Death on the Trek (21 page)

Hama turned away and lifted her arms to address the tribe.
No one will harm a Hamapa brother or sister. This is not done in our tribe. We are not like the Mikino and other tribes. We are Hamapa, The Most High People.
She turned her head to throw a glance to Cabat, then continued.
If a brother or sister wants to charge another with a misdeed, then that must be done in peace. We will not harm one another.

After one last hostile scowl at Cabat, Hama stalked off, leaving Cabat and Mootak, and Enga, as everyone else melted back from them. After a few moments, Cabat shuffled away.

Enga saw the tears Mootak had managed not to spill trembling at the edges of his eyes. She put her arm around his shoulders and drew him away so the tears could run down his cheeks where the others could not see.

* * *

Jeek was so excited he could barely keep his feet still. He wanted to dance and to leap. He, Jeek, was going to go along on the camel hunt! A real hunt, as a spear thrower. He had been wanting to do this for many summers.

He strode beside pretty Gunda with music in his head, and joy vibrating inside his body. He carried the spear that Ongu Small One had given him, the one he had carried on the last unsuccessful attempt. Fee Long Thrower had told Jeek that he should go on this hunt. Fee and Ung usually led the hunts and were leading this one.

Now, here he was, heading toward the herd that had again been sighted at first sun. It appeared the mammoth and the two camels had moved closer to them and were but one or two hand lengths of Sister Sun through Mother Sky away.

The group of female spear bearers and the males, one of whom carried the large mammoth skin, made barely any noise as they walked through the long grasses.

Ung Strong Arm and Fee Long Thrower, as the two best spear throwers, were in the lead. Behind them, Enga Dancing Flower, Ongu Small One, and Hama carried spears. Then came Jeek and Gunda. Tog Flint Shaper and Bahg Swiftfeet brought up the rear, carrying the skin in which they would drag the carcass back.

The party halted when Ung shot out a thought:
Halt! We are near.
They all crouched in the tall grass, waiting for the next signal. The spear throwers arranged themselves in a row so they could all throw without hitting each other. Tog and Bahg stayed behind them.

Jeek could smell the herd. He heard them ripping grasses from the ground as they grazed. The ground shook when the feet of a huge mammoth pounded down. The animal was trotting. Was it running toward them or away from them?

He saw the short wavy hair on the head of Ung inch upward, over the grass, until she could see what was happening. He tensed, feeling Gunda do the same beside him.

A new thought-speak came from Ung.
Both camels are very close, one a bit more so. When I give the signal, each person with a spear will throw at the one nearest us. The mammoth herd should then run away, and the other camel will go with them. We must hit the camel or it will run away.
Another few moments passed, then the signal came.
Throw! Now!

Jeek leapt up. The camel was even more close than he had thought it would be, barely four lengths of a Hamapa male away from him. He drew his arm back and flung his spear. The other spears flew through the air, like a flock of birds.

As the first stone tip hit the hide on the flank of the camel, he jerked his head up. Then the other spears found their mark, two in his neck and two in his body. The camel keeled over while the rest of the animals thundered away, flattening the grass and raising plumes of dust.

Jeek was the first to reach the animal. It jerked a few times while he stood well back watching, then lay still. When he saw that his spear was one of the two in the neck, he grinned. The one Gunda had thrown was the first, the one that hit the flank. He glanced at her to see if she was disappointed at her aim. But Gunda looked pleased also. It was not important which spear dealt the death blow. It was important that there would be food for everyone. Fresh meat. And not Hooden meat, either. The Hamapa had eaten camel many times before and valued the hides. It had been a long time, though, since they had eaten camel and Jeek was not sure he remembered what it tasted like. He did not remember that he disliked it, which made him happy.

It was a perfect night. Akkal Firetender cleared a dirt area and made a fire in the middle of the space out of grasses and dry fallen wood they had all helped gather from the woods.

The camel meat was carved into small chunks by the males with their obsidian knives, then sticks were set up to roast it over the fire. While it cooked, Lakala sang thanks to Leela, the Spirit of the Hunt.

