Ice Angel

by Linda Deane

  He practised the motion of the throw as he had done many times before. His father had said his technique was good and he would be able to join the hunters very soon and become a man. Aric set up a scrap of leather as a target and walked back a distance. Squinting, he took aim, flexed his right arm and launched his new spear at the target. It flew straight and true. The flint head was just the right size and weight for the shaft. It thwacked satisfactorily into the target, piercing right through. It was a good weapon and Aric was pleased, temporarily forgetting his woes. He sat a while and closed his eyes, dreaming of the day he would find a deer or a rabbit to aim his spear at and provide meat for his tribe.

  Hearing the snow crunch softly behind him, Aric was startled out of his daydream. Cautiously he peered around the rock. His heart thumped with excitement. Within throwing distance of his spear was a large but skinny hare. It would be a stringy meal but it would be more than anyone had provided for the tribe in a long time. Officially, he was not supposed to hunt a live animal until he had completed the initiation ceremony to become a hunter. It had to be an official hunt, sanctioned by Soren as his initiation hunt, but the opportunity was too great to ignore. Aric clutched his spear nervously and took aim. At that moment, the hare spotted him. It would have bolted but something distracted it and it turned its head away from Aric for a moment, sensing an even greater danger. As he launched the spear, Aric noticed Angelica, the eyes of the hare caught in her mesmerizing gaze. The spear plunged deep into its side and the hare toppled over, twitching once, then it lay still. Aric realized that, once again, Angelica had come to his aid.

  Jubilantly the boy hurried around the hilltop back to the cave and swaggered into the entrance. The hare was slung over his shoulder along with his tool sack and the new freshly blooded spear was in his right hand. The little grey cat was just a pace behind him. Mouths gaped, some visibly drooling as the tribes people took note of what he was carrying. Wordlessly he presented his offering to Soren and hoped that not too much would be said about breaking the hunting rule. A meeting would most certainly be held that evening and his fate decided.

  CHAPTER 10 – SHOCKING DECISIONS

  Elya and the other women managed to carve the hare up into such tiny pieces that everyone got a taste of it in their watery stew, which consisted mainly of roots. To some of the starving tribe, it was the most delicious thing they had ever eaten. Aric was very proud of being the provider of such good fare.

  When everyone had licked the last trace of the meal from their bone platters, Soren called a meeting. The elders gathered around him in a circle with the rest of the tribe in the background. At length, they debated what should be done about Aric breaking the hunting tradition. Although his transgression was viewed in a serious light, no one was unhappy about the taste of meat he had provided.

  Finally, Soren came to a decision and turned to Aric. He was wearing his solemn face and his speech was formal: “You have broken the tradition of our people by killing an animal before your initiation as a hunter. This is a very serious matter. However, it has been a long time since most of us have tasted meat and you seem to be the only one favoured among us. First, you found mammoths, creatures that we have not seen for a long time. On your journey, you found a deer for the hunting party. Today you found the hare and fed us all. We are not only grateful to you Aric, but we take it as an omen of good fortune. The fate of this tribe must be changing. We all agree, your cat must be a sign that you have been chosen for a special purpose. Tomorrow your initiation rites will be performed and you will be accepted as a man and a hunter in this tribe.”

  There were a few moments of silence after Soren spoke, and then everyone spoke at once. Aric’s heart burst with pride. Nobody had ever been made a hunter before their thirteenth summer. Nobody had had a hunting ceremony in their honour in the heart of winter. The tribe’s people congratulated him warmly and fussed over him. His transgression had been completely overlooked. Isthan thumped his son on the back, even more pleased than Aric was himself. Elya shed a few tears of joy. One or two of the old men made a half-hearted attempt to look disapproving but failed dismally.

  Aric’s archenemy, Brin, who had only just had his hunting ceremony that summer glared in anger. There had been no game to kill and the whole thing was a sham, performed on an old sack of leather stuffed with straw. He was yet to kill a real animal and prove his worth to the tribe as a hunter. A man who hadn’t killed had no status.

