by Lily Thomas
Perhaps she should find something in the clan to do that would occupy her time and her hands. Flosa mainly napped, fussed, ate, and entertained herself, so there was some time on Ezi’s hands.
Then again… Aiyre’s offer was still spinning around her head, tempting her.
“I haven’t decided on leaving the clan or not.”
“No need to rush to a decision.” Aiyre smiled at her. “The offer will always be there.”
“Does Daerk know?” Ezi couldn’t see it going over well with their sabertooth leader, but then again, he should know he’d mated a strong-willed woman who’d do anything for those that she loved. And that was why Ezi loved Aiyre so much. She was dependable and loyal.
Aiyre snorted, and Ezi had her answer.
“You’re so brave among these sabertooths.” Ezi marveled. “It’s like that night never even happened with you.”
Aiyre shook her head as the light in her brown eyes slowly dimmed. “I will never forget what happened to our clan, but I have chosen to forgive the people in this village. It was Brog who wanted us dead, not Daerk or any of the remaining sabertooths.”
“They still helped.”
“I know, and sometimes I find myself wondering if any of them truly regret what they did.” Aiyre sucked in an unsteady breath, “Then I remember I can’t do anything about the past. I don’t want to waste what I have here, thinking of what I could have had back in our clan.”
Ezi wished she could push the attack from her mind, but every time she closed her eyes, those horrible memories kept flashing back. All that blood and death. It’d been the first time she’d ever been hunted down by a predator.
“Well,” Aiyre perked back up, “I came to tell you something that might help with getting your mind off Tor.”
Ezi raised an eyebrow.
“Mammoths have been spotted not far away, and the clan will soon be preparing for a mammoth hunt.” Aiyre wiggled her eyebrows over at Ezi like this news should tempt or excite her.
“I’m not a hunter.”
“No,” Aiyre raised a finger into the air, “but you would be helpful in gutting the mammoths and assisting us in getting the meat back here to the village. Think on it. There’s no need for an answer right now.” Aiyre rose from her seat, brushed the dirt off her palms, and waved a few fingers at the baby who was still fast asleep and then left the hut.
Ezi wasn’t sure a mammoth hunt would be right for her, but then again Tor most likely wouldn’t be going with his injured leg. It could be a good time for her to get away from him while she tried to collect her thoughts on what to do.
Every day since the mammoths had been spotted, there was a hum of excitement buzzing through the clan. The massive beasts had come back to their land. The gods had blessed them once more, and Eron was eager to send thanks to them while performing a hunting ritual.
Ezi had to admit there was a buzz of excitement in her chest at the thought of the hunt. It was hard to remain aloof when there were so many smiles floating around her. A mammoth hunt was definitely a sight to be seen.
Gathering Flosa in her arms, she walked out of the communal hut and into the clan that was preparing for the hunt. She wanted to do something, and this was her chance to assist the clan that’d been kind enough to take them in and see to their safety.
She weaved her way through the village until she spotted some women near the village fire. The red-hot coals glowed from last night’s fire.
“How can I help?” Ezi took a seat beside several sabertooth women and Aiyre. The task they were performing looked easy enough.
“We always need more hands,” Aiyre confirmed with a smile as her eyes briefly left the spear in front of her.
“Here,” another woman in the group pushed some supplies towards her.
Ezi placed Flosa down beside her on the ground, and the child smiled up at her.
“How is she?” Aiyre asked as she finished building a spear and placed it in a small pile next to her.
“Hungry. Nothing has changed.” Ezi picked up a wooden staff, placed a sharpened stone into the slit at the end, and then began wrapping a long length of leather cord around the spear. “Is this correct?”
The sabertooth woman next to her leaned in and examined the weapon. “It looks perfect.”
“Good.” Ezi tied off the end of the leather strip and placed the spear by her side. “I’d been hoping there would be a task for me.”
