A Mountain of Fire

by Marius Thue

  Before he manages to get up, a woman enters the cave. It's her, the woman he saw in his dream. Or was it down by the stream? His head pounds with pain. She begins to talk to him, but he only understands a few of her words. She moves her arms to make him understand.

  “Neera …” She gets down on one knee, pointing to herself. Thoke moves to a seated position, pain shooting through his body.

  “Thoke,” he responds. She must have found him in the stream and somehow dragged him back here.

  He gasps as he suddenly recalls the wolves that mauled him. He grabs for his throat, as if to stop the blood from gashing out. There's no blood. The wound has healed and only a web of thick scars can be felt. With quick hands, he checks the rest of his body, feeling scars all over. He's somehow healed. How long have I been in here? he thinks to himself.

  Neera looks at him with wondering eyes. She seems curious and scared at the same time. Thoke struggles not to stare back. She's so beautiful it makes him feel shy and uncomfortable. She appears to be about his age but with a somewhat darker shade of skin.

  His eyes keep falling back to her. He measures that she's a lot shorter than he is. To make a guess, he'd say she would barely reach his shoulders with the top of her head. He slowly rises to his feet. His bones crack into place. It's pain, but kind of a good one. She stands up and his measurements are confirmed.

  Her hair is long, shaggy, and black as coal, just like his own. She's very thin and seems to have gone quite some time without food. The woman must be starving, Thoke thinks. They stand there staring at each other for a while. Neither say a single word. Those brown eyes of hers are enchanting to him.

  Thoke snaps himself out of the daze and walks past her, out of the cave. He looks around and sniffs the cold morning air. Neera seems to be alone here. No wonder she's starving. Thoke knows what needs to be done, so he bolts off into the woods, grass flinging into the air as he does. Neera runs out of the cave while holding her hands up as if she's trying to make him stop. Her brown ragged pelts barely cover her female areas, and she has to pull them back into place as they start to loosen. He glances back at her and notices a desperate face. She must be terribly lonely and scared. He has to act fast.

  Around midday, Thoke returns with a young doe under his arm. Neera still sits outside the cave, looking hopeless in the warm summer sun. As she catches a glimpse of him out of the corner of her eye, she lights up, mirroring the bright day. Thoke walks up and lays the animal at her feet.

  Neera immediately starts to carve it up. They are both in desperate need of pelts, but this animal will not do for much. With a sharp stone, she quite easily opens its skin. Thoke gets to making a fire. He can see that she knows what she's doing. While gathering dry pieces of wood, Thoke takes a close look at himself for the first time since he woke. Scars cover his pale bare chest and arms. He's become as skinny as Neera now, he notices. Where rippling muscles once were, now mostly skin and bones remain.

  As dusk starts to creep in, the food is ready to be consumed. While eating, they remain silent, but as soon as they are done, they attempt to speak. Beside the fire right outside the cave, they struggle to understand each other. Their tongues are different but somewhat similar. Words like fire, good, and warm sound the same. After a few attempts to get a conversation going, they both fall asleep by the crackle of burning wood.

  Neera awakes right after sunrise as Thoke prepares the first meal of the day. The leftovers of what they cooked last night still taste just as good this morning. He hands her the pelt from the doe. Thoke prepared it first thing when he woke up.

  After the meal is eaten, Thoke gets up and begins walking into the woods. Neera quickly gets to her feet and starts following. She will likely starve if she’s alone, Thoke realizes. He sees her closing in, so he slows his pace to allow her to catch up. It will be nice to have some company anyway. She saved his life after all, so she can stay with him for some time until she regains her strength.

  Some time turns into too many days to keep count. Before they even think of splitting up, the summer has ended. They both look a lot better now, having gotten some meat on their bones. It seems they have grown used to each other’s company. Talk has grown easy now that they speak the same tongue.

