The Sublime Seven

by Nicki Huntsman Smith

  Tomorrow he would build a few snares, which would take time to construct and place, but in the long run would require less effort than hunting. Once they were assembled from rocks, strips of leather, and pliable tree branches, they need only be set at night and checked in the morning. The Family rarely utilized snares because the food they caught was small; their time and energy was better spent pursuing large game or gathering edibles. A few voles or a small hare was enough for one person, so the method would work perfectly for Jun-tak. He would focus on the barley and also wheat; just hours ago he had discovered an enormous swath of it growing to the north of his new home.

  The moon had fully risen by the time he finished dinner and banked the fire for the night. He lay on his pallet, not bothering with the blanket. The fire had done a nice job of warming the space. Plus it was late summer, and the weather was mild. He probably wouldn’t need to worry about snow and ice for at least several moon-cycles. He really had no idea what to expect since the Family was always long gone by the time winter arrived in the northern grasslands. The thought prompted him to add another item to his mental list: fur and hides. He was not the mighty hunter Zorv was, but he could track game well enough. He had stealth on his side, if not brawn.

  As he was beginning to doze off, a noise roused him into full alertness. He held his breath, eyes frozen on the cave’s opening. Insects and night birds were all he heard for several heartbeats, then the sound came again: the howling of a wolf – not an unfamiliar sound, and not one to be relished. Wolves provided excellent fur, but their meat was unpalatable except under desperate situations. Even worse, a pack could be dangerous to a solitary human. He reached for his spear, fingering the sturdy length of the shaft and the deadly sharp point at the end.

  No wolf would enter his home that night.

  Another sound pierced the night. He analyzed it with a sinking heart.

  The bleating of a baby capra.

  He jumped up, spear in hand, and ran outside. A flat area just beyond the cave’s opening was well-positioned for observing the surrounding countryside. The full moon had risen in the starlit sky. The night world appeared almost as bright as its daytime sister. He scanned the hills, the verdant green and splendid gold now awash in shades of gray. His gaze sought movement to the south – a shadow figure ran toward him. He recognized Onya’s familiar form even from the lengthy distance. The bleating of the capra confirmed her identity. A second, ominous shape chased her from behind.

  This one ran on four legs.

  Jun-tak was scrambling down the side of the hill before he even realized he was doing so. His feet flew above the rocky terrain, but would they carry him to Onya in time? Even now he could see the shaggy silhouette advancing on his friend. She was swift, but no human could outrun a wolf. The capra’s bleats sounded panicked to his ears; it had caught the scent of the predator. She need only toss the animal down and keep running toward safety. The wolf would choose the smaller, easier meal instead of the larger one that would fight back. But of course she would not sacrifice her beloved pet, which she carried in a sling across her torso.

  “Onya!” he yelled as he ran. “Drop it! The capra is not worth your life!”

  Did she hear him? He couldn’t tell.

  He did a quick calculation in his head: his speed; her speed; the distance between them; the dwindling space between her and the wolf; and the range of his spear.

  He knew he was about to watch his friend die.

  He shouted again, but Onya was either too terrified or too stubborn to abandon the capra.

  He increased his speed more than he thought possible; his chest felt as if it might explode. But it would not be enough. The wolf was almost upon her.

  Just as it pushed off those powerful hind legs and began arcing toward Onya’s exposed back, a shaft came out of the gloom, knocking the predator off its trajectory. It landed on the ground with a single sharp howl of pain.

  Onya kept running for a few more paces, then slowed and turned. Jun-tak finally reached her. They both stood gasping for air, watching with disbelief as Zorv appeared from out of nowhere. His grin was not as handsome as Mung’s, but it was a welcome sight.

  “Is it dead?” Onya asked once she caught her breath.

  “Dead, indeed. And Jun-tak will have a fine, new pelt. Good thing I’m here to provide for him,” Zorv said with a smirk. “Also a good thing I was here for you, Onya. Running away from the Family at night while carrying a tasty morsel like that capra for the night predators to scent? What were you thinking?”