  Soren cleared his throat, “I have come to another decision. Although only Aric has seen the mammoths, we now have undeniable proof that there are still mammoths. If we are to survive, we have no option but to search for them and hunt them. After Aric’s ceremony tomorrow, everyone is to prepare themselves. You are to spend the rest of the day packing up everything that you can carry. Even the small children and the old people must help. We are going to leave this cave. We will find the mammoths and hunt them. If we all die in the process, it will be better than dying of starvation here in the cave. We must all go. Whoever is left here will not be able to survive on their own and when we find the mammoths, everyone will be needed to make the kill and process the meat and hides. We will build ourselves new shelters from the hides if we cannot find a new cave.”

  Soren’s announcement was met with stunned surprise. Not even the elders had known in advance about the shocking announcement he had just made. Some stared in open-mouthed shock and disbelief. Brin’s granny muttered: “This is madness, utter madness. We will all perish and the wild beasts will tear our flesh from our bones.”

  “We don’t have much flesh on our bones and we are all on the brink of death anyway,” countered Elya.

  Even Aric was stunned. He felt overwhelmed by the huge change caused by his actions. Were they really to move, to leave the only home he had known for such a long time? He could barely remember the time before they lived permanently in the cave. What if the weather turned bad again and they all died, caught in a blizzard?

  “I have one more thing to say,” said Soren. “After the hunting ceremony, we shall have a naming ceremony. Aric’s cat will be named and made one of our tribe.”

  This was just too much for most of the elders. They protested vehemently. No animal had ever been regarded as part of the tribe. To give the cat a name was to give it the status of a tribe member. Was it not enough that the cat was tolerated among them?

  Soren simply replied. “The cat has chosen to live among us. She is not an ordinary cat and no one can ignore that. May I remind you all how our fortunes have changed since she arrived? I don’t think that’s a sign we can afford to ignore.” Like Aric, Soren now had faith that their good fortune would continue as long as they honoured the cat. Brin’s shrewish mother protested loudly but Soren refused to be drawn into any argument about the matter and, uncharacteristically, turned his back on the elders, signifying that he was asserting his authority as leader. Aric caught his eye and Soren smiled at him fleetingly.

  Brin was livid. He would have to be that much more careful now. Once Angelica was an accepted member of the tribe, there would be very serious consequences if he was caught hurting her. Up until now, she was just an animal. Animals were there for people to use and abuse as they pleased – or so Brin believed. However, an animal that was officially made a member of the tribe would be afforded the protection of the whole tribe, just like any human member. He would have to make sure he caught her when she was alone and that there were absolutely no witnesses.

  The people did not sleep well that night. Everywhere in the dark were sounds of coughing and muttering. People tossed and turned, feeling insecure about this new turn of events. They were more than a little afraid of the journey that lay before them and of being out in the wilderness, in the depths of winter, away from the only shelter they knew. The old people and children would be at the most risk of exposure to the elements.

  Aric lay thinking about the ceremony that was to be held in his honour. He was nervous. Angelica too seemed restle
ss, almost uncertain in a way and would not settle down. She seemed to be making her mind up about something. Aric could not tell what it was that she was battling to decide. She got up and washed, trampled a circle in Aric’s bedclothes for the umpteenth time and then left Aric’s side eventually to sit outside in the crisp night air by herself. Brin watched her every movement like a hawk waiting to swoop on its prey for the kill.

  CHAPTER 11 – EXODUS

  Aric performed the ritual dance of the hunter, gesturing and lunging with his spear. He moved this way and that. His face was a mask of concentration. With a flourish he threw his new spear at the target and it lodged squarely in the centre. The other hunters stepped up and joined in to conclude the dance. The ceremony had gone well although it was an improvisation. There was no animal blood with which to anoint Aric at the end of the ceremony. There was no great feast of the freshly killed animal. Instead, the tribe celebrated by sharing out the last of their store of dried berries and reminiscing about the hare that Aric had killed the day before. This ceremony was a little different. Normally the rituals took place first and then the kill. Afterwards the hunter’s face was painted with the blood of his kill.