  Thoke feels happy to have someone by his side again. The pair have moved to a mountain chain far in the east. After wandering long and wide, Thoke now finally feels like he’s home again.

  Neera has proven herself to be an excellent hunting partner and has provided them with meat on several occasions. Their conversations usually stay short and to the point. Mostly they talk of simple things like hunting strategies and exchanging tips for making tools.

  One morning the pair has, as usual, gathered around the dying embers of last night’s fire to take in the first meal of the day. Neera now finally feels ready to ask a question she has been pondering since the day she found him bloodied in the stream. She stares at Thoke for a while, like she often does.

  “Are you a god?” she asks carefully, tearing away her gaze. Thoke's caught off guard. He stops chewing for a moment, not knowing how to answer such a question.

  “What makes you think that?” he eventually answers while looking down at a piece of dark meat in his hand.

  “How did you get to be so fast and strong? You can somehow survive horrible injuries no other man can. When I found you, your throat was opened up, and from the looks of it, you didn’t have much blood left inside. The way I see it, you must be a god fallen from the stars. Only the gods possess such abilities,” she continues, now looking him straight in the eyes.

  Thoke shakes his head and looks down again.

  “I don't know how I survived. Honestly, I don't. I am no god. That I do know. One day, I was just like anybody else, the next I was not. Something happened, but I can't remember what. I am pretty sure the damned gods you speak of must have done it, though.”

  “What really happened? I’m sure you can remember if you think hard. Did you meet the gods, then? How did you get the injuries anyway?” Neera's nearly standing up at this point, closing in on Thoke's face.

  “Eh” Thoke pulls back, struggling to keep track of all these questions “…I was attacked by a pack of wolves. They probably wanted my boar, which they got in the end.”

  “So you survived an attack by entire wolf pack?” Neera pushes herself closer. “No regular man would be able to do so. Where's your family, your tribe?”

  Thoke looks up at the clear starlit night sky. He can only think to answer the final question.

  “They're gone. I don't know where they are or if they are even alive.”

  Neera realizes they have something in common. For a moment she considers whether or not to tell him. As the fire crackles and burns, making her face feel warm and nice, she ponders over what to say.

  “My tribe is gone too,” she tells him, avoiding his gaze this time. “They were killed by ravaging savages, the ravages, I call them, almost a full moon before I found you.”

  “How long was I in that cave?” Thoke hurries to respond so he doesn't need to address what she’s just told him. This conversation is getting too intense for his taste. After such a long time alone, this type of conversation makes him very uncomfortable.

  “You were in there for four days and four nights.” She looks up again, almost relieved the conversation has shifted. “I think you must have been in that stream for some time too. Most of your blood had dried, where the water could not reach. Your skin was blue and cold as ice. I carried you into the cave so that no animals would eat your flesh. You were light, almost as I were lifting a child. I thought I’d bury you in the morning. I was sure you were dead. Then you began to twitch and moan. I poured some water into your mouth and you drank. The next day I cleaned your wounds, which had already closed themselves.”

  A silence falls over them while Thoke takes it all in. He always has had a deep respect for the dead, so he appreciates the effort. Even bad people deserve a proper burial he fee
ls, the good ones even more so.

  “I guess I'm tough to kill,” Thoke says, smiling. He grabs a twig and starts to tear it apart slowly.

  “When a pack of wolves can't get the work done, then yes.” Neera smiles back at him. They can both feel the tension taking a turn for the better.

  “What is it?” he asks.

  “If you're not a god yourself, then the gods blessed you with this gift. It must be. Only the gods possess these kind of powers. We should both be thankful for that now,” Neera tries to get eye contact, and with a smile, she gets it.

  Now Thoke feels bad for ignoring her earlier attempt to tell her story. He senses she enjoys their conversation, so he decides to give it another chance.

  “The savages you say? Who is that? They took your entire tribe?”

  Neera is surprised to hear him ask a question like this. It pains her to tell the story, yet she wants him to know.