  “I know. It was foolish of me. But they planned to roast Lily! I heard them talking about it.” Her eyes glistened with tears.

  Jun-tak almost laughed at the dumbfounded expression on Zorv’s face.

  “You gave it a name? You would have gotten yourself killed over an animal? Has everyone in the Family gone mad?” Zorv’s exasperation was comical, but Jun-tak was careful not to let his amusement show.

  “Not just an animal. She’s my pet. I’m keeping her.”

  Jun-tak recognized the set of Onya’s jaw – there would be no denying that jaw. Opposing her wishes once she had set her mind to something was like resisting day turning into night and back again. She was a lovely but determined force of nature.

  Zorv saw it as well and sighed. “Jun-tak, it seems you will have some overnight guests tonight, although the notion of sleeping in a hole is quite unpleasant.”

  “Nobody is forcing you to be here,” Onya said. “You followed me. I would never intentionally put any of the Family in danger.”

  Jun-tak saw the quick frown on the hunter’s face, then something unidentifiable, before both were masked in a façade of indifference. “I knew exactly what you were planning. As one of the strongest and most skilled of all the men, it was my duty to protect you. What choice did you leave me?”

  Onya snorted in disgust. “Nobody forced you. It was my decision to depart. I didn’t want anyone coming with me. If you had been asleep like the rest of the Family, you wouldn’t have seen me slip away, and thus, you would not have had to follow.”

  “I was on watch. You know that.”

  “Well, it was your job to look for predators from without, not runaways from within.”

  That evoked a loud guffaw from Zorv. It was the first time Jun-tak had ever heard laughter come from the muscle-bound hunter. It was a surprisingly pleasant sound.

  “Very well. You have made your point. What sane person would willingly choose to run away from safety, in the middle of night, carrying a baby capra? Don’t answer. Now I have made my point. Jun-tak, lead on,” Zorv said, slinging the dead wolf onto his shoulders.

  “This way,” Jun-tak said with a smile. He wrapped his arm around Onya as they headed back to his new home. “Lily, hmmm? I like the name you selected for your pet. You and she are both welcome to stay as long as you like. And I promise we will not put her in the stew pot.”

  “Thank you, my friend. And I promise to assist in your undertaking. No matter what that one says,” she gestured toward Zorv. “I think you are wise and courageous. And I will help you prove the soundness of this new lifestyle.”

  When they arrived back at the cave, Jun-tak stoked up the fire. He watched Onya’s eyes open wide in surprise at the scene the crackling flames revealed. She performed a slow pivot, taking in all the comforts of his new home, noting Jun-tak’s pallet near the opening.

  “I’ll sleep here,” she said, pointing to the farthest back corner. Her meaning was clear.

  “Of course. I was thinking that would be the best spot for you. Zorv, you can take the space opposite me. That way we’ll both be nearest to anything that might try to enter.”

  “That would have been my suggestion. But sleep will have to wait. I’ll tend to this pelt while it’s still warm and pliable.” He dropped his bundle on the floor and took the dead wolf outside.

  Jun-tak breathed a sigh of relief. Zorv always put him on edge.

  “I can’t believe you came,”
he said as Onya squatted next to the fire. “Zorv was right. It was foolish, but brave. I would have done the same thing.”

  Onya smiled. “I knew you would understand. You have always understood me unlike any other. It wasn’t just about the capra. I want to support you because you are smart and creative and also my best friend.”

  “And you are mine,” he said reaching over to squeeze her hand. In the soft firelight, Onya’s face looked especially pretty, but Jun-tak’s affection for her was platonic. His heart belonged to someone else.

  “This is quite an adventure. What will we do tomorrow?” she said

  “There is a long list of chores. But the first order of business will be to build a pen for Lily.”