Jeek wished they were in their new land and could have a proper evening, the kind they used to have before this journey. At least there was a song. When Mootak Big Heart stood and started to thought-speak, Jeek realized there would be a Saga also.

In the faraway times, the mammoth traveled with themselves. Herds of mammoth only. At times, the cat of long tooth would snatch one of the babies. At other times, a jaguar, the cat of the flat head, would drag away one of the older members of the herd. At still other times, a dire wolf, the huge long-legged wolf, would run at them and pick off the most slow runner.

Mammoth are smart creatures. They knew they needed some protection. They needed a way to make this not happen so often.

Once, when a herd was watering as dark time approached, two camels came to water at the same time. They were unafraid of the large mammoth. Many other animals kept away from them in fear of their size. But not the camels.

The leader of the mammoth herd conferred with the two camels. A bargain was made. If the camels would travel with the herd, the mammoth would pull down tall branches for them to graze upon.

The camels agreed to travel with the mammoth herd. Most of the time, this was a benefit for the camels. But the mammoth were more clever than the camels. When the herd was threatened, the largest of them formed a circle around the babies and the pregnant females. They left the camels outside the circle. The camels were much more easy prey, since they did not have long, sharp tusks, and could not crush animals with the weight of their huge, flat-bottomed feet.

To this day, camels travel with herds of mammoth. Whenever we desire camel meat and camel skin, we can get them.

Mootak left out the fact that none of them, camels nor mammoth, were easy to get. Camels were more easy, but not easy. Jeek knew that this was not part of the Saga, which was one he had heard before, but he could not help thinking the thought. He had heard tales of difficult camel hunts. This one had not been difficult, though, and he was so proud that his spear had helped bring down the animal whose meat was giving off such a succulent aroma, roasting above the fire. The males had carved it into small chunks so that it would cook quickly. He did not let others know of the pride he was feeling, since it was not the Hamapa way to be proud of yourself instead of the whole tribe.

There was a short dance, but no flute and no drum, just the singing of Lakala. Then Sannum Straight Hair, who stood tending the roast, sent out a bright scarlet message to let everyone know that the meat was ready.

Moisture leaked from the corner of the mouth of Jeek as he stood, waiting his turn. When he finally got a big hunk, speared on a stick because it was too hot yet to touch, he made himself wait until it was cooler so he would not burn his mouth. But the waiting was very hard.

Chapter 33

“Nine different kinds of owls, including three extinct species, are found at Rancho la Brea… The Great Horned Owl,
Bubo virginianus
, was also very common.”

—
Rancho La Brea: Treasures of the Tar Pits
edited by John M. Harris, p. 35

After walking all of sun time once more, Enga Dancing Flower was feeling discouraged when they stopped. She knew there would be no fresh camel meat. What had not been eaten had been gone at first sun. The tribe had been careless with the meat. They had not guarded it, since no one could have stayed awake. One of the young boys of Ongu Small One and Sannum Straight Hair had climbed a tree and tied it to a high branch. That had not worked to protect the delicious meat from the hooting birds of the night. Enga had heard them in the distance, and when the tribe awoke all realized the birds had probably taken the meat. If not the dark time birds, then something that could climb well had taken it, for it was gone.

Once more, they gnawed on the jerky. Enga could barely swallow it, remembering how Tikihoo relished the meat that had been a gift from her people. She knew she must eat it, though, or she would not have strength to walk again the next day. With only a part of her mind, she continued to probe for a stray dark thought from someone who had slain two people. She found some dark thoughts, but they were about hunger and fear, never about the killings.

Tog Flint Shaper, eating next to her, sent a thought to Hama.
How much longer will we walk? When will we reach our new land?

Enga wondered why he asked such a question. How could Hama answer that? She did, though.

There is a large flat-topped hill ahead of us. You and two others will climb it at first sun. Choose two to go with you. This may take you all of sun time. You will see if there are mammoth herds. If you do not see them, look for a watering place. We will all wait until you return. If you see either a herd or a watering place that is of a good size, we will go there. It could be that our new home will be near.

