Death on the Trek (4 page)

Jeek could hear Hama going over these details in her mind. So could the two Gata males.

We are Hamapa,
Hama answered.

We are from the Gata remnant who left.

You lived through the Cold Season,
Hama returned.

We did. But most did not. We and one female are all that are left. We are looking for that female. She went to find game many suns ago and has not returned.

Hama puzzled this, drawing her brows down.
Why has she not returned? Have you had no thoughts from her?

We have not.

Jeek wondered if the female was alive. What could keep her from communicating with her two tribe mates? Maybe she was hurt, but why would she not send back her thoughts? He looked around at the unfamiliar feature-less land. She could be lost. But again, what would keep her from sending back her thoughts?

The one with the mud-colored hair fell to his knees. His eyes closed and his head drooped. Hapa, the Most High Male, stepped to his side and took his hand.
Are you not well?

That was when Jeek noticed how thin they both were. It was hard to see what shape their bodies were in beneath their heavy capes, but their cheeks were sunken and their hands scrawny, like bird talons.

Hama and Hapa must have noticed that also, because they each took a piece of jerky from their pack and handed it to the Gata males.

I am Hama of the Hamapa,
she thought-spoke as she watched them devour the dried strips.

I am Bodd Blow Striker.
That was the one with hair of fire. He drew a cutting stone from his pouch to show them his work.

The other one, still on his knees, also gave his name.
I am called Fall Cape Maker. But I have not made a cape in many moon cycles.

Bodd explained.
There was game here when we first came. Not much, but some. We have not seen any in too long a time now.

Hapa and Hama motioned for the whole tribe to be seated for an impromptu council.

They walked away from the newcomers before sitting to fling thoughts back and forth. Hama wanted to take the strangers in but some did not. Enga Dancing Flower and Ung Strong Arm, of course, voted to let them in, since they had been adopted by the tribe as very young children after their own tribe had abandoned them. Tog Flint Shaper did not want them to join the band and to take food from his mate, afraid of damage to his seed growing within her. Vala Golden Hair was also concerned about her infant, she thought-spoke. Panan voted against letting them come along, but Jeek thought that might have been because he usually opposed the vote of Hapa.

Most of the time, the tribe eventually reached a unanimous decision, but this time Hama overruled the dissenters without much discussion. Maybe she thought it would take too long for everyone to agree. Or maybe she thought they would never all agree.

Hama rose, shaking her dark hair and rattling the shells in her braids. Her coloring was as dark as that of her birth-sister, Vala Golden Hair, was light. She approached Bodd and Fall and welcomed them to travel with the Hamapa if they wished.

We do wish to do that. We also wish to look for our female along the way.

Hama agreed that they would all keep watch for her. Bodd and Fall seemed much renewed after eating, and they all continued on their way, searching for the missing female.

* * *

It was several suns after Bodd Blow Striker and Fall Cape Maker had joined the tribe. Enga Dancing Flower had held some anger toward her mate for his unkindness regarding them for some time, but she was no longer angry. He had made her understand, in thoughts and in caresses, that he had been considering her own well being.

Just before the time of darkness fell, as most of them were preparing to have something to eat before they slept, two of the Hamapa males and one female ventured off to look for game. Sannum Straight Hair, one of the older males, and Teek Bearclaw set off at a lope, following a set of paw prints in the soft dirt. They both thought the tracks had been made by caribou. If they found a caribou, Fee Long Thrower, who was with them, carried her spear in readiness to bring it down.

Enga gnawed a piece of jerky. She watched Whim, the baby of Fee and Bahg, crawling in the dirt, getting chewed bits of jerky from the adults. He had been given the name Whim in the early Naming Ceremony, held before they left. It would have been nice to have the ceremony in the new place, and after Whim and Sooka had been alive for twenty full moon cycles, the number of all fingers and all toes. That was the way it had always been done.

She tried to imagine their new place. It could not be in these barren lands. They had to find a place with much water and plant growth, to support the large animals they must have for food, clothing, and tools.