  Next, it was Angelica’s turn. She seemed to understand the importance of the events. Aric had been a little nervous when he had woken that morning to find that Angelica was not by his side. He had glanced over the faces of the tribe looking for Brin. Brin was very guarded now. Aric was aware that Brin could no longer openly show his disapproval of Angelica or Aric and he made a mental note to be extra vigilant. He did not trust Brin one little bit.

  Aric had soon caught sight of Angelica, basking in the brittle, early morning sun at the entrance of the cave, her breath making little curls of vapour in the crisp, frosty air. Two of the little children were playing a game with her. They had an old strip of rabbit fur which they dangled tantalizingly just out of her reach. When Angelica leapt and lunged for the toy, the little girls laughed in delight. Aric breathed a sigh of relief. He had called her and she abandoned the game immediately, much to the disappointment of the little girls.

  She stepped up now, quietly following Aric as he approached Soren. “What is the cat’s name?” asked Soren formally although they all knew very well that Aric called her Angelica.

  “Her name is Angelica,” replied Aric equally formally. He picked her up. Soren leaned forward and touched his forehead to Angelica’s calling out her name as he did so. One by one, each member of the tribe stepped forward and in like manner acknowledged Angelica as part of their tribe, just as they did when a small child took its first steps and was officially given a name and a place in the tribe. Angelica was now one of them and they were all obliged to protect her as one of their own.

  Both events concluded, the tribe now set to work on the task of preparing to leave. Old leather bags were pulled out and dusted off. The necessary repairs were made. There were not many sinews left to repair the seams and the people had to make do with what they had. Fine bone needles were threaded with plant fibres and seams were restitched. Spare cooking utensils and vessels were packed in tightly with spare clothing. With time, the animal hide clothes of the tribe had worn very thin. It was a meagre, threadbare collection of possessions the tribe had to pack. Nature had not been generous of late. Tools and weapons were carefully checked and sharpened before they were tucked into the backpacks. In the morning, sleeping mats and furs would be tightly rolled up and tied on their backs with the packs.

  Aric was so busy helping his parents to pack up their belongings, that he did not notice when Angelica left. He leapt up suddenly in alarm as he realised she was not by his side. Everyone was busily rolling up blankets and tucking in items that would be used on the journey. Elya was checking the little leather bags that held her stock of medicinal herbs and roots. Where was Brin?

  Aric ran out of the cave in a panic. His heart was racing. Without knowing why, his feet took him speedily in the direction of the pits. The tribe had set aside an area downwind from their cave and sheltered by some bushes that gave a measure of privacy. Here they had dug the pits and trenches that they used as toilets and to discard the bones and parts of animals they could not eat or process for other uses. Something was drawing Aric to this toilet and rubbish dump area with utmost urgency and it was not the call of nature. Was Angelica in trouble? Was she calling him?

  “Nooooooo!” screamed Aric. Brin dropped the rock as if it was a hot coal he had just taken out of the fire. Angelica was clawing at the edge of a pit struggling to scramble out. She was too agile to have fallen in. Brin must have brought her here and thrown her in. He would have killed her with the rock had Aric not arrived just in time and then he would have buried her by filling the pit with soil and stones. Nobody would have known what had happened to her. It would have seemed as if she had simply disappeared.

  Aric shoved Brin aside roughly and grabbed Angelica by the scruff of her neck. She smelt terrible but he hugged her tightly to his chest. “She attacked me! See!” Brin squealed hysterically pointing to his bloody arms, which were covered in scratches. “I just came to do my business and she flew at me with her claws and teeth, he lied. “ Soren will hear of this. How dare she attack me like that!”

