The First Colony: Book I: Settlement Chronicals

by W. J. Rydrych

  After several more moments surveying the scene, "it's too close to dusk. If they have hunting parties out this is about when they would be returning. Best we fall back to that grove of trees we passed a little while ago and make a cold camp. I don't think we should approach them after dark."

  Buchan nodded, "agreed."

  Moving back from the crest of the rise, Yasu motioned the others to follow, and slowly and carefully worked his way back the direction they had come, making use of the terrain for maximum concealment. At the grove of trees he made assignments for sentry duty, "two on at all times," he said. "Chuck and Paul, take the first shift." Continuing, "no fires or sound. Nothing to alert them that we're here. And that includes no smoking. That odor can carry, and the Torgai have a keen sense of smell."

  Mike said with a grin, "in that case maybe we better find some water and take a bath. You guys smell pretty bad. They can probably smell you from the village."

  Chuck glanced over, "sure, rose garden," he said. "Only some of us have that problem."

  Finding a good location for their sleeping bags, the members of the party not on guard searched through their packs for some of their limited remaining food and settled down for their evening meal. As dusk settled the outlines of the surrounding low hills disappeared, and soon even the trees became hard to distinguish. With the moons still not risen, the stars and the remaining skyglow provided the only light. Then only the brilliant canopy of stars.

  After dark had fallen fully Buchan joined Yasu, who was sitting at the edge of the grove of trees, listening for any movement up or down the trail. If there had been any he wouldn't have been likely to hear it anyway, the light breeze rustling the leaves and grass, and the normal night sounds of animals and insects creating a masking background.

  "Any luck with contact tonight?" Yasu asked.

  Buchan responded, "not a thing. I relayed our position several times anyway in case at least a partial message got through."

  "How do we work it tomorrow?" Yasu asked, "go in openly?"

  Buchan nodded, "I think we have to. Openly, and with enough noise they know we're coming; at least once we spot the village. Until then I think we want to stay unobserved, but not act in a way that looks like we are trying to sneak up on them."

  Yasu agreed, "sounds right, and I don't think we want to start too early. From the smoke I'd judge about ten kilometers at the most." Adding, "we should plan to arrive about mid-day when things are likely to be quiet, and hopefully not all are there. That way we have a better chance of making friendly overtures."

  Buchan thought for a short time, and then responded, "maybe later. During mid-day there may be only women and children, and we may start a panic. How about 1 to 2 hours before dusk when the hunters should have returned? Plus, we may just want to approach the village and stop in sight of it. Let them approach us. That would mean we should stay here until, oh, maybe 3 in the afternoon. Also, that means we should move to concealment farther into the woods in the morning. With the trail so near we may be visited, so we'll have to be very careful."

  Rising, Yasu said, "sounds good to me. Time for bed, old friend, tomorrow will take care of itself."

  "I think I'll just sit here awhile," Buchan responded, "I wouldn't be able to sleep anyway. I don't have your knack of sleeping anywhere at anytime, and I'd just as soon enjoy the night for awhile; gives some time to think."

  Yasu nodded, while moving off, although the motion was obscured by the dark, "see you in the morning, then."

  CHAPTER 16: Village of Suth

  (November 1, Year 2): The activity of the village had awakened Eric as he lay on his sleeping mat in Suth's den. It was an hour after sunrise, but already most of the Torgai were up and out, and while the sun was well up no light penetrated into the sleeping room: the air heavy with the lingering smells of its previous and current occupants. With the arrival of the delegations from the scattered villages the village of Suth was teaming with Torgai. Except for Barco, who, along with his two apprentices was a guest in the den of Cormandai, and Hath and himself, who were staying with Suth, their party was housed in the temporary shelters outside. Torgai from the other villages were housed either in one of the many common houses of the village or as guests in one of the other dens, with the overflow in temporary shelters.

  Eric stretched and sat up on his sleeping mat, looking around in the dim light filtering in from the common room. While the temperature outside was cool, as it was every morning at this high altitude, the den itself was warm from the body heat of the many residents. During the night he had pushed his sleeping furs aside and was clothed only in his waist wrap.

  The evening before he had been invited to the common house, and, in the company of Barco, Hath, Cormandai, Suth and several of the more important headmen and shamen of the other villages, had joined in the story telling and drinking of the 'ramen', the fermented drink of the Torgai, until well into the morning hours. Eric had never been invited into a common house, its use normally restricted to hunters, and thought the exception had been made to allow the other village leaders to meet him and see what he was like. Cormandai, particularly, asked probing questions, his clarity of mind evidently not affected by his advanced age. Many of these questions were clearly to lead Eric into explaining things he wanted the headmen and shamen from the other villages to hear.

  Eric had complied the best his limited command of the language allowed, which, with Hath interpreting, seemed to suffice. While Cormandai was no longer able to walk and was carried on a litter, he was alert and very inquisitive, and when he spoke or asked a question the others fell silent and listened respectfully. Barco had once said that Cormandai was over 180 years old, and from his appearance Eric did not doubt it. The Torgai didn't keep age counts after they became adults, with age determined more from what was remembered of important events and persons.

