Helix and the Arrival (7 page)

It's the next morning and the usual routine is taking place. Mum has made some kind of meat-on-a-stick for breakfast. Dad and I are sitting beside the fire rubbing sleep from our eyes. Sherwin is pretending to be asleep with a skin pulled up over his head.

‘So tell us all about your trip to Newstone yesterday,' says Mum.

‘Well, I met Steckman on the way –'

‘Steckman!' she snaps.

Perhaps I shouldn't have mentioned Steckman. Mum is angry with him for trading goods with Dad.

Steckman offers something called ‘craggit'. It means that when you're unable to trade for your goods, you can still make purchases, you just owe Steckman for what was traded, plus a bit more. Last month alone, Dad
built up a craggit bill equivalent to three mountain-bear skins. There's no way Dad and Sherwin will be catching three mountain bears any time soon. If ever.

‘I don't want you speaking to Steckman,' Mum says. ‘That man's getting rich thanks to your father's gift of collecting useless items.'

‘That's not fair, my sweet,' says Dad. ‘Everything Steckman's traded to me has been worth it.'

‘A spear without the pointy bit? I'd call that a stick!'

‘It'll be well worth it once I find the right arrow flint.'

‘And a boar tusk. What are you planning to do with that?'

‘Carving, that's what. It's my new hobby.'

‘And, stupidest of all, the
weel
.'

Dad sticks his finger in the air as if to make a point. ‘Steckman says that weels will become the greatest invention ever.'

‘Why?' says Mum.

‘Um … You can use it for … for transporting stuff … You know.'

‘It's got six sides,' says Mum.

‘I know,' says Dad. ‘Steckman
did
admit there's still some work to do.'

I decide to help Dad out by changing the subject. ‘So Newstone is really different to Rockfall. Maybe we can do a caveswap there one day,' I suggest.

‘How many times do we have to go over this?' says Mum. ‘Why would we want to go somewhere else? This cave has been in our family for as long as I can remember.'

‘And how long is that?' I ask.

‘How long, Jerg?' says Mum.

Dad leans on his fist to think. ‘At least since your great-grandfather Herb was around – and probably even before that. Did I ever mention to you that Herb was friends with Korg the Magnificent when they were boys? Before he became Korg, when his name was Crev.'

‘No, you didn't!'

‘Yes, they were quite close friends by all accounts.'

‘What happened to Herb?' I ask.

‘Went out hunting one day and never came back – was probably taken by something big,' says Dad, trying hard to imagine what something big would look like.

‘But he was friends with Korg?'

‘Herb and Korg used to get up to all sorts of mischief together when they were caveboys, or so the story goes. They would disappear for days into the woods and beyond.'

‘And
beyond
? I can't believe you've never told me any of this! They went beyond the woods?'

‘Yep – across the river, to the lowlands, Land's End and beyond,' says Dad. ‘Great stories, Herb used to tell. Herb and Crev, adventuring through the unknown.'

Sherwin has risen from his slumber and is sitting beside me with his skin wrapped around his shoulders.

‘Sounds pathetic if you ask me,' he says. ‘The sort of stories you'd expect a madman from the Dark Side to tell.'

‘Why's it pathetic?' I ask. ‘Why can't someone from the mountain cross the river?'

Mum and Dad stare at me as if I've just suggested I marry Sherwin to fix the fact that he will never find a wife. Sherwin hits me on the back of my head with his open hand.

‘Ow!' I cry.

‘I don't know how you're going to pass your Arrival,' he says.

‘I don't know how you're going to find a wife,' I say back at him.

Sherwin starts scrunching his fist in preparation to punch me. Luckily, though, he's distracted by voices from the entrance to our cave – it's Ug and Saleeka.

I go and greet them. Ug is carrying a heavy club and Saleeka a spear.

‘We've got a surprise for you,' says Saleeka. ‘We're going to take you somewhere.'

‘Where?' I say. ‘Are we going to visit a new rock shelf?'

‘Not exactly,' says Saleeka.

‘We are going to take you into the woods,' says Ug, nodding as if he's doing me a huge favour.

‘The woods,' I say, louder than necessary.

Mum, Dad and Sherwin come to the entrance. ‘Take him – he's all yours,' says Dad. ‘He could do with a trip to the woods – might toughen him up a bit.'

‘What about your breakfast, Helix?' says Mum. ‘You need to eat something. How will you get bigger if you don't eat?'

‘See – I can't go,' I say. ‘I haven't eaten my breakfast. And if I don't eat my breakfast I won't grow big and strong.'

‘I could always wrap it up for you, son,' says Mum. ‘There should be a spare wrapping skin here somewhere.' She goes off and comes back with meat-on-a-stick rolled in a skin and tied with a strap leaf.

‘Looks like you're ready to join us,' says Saleeka, grinning from beneath the tangled mess of hair hanging over her face.

Ug and Saleeka are serious: they want to take me to the woods.

