the bed while he waited for the women. Wonder what's taking them so long. Aha! A more awkward arrangement than simply flopping it out.

A short while later, Maria undressed and crawled under the blanket, nuzzling up in front of him, wrapping her arms around him, interlocking legs and pressing her breasts into his chest. He tried to keep himself down without success. Rachel crawled in behind him and snuggled her back to his.

"I feel like a piece of meat in a sandwich, a delicious sandwich. Is everyone comfortable?"

"Wonderfully," Rachel said, wriggling more firmly into his back. "I haven't been this comfortable and relaxed in many months. Thank you, David. Thank you for everything you've done and are doing."

"I'm concerned about this big piece of meat pressing into my belly. Do we need to do something with it?"

"Ignore it, Maria, it's on automatic. There's no intention behind it." He chuckled. "Besides, we all need to sleep."