Clan of the Wolf
Page 2
Glancing at my sister, we did not say a word, breaking into a run, although I sprinted faster, reaching Kia a moment later. Nearly out of breath, I gasped for air. “Fire!” Then I felt silly, because mamma held a branch, wrapped in dried kindling, which she had set ablaze.
“You shouldn’t dally,” she murmured, smiling. “I was waiting for you.”
A flying insect hovered, buzzing annoyingly. I swatted it away, knowing what she planned to do. “There are berries somewhere.”
Kia held the burning branch beneath a buzzing nest, the smoke engulfing the insects. Once the bugs became disoriented, she withdrew delicious, sweet nectar, sustaining a few stings in the process. Not wanting to be bitten, I stepped away, glancing at the empty baskets, and hoping to fill them with something useful.
“Let’s look over there.” I pointed to the trees with tangled roots. “I see bushes.”
Ara stepped away, waving a hand before her face. “I don’t like those bugs, but their homes are delicious.”
“True,” I giggled, the sound carrying.
My sister and I foraged for edibles, finding a bush filled with dark purple fruit. Picking as many as we could, their pigment discolored our fingers. Kia joined us a moment later, pleased with the find. We ventured on, often stopping to pick or pull something from the ground. Arriving at a clearing, we faced a field, the area bathed in light. Animals noted us, several bounding soundlessly in the other direction, although a few remained at a distance.
“I don’t have the skill to catch one,” said Kia. “It’s a shame. One of them would make a fine meal for a great many people.” As if knowing we spoke about them, their ears perked up, the creatures alert, with glossy black eyes.
My mouth watered at the thought, movement catching my notice. “Look there!” I pointed, seeing three men emerge from the forest, each holding a spear. I recognized them at once—the men of our clan. “We might eat well tonight after all.”
Not wishing to interfere with the hunt, Kia directed us back into the forest, leaving the men to their work. Meat was shared among the clan, although the berries and other things we collected belonged to us, unless we offered it to others. Lascox demanded we help provide for the meal tonight, so we needed to pick more than usual.
Members of the clan returned to the river, women and children holding baskets filled with whatever they could find. The men brought in several stags that tasted delicious when roasted over an open fire. Talking and laughter drifted to us, while the rushing sound of the river remained ever-present, the sun glinting off the wavelets lapping and breaking upon the rocky edge.
The heat of the day bore down upon my shoulders, a sheen of perspiration lining my forehead. Having been told to beat out the bedding, I tossed the pelts over a thick branch and hit them with a stick. Exhausted from foraging, I craved a hearty meal, my belly growling distractingly. When I returned with the pelts, Kia sat by the fire with the baskets at her feet.
“You take a bath now, Peta.”
I tossed the fur to the ground, grumbling, “No. Please, no. I’m not that smelly.”
“You’re a stinky thing.”
Eyeing the river, I loathed having to step in it. “Why can’t it be warm like at the cave? I don’t like cold water.”
“I’ll go with you.” Ignoring my complaint, she got to her feet, untying the leather she wore around her waist. Holding out a hand, she said, “We shall go together. Then we can warm ourselves by the fire.”
I glanced at Ara. “What about her? She’s in need too.”
“She bathed two days ago. It’s your turn now.”
I knew the sooner I entered the water, the sooner this horrible task would be done. Gritting my teeth and dreading the river, I took my mother’s hand, her skin feeling rough to the touch. She led me to the rocky bank, where we waded, the coldness creeping up my legs. I hated this chore, preferring to remain filthy.
“In you go.” She gave me a shove, where I fell headfirst into the current, icy water enveloping me.
I thrashed about in the murky, brown water, my feet encountering a slippery, rocky bottom. I knew how to swim, and yet it took every bit of strength I possessed not to float downstream. Rough hands grabbed me, Kia dragging me to her, while a smile revealed crooked, brownish teeth.
“There you are. I forget what a slight little thing you are.” She dunked my head under, her hands scrubbing my scalp. When I thought I might perish from the lack of air, I came up again. “You’re starting to look better.”