  Onya’s squeal of delight filled him with joy. They discussed plans for their future. Jun-tak felt his eyelids grow heavy now that the excitement waned. He was about to suggest going to sleep when Zorv appeared at the cave’s opening, bewilderment evident on the bearded face.

  “You people are demented,” he said, then pushed a figure in front of him.

  Jun-tak’s heart leapt with joy at the sight of Mung, grinning like a fool, as usual.

  “You thought you could do this without me?” he said.

  “You followed me?” Onya jumped to her feet, pulling him into a hug. Jun-tak wrapped his arms around them both. He felt something squirm when he pressed himself against Mung.

  “What is that?” he said, drawing away. A whimper came from under Mung’s cloak.

  “Zorv killed its mother. I figured Onya’s capra could use a friend.”

  Mung opened his cloak, revealing a wolf pup. Jun-tak had never been that close to one. It was the most adorable thing he had ever seen.

  He reached out to touch the furry head, scratching the pointed ears. The pup licked his hand. Jun-tak instantly understood Onya’s affection for the baby capra. “Perhaps a larger pen is in order?”

  Zorv made a disgusted sound and went back outside. The three friends smiled at each other.

  ***

  “What do you call this stuff?” Zorv said the next morning, his mouth full.

  Jun-tak had risen early, before the sun, so as to prepare food for everyone. It would be their first meal together in their new home. Also, the sooner Zorv ate, the sooner he would leave.

  “Bread. I make it from crushed barley or wheat and a bit of water and salt. I place a flat rock in the fire pit for the purpose of cooking it. It’s tasty, don’t you think?”

  “I would prefer meat.”

  “If there is not much meat or no meat at all, bread fills the belly nicely.”

  “I doubt it would keep one from starving.”

  “I disagree. It could be the very thing that keeps one from starving in the absence of meat.”

  “When will you be leaving, Zorv?” Mung said. There was no love lost between the two of them.

  The brawny hunter chuckled. “Eager to be rid of me? You will have your wish.” He crammed the final bits of bread in his mouth, then gathered his things. “Jun-tak, the pelt is drying on the overhang above your cave. It will need to be scraped and stretched often.”

  “I know how to work animal hides,” Onya said, glaring. The chore usually fell to the women in the Family who were taught the process soon after they began walking.

  “I know. I have seen your handiwork.” Zorv looked at her with that unidentifiable expression Jun-tak had noticed last night. Mung nudged him in the side with an elbow. He didn’t need to look at the handsome face to know it was grinning.

  Zorv had feelings for Onya. That’s what all this was about.

  “I didn’t know if you had decided to stay,” he continued. “I hope you all will be happy here in this hole in the ground come winter. I shall picture you shivering to death while I am in the south, basking in the balmy air and feasting on auroch.”

  With that, he departed. The remaining three looked at each other, round-eyed and silent. Finally, they burst out laughing. The awkwardness of Zorv’s presence was gone. What remained was relief and a giddy sense of freedom.

  “Come, friends. Let’s build the pen first. I have a small supply of wood outside, but we’ll need much more.”

  They spent the rest of the day enclosing a small area at the back of the cave for the animals, using stones, wood, and leather strips. The result was a sturdy barricade that would keep the wolf pup and the baby capra from escaping while they were still small. What would happen when they grew bigger? Perhaps the animals would be so familiar with the humans they wouldn’t want to escape. The concept was fascinating, and the pup added an interesting twist. Two utterly different animals, one prey and one predator. How would they react to each other as they grew? They were playing together now, chasing each other about, but how long would that last?

  As the sun descended in the sky, the two newcomers assembled the items they had brought with them. The variety of household goods would be useful additions to what he already had, and Mung’s pouch of dried meat was a boon.

  “I’m sorry I didn’t bring more food,” Onya said. “But my mother’s old mortar and pestle should prove useful. She has a new one for her herbs and seeds now. I was thinking about it for the barley.”