  “Soren did hear of this,” said a stern voice behind them. Both boys whirled around. “I was up on the hill looking for a good, dry log for tonight’s fire,” said Soren, “when I spotted you coming out of the cave with something struggling in your arms. I saw you running towards the pits and I ran down to intercept you but Aric got here first. I saw Angelica struggling wildly as you threw her into the pit.”

  Brin swallowed hard, he could see that Soren was livid and he knew it was best to keep his mouth firmly shut now. “Take off your furs and clean her up!” yelled Soren. “How dare you jeopardise the chances of the entire tribe you selfish little worm? Without Angelica, we are lost. We have no idea where to go!” With that, Soren turned his back and stomped off in the snow, still in a rage.

  Brin began to snivel. He was sobbing like a helpless baby as he wiped pitifully at Angelica with his fur shirt. When the worst of it was transferred from Angelica to Brin’s shirt, Aric picked her up and carried her to the cave. He heated some water and with a soft piece of fur torn from his blanket, he tenderly wiped her fur until there were no traces of her ordeal left. Angelica was sitting beside the fire drying herself when Brin finally came in stinking like the pits.

  Nobody said a word. Soren was in a foul mood when he came stomping in dragging a huge log. Shortly afterwards Aric had arrived with a smelly, dirty Angelica. He wouldn’t say a thing as he lovingly cleaned her up and now Brin had come in but they all wished he would rather go out again. He stank. Some of the little children giggled and made gagging noises, pulling faces and pointing at Brin.

  The last night in the cave was a sombre affair. No one spoke much as they partook of their meagre meal. Most of them went to bed early, but sleep was a long time coming. Aric was scared, but also excited, about what the new day would bring. Only Angelica seemed to be totally at peace with the world. She fell asleep breathing deeply, eventually soothing Aric into a sound sleep too. Brin lay right at the back of the cave as far from his tribe as they could possibly force him to go. He glowered at them all in the dark plotting his revenge.

  Aric dreamt again of the lush valley full of mammoths and other game. There were great, exciting hunts. Everyone ate their fill. There was dancing and singing. The whole tribe was happy and thriving. He was woken from this beautiful dream by Angelica licking his face. The first cold light of morning was creeping into the cave and some of the people were already up and about readying themselves for the journey ahead. Babies cried, unsettled by the break in their normal routine. Old people grumbled as their stiff fingers painfully rolled up their threadbare sleeping mats. When everyone was finally ready to leave, the tribe filed out of the cave one by one. Aric turned around and took one last look at the cold, stone walls that had been his home for such a huge pa
rt of his life.

  Angelica did not walk with Aric and his family but made her way to the front of the ragged band of people. Soren was silently thankful. He had no idea where to lead his people and he was hoping that Angelica would lead him as she had lead Aric. He could not hear her thoughts as Aric could but he was content to be just half a step behind her. She seemed to know exactly where they needed to go. Many of the tribe questioned their leader’s decision, some of them openly saying they would prefer a death of starvation in their cave, over an uncertain death out in the frozen wilderness. Others believed it was better to take a chance and follow the lucky cat.

  The weather was good and the tribe made relatively good progress even in their weakened and burdened state. By late afternoon, they entered a small valley where they found many edible plants poking through the snow. It was an unexpected abundance of food compared to their usual sparse fare. Soren decided that they might as well set up camp there for the night. Angelica had disappeared on some mission of her own and was nowhere to be seen. Both Soren and Aric kept their eye on Brin who was sulking dejectedly behind his mother.

  Soren fervently hoped Angelica would return and continue leading them as she had faithfully done throughout that day. She had stayed just a pace or two ahead of him the whole time, as if she did not want to discredit him by making it too obvious that she was leading the tribe, but he knew without a doubt, that she was in charge and she had not let them down. They had a sheltered place to camp for the night and sustenance to keep them going the next day.