‘So when you says the woods, you mean …'

‘Do not worry – just the high woods,' says Ug. ‘We will not go too far.'

The high woods are close to the Common Way and contain a mixture of boulders and trees. They're not dark and enclosed like the middle and low woods and much closer to the mountain than the river.

‘Come on. You need to get used to the woods before your Arrival,' says Saleeka.

‘I know, I know,' I say.

‘So are you coming?' says Ug.

‘Yes, I'll come,' I say, kicking the dirt.

I leave the cave following close behind Ug and Saleeka. I've brought my spear. It's the same spear I've owned since I was five. It's a cavekid's spear.

I don't know what to expect. All I know is that the woods are a place I've feared since I was old enough to think for myself. And whenever I've ventured there, I've felt like I don't belong.

From Rockfall, we take the Down Path through the woods. It's a path used by hunters and is the quickest route down the mountain through the high woods. It continues into the middle woods, and then to the low woods, where the bigger creatures lurk.

Of course, we won't be going deep into the woods today. Ug and Saleeka specifically said the
high
woods, and I plan to keep them to their word.

Saleeka leads the way, bounding forward as if she's invincible. I follow close behind Ug. Once or twice I step on his heels and he turns around and glares at me.

After a while, I realise that the woods are starting to become less rocky and more woody. The land is changing its skin from the grey of stone to the green and
brown of trees and shrubs. I look about me. The path has thinned out to the point of disappearing – we're not on the Down Path anymore – and we're walking on a soft blanket of hill moss. Looking behind me, I can see the slope of the woods heading back uphill to Rockfall. At least, I think I can – the land slopes and falls much less predictably than it did at the start of our walk. The mountain cliffs have disappeared from view. They're hidden by the treetops that rustle and whisper in the wind as if they're keeping a secret.

‘Wait. Wait!
Wait!
' I say. ‘Just stop.'

Saleeka and Ug stop and look at each other as if they're confused at my protests.

‘I don't like this. We're moving too quickly. It's as if you're trying to take me somewhere I don't want to go.'

‘Helix, there's nothing to be worried about,' says Saleeka.

‘Where has the Down Path gone?' I demand.

‘A caveman should not need a path to navigate through the woods,' says Ug, resting his heavy club on the ground.

I look upwards, searching for the sky between the trees. A claw-gripped fork-tongued vulture passes in front of the sun. The vulture squawks as if to say, ‘I can see you, Helix. You look even smaller than normal down there in the woods. Small and tasty …'

‘Helix, are you coming?' asks Saleeka, as she starts walking again. ‘There's no point venturing into the woods if you're only going to tramp around the
highest parts. Anything worth hunting is further down the mountain.'

‘
Now
the truth comes out,' I say. ‘You were never just going to take me to the high woods. There was always another plan.'

Ug and Saleeka look at each other. ‘We are doing this for you, Helix,' says Ug. ‘It is to help you pass your Arrival.'

‘Think of it like this,' says Saleeka. ‘We'll walk a bit further – not too far – until we get to some proper woods where the beasts lurk. It'll be perfect hunting practice for you. There are plenty of small- and medium-sized creatures in those parts – hill hogs, forest goats, tree cats – and none of them is too hard to stalk and kill. Helix, this is your chance.'

‘All right,' I say. ‘How much further do we need to go?'

‘We are close to the middle woods,' says Ug. ‘Once we are there, we can start looking for game.'

I say nothing and turn my mind away from thinking about the act of killing another creature. My logical self tells me it's all for the best and will help me to become a caveman. The other part of me says that I can't throw a spear and have never caught anything bigger than a rock gerbil (which I released).

The further we walk, the thicker the woods become. The land has flattened out now and it's hard to say in which direction Rockfall lies. The woods have become shady and dark, and very few sunrays are finding gaps in the treetops. I can still spot the sky from time to time, but only in small glimpses. It's as if I'm in a
cave – a different sort of cave, with tree trunks for walls and leaves for a ceiling.

‘We will rest ahead at Cave's End,' says Ug.

‘Where?' I say.

‘Don't tell me you haven't heard of Cave's End,' says Saleeka.

She can tell by the blank look on my face that I haven't.

‘Why would he have? He has never been there before,' says Ug to Saleeka.

I'm surprised to see a large rock in the distance. We haven't seen a rock of this size since entering the high woods. It looks like it's been placed neatly down onto the land from above – a glorious offering from the heavens, perhaps.

‘Is that it?' I say, pointing ahead.

‘What do
you
think?' says Saleeka.

‘It's huge,' I say.

‘Cave's End is the last cave before the river and marks the beginning of the low woods,' says Saleeka.

‘The low woods! How did we get this far? I never agreed to go to the low woods.'

Ug ignores my panic and says to Saleeka, ‘How do
you
know about Cave's End?'

‘Why shouldn't I know?' she says, with her hands on her hips.

‘I did not think cavegirls came here, that is all,' says Ug.