  Barco had sat at Cormandai's side and helped to clarify what Eric's limited command of the language sometimes made hard to describe. Sometimes he and Cormandai would engage in a quiet conversation that went on for several minutes, with everyone else waiting patiently for them to finish. In spite of the seemingly friendly questions, Eric felt a sense of unease. He could not help but feel a certain hostility on the part of many of the Torgai which seemed to be below the surface of their courteous exterior. Some of the headmen who had been introduced to Eric had failed to provide the obligatory gestures of greeting, which Eric knew was a deliberate sign of displeasure.

  Over the last several days Eric had gained a better insight into the overall structure of Torgai society. Since he had little else to do while waiting for the council to begin he spent much of his time with Cormo, using the time to find out more about the different clans. When discussing the Kraa Clan, Eric first heard of the creatures known as Kraa, who were their totem. This clan had in the past borne the brunt of the conflicts with the Kraa, and their manhood ceremonies involved facing packs of Kraa. Apparently the Kraa, hereditary enemies of the Torgai, were a fairly intelligent species that lived in the northern forests, the only real enemy they had. In the past there had been all-out war between the Kraa and the Torgai, but that had been many years before.

  Intermarriage between members of different clans was encouraged, but was rare, with the great majority of marriages within the clan. Eric assumed that it was because of the rarity of inter-clan marriages that some minor differences in physical appearance had developed over the years. To him it appeared the members of the Shema Clan from the northern mountains tended to be heavier, looked more powerfully built than those of the other two clans, and seemed to have a heavier coating of fur. They also seemed to be slightly shorter than the wiry Kraka Clan members. Members of the Kraa Clan, concentrated on the northern savanna, seemed shorter than either, lighter in color, sometimes silvery, and were noted for their speed and endurance.

  In spite of the physical differences all Torgai shared generally common beliefs and spoke a similar language, with but minor difference
s. All accepted Torga as the supreme god, and varied primarily in their minor gods and ceremonies. Of the clans, the Shema appeared to have precedence, perhaps as legend said because their area included the historical homeland of all Torgai, was the largest, and, according to legend, also the oldest. This was the clan to which Suth's village belonged.

  Why all the Torgai were gathering Eric still didn't know, but from things he overheard it seemed to be due to an affront to the Kraka clan. When he had asked Hath, he had been brushed off with, "you will know when the council decides you should know." And today was the scheduled start of the Grand Council.

  Pushing himself up from his bed Eric made his way through the piles of sleeping furs to the exit from the sleeping room, crouching because of the low ceiling. Crawling through the tunnel to the common room, and then through the den entrance to the outside, Eric found the village filled with morning activity. Clusters of Torgai were gathered around the cooking fires taking their morning meal, while others crouched or stood in small groups engaged in conversation. The sun was already well up, and the heat of the sun was welcome as it periodically penetrated though the partial cloud cover, as was the fresh air after the closeness of the den. The early morning fog, so typical at this altitude, still hung tenuously to the ground and partially obscured objects in the distance and midrange, and beads of condensation glistened on the fur of the nearby Torgai.

  Eric made his way through the village to the place where the toilet pits were dug and relieved himself. Then, down the slope to the stream where he proceeded to wash himself as best he could.

  Returning to the village, Eric joined a group from the Village of Hath at one of the cooking fires, and as he seated himself was given an eating bowl filled with the rich porridge which was the Torgai morning staple. Dipping his fingers into the bowl, Eric savored the food. He was hungry. And breakfast might help settle his stomach, which was in turmoil. The porridge was accompanied by a cup of hot tea made from boiled herbs and leaves. Emptying his bowl, Eric turned it around in his hands, examining the fine detailing of the brightly colored pattern. While similar to the design he had seen on some of the ceremonial eating bowls of Hath's village, the pattern was distinctly different, and the quality of both the bowl and the detailing was much finer. Most of the Torgai were eating from plain, undecorated bowls, and Eric knew his being given a decorated bowl such as provided to headmen and shamen meant he was considered an honored guest. The surface of the bowl was glazed, like fine porcelain, and both inside and outside was covered with rows of figures and designs in bright reds, blues, and browns, detailed in a very fine hand. Looking more closely, Eric wondered whether the rows were a form of picture writing. Eric was sitting next to Cormo, Hath's eldest son. Pointing to the figures on the bowl, Eric asked Cormo what they represented.

  Cormo took the bowl from Eric and examined the figures closely. "They most likely tell the story of the village from the beginning," he said. "Like the patterns on ours tell the story of our village; or at least so it is said. But no one can read all the story now; not even Barco. Not even Cormandai. Once the Torgai understood how to read the story, but now the story is known only from the story tellers, and the writing is copied from old objects. Parts of the story of the bowl I can tell, because the first part is the same as that in our legends. See," he said, moving his finger along one of the lines of figures, "this part is the same as we have on our special bowls, but the rest is different; the story of the Shema Clan."

  Eric thought for a moment, before asking, "was this the original village of all the Torgai?" he asked. "Including the other clans?"

  Cormo signaled yes, "so our legends say. In those early days there was only one clan; now there are three."

  Eric thought for a moment, "have there been grand councils before?"

  "The war with the Kraa followed a grand council, and our legends speak of others," Cormo responded, "but the Kraa were a great threat to us all. We do not yet know that about the humans."

  Eric glanced at Cormo, then away. So this council is for the purpose of discussing the colony, he thought. That was no surprise; he had thought that, but this was the first confirmation. Taking the bowl back, Eric examined the figures for several minutes before placing it on the ground before him. Looking around, Eric noticed that Hath still wasn't present, and asked Cormo about his absence.

  "He and the other headmen and shamen left for the council place before sunup," Cormo said.

  His curiosity aroused, Eric asked Cormo where the council was being held, and Cormo responded with a pointing gesture, indicating the path beyond the village which led further up into the surrounding mountains.

  "How far?" Eric asked.

  Cormo shrugged, "a days walk, or so I have been told. I have never been there." Adding, "they will stay there until the council is complete."

  Eric was surprised, "I thought I was along because I was to be involved in the council in some way."

  Cormo turned, and looked at him for several seconds. "You are, when they are ready they will send for you." Adding, "only headmen and shamen are allowed at the council place. I have never seen it, only Barco of our village has, but Hath told me that when they are ready for you they will bring you there."

  "When," Eric asked, "later today, tomorrow?"

  Cormo signaled uncertainty, saying, "councils can take many days, sometimes weeks; at least so I have been told. Everyone there may speak, and nothing can be hurried."

  After a pause, "this council may take a long time. It is said the last grand council lasted 40 days. They must wait until Torga gives his approval of their decision."

  "Torga," Eric asked, "is he at the council place?"

  "So it is said," Cormo responded, "but only the foremost shamen are allowed to see him. Perhaps, when they send for you they will take you before Torga himself. He might want to see a human."

  Rising to his feet, Cormo headed back to his quarters to pick up his weapons in preparation for the hunt, Eric staying where he was to wait for Cormo to return. Seeing Cormo approaching with the other hunters, Eric trotted over to join them, taking the throwing stick and bundle of spears he was handed.

  November 11, Year 2

  Ten days had elapsed since Hath and the others had left for the council place. No word had been received at the village to indicate their progress, and Eric was becoming increasingly at loose-ends. In the village his presence was no longer the source of so much attention, and he found daily hunting trips the best diversion. At the moment he was headed back to the village in company with Cormo and two of the other hunters. Less than a half hour before a runner had found their hunting party and relayed a message that Hath had returned to the village, and wanted Eric to come as soon as possible.

  The sweat running down his bare back from the exertion, Eric was just now beginning to settle into the rhythm of the pace. As the kilometers wore on, Eric's mind was on Hath and the council. Now he might find out what it was about, and how it involved him. From Cormo's comments it had become clear it had been called not only because of the human's presence, but because of something that had happened at the gathering for the manhood rites.

  Topping the last rise the band began their descent and final run up the well beaten trail to the village. Ahead Eric could see groups of Torgai gathered together talking, and in the center of the village in front of the House of Torga he could see Hath surrounded by a group of intently listening hunters. More Torgai than normal seemed to be in the village, as if some of the other hunting bands had also returned early. As the band of runners entered the village Hath broke away from the group surrounding him and trotted out to meet them. Motioning Eric and Cormo to follow, Hath led them aside to a shaded area.

  November 12, Year 2

  Eric was tired, but nothing like the exhaustion he had felt during the climb on the way to Suth's village. The trail was more gradual and the elevation of the pass much lower than on that previous occasion, plus Eric had regained some of his endurance due to his da
ily hunting expeditions. What had started as a rough trail cut through rock outcroppings had gradually become a set of steps cut from the solid rock. The steps made the climb harder for Eric, since the rise of each step was about one third of a meter, which was fine for a Torgai with their long legs, but caused him to use upper leg muscles that were rarely exercised in that fashion.

  The steps had started over five kilometers back, and while the elevation of the pass was fairly low, tendrils of the low cloud cover occasionally drifted past them as they climbed. Eric stopped to rest, exercising his sore legs before easing himself down onto one of the steps, his back resting against the face of the cliff. Hath, seeing Eric stop, came back the few steps he had been ahead and lowered himself to a resting position. Through half closed eyes Eric gazed at the panorama below.

  Far in the distance Eric could see the smoke from the cooking fires, and tiny figures, hardly larger than ants as they moved about the village. While he knew they were not as high as they had been during the climb along the canyon during their trip to the village, the air was still thin, making breathing difficult. As his breath and heartbeat began to return to normal Eric took a piece of smoked meat from his storage bag and tore off a bite. He was ravenous. Hath had already nearly finished a similar piece.

  "How far?" Eric asked. "Much more of this climb, and my legs will give out."

  Hath pointed to where the steps were completely lost in the clouds about a half kilometer ahead. "The path continues for about that same distance, and then we reach the top. Then downward for about two hours and we are at the council place." Looking over at Eric, "but the path down is more gradual. This is the steepest part now. We should be there before dusk."

  Eric nodded, "that shouldn't be too bad."

  Hath responded, "we are all tired. Even the Torgai find climbing in the mountains hard; except the members of the Shema clan who live here."