by Karen Pepin
"I know what I saw." I paused and then pushed onward. "I think it was hunting us. That would explain why it left the Deeps."
"Enough," my sister snapped. "You didn't see anything and even if you did, it doesn't matter now. We're here. We've made the crossing. Now stop worrying and help me make the meal."
"I know what I saw," I whispered to myself. Maybe we were safe now, but what about the next Crossing? What about the other clan members? I got a hold of myself. Lasa was right. There was no point worrying about it or the others. We'd know more tomorrow when we reached the meeting site. I remained quiet the rest of the evening and went to sleep earlier than usual. I feared I would see that monster again in my dreams, but whether it was the exhaustion from the trip or the comfort of the soft sand and the fire, I did not dream.
The next morning, Ta'Bor directed us to put our packs in the canoe and the canoe in the water. We would walk with it, floating it instead of trying to carry it across the sand or weary our already tired arms by paddling. The thought of walking in the water up to my thighs made me tremble. I clenched my hands to hide how they were shaking and made myself walk up to the bobbing canoe. Such a big creature surely wouldn't come so close to shore, I told myself. Ta'Bor had Lasa, Ses, and I walk on the land side of the canoe because we were the shortest. It bothered me that I couldn't see past the canoe to know if anything was coming. I was ashamed that I felt slightly reassured that if anything did attack, it would probably strike those on the far side first.
We walked west. The water kept us cool despite the hot sun and reflective glare. By midday, we reached some of our clan members. Elder Hera smiled widely and waved at us. Dragging our canoe up onto the sand, I noticed we were missing one canoe. I looked around, further down the beach, realizing that Ven'Ta's canoe was the one which was missing. His canoe carried the children and my mother. They had only had four adults to paddle. Our canoe had six paddlers and we still missed our mark. I sighed and reasoned Ven’Ta and Mother’s crew had probably simply ended up further east due to the current.
I had never really worried about the denizens of the Deeps before. The elders told tales about them, but that's all most of us assumed they were, tall tales. I had always reasoned that there were more than enough dangers in our land-bound world to worry about. But still, even as a little girl, when the boys laughed at stories of large underwater killers, I did not. And now, I had seen a monster. I knew without a doubt that razortooth—or something equally as terrifying—were real.
The razortooth I had seen could easily flip a canoe and devour every person who fell out. Swallowing convulsively, I turned and stared down the beach, willing Ven'Ta's group to come into view. I wanted desperately to see my mother.
"Aren't you going to help?" my sister said. I turned back to the camp. She was right. There were things that needed doing. Perhaps by keeping busy, I could stop dwelling on the mysteries of the Deeps. I inhaled the briny air and headed up the beach towards the trees to find fire wood. Along the way, I snagged my spear: Better to be prepared for trouble than caught off guard. Keeping an eye out for unknown dangers and any foraging opportunities, I collected dead fall from the edge of the forest. When my arms were full, I headed back to camp. I stepped out from under the relative cool of the forest back onto sand that burned my feet even through my foot leathers. Cursing, I moved as quickly as I could. The suns beat down on my skin like a weight.
I dumped my load, then took a moment to cool my burning feet in the water. Unable to decide what needed to be done next, I supposed I should ask our interim leader, Ta'Bor. I spotted him speaking with my sister. The suns' warmth could not compete with the heat on my cheeks as I resolutely made my way over. My sister looked at me as I approached, smirked, and trounced off. I suppressed a curse and squared my shoulders. No doubt she was telling tales, mocking me for saying I had seen something larger than our canoe swim beneath us.
"Is there anything needed in the camp or should I go forage?" I asked. It was bad enough that my sister mocked me over what I told her. I did not want to hear it from Ta'Bor. He looked at me for a long moment, but did not say anything.
I felt like I was about to be scolded for something that wasn't my fault.
"Did you really see a razortooth?" he asked. I wanted to thwack my sister with a stick.
"Yes," I replied through clenched teeth.
"I would like to hear about it," he replied. It was not what I expected to hear. I expected scorn. I expected Ta’Bor to ask if that was why I was so scared in the canoe. Never did I expect him to actually be interested in what I saw.
"Now?"
"No," he said. "No. Later. Foraging would be good. Do not go too far in the woods though. There are signs that a hotar might be near."
I collected my spear and empty leather pack before returning to the cool woods. I kept the beach in sight as I foraged, watching for my mother and missing clan members to appear. I also glanced up every few minutes to check the trees. Hotar liked to drop from above.
5
Our missing clan mates did not arrive that day. Worry and waiting made everyone short tempered, particularly Ta'Bor. Ven'Ta was a great leader. Surely, he and our clan mates were just farther off than we thought. Plus, with the children, traveling would be slower. We gathered close to our fires that night. Scat sign and fresh claw marks in the bark of several trees overlooking the beach told us that a full grown hotar was nearby, perhaps even stalking our camp.
"We set a watch tonight," Ta'Bor announced at the clan fire that evening. "Col'Ved and Anuk'Sal will take first watch. Col'Ses and Ekel'Turin second. Uly'Cendran and I third."
I relaxed my shoulders. I had feared that I would be one of the watchers. My first watch was over a year ago, when I became an adult in the clan at age fifteen. Anto'Ces sat with me and whispered instructions. We sat with our backs to the clan fires so our eyes could become accustomed to the darkness. I remember that night with Anto’Ces so reassuringly close to me, listening for the sound of a tree branch creaking under the weight of a hotar, or the soft snort and yips of a bollar pack prowling closer. The crackles and pops of the burning branches in the fires behind us made me jumpy—each time, I was sure that something was about to attack. The memory made my throat close momentarily. It still seemed surreal that he was gone.
Typically, there were three watches in a night. That way, everyone got some sleep. I remembered having to catch and hide my yawns that first watch, despite only having to stay awake a few extra hours.
But the thing I remembered most about my first watch was how my clan mates were asleep and unaware behind me. It frightened me to know that the lives of my family, my clan, relied on me doing the job well. The first time I stood watch, such responsibility was a smothering weight in the darkness, the terrifying duty of adulthood.
"We'll remain one more day and then head out to the Gathering the day after," Ta'Bor continued. Several people raised their voices in objection. Ta'Bor held up his hand and waited for quiet.
"I don't decide this lightly. There is little game and foraging here, too little to remain for long. We will leave sign for our clan mates. If they don't arrive tomorrow, I am sure they'll be close behind us."
The next day dragged by slowly. We foