The Thinking Rocks (44 page)

Dola rushed forward with
Na'pe to help him. "Is Cano all right?" he asked anxiously.

Gennos forced a tired
smile to his face, "He's a little cooked, but his big brother will take
care of him."

Cano's eyelids
fluttered, weakly he said, "I keep telling you I can walk, put me
down," he said as he passed out.

They carried him to the
fire and laid him down gently.  Na'pe’s eyes were looking more normal and
she didn't seem to be moving around in a dream any longer. It appeared that the
effects of the spirit of the smoke was leaving her.  She moved to the
strange bush with the pointed leaves and selected some, and then returned to
Cano.  She crushed the leaves and let the juice of the leaves drip onto
Cano's burns. Then she treated Gennos's wounds the same way. Next she sent Dola
to the river to retrieve water so that they could see what damage the fire had
caused.

Na’pe asked Gennos,
“What of Lomasi?”

Cano raised his head and
looked up at her and said, “Lomasi is no more, the river has claimed him.” The
he sank in to the deep arms of sleep.  He only awoke once during the
night, and that was when he found a small wolf licking a burn on his arm.

The next morning as day
was breaking; the small group was preparing to resume their journey. 
Na'pe was excited to be going home that she had been packing the dugout before
it was light enough to see.  She and Gennos had been awake most of the
night making plans.

The only one that wasn't
excited was Morf.  He was apprehensive. They weren't including him in
their plans. That could only mean that he wouldn't be a slave, but it also
could mean that he wouldn't be leaving this place. In his mind this meant he
was to die. They hadn't told him what had happened to Lomasi, but it was
apparent that he was no longer a threat.  That could only mean that he was
dead.  Morf knew he would be next.  They were probably waiting until
they were ready to leave before killing him.  There wasn't anything he
could do about it.  His worst fears were confirmed when everyone except
Gennos got in the dugout. He saw him pick up a Canohawk and walk slowly over to
where he was tied.

Gennos looked down at
Morf, and then he raised the Canohawk and swung it down.  Morf couldn't
watch, he closed his eyes and waited for the pain. The blade landed with a
whack, but there was no pain.  He waited with his eyes squeezed shut,
still no pain.  He opened his eyes and looked to where the head of the
Canohawk had landed.  Gennos had cut through his bindings.  He looked
up questioningly.

"We are not going
to kill you. It is not our way.  We are going to leave. You should
too.  When we get to Na'pe's clan we shall tell what has happened. 
Their ways may not be as our ways; they may come for you.  You should be
far from here if you wish to live."  With that said Gennos pulled the
Canohawk from the sapling, turned and limped toward the dugout.

Morf thought about
trying to overpower him and take the weapon.  But to what purpose? 
They had given him his life back and now he was free of Lomasi.  He sat
and watched as the dugout floated away.

Before the sun was
overhead the weary travelers came to the Mother River.  The brothers
looked silently at it; it was so vast that they had a difficult time believing
it was a river.  The current was strong and the dugout moved swiftly
through the muddy brown water.  They only had to steer and stare. 
They saw clouds of birds that lifted from the water when the dugout got too
close.  Others just swam far enough away to avoid the dugout.

While it was still light
Na'pe directed them to turn off the Mother River.  A smaller river turned
inland and she grew excited as they entered it.

The small wolf was in
the front of the dugout with Dola, Cano lay propped up behind him. Na'pe was in
front of Gennos, who was steering the dugout. She was so excited that she was
bubbling.  "Soon you will see an island, it is a big island and it is
in the center of this river.  This will be my home, my people."

Just before dusk she
shouted and pointed.  They all strained their eyes looking.  They
could almost see it.  The Future.