  “The ravages attacked our camp right after sundown.”

  “Ravages?”

  “I just call them that because of the way they tore our camp apart. Some call them demons but I don't believe that. They came as demons in the night however. Just like the stories my grandfather used to tell. Everyone fell, except for me.” Her voice cracks at the end. She lays her head in between her arms.

  “How did you get away?”

  “I was able to hide behind some bushes as they attacked. Everything happened so fast. It was horrible. I still have nightmares about the beast. He was half-human. His head was that of a moose, and I'm sure his feet had hooves. He was taller than any man I have ever seen. His giant antlers reached high into the sky. It was possessed by some evil spirit, no doubt. It struck down anyone that got close to his giant spiked log.” Her gaze grows distant. Then she rises and walks off into the night, closely followed by Thoke's eyes. He follows, wanting to make her feel better somehow.

  A friendship has taken shape. Every day they spend close to each other, never out of sight. They hunt together, eat together, and sleep by each other’s side. As long as they're together, they feel safe. For the first time since the blizzard, Thoke now trusts another human being.

  Many talks around the campfires follow thereafter. The more of these conversations they have, the more Thoke grows to enjoy them.

  One night, it's his turn to initiate such a talk. They're sitting in a thick birch forest. The pale white trunks seems to flicker in the light of their campfire. Winter has taken a hold, making everything around them white and bright. It's not as harsh here as it is where Thoke comes from. Still, he longs to be back in the mountains of the north.

  Thoke skewers a piece of meat on a stick and holds it over the fire. They're covered from head to toe in thick brown pelts from boar and deer.

  “The attack on your tribe … how did you really get away?” Thoke asks.

  Neera has never given him a real answer to this. She chews her food as long as she can, not expecting this tonight.

  “I was standing in the center of the camp when they attacked from all sides, and like I have said, I managed to hide,” she answers, keeping her eyes on the fire. Thoke feels like she's hiding something, yet he cannot understand why she would feel the need to keep anything from him. No matter, she can keep it.

  “I would never let anyone hurt you in any way. You're safe with me,” he says while carefully laying his hand over hers.

  “I know,” she answers, turning her hand around to entwine her fingers with his.

  They share a look that makes both their hearts pound. They can feel what’s going on between them, but no one is in a rush to act first. After such a long time together, it feels increasingly difficult to find the right moment. At the same time, neither want to push it. All they need is an excuse to get closer.

  One cold winter night, a storm is brewing high into the mountains. Thoke and Neera has started to wander back north toward Thoke's homeland. The weather acts different here. He can feel them getting closer to home.

  Every time a storm comes blowing in, Thoke becomes nervous and on edge. Never does he leave Neera out of his sight for very long. It hasn't been easy finding prey this winter, and they’re both hungry. Thoke eats much of what they catch but makes sure Neera gets her fill. They haven't seen as much as a track in the last few days.

  Neera is growing weak, the hunger gnawing at her stomach. Thoke knows he must find something soon, but he fears to leave her alone while he goes to hunt. This time, though, it seems like he has no other choice.

  The blizzard has become more and more powerful. They can barely see their hands in front of them. After a while, they find a small cave to give them shelter until the storm dies down. As soon as they enter, Neera collapses. Thoke has to find food and fast. He wraps Neera in his furs and steps into the storm, bare chested. All the while, he's terrified that Neera will be gone upon his return.

  It doesn't take long for him to find what he's looking for. A group of people have been trapped in the storm and lie half buried in the snow. As Thoke gets close enough, he sees they have been here for a while. They're blue and black, dead for at least a couple of days. Next to them, he finds a sled made of wood and skins. Inside, Thoke finds charred and dried meat.

  He ties the straps around his waist and starts dragging the sled back to the cave. His tracks are nearly gone, but he finds the cave easily enough. Inside, Neera sits bent over, shivering.