Their old village had been half a sun away from a watering hole, close enough to go to it to hunt mammoth, but far enough not to make the animals stay away from the water. Even though her body did not feel that it had taken in enough meat, she fell asleep content, knowing that the end of the trek may be near. She was also content because Tog curled up next to her and stayed there for all of dark time.

Before Sister Sun fully appeared above Brother Earth, Tog and the two others set out. The group that remained was camped almost in the shadow of the large mountain with the flat top, since the shadow cast by the early Sister Sun stretched long across the ground and across the water. Hama and Hapa decided to stay where they were until the scouting party returned, rather than move toward the mountain. The place where they were had a small spring of good-tasting water and a group of needle-leafed trees for shade from the blistering rays of Sister Sun.

Teek Bearclaw and Bahg Swiftfeet went with Tog. Enga watched them climb the rocky slope until she could see them no more. They must have found a route to the top on the other side of the mountain because they headed around the rock, out of sight.

She sent a thought to Tog, a small one saying she hoped their mission brought success. But no reply came.

A strong thought, filled with pain, drifted through her mind. She knew it came from Hapa. He was the one who had thoughts that were different. This one was more open than any she had ever gotten from him. It was a picture of Tikihoo. It was not of Tikihoo killing Panan, it was of Tikihoo caressing Hapa. They were in a dark place, alone, in the vision.

Had Hapa and Tikihoo mated together? Had he wanted to? That would be something he would not want Hama to know. Enga decided to leave this secret with Hapa, since Tikihoo was gone and nothing good would happen if anyone knew of this deep, secret thinking.

The Hamapa huddled in the shade of the fragrant pine trees as Sister Sun journeyed. Enga felt the sticky tears of the needles drip on her, but she didn’t pay much attention. She looked up through the trees at Mother Sky. She had changed color on the journey. Now She was the blue of deep, deep water. When Enga stared at Her, She seemed to have depths Enga had never noticed before.

Sister Sun was also different in this place. She gave off more heat, and She seemed more large, and her light more bright. Everything was different here. Were they under a different Mother Sky and a different Sister Sun? On a different Brother Earth? He had changed the most.

Enga missed the old village so much that a pain arose inside her ribs. When she closed her eyes with the pain, tears ran down her hot cheeks. How were they to live in this place? Were there any other people like themselves here? They had seen none. They liked to trade with others, to get things that they did not make themselves.

Tog had always traded his flint spearheads and cutting tools. The Hamapa had also traded obsidian knives. But was flint to be found here? Was obsidian here?

What would become of the Hamapa, Enga wondered. Other tribes, starving, had died out. That was why the Hamapa had set out on the trek. She knew they had to go. Still, she wished they could have stayed in the old home.

Some of the Hamapa strolled around examining the plants that grew here. Enga noticed that Zhoo of Still Waters stayed with Fall Cape Maker much of the time. Since she was the Healer, she needed to look for plants she could use. She also needed distraction, since her birth-son Teek was away on the mission.

Enga sent thought-speak to Fee Long Thrower and also to Zhoo, asking if they had heard anything from Teek and Bahg. Neither of them had. With the scouting party out of sight, Enga worried that something bad might have happened to them.

At last the scorching breath of Mother Sky grew a bit more cool and Sister Sun sank to embrace her lover, Brother Earth. Enga lay on the ground, watching the eyes of Mother Sky begin to appear and to twinkle. Brother Moon peeked up, then rose to be among them.

Enga took a bit of comfort from Brother Moon looking exactly the same as he had at the old village. At least something was unchanged.

Just before she fell asleep, a message floated into her head from Tog.
We are weary. We tried very hard to make it to the top of this place during sun time, but are not there yet. The way there is steep and rocks slide beneath us, making it hard to make progress. We will reach the top before high sun, we are certain of that. So far we have not been able to see any herds or any large watering places.