by Kevin Ashman
‘I know you from somewhere,’ said Raven, ‘your face is familiar to me.’
‘I am from your own clan,’ laughed Seren, ‘you saw me every day.’
Raven’s face frowned in concentration, her eyes suddenly opening in recognition.
‘You are the handmaiden to the Shaman,’ she said her eyebrows rose in surprised recognition.
‘I am Seren,’ she said with a gentle smile.
‘But the girl I knew was ugly and dirty, you are a beautiful woman.’
‘I have grown up, Raven,’ she said, ‘we all change.’
‘I hardly gave you a second glance back in the clan,’ said Raven quietly. ‘We threw you scraps from our fires and laughed at you in your filth. Yet, what you have done here.’ she looked around. ‘Oh Seren, can you ever forgive us?’
‘There is nothing to forgive, Raven. We should just concentrate on getting everyone home.’ She smiled down at Little-bear.
‘I will never have enough thanks for what you have done, Seren,’ said Raven, ‘you are truly a wonderful person,’ and dropping her head she followed the rest forward to the nearby clearing.
----
The next few hours were busy, and as Morlak had suggested, the fit collected as much food as possible. Berries, tubers and roots were gathered into piles and the abundance of fungi that covered the forest floor was closely inspected for those that were recognized as being edible.
Some of the Mwrllwch hunted, whilst the others retraced their steps back down the track to watch for any Baal following them. Seren flitted from person to person, administrating what help she could and offering kind words and encouragement wherever possible. She was sitting and nursing a crying child, when Raven approached her out of the dark.
‘Seren,’ she said, ‘you must get some rest. You haven’t stopped all day.’
Seren wiped her brow with the back of her hand.
‘I am tired,’ she said, ‘but there is so much to do. We are not safe yet.’
‘You will be no good to anyone the way you are going,’ said Raven. ‘Get some sleep, I will see to the child.’
Seren gratefully handed over the baby.
‘She is hungry,’ she said, ‘but her mother has no milk. I hope that the Mwrllwch are successful with the hunt so we can give her some bone marrow to suck on.’
‘Seren, there is nothing you can do now. Leave it to me. Go and rest.’
Seren crawled under a bush and wrapped herself up in her cape, asleep within seconds.
----
Aarnoy came to Morlak before the first light crested over the volcanic rim.
‘The drums beat again in the village,’ he said, ‘they will be on our trail at first light.’
‘We have a day and a half on them,’ said Morlak, ‘it is not enough, Gather our people, I would speak to them.’
Within ten minutes, Morlak crouched on his haunches in a circle with the other twelve Mwrllwch, each holding their heavy spears, the wooden hafts digging into the earth while the blades pointed upwards above their heads.
‘We have come a long way,’ said Morlak, ‘and we have lost brothers to the beast. The Baal are stronger than we thought and though many have fallen, there are still many who will follow. We cannot kill them all. Our women and children are back in the place of the humans and if we leave now, we can be back there within ten suns, but if we take these people with us, the Baal will catch us and we will all fall.’ He looked around the group. ‘Each must make a choice. Leave and live. Stay and die. The choice is yours.’
There was silence around the group. Eventually Aarnoy spoke up.
‘It is no secret that we are the last of our kind,’ he said. ‘Even if we leave now, there will be no other Mwrllwch for our grandchildren to mate with. We will grow old knowing that we left the humans to their death. I will not do this. I will stay.’ He stood and walked to one side waiting for the others to make their choice. Shanew, another Mwrllwch spoke up.
‘These people have not done anything wrong, but they are weak and will fall to the Baal. I have spent all my life hiding and running from that, which would harm us. I will run no more. It is time to stop. It is time to fight. I will stay.’ He joined Aarnoy. One by one all the Mwrllwch spoke their mind, and one by one, they all joined Aarnoy.