Saleeka looks like her head is about to pop. ‘Why's that, Ug? Because cavegirls are meant to be learning
how to slave over hot coals and look after screaming cavekids?'

‘Ahem. Excuse me, both of you. Sorry to interrupt your most interesting discussion, but can we get back to Cave's End?'

Fuming, Saleeka stomps the short distance to the rock. Ug and I follow.

‘So where's the cave?' I ask.

‘Keep walking,' says Ug.

I walk past the rock, which is at least five times my height and the same in width, and follow its curve until I reach its far side. ‘I've found the entrance,' I yell back, sounding like I'm the first one ever to discover it.

The entrance is narrow. Ug, who is behind me, has to turn sideways to fit in. Once inside, though, the narrow entrance widens and slopes down as if it's taking us underground. A short distance ahead, the cave expands into a generous cavern, which is almost pitch-black. I can make out the remains of a fire pit on the floor, with coals that look to be fresh.

‘Cavemen have been coming here since the beginning of time,' says Ug.

‘And cavewomen … Or one cavegirl, at least,' says Saleeka.

‘You should not come here,' says Ug. ‘It is a refuge for cavemen.'

‘That's funny. I didn't see a sign out the front saying “Cave
men
only”.'

‘Hey! Stop arguing,' I say. ‘You'll scare away all the wild beasts I'm about to hunt.'

‘Come on,' says Ug. ‘Let us leave.'

We leave the cave and emerge into the light. Ug sits on a rock near the entrance and we copy his lead, finding a place to rest, eat and drink.

Saleeka seems to have calmed down a bit. She asks Ug about hunting and what he's caught lately.

Ug's face doesn't show much emotion. ‘Just this and that,' he says.

‘What's “this and that”?' says Saleeka.

‘You know … There was a poison-toothed tusk boar a few nights ago. But that was in the middle woods. Mainly I go to the low woods.'

‘The middle woods! You hunted a poison-toothed tusk boar from the middle woods!' I say, looking around.

Saleeka slaps me on the arm to shut me up. ‘What else have you hunted lately?' she says to Ug.

‘Well … forest goats, trunk pythons, rock monitors, pantheras … Just the normal stuff,' he says, picking some food out of his teeth with a twig.

These creatures are almost make-believe to me. The main reason I can be sure they exist is because I've seen Ugthorn and Ug drag them into their cave after a hunt.

Ug's had enough of talking about himself. ‘Let us go – we need to keep moving,' he says.

Up and walking again, I can tell we're definitely in the low woods now. A thick canopy of green covers us from above, and only occasionally does the sky peek out through the treetops.

‘Stop!' hisses Ug.

Saleeka and I crouch behind him.

Ug grabs a handful of my loincloth and pulls me close. ‘A woodland fawn,' he whispers. ‘It is yours, Helix.'

‘What should I do?' I say.

‘Keep low. You will need to cover some ground. Stay upwind – this side.' He pushes me in the direction I need to head.

I creep forward, with Ug crouching low behind me and Saleeka behind him.

‘Closer,' he whispers, and he's right. There's no way I could make the distance with a spear from where I am.

I look up and see the fawn at close range. It has soft brown skin and wobbly legs. It looks very young.

‘Now,' says Ug, ‘take your shot.'

I grip the spear tighter in my throwing arm. ‘It's still too far away,' I whisper back to Ug.

‘No it is not. Any closer and it will sense you. Throw now.'

‘I can't.'

‘Helix! What are you waiting for?' hisses Saleeka, from behind Ug.

‘This is your chance,' Ug urges. ‘Do you want to be a caveman or not?'

I feel a fire burning within me, flickering through my insides and filling my head with heat. I rise with the spear in my hand, ready to hunt a beast.

I let go, but not of the spear.

I let go with my lungs and scream. Really loudly.

The fawn hears me and skips into a run for its life.

‘Throw the spear,' I hear Ug yelling from behind me.

But instead of throwing the spear, I keep screaming and sprint after the fawn, following it around trees and over logs.

The fawn is running from me, and I am running from Ug, Saleeka and everything else that has anything to do with the mountain.

I hear Ug and Saleeka call to me as they follow, but they have no way of keeping up. I'm too fast for them.

I run through the forest as far as I can, losing sense of time.

I run.

And run.

And run.

The muscles in my legs are about to give up, but just as I'm about to drop to the ground, I break through the woods and find myself in open grassland.

I see the fawn from the corner of my eye, running on ahead and out of sight.

I collapse to my knees, my chest rising and falling, trying to refill my body with air.

But I'm not concerned with my lack of breath. Before me, the land has opened up into a new world. A steady breeze blows air into my face, fanning my amazement even further. It's a view that I never expected to see from this vantage. Ahead of me is the river. It is swollen and blue, lapping at its banks as if it has anticipated my arrival.

‘You're here at last, Helix,' it says to me. ‘Welcome.'