“Ugh!” I grumbled, wanting to fight her, but I knew it was useless.
“Wash yourself now,” she commanded.
I found my footing, the water a constant threat at my back, the current unrelenting. I knew what she meant about washing myself, my fingers drifting between my legs, to rub here and between my buttocks. Not wishing to linger any longer than necessary, I washed hurriedly, dunking my head one last time. This made me shiver, my teeth clicking together.
“I’m getting out,” I said miserably, stumbling to the embankment.
Ara laughed, humor glinting in her eyes. “She looks like a wet bundle of fur.”
Brushing sodden hair from my face, I glared at her. “It’s your turn next time.” I hurried for the fire, standing before it with my hands out, the warmth feeling wonderful. Grasping my hair, I wrung it, water soaking the ground beneath my feet.
Kia approached with dark, wet hair and glistening skin. Picking up a pelt, she tossed it over my shoulders. “That wasn’t so bad now, was it?” She patted me briskly, a grin of sympathy emerging. “You’ll survive, little one.”
“I … d-d-don’t like it.” Trembling uncontrollably, I wrapped myself in fur, dropping to my knees on a pelt. The smell of wet animal hide lingered around me. “I’m h-h-h-ungry.”
Laughter filled the air. “You’ll have a meal soon enough.” Kia eyed a man’s approach, one of the hunters bringing supper, a slab of meat in his hands. Grunting, he tossed it at her, mamma catching it easily. “Thank you,” she murmured.
He eyed us, his expression bland, but I sensed his disdain. Turning on a heel, he strode off, a dog following.
Chapter Three
Kia prepared the meat, slicing smaller pieces with a sharp stone and impaling them on sticks. These we held before the fire, the meat roasting, searing the edges. I preferred mine less cooked, enjoying the rich flavor of the animal, while Ara browned hers nearly all the way through. Voices rang out then, someone hollering.
“What’s the matter?” Having dried completely, I sat up, the pelt slipping off my shoulders.
“I don’t know.” Kia ate a chunk of meat, chewing heartily. “Ah, good.”
Getting to my feet, I stood on my toes to see, the sun on the verge of disappearing completely, the sky filled with the smoke of many cooking fires. Through a dense cloud of grey came a man and then another, the newcomers who had joined our group at daybreak. They carried an animal, its antlers enormous and the weight of the creature substantial. I gaped at them, stunned by the sight.
“Look at that.”
By the huge gash in the animal’s midsection, they had already removed its insides, tossing the carcass onto the ground with a loud thump. Members of the clan approached, some wide-eyed with amazement, while others pretended indifference. But we all knew this sort of kill was rare, unless the group coordinated an attack. Two men accomplishing such a task revealed a high level of skill.
Lascox and his subordinate, Sutta, approached, the men eyeing the dead animal. “You’ve proven yourself worthy,” our leader intoned, a pleased look in his eye. “We shall feast tonight.”
“I plan to smoke some of the meat,” said Ronan. “But, you and your clan may help yourselves to the rest. There’s plenty.”
“The women will share their berries and nuts.” Lascox glanced at Kia. “Your girls are good scavengers. Give some of what you’ve got to Ronan and Enwan.”
Kia nodded subserviently, not wanting to anger him. “Of course.”
Kia tossed a few berries into a wooden bowl, her lips pressed together. Then she flung in a sticky clump of golden nectar, an insect or two stuck in the mix. She held up the bowl. “Take this over to them, Peta.”
“But I wish to eat.” I held the stick with the meat, not having cooked it yet.
“Leave it for now.”
“But, I’m hungry.”
“Just do as I ask, girl. Do it.”
I reached for the bowl. “Oh, all right.”
Her scowl softened. “We’ve all night to eat. Delaying the meal a little longer won’t kill you.”
“I’ll be right back. Don’t cook my meat. I like it a certain way, and you and Ara always do it wrong.”
“Why not take it with you? Eat it at their fire.”