‘It is settled,’ said Morlak eventually. ‘Two will lead the humans over the ice; the rest of us will face the Baal. Share what darts we have left for the Swaden, and use this day to gather more. We will stay in the shadows and be as our name, the mist. Strike silently and swiftly, and if you fall, sell your life dearly. We need to gain as much time as possible for the humans. If we can get them to the lands beyond the ice, they have a much better chance. They know that place and can disperse into the trees. It is all we can do.’
Morlak turned to Aarnoy.
‘Wake the humans’ he said. ‘It is time to go.’
----
Seren woke to someone shaking her shoulder.
‘Aarnoy,’ she said sleepily, ‘what’s the matter?’
‘It is time to go,’ he said. ‘Wake the others. We have to leave now.’
She sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. It seemed she had been asleep for only minutes, but the creeping dawn rays told her otherwise.
‘Leave it to me,’ she said yawning and arose to set about waking the others.
Twenty minutes later, the group was gathered, silent and afraid in the clearing, and shivering in the early morning dew. Morlak strode toward them.
‘We are ready, Morlak,’ said Seren.
He grunted acknowledgement.
‘Listen carefully’ he said loudly, ‘today you start the journey home. The way is hard and no doubt, some of you will die, but you have already covered it once so you know what to expect. There will be little time to stop for food or rest. Eat as you walk, share your food and water. The fit must help the ill and the old. If the weather is with us, we will be off the ice in three sleeps. The Baal will not stop, so neither will we.’ He turned to Seren, his eyes cold. ‘Follow Aarnoy,’ he said, ‘he will lead you to safety.’
‘What about you?’ she asked.
‘I am not coming!’
‘Why not?’ she asked.
‘We are staying to fight the Baal.’
‘But there are not enough of you. How can you fight so many?’
‘There is no choice,’ he replied, ‘they will catch you within two days. We will slow them up enough to enable you to escape.’
‘Oh, Morlak,’ she said, ‘I don’t know what to say.’
‘Then say nothing. Take your people out of here.’
‘Can’t you lead us? You can speak our language.’
‘I will stay and fight, Aarnoy also speaks your tongue.’
Aarnoy appeared from the undergrowth.
‘Seren, we must go.’
She nodded silently, tears in her eyes as she looked up at Morlak.
‘Perhaps in the next life, Morlak,’ she said and leaving the sentence unfinished, followed Aarnoy into the forest. Morlak watched her go.
‘Until the next life,’ he whispered and left to meet his own fate.
Seren joined Aarnoy and the rest of the hundred strong group of ex-prisoners Within half an hour the strange procession led by two Neanderthal and a sixteen year old girl, left the forest to climb the inside of the crater rim, watched from the forest edge by a heartbroken Neanderthal.
----
Chapter 36
Golau found the cave overlooking the stone village with little problem and was relieved to see the wooden cover had been removed, leaving the entrance wide open. He picked up a spear from a fallen warrior, pausing only to wonder briefly, why the small dart sticking out of his chest had killed him, before he ducked into the cave. He walked slowly, not sure what he would find around each bend in the cavern, stopping in awe when he came to the sacrifice cave lit by the lava flow below.
Seeing no one on this side, he nervously crossed the tree bridge and stalked
forward between the victims of the Baal. A sudden movement caused him to spin around and he saw two scared children who had used the cave to hide from the Neanderthal onslaught, hiding in the shadows. Seeing no danger from any adults, he shook his spear at them threateningly, but left them unharmed as he crept forward in the gloom.
Approaching the rear wall, he saw the great opening leading upwards and almost missed the smaller side cavern in the particularly dark shadows thrown by the blood stained alter, but something made him stop and pause at the unassuming entrance. He looked down the passageway unable to see anything in the pitch-blackness.
As he was about to continue on his way a sudden cry from deep in the smaller passage spun him back around. He stepped slowly into the downward sloping tunnel holding the Baal spear out to the front and treading as lightly as he could to avoid giving himself away to anyone else that may be down there. Within minutes, an artificial cavern hand carved from the rock opened up before him revealing the strangest and surreal sight he had ever seen.