“This should help us greatly during the hunt,” Aiyre confirmed. “It takes a lot of spears to bring down a mammoth. Those beasts are protected by a thick layer of fat and hair.”
“Us?” Ezi wrapped another spear tip, making sure the stone was held tightly in place. She didn’t need it falling apart the moment a hunter launched the spear at a mammoth.
“I plan on joining the hunting party.”
Ezi nodded her head, not too surprised by this. Aiyre had always been a great hunter in their clan, and she would be an asset on the mammoth hunt. “You’ve always been an exceptional hunter. Will the sabertooths be hunting in their human form?”
A couple of the women in the group shook their heads, while a couple of women nodded theirs.
“Some will be in their human form and some in their sabertooth forms.” One of the women explained.
“Do they need you then? Surely, a group of sabertooths can kill a mammoth without you.”
“Worried about me?” Aiyre reached out and patted one of Ezi’s hands. “There’s no need to worry about my safety. I’ll be safe with Daerk by my side.”
“I do worry about you. Without you, I will be alone in this clan.” Ezi whispered the last sentence, not wishing to offend any of the women here. No one had been cruel, but it still didn’t feel like her clan, and she would have trouble staying without Aiyre.
“Isn’t that your own fault for being lonely?”
Ezi’s head snapped back at the bitter tone in Aiyre’s voice.
“I don’t mean to hurt you,” Aiyre rushed to reassure her, “but isn’t it your fault?” Aiyre leaned closer to make sure none of the other women would hear her. “You’ve never tried to be a part of the clan, and as far as I know, I’m still your only friend here. If you tried, there are several women who would love to befriend you.”
Ezi knew Aiyre didn’t mean to be hurtful, but her words still stung like a well-placed insect bite.
“They took so much from us,” Ezi uttered under her breath.
“I can’t argue with that, but it was Brog and his men that were responsible for the deaths of our clanmates. The rest of them,” Aiyre waved her hand at the village around them, “had nothing to do with it or were frightened into their actions. They are as much victims as we are.”
Ezi glanced at the women around them who were making spears and arrows and happily chatting away with each other. “I’m not even sure where to start when it comes to making friends.”
“That’s okay.” Aiyre rubbed a hand across Ezi’s back. “Perhaps you should consider coming with all of us to the mammoth hunt,” Aiyre said the last part louder to include the other women in the discussion.
“Yes, you should join us.” The woman right beside Ezi sent her an encouraging smile. “A mammoth hunt can be quite the experience, something you’ll never forget. I can still remember my first mammoth hunt, and even though I didn’t hunt, just being near those beasts was invigorating.”
“Yes,” another woman pitched in, and Ezi knew her name as Afri, “I still remember how their feet cause the ground to tremble and the branches in the trees to shake.”
“I’d love to join, but…” Ezi glanced down at Flosa, who was happily watching the women around them.
“We can have another woman take care of her while you’re away.”
The baby smiled up at her. Her little eyes dancing with delighted glee as she watched a woman nearby building a spear.
“A sabertooth?” Ezi whispered on a single breath.
“Your trust in these people has to
start somewhere.” Aiyre raised her eyebrows while a corner of her mouth lifted up as she sighed. “It has to start somewhere.”
“I haven’t been the best mother, but leaving her in someone else’s care?”
“She’ll be fine, and she’ll be even better if her mother gets a chance to be a part of this clan.” Aiyre finished another spear. “If you belong to the clan, Flosa will learn to trust the people here.”
It made sense to Ezi. If she was afraid of the sabertooths around them, then how could she teach her daughter to befriend the children here. Children learned from the behaviors of their parents.
“Think this was the gods’ plans all along?” Ezi teased Aiyre.
Her friend cocked her head to the side as she finished yet another spear. “What do you mean?”
“They gave me Flosa to push me into finding a place here in this clan.”
Aiyre shrugged her shoulders. “Could be, but I couldn’t possibly speak for the gods.”