  “Here, eat!” he yells. Neera looks up and tears into the meat. Thoke finds roots, berries, and nuts in the sled as well. They can both eat themselves full. There's plenty to go around.

  After the cold meal, Neera feels a lot better, but she's freezing. They both realize that only one thing can save her now. By lying next to each other and wrapping their pelts around them, she will get warm.

  They stare at each other for a moment, both hiding a smile under a mask of fear. Neera reaches out and touches Thoke's bare chest. He still feels warm to the touch. They strip off their pelts and lie close together. Their boar and deer furs form some semblance of a bed. Thoke is almost too warm up against Neera's freezing skin. He feels good, however, and Thoke never minded the cold anyway. She quickly gets warm as they embrace, eyes locked without wavering. Their lips meet, and they slide underneath the warm pelts while the storm blows violently outside the cave.

  The following morning the sun is shining down on the two companions. Both lie naked on the furs, only the bottom half of their bodies covered. They're both warm, from each other and from the sunlight entering the cave. The night has made their bond stronger.

  For a while they lie there, enjoying the sun and each other’s company. Snow melts over the caves entrance, making droplets of water fall to the ground. Yesterday’s blizzard has made a soft untouched carpet of snow on the small plain outside. Only a few trees can be seen scattered around in the mountains.

  Neera breaks the silence. She's worried about the small amount of prey they've found recently.

  “I know you want to go back home, but we need to get off this mountain. There are more animals down in the woods further east, don't you think?”

  Thoke gently strokes her cheek. He understands her concern. Eating only berries every day isn't something Thoke enjoys.

  “That's probably for the best. We can go down to the foot of the mountain and walk in the forest for a while. Hopefully we can find the ocean and then follow it north,” he answers with a loving look. Thoke doesn't enjoy the forest much either. Among the trees there's more prey for sure, but that means there's also more predators. Not only wolves, but humans as well, which might be an even greater threat.

  As the sun rises higher, the cave is now in shadow. The pair tie on their pelts again and begin the descent down the mountain. It's not an easy walk. All the snow is heavy to tread in. Down by the edge of the forest, it gets easier as the snow becomes less deep.

  After countless days walking among the spruce trees and birches, things are going well for the couple. Food is easy to come by, and spring is abou
t to turn into summer. Fortunately, Thoke has been able to keep them clear of any predators. Since they now sleep close together, a large moose pelt with some smaller pelts sewn in now serves as a shared cover at night.

  One day, Thoke discovers footprints from a tribe of humans. As usual, they choose to walk in a different direction. The air is warm and clammy; it's as if they can feel the air on their fingertips. The clouds are turning dark, and Thoke can hear rumbling in the distance. Neera notices his change of behavior.

  “What's wrong?” she asks.

  “Thunder.” Thoke has a look of fear in his eyes, and he keeps his gaze locked on the sky. They both know what this means.

  “We need to find shelter. Now!” Neera exclaims.

  They hurry over to a cliff that goes up and out at a steep angle. Thoke sits down and covers his ears with his palms. Neera rips some of her furry pelts off and wraps it around his head, holding him tightly to shield him from the onslaught of sounds. She now also hears the rumbling coming closer.

  “Focus on a spot far away. Find an animal and focus your hearing on its movements,” Neera says lowly. Thoke wobbles back and forth. He can hear a young child crying far in the distance. A bolt of lightning crashes down some few hundred steps away. The thunder roars not even a blink of an eye later. Lightning strikes are coming down more frequently. Every impact hurts him, but he manages to focus on the child's sobbing, which now grows louder as well.

  After a while, the thunderstorm glides past, and Neera can put her pelts back on. The clouds disappear from the sky and are eventually replaced by millions of stars.

  “It worked,” Thoke says, surprised. Neera smiles and gives him a long kiss. Water drips down from the cliff’s edge and lands on Thoke's forehead. They share a laugh, relieved that Thoke did not get hurt this time.