  Jun-tak admired the stone implement, imagining the effort it must have taken for Onya to carry it along with everything else. It would do quite well for the task of grinding grains into bread flour – an improvement over his flat-rock system.

  “It will be perfect. Perhaps in time, we can devise something even better. Something that will make the work go faster.”

  “Like your new fire-starter?” Mung said. “Everyone is using those now, you know.”

  “Yes, exactly like that. Getting more results from one’s labor and time – that is always at the back of my mind. Not just to do things differently, but to do them better and quicker.”

  “You are quite the rebel. It’s one of your best qualities.” Onya kissed him on the cheek and began making preparations for the evening meal.

  “There’s still some daylight,” Jun-tak said. “You two stay put and rest. Neither of you got much sleep last night. I’m going to gather more grain and check my snares. No, no, Mung. I mean it. Relax now. Tomorrow will be another long day of work.”

  Mung didn’t argue further. Jun-tak was exhausted as well, but he would not let it show. While he was thrilled with how well-stocked their new home was now in terms of utensils and tools, he had done a quick calculation after seeing their combined collection of food. He would need to gather a sizeable quantity of grain to feed everyone for the next few days. He hoped for something bigger than voles in the snares, but he knew he couldn’t count on it. The only thing he could control was the procurement of grains. And he knew he must gather as much as possible now, while it was ripe and plentiful, because later, the grasses would be buried under snow and ice.

  He stepped up his pace.

  ***

  “Jun-tak, I saved some dinner for you. It’s on your bed.” Mung’s voice, gravelly from sleep, floated up out of the dark.

  The fire had been banked, but the coals illuminated enough of the cave that he could find his way to his pallet after dropping the weighty satchel. Every bit of his body ached. He had no idea how long he had been out working by moonlight.

  Three sun-cycles had passed since Onya and Mung had joined him. Everyone had full bellies, but only he knew how much work was required to achieve that. If it weren’t for the discovery of an enormous field of ripe lentils he had discovered, he might be inclined toward dismay. The pebble-sized seeds would be delicious boiled in water with some salt and perhaps a bit of auroch or boar. The problem was that the field was a half sun-cycle’s walk from home.

  He was so sleepy that he barely finished the meal Mung had left him before his eyelids shut. That night, while his tired body slept, his mind conjured images of strange structures towering up from a sea of sand. These were not natural mountains produced my nature; their silhouettes were too ordered and symmetrical.
In the dream he felt strangely comforted by them, despite their mystifying purpose and origin. By the morning light, the dream had vanished from thought and memory.

  ***

  “Oh my. This is yummy,” Mung said with his mouth full of the lentils the two had collected that day.

  “Besides the fish, I added some onion tubers and cattails I found by the creek. I’m pleased with the flavor.” Onya was not one to brag about her talents. She was an exceptional cook. Jun-tak was fortunate to have both her friendship and her impressive skills in this undertaking. He had a feeling that the two of them could accomplish marvels when they put their heads together. He looked at Mung, eating happily, and smiled. His handsome friend was an average hunter, an average worker, and an average thinker. What he brought to their enterprise was twofold: unwavering loyalty and a relentless sense of humor. If their situation became dire over the winter, both those qualities would be sorely needed.

  “The fish were abundant?” Jun-tak asked between bites.

  “They were. I hauled as many carp as I could. But I know the fishing won’t last once it gets cold. It’s time we built a smokehouse next to the river. That way, I can dry them as soon as I pull them out of the water. There’s too much time wasted walking back and forth from the river to home. I need to camp there for a while to make the best use of my time. We’ll have a nice stockpile of dried fish to add to the bread, lentils, and game.”

  “It’s an excellent plan, but I’m worried about your safety. A lone woman camping alone? Mung should go with you.”

  “Yes, Onya, I’ll protect you.” Mung flexed his small bicep muscles.

  “No. Mung needs to help with the gathering of grain. I have my knife. I’ll be cautious. I just need help building the smokehouse.”