“I shall.” I took the stick, blood dripping to my fingers. “Don’t eat all the berries. I want some too.”
“Just go, and do this chore.”
It annoyed me that Ara could remain, my sister sitting close to the fire, dangling a stick over the flames. “Don’t eat my share of sweets!”
“You’d best hurry back then,” she said saucily, an eyebrow lifting.
I grumbled, stalking off towards where the newcomers made their fire, two thin pelts on the ground for bedding. They traveled light, having arrived with only the necessities. Eyeing my approach, Ronan smiled, his face hidden beneath a scraggly beard.
“And what have we here?” He held a sharp-looking piece of stone, his friend, Enwan, slicing through the carcass at his feet.
“My mother bade me to give you this.” I held out the bowl.
“Why, thank you.” He took it, placing it on the pelt nearby. “Who might you be?”
“We met earlier. I’m Peta.”
“Ah,” he grinned, “I remember you now. You’ve had a bath. So, there was a girl beneath all that filth.”
Ignoring that, I said, “Might I cook this here?” I held up the stick. “I’m terribly hungry. I’m ready to eat it raw if I have to.”
He laughed, “Help yourself.”
Several men drew near, impressed with the size of the animal. A small wound near its neck proved lethal. From what I could tell, there was only one such mark. It required a great deal of expertise to kill with a single strike.
The meat sizzled, the smell teasing me mercilessly, as I hadn’t had a thing to eat all day. While they carved huge slabs of meat, handing these to those who came to get it, I ate finally, having sat on their pelt. The man named Ronan glanced at me several times, not having expected that I would stay for supper. He didn’t seem to mind too terribly, a smile appearing.
They hacked away at the carcass, prying meat from bone as they went. With a full belly, the hunger satiated, I sighed with contentment, lying down, and holding my cheek in the palm of my hand. I watched the strangers through the flames, the animal’s breed not recognizable anymore. Feeling lethargic, my eyes struggled to remain open, and I drifted. When I glanced about again, the world had plunged into darkness.
“Oh, no!” Jumping to my feet, I startled Enwan, who sat nearby, tearing at meat with his teeth. “I shouldn’t have slept!” Forgetting the bowl of berries, I hurried to my fire, finding Kia asleep, while Ara yawned, her legs hidden within the fur. “Did you eat all the sweets?”
She nodded. “You weren’t here.”
Distressed and angered, I screamed at her, which made a dog bark in the distance, a man shouting, “Shut up over there!”
Dropping to my knees, I held my face in my hands, tears flowing.
“Don’t be such a baby, Peta. We can find more tomorrow.”
“What’s all this noise?” asked a voice behind me.
I continued to cry, feeling the injustice of not having had a single berry, despite having spent hours picking them. A hand touched my back.
“What’s the matter?”
I glanced over my shoulder, seeing Ronan. “It’s nothing.”
“But you’re upset about something.”
“We ate all the berries,” said Ara. “That’s why she’s crying. She’s a silly girl.”
“We haven’t eaten the ones you gave us.” He tugged on my arm. “Come along. You’re more than welcome to them.”
I sniffed, finding the offer tempting. “I can?” I got to my feet, dirt on my knees now.
“We’ve far too many. Every family in the clan brought them over.”
I would take him up on the offer. “All right.”
“Now she’s learned crying will get her whatever she wants,” muttered Ara.
“You promised not to eat them all. You’ve learned lying gets you everything you want.” I squared my shoulders, eyeing Ara with annoyance. “What do you say to that?”
“Oh, go eat the sweets. I don’t wish to argue with you, Peta.”
“Fine.” I stalked away, as Ronan had left already. Approaching his fire, I glimpsed where they butchered the animal, the ground soaked with blood, the smell pungent.
Enwan sat before the flames, a piece of meat in his mouth. “She’s too young for you, Ronan.”
He laughed, tossing a bone to a dog that loitered nearby. “That’s not why she’s here.” He pointed to the bowl. “That’s yours, I believe.”