On two sides of the cavern were dozens of niches carved into the soft volcanic rock. In every one of the hollowed out alcoves, a hooded skeleton sat, each with an outstretched arm supported by the torch that rested on the cavern floor and gripped in its jointed skeletal fingers. The dancing light reflected off their bony features making them display a varied range of emotions as they stood sentinel in this special place, but the most amazing sight of all was situated at the far end.
An enormous statue of a woman was carved out of the rock, its huge form completely naked and the face obscured by carved braids of cloth wrapped around her whole head.
Tiny arms lay resting across enormous pendulous breasts that were out of all proportion to the body and her obese stomach hung down in folds to her extra wide hips. The small legs were bent back at the knees and the lower legs disappeared into the rocky cavern floor. Her groin was completely uncovered and the detailed carving emphasized her femininity. The whole statue that was probably three times his height was painted in red ochre that created a fierce impression in the complimentary torch light.
Golau tore his eyes away and focused on the centrepiece of the cavern. In the middle was a flat rock, the surface of which was level with his waist and covered with furs.
Lying atop the furs was the body of an old woman, the blood still dripping from her headless neck.
On the floor, was another crumpled body; alongside which lay a knife and the head of the woman’s corpse which lay soaking in a pool of congealing blood, evidence of what had happened. Golau realised that the caped man had decapitated the woman before being attacked by a hidden assailant. The arrow sticking out of the body’s back was evidence of the lethal assault. Golau’s face dropped as he recognized the black and white furs of his friend
‘Kraiach,’ he called and ran forward to help the Neanderthal, lifting his head to see if he lived. Kraiach’s eyes opened and looked at Golau.
‘Be careful,’ whispered Kraiach through his pain, ‘he is still here.’
A noise from behind caused Golau to spin around just in time to avoid the spear thrust from the assassin who had crept up behind him in the dark. Instinctively, he grabbed the spear and forced it back, causing the assailant to fall backwards onto the rock floor. Golau launched himself forward onto the attacker, drawing the knife he had wielded in the arena from his corded belt.
‘Golau no!’ cried the attacker in fear as he aimed the knife at his chest. Golau pulled the thrust at the last second, and grabbed at the throat instead. ‘Who are you?’ he snarled and grabbing the assailants hair, turned it into the light given off by the torches. His eyes opened wide as he recognized the old features before him.
‘Coeden,’ he gasped, ‘you tried to kill me!’
‘I can explain, please, let me get up,’ he whimpered. Golau stood up and allowed Coeden to rise at spear point.
‘Why should I not kill you now?’ he spat.
‘You must hear my story,’ pleaded Coeden 'it is not my fault.’
Golau looked down at Kraiach moaning in pain.
‘Turn around,’ he ordered, and Coeden nervously turned his back.
‘You will have your chance to explain, Coeden,’ he said, ‘but first I will see to my friend.’
Golau smashed Coeden on the side of the head with the haft of his spear knocking him unconscious before turning again to Kraiach, helping his friend into a comfortable position.
‘We must remove the arrow, Kraiach,’ he said gently, ‘before it gets infected.’
‘No friend,’ whispered Kraiach, ‘it is too late for me. I feel the blood inside run like a river. You must listen. There is much I have to say and much for you to do.’
‘Speak your words, friend, and I will do as I am bid,’ said Golau.
For the next ten minutes as he grew weaker, Kraiach gave his instructions, making Golau repeat them until they were clearly understood. When he was finished, Kraiach leaned back and a contented look rested on his features. He looked up at the hunter, his eyelids dropping under the bony ridges.
‘We should have met sooner, Golau,’ he said, ‘you are a good Two-foot.’
Golau smiled gently.
‘I am a better man through meeting you, Kraiach,’ he said, ‘travel well friend.’
Kraiach smiled weakly…and died!
----
Golau turned to Coeden and tied him up with rope from his pouch. He sat for a while, reflecting about Kraiach’s life and subsequent death, before forcing himself to rise and attend to the dying request of his friend. He picked up a knife and stared at the recovering Coeden.
‘Please don’t kill me, Golau,’ pleaded Coeden, ‘I will do anything, I will show you a way out of here that bypasses the Baal.’