“If you decide to join us,” another of the woman leaned in, “you could also join the hunting ceremony Eron will hold in the caves. It’ll be in a couple of days.”
Ezi smiled at the woman. “Thank you. I think I will attend.” Joining in the ceremony wouldn’t be for long, and Aiyre was right. At some point, she had to start trusting these sabertooths and becoming a part of the clan.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Aiyre nodding her head, clearly happy Ezi was finally giving the people in this clan a chance. She figured time would only tell what kind of people they were, and in the meantime, befriending some of them would make her life a happier one.
Drakk definitely wouldn’t have wanted her to be living her life in misery. He was the kind of man who took every opportunity to enjoy life, and if she wanted to honor his memory, then she figured she should do the same and find a way to enjoy the rest of her life.
Chapter 9
“Now, she likes it best when you give her a small jiggle while she feeds, and when she sleeps make sure she stays covered, she likes to kick off her furs, and then I wake to find her shivering.” Ezi handed Flosa over to the sabertooth woman in front of her. “Oh, and”
“Ezi!” Aiyre grabbed one of her arms and tugged her away from the woman. “Inde knows what she is doing. This isn’t the first time she has taken in an orphan or looked after another clan mate’s child.”
“Sorry.” Ezi ducked her head as a blush flushed across her cheeks. “I don’t mean to question your ability.”
“You’re a first-time mother.” Inde smiled kindly, and her eyes were filled with nothing but love when she glanced down at Flosa. “You aren’t the first protective mother, but I assure you she is in good hands.” Then she turned and disappeared through the flaps of her hut. She was the only woman who had her own hut since she usually had so many children under her care.
“She’ll be fine.”
“I wasn’t worrying.” Ezi shook her head. “Just startled that she would say I was protective.”
“Why would that startle you?” Aiyre hooked an arm through Ezi’s and guided her towards the caves. It was nearing the time for the hunting ceremony.
Ezi hated to admit this, but if she couldn’t confide her secrets in Aiyre, then who could she turn to? “I feel as though I haven’t been the best mother.”
Aiyre scoffed as they passed a few clan mates. “You are worrying for no reason. You’ve kept her fed and happy, and yes you had a rough start, but I think it’s understandable. She reminds you of Drakk, and I can only imagine the hurt you feel every time you look at her face.”
“Thank you.” It felt good to hear Aiyre reassuring her.
“I’m here for you.” Aiyre squeezed one of Ezi’s hands. “I keep saying it.”
“It does feel good to have someone else looking after her,” Ezi admitted. She felt horrible for saying it, but Flosa was a demanding child, and now that she had some time to herself, she looked forward to it.
“I’m sure I’d feel the same in your position, but still, I can’t wait for my first.” Aiyre’s eyes took on a distant look as she glanced away, almost looking like she was blinking away unshed tears.
She and Daerk still hadn’t been blessed with any children, and Ezi knew it wasn’t for lack of trying. Those two were inseparable. Ezi would bet Daerk was somewhere close, ready to come to his mate’s side in a moment’s notice.
Her eyes scanned the village around them, wondering if she’d see Daerk close by, but she couldn’t see him. It didn’t mean he wouldn’t be nearby though. He could be inside a nearby hut or around the next tree.
“What will the ceremony be like?” Ezi had yet to go to a hunting ceremony. She’d never been interested in being a part of any hunt back in her pronghorn clan, and then it had been the same when she came to the sabertooth clan.
“I’m not sure it will be the same as ours.” Aiyre skirted past a pile of furs laying outside someone’s hut. “If it is similar, then I expect a pipe to be passed around, some markings to be drawn on the warriors, maybe a drink, and some chanting from Eron as he calls upon the gods to aide us.”
“It doesn’t sound too different than some other ceremonies.” Ezi agreed.
“I suppose not.”
They broke out of the village and joined a group of sabertooth shifters on their way to the caves. She found herself eager for the upcoming night.