I sat on their pelt with my legs beneath me, the bowl in my lap. Using fingers, I ate the berries, which tasted delicious covered in sweet syrup, the concoction making my fingers and face sticky.
Ronan’s eyebrows rose, his expression amused. “Good?”
“Hmm … ” I licked my fingers, having finished the treat. “Yes.”
“You seem satisfied. Will you be quiet now?”
“I will.”
He eyed me questioningly. “Might I ask you something?”
“What?”
“Who are the people by your fire?”
That seemed odd. “What do you mean?”
“The woman and her daughter.”
I sat a little straighter. “They’re my family.”
“She’s too young to know what you’re asking,” said Enwan.
“Do you remember anything before?”
I licked a finger. “Before what?”
“Coming to live with those two.”
Searching my memory, the things I found there remained hazy. “No.”
“Who your real family might be?”
I pointed towards the fire. “They’re there.”
“It doesn’t matter.” Enwan got to his feet. “She’s found her place. I have to relieve myself.” He stalked off towards a line of trees.
Ronan ran fingers through his hair, the strands hanging down his back. “They must’ve found you somewhere. You don’t seem to remember.”
Kia and Ara were the only family I had ever known, my mind not recalling any others. “Where are you from?”
“That way.” He pointed behind me. “The land far away.”
“Why are you not with your clan?”
“Something sickened them, and they died.”
My eyes widened. “All of them?”
“Many.” He nodded, staring absently into the flames. “My family, my mother and father and sisters and brothers. All the ones I cared most for.”
“And Enwan’s your brother?”
“In spirit, yes. He came from another clan. I met him on the walk.”
“The walk?”
“There was nothing left for me, so I ventured over the great grass plain. It’s not a journey I recommend. I met Enwan there. His people were victims of an attack, and they scattered.”
Something about what he said triggered a memory, but the image drifted as quickly as it came. “Then you decided to travel together.”
“Yes,” he grinned, “it seemed like a sound idea.”
“And you roam from place to place?”
“Until I find paradise.”
I eyed him askance, never having heard th
at before. “What’s that? Is it near here?”
“I don’t know, but I’m forever hopeful.” He stared into the darkness, lost in thought. “I’ll stumble upon it … eventually,” he murmured.
Enwan returned, tossing a fatty portion of meat to the dogs, two of them snarling for it. “I’m sleeping now.” He lay back, eyeing the sky.
Hints of light remained, a swath of red lingering on the horizon. Most of the camp had settled down, although talking could be heard, a dog barking annoyingly. Feeling weary to my bones, I yawned.
Ronan patted the pelt. “Will you be staying here tonight?”
I considered it, feeling the fur beneath me. “No. Mine’s better. Yours is too thin.”
“It’s old.” He nodded, accepting my refusal with stoic charm. “You’re right to sleep where it’s nicer. One day, I shall have layers of pelts for a bed. Then I’ll roll another just for my head.”
That appealed to me, finding it a sound idea. “I would like to see that.”
“Perhaps, when you find a mate, you’ll sleep in luxury.”
I hadn’t even considered that, being far too young to have a mate. “Maybe.”
“You have some time,” he chuckled, moving aside the spear that lay on the edge of the bedding. “I wouldn’t want to cut myself turning over later.”
“Yet you keep it near.”
“Indeed.” His smile faltered. “One must always be vigilant. We’re out in the open.”
“Two seasons ago we lived in a fine cave. It had several caverns.”
“Why did you leave?”
I searched my memory, being too inexperienced to understand the behaviors of adults. “I don’t know. You should ask Lascox. He was with us then.”
A yawn escaped him, as he settled in, Enwan on the fur next to him. “It’s of no matter. I’m sure it had everything to do with following game. A comfortable cave is worthless if there’s nothing to eat.”
I got to my feet, holding the empty wooden bowl. “Goodnight … Ronan.”
“Sleep well, little girl.”
Strips of meat hung from sticks near the fire, the smoke curing them. They should have meat for days, although dogs loitered nearby, desiring to steal the tasty morsels. If they did, there might not be any left come morning.