‘Kill you? I’m not going to kill you, Coeden,’ he said, ‘I have a very important job for you.’
‘Anything,’ said Coeden pathetically, ‘I’ll do anything. What do you want?’
Golau indicated Kraiach’s corpse on the floor.
‘He is going home, and you my traitorous friend, are going to carry him.
Coeden looked at Kraiach’s body.
‘I cannot carry him,’ he said, I have only the one leg.’
Golau looked at the exquisite carvings on the ivory peg that replaced Coeden’s lower leg.
‘You seem to manage well enough, old man,’ he snarled, ‘you must have forgotten to tell us about your new leg when we shared the pit.
‘That was different,’ he said, ‘anyway, I am an old man, and I am not strong enough to carry that brute.’
‘I agree,’ said Golau, ‘so let’s make your burden a little lighter.
He pushed the woman’s body off the stone slab, and replacing it with the rapidly cooling corpse of the Neanderthal; he set about carrying out his final grisly task.
----
Coeden watched confused as Golau hacked away at Kraiach’s dead flesh, stripping all muscle and sinew from the bones of the Mwrllwch leader.
Half an hour later, Golau leaned on his hands, tired and emotional. A stripped and bloody skeleton lay on the stone slab before him. Some meat remained on the bones as he could not strip everything, but he had done the best he could. He found a thin animal pelt, piled the bones in the centre and raising the corners to meet each other, he tied them together to form a sack. Golau walked slowly over and retrieved a bow from the shadows along with a quiver of arrows.
‘This is my bow, Coeden,’ he said examining the weapon slowly, ‘you killed my friend with my own bow.’
‘He killed her;’ scowled Coeden, ‘I took my revenge.’
‘This thing!’ shouted Golau, kicking the woman’s corpse. ‘You reaped revenge for someone who has caused the death of hundreds of your own people. Why?’
‘You will never understand, Golau. I have been here all my life and I know no other. They would have killed me when I was young, but I saw her and realized the Baal did her bidding, so I begged to be allowed to speak to her. Yes, I w
as disgusted at first,’ he said indicating the joined heads that lay on the floor, ‘but I was afraid to die; I was a child!’
Golau stared at him in contempt.
‘In the pit,’ he said, ‘when we were prisoners with you, all that was an act?’
‘I was sent to find out your plans and report back on your strength.’
‘You betrayed your own people,’ said Golau.
‘These are my people, Golau!’ he shouted. ‘All my life I have been here, in this cave with them.’ He indicated the heads again. ‘At first, I was their tutor, then I became their friend, their companion, and eventually…their mate.’
‘What?’ said Golau with a grimace.
‘Yes, that’s right,’ he said ‘their mate. In this place surrounded by the dead I writhed under the skins with this beast, thinking only of survival, until eventually it became my life as well and I helped her rule these stupid people.’
‘But you are Tan’s brother,’ said Golau quietly, ‘he is a great chief.’
‘Tan? I have no recollection of him; he is just a name at the back of my mind.’
Golau paced around the cave in the ensuing silence.
‘I hope she was worth it,’ answered Golau, ‘all this heartache for this, thing. What was she called, a Slorth-baal?’
Coeden looked at the headless body and slowly back at Golau.
‘Oh, I see,’ he said quietly with amusement evident in his voice, ‘you think this is the Slorth-baal. Oh no, Golau, you are so wrong, she and her kind only came recently to this place.’ He indicated the corpse on the slab. ‘There were other Gods before them, strange powerful people who lived here for thousands of generations. We don’t know much about them, except they were ruled by their women and one in particular. The Slorth-baal,’ he indicated the giant statue at the end of the cavern.
‘Isn’t she beautiful,’ he whispered. ‘Her likeness has been carved on small statues throughout this place, but this cavern is where she lived long before any other people walked these lands. We know not who carved the likeness or where they went, but whoever they were, she must have been something special to warrant this sort of homage. We call her the Slorth-baal; others call her by different names. You may know her as the Earth-mother.’
