The Ones from the Mountains

Fanfiction
Title:	The Ones from the Mountains
Author(s):	Gena Moretti
Date(s):	1993
Length:
Genre(s):	slash
Fandom(s):	Star Trek: TOS
Relationship(s):	Kirk/Spock
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The story was inspired by this zine cover, Way of the Warrior #1, artist is Chris Soto

The Ones from the Mountains is a Kirk/Spock story by Gena Moretti.

It was published in the print zine Way of the Warrior #6.

Summary

"A/U: In pre-reform Vulcan, Spock, traveling to the mountains to find the legendary animals and people there, meets a sandy haired round-eared youth."

Reactions and Reviews

1993

I realty liked how this a/u story (based on a poem) started out. It showed a great deal of thought regarding the pre-Reform culture, especially when Asec was telling Spock about the ones from the mountains". The idea that Vulcan could have an idyllic oasis in the mountains was realistic, as was viewing the humans' red cheeks as being "painted" instead of natural, counting days by using "hands", and that the Vulcans wouldn't think that one could free themselves of their bonds by rubbing the straps against tree bark, since the Vulcans weren't familiar with tree bark. The first six or seven pages of this story were thoroughly absorbing. Also, I liked the analogy with the tiger family.

Unfortunately, once Spock discovered Kirk, the plot suddenly disappeared. It was fun seeing the two behaving so innocently in a paradise-like setting, but such perfection went on for too many pages. Nothing was happening. I also kept wondering how old Kirk was, and where everyone else was. Even though the latter was explained, the reason seemed weak when considering the many, many days Kirk and Spock were atone together without seeing anyone else. I didn't agree with the way Spock more or toss kidnapped Kirk, but I was grateful at that point that the story was moving again. And the elements that tied up in the end were logical, if a bit convenient.

This youthful Kirk was very arrogant and brash, but I agree that he would probably be that way if he lived in a community that didn't seem to have anything in the way of authority figures, ft seemed to me that Kirk had an "all things human are batter than Vulcan attitude" with his absolute refusal to live in the desert, but his insistence that Spock live in his part of the planet.

It seemed uncharacteristically closed-minded of him.

A thoughtful, delicate A/U story of humans being the 'mountain people" and Vulcans being the "desert people'. Spock is drawn to the mysterious mountain, despite that it is forbidden and finds Kirk. They grow to love each other and cavort in the water and bask in the sun in some realty lovely scenes. They return to the desert together to bond. It is explained that this is based on a poem and the poetry is interspaced amongst the story. There are moody and haunting images in both. Since I accepted it as a fantasy, a certain lack of reality didn't bother me at all. In fact, 1enjoyed the beautiful, unique world that the author created.

Here's a lovely part: 'It was like no smile Spock had ever seen, his muscles turned to mush, his male organ into steel and his brain into so much sand." Guess whose smile? I really enjoyed the language, such as the reference to passage of time being three hands of days". But it could have stood a little less of 'cut to the crashing waves on the rocks'.

But altogether a beautiful, personal fantasy.

I would have liked the poem in its entirety (which I loved when I first read it) printed at the beginning of this story.

Spock is a lone warrior, running from one in his clan who wishes to bond. In the mountains live the humans, and tigers; Spock had always wanted to go there. He watches Kirk from in hiding, naked and frolicking just like the tiger cubs. Kirk of course is so easy in the nude, Spock is floored by the easy touching, etc. He falls in love...

Kirk is so innocently friendly and easy, sweet and playful. Spock licking Kirk's face like he saw the tigers do; I loved that. I love the primitiveness of their lives together in the mountains. Lovely, lovely, Kirk teaching him how to kiss. (I was sorry the sex wasn't shown directly.)

Eventually they are fully in love and understanding, and a satisfying mind-meld also.

Back at Sarek's camp, they all accept Kirk. I actually got shivers when Sarek told the tale of Spock's mother; she was from the mountains! Spock had not known he was half human; no wonder he was so drawn to the mountains.

Wonderful, thoughtful tale. Loving and warm story. Excellent. It does honor to the poem, being in that same sweetly sensual mood. And of course honors the beautiful art which inspired the poem.

2006

The editorial for this 1993 zine explains how this particular story came to be. The cover drawing for the first Way of the Warrior was drawn by the incredible Chris Soto and features two long-haired men wearing little other than arm bands. The darker one holds his hand on the fair one‘s face and a strong-fingered hand caresses the taller man‘s chest. The drawing inspired a poem by Michele Zachayus, lines from which are scattered throughout the story. Then along came Gena Moretti, obviously inspired by both earlier creations, because her account of these warriors can only be called inspired.

I keep thinking I don‘t like AU, then I read something like this in which the characters are just incredible and the love that flows between them is as smooth and perfect as anyone could imagine. This is a grand example of how a talented author can cause us to love Kirk and Spock in any form, in any timeline, anyplace in the universe. Spock is from the desert and knows of the mountains and their round-eared light-skinned people only by legend. Kirk is a child of the lush, cool world of the mountains with their abundant water supply and glorious climate.

Young Spock, determined to escape an unwanted bonding, flees to the sanctuary of those mountains only to encounter a being unlike any he has ever seen before. Fiercely spirited, joyous, sensitive and loving, Kirk quickly captures the Vulcan‘s soul. Kirk, unsurprisingly, falls head over heels in love with this dark apparition from the arid lands he has only imagined. Their time together in the hills is touching and sensual and happy. They revel in learning each other both inside and out, through talking and touching and basking in each other‘s presence. Curiously, I hadn‘t realized until just now that the intimate scenes between them are more hinted at than described. There is no great detail, but the reader‘s mind is so stimulated by the relationship the author has described, there is no need for it.

Happy story, happy ending! A K/S fairy tale.