She was getting weary of having nothing but hard, dried meat to eat. The tribe had survived on jerky during many Cold Seasons, but was accustomed to having fresh meat in the warm and hot seasons.

However, she tamped down her annoyance and impatience. She knew that they must make this trek to survive. They could not have stayed where they were. The Great Ice was approaching and the winds that swept off it were so cold, many things died as it approached, plants and animals alike. If they kept going, they would escape the area of blight created by the ice. Hama had told them that Dakadaga promised that. They would get to the land Enga dreamed about. She put her hand inside her waist pouch and rubbed the wooden figure of Aja Hama, who had been so dear to her. Maybe it was not a proper thing to do, but she sent pleas for well-being out to the spirit of the Aja Hama. She was not an actual Spirit, the kind they danced and sang to, but Enga did not care. She petitioned her anyway.

She heard shouting. Sannum and Teek and Fee were back very quickly. Had they found game? Would they eat fresh flesh?

The tribe surged toward the returning ones, hope in every heart. However, the hands of both Sannum and Teek were empty. Fee dragged her spear behind, her head was bowed.

Teek closed his eyes and gave out a picture of what they had seen.

Enga drew in her breath when she saw the form of a female, torn apart.

The cat of long tooth,
Ung thought-spoke.

Others agreed. The female had encountered a cat and the cat had slain her.

Bodd and Fall, in spite of being still somewhat weak, followed Teek at a quick pace back to where they had found the body, beside a tiny brackish pool.

When they returned, they both shed tears. Their shoulders shook.

She was my mate,
thought-spoke Bodd.
We have lost two babies. And now I have lost her.

Enga felt her own tears forming and her lips trembled. What a horrible thing to happen after losing two babies, which was a horrible thing already.

Vala Golden Hair stepped forward and put a hand on his shoulder to comfort him.

There was discussion of what to do, whether or not they should spend the time and energy on a proper funeral. The Gata males told them that their own funerals were similar to those of the Hamapa.

Thoughts were exchanged as they squatted together to eat and sip small amounts of water. At last it was decided by all, even Bodd, that they should proceed. They would leave her body for the animals and it would return to Brother Earth.

Before everyone lay down to sleep, Hama asked Bodd what his mate had been called.

She was Gung. Gung Lion Slayer.

Hama jerked upright.

She kept her thought private, but Enga knew what she was thinking. The name of Hama had been Roh Lion Hunter before she was elected Hama. This Gung Lion Slayer of the Gata must have slain a lion, as Hama had. She must have been brave and strong. She had been in a weakened state to have been slain by the large cat now. Enga shook her head. Yes, the Gata female had been hungry. The males were, so she would have been also.

Enga was able to perceive the mourning of Bodd and Fall as their heavy grief stirred the air about them, washing over all the Hamapa also.

As Enga fell asleep, she put her hand on the strong shoulder of Tog, gladdened that they were both alive and that their baby, still a seed, would have a better chance than the babies of Gung and Bodd. Tog laid his warm hand atop the place where their seed grew. Her tears fell once more.

Chapter 5

Yellow-cheeked vole,
Microtus xanthognathus

“The yellow-cheeked vole, or taiga vole, is an extant species of rodent that is currently found in central Alaska and northwestern Canada. As with many other rodents, this species serves as a good proxy indicator of local paleoenvironmental conditions, and its presence in Wisconsinan-aged deposits in the Midwestern U.S. indicates that regional temperatures were much cooler during this period.”

—from http://iceage.museum.state.il.us/mammals/yellow-cheeked-vole-0

Heather vole,
Phenacomys intermedius

Phenacomys intermedius
…is a small, mouse-like rodent with short tail, large hindfeet, and small ears and eyes. They have long, soft brown to grayish fur, with white to pale gray face and feet, and a silvery belly.