Tomorrow some of the clan would be leaving for the mammoth hunt. She hadn’t been sure she would join, but it would be the perfect opportunity for her to be a part of the clan and get far away from Tor and his intense eyes.
Several men pranced by wearing sabertooth pelts, and her jaw dropped.
“They kill their spirit animal?”
“Different clan, different rituals.”
Their pronghorn clan would never hunt pronghorns. To them, they were sacred, possibly even ancestors living a permanent life in their pronghorn form. It was a strange difference. One she had a hard time understanding after a life of thinking one certain way.
The men continued to prance past the women, and Ezi’s eyes dipped across their bodies, which were completely naked. All of them were well-toned, and with the pelts flapping in the wind and the movements of the mens’ bodies there was little left to her imagination.
A few of the men playfully grabbed at some of the sabertooth women, earning themselves squeals of delight and lighthearted smacks from the women as the men grabbed at their clothing.
Ezi glanced over at her friend to see Aiyre’s eyes filled to the brim with excitement. And as she looked around at the faces near her, she found several people with the same look in their eyes, but she doubted she looked thrilled. Her heart skittered in her chest. She was making the conscious choice to be a part of the sabertooth clan, and she prayed to the gods Drakk would understand.
The path they were taking had been trampled down to dirt after several generations traveling the same path so many times a year. She and Aiyre had to be some of the few if not only pronghorn shifters who had traveled this path with this clan.
Just on the outside of the path was tall, greenish yellow grass waving in the light wind. By the time they came out of the caves, the sun would be asleep, and the moon would be shining down on the land below. Already the sun was disappearing on the horizon in a brilliant display of searing oranges and reds with a hint of pink hiding among the white puffy clouds.
When Ezi focused once more on where they were headed, she saw the mouth of the cave system looming ahead. It looked like a giant mouth waiting to swallow them up. It even looked as though it had a few teeth because of the rocks jutting down from the ceiling. Strange that she hadn’t noticed how intimidating the caves looked before.
A shiver spread over her skin, but she shoved the fear down.
It was her time to trust the sabertooths and become one of them, while they called on the gods for assistance with the upcoming hunt.
“Here,” a clan mate walked up beside her and presented a small lit branch
. It’d been dipped in animal fat to help it burn longer.
Ezi took the offered branch and watched as the clan mate dropped back to the back of the group.
“Thankfully, the cave floor is pretty much rubbed smooth, so there shouldn’t be much to trip us up.” Aiyre supplied right before they walked straight into the mouth of the cave.
“It was still nice of them to give us a lit branch.”
Even with the torch right next to Ezi’s face, her eyes took a second to adjust to the sudden darkness of the cave. The chill of the rock reached out and prickled her sensitive skin. Her leather dress ended at her knees, and the sleeves were cut short at her shoulders, leaving plenty of skin bare to the air.
“How far?” Ezi asked when the journey seemed to be continuing for an eternity. They were going a lot deeper than when she introduced Flosa to the gods. That ceremony had taken place in a closer cavern.
“We’re headed to the hunting cave, and it’s further in.” A clan mate leaned in and answered from behind before Aiyre could utter a single word.
The only sound were their groups’ footsteps until she saw an orange light flickering in front of them and distant chanting rang down the corridor. The light grew brighter, and she felt her heart skitter away in her chest. It was a strange feeling, but she actually felt some excitement for the upcoming night.
Then their group broke into a large chamber.
Right in the middle of the chamber, a fire burned brightly. The smoke trickled up towards a small hole in the ceiling. The rock wall around the vent had been stained black with all the fires the clan and their ancestors had burned in here.
When she turned her eyes back to everyone inside the cave, she figured almost the entire clan of sabertooths was here for the hunting ceremony.
Eron stood near the fire with Daerk not too far away. Both of them had the top half of a sabertooth skull on their heads, and the long canines framed both of their faces, giving each a fearsome look. They also only had on sabertooth pelts, leaving the rest of their bodies exposed.