—from http://iceage.museum.state.il.us/mammals/heather-vole-0

When they had been travelling for several more suns, after the tribe stopped for dark time, Jeek asked Gunda if she would loan him her spear. Hamapa males did not throw spears, but Jeek had always wanted to be a spear thrower and to bring down food for his tribe. Back in the village, he had practiced in secret until he was able to cast his crude spear long and straight. When he was found out, the females let him practice with them. He had not thrown a spear for many suns. He was afraid he would forget his skills.

Ongu Small One heard Jeek and Gunda and approached them.
I have an extra spear, Jeek. Do you want to use it for practice? It would be good if some of the young ones practiced.

He was pleased because he had not brought one with him.

He and Gunda hurried away from the tribe so they would be able to practice while there was still some light. The place Hama had chosen for their stop was one without shelter or water. Jeek and Gunda walked across flat, dusty land, looking for something they could aim at, but they could find nothing.

We will have to set something up for a target
, Gunda thought-spoke.

How will we do that? All that is here is grass—tall grass, but sparse.

That is true. Even if we make a target, we would have to clear the grasses out of the way so we could shoot at it.

The grass was taller than the two young ones. In places it was sparse, but in other places dense. Small creatures scurried through the growth, unseen.

If there was a large animal, we could spear it and eat it
, Jeek thought-spoke.

If there was a large animal, we could not see it in this tall grass. Let us be still and see if one of the small animals will appear. We could spear it. If it is good to eat, we can take it back. If it is not, that will be our practice.

They crouched next to each other and listened to the busy animals. They smelled like rodents, which were sometimes good to eat, but usually small. One small vole, with fur the color of the dirt, peeked through the stems at them. Jeek reached for his spear with as much quietness and slowness as he could. The tiny black eyes followed the movement of his hand. When he had picked up the spear, he realized the vole was probably too close for throwing, but maybe he could stab it. As he drew his arm back, the vole scampered off and disappeared. They could track the progress of the vole as the grasses swayed and swished in a zig-zag pattern.

Jeek and Gunda both laughed. Jeek shielded his thought that he did not care if he practiced, or if they hit anything. Being alone with Gunda was a joy for him.

They sat together, not communicating anything, listening to the drone and buzz of insects, the rustling of animals passing them by, and soaking in the heat and the smells.

In all of his memory, Jeek had liked Gunda. In more recent times he had daydreamed about mating with her, giving her his seed, and having babies together. Pretty Gunda, with eyes the color of spring leaves and thick hair like a waterfall of fire. She was often in his dreams as he slept. She had passed eleven summers and Jeek had passed twelve. Before too many more, it would be possible for them to mate. They would never have a First Coupling in the Holy Cave, though. It had been left behind. But he envisioned a new Holy Cave in the place they were going to. It looked much like the old Holy Cave in his mind.

Gradually, Jeek realized that someone was near. He smelled them first, then heard them. The newcomers were not being quiet and must have not been alert to the smell of Gunda and Jeek. The slight breeze blew from the new ones toward them. The almost still air did not send enough scent to tell who approached. The two young ones both stayed motionless, not knowing who was coming.

When Jeek heard a female laughing, he knew who it was, Vala Golden Hair.

Gunda sent a private message.
It is Vala Golden Hair and she is with a male.

What male do you think she is with?

Panan One Eye?

Tog Flint Shaper?

They were both wrong. Vala and the male lay in the grass not far from them and began to couple. When they were done, Gunda and Jeek were both able to receive their unshielded thoughts. The male was Bodd Blow Striker. He told Vala about his skill at making stone tools. He said he had been the best of the Gata tribe.

Gunda sent another private thought.
How would we ever know if he was the best or not? The rest of the Gata are gone. I think he is bragging.

Jeek stifled a giggle, as did Gunda.
We could ask his tribe-brother, Fall Cape Maker.

That made Gunda giggle so hard she snorted out of her nose just a bit.

Someone is here
, thought-spoke Bodd with alarm.

Why do you care
? asked Vala.

I care because it is too soon to couple with another. Gung Lion Slayer has just died. I should be grieving for a time.

I am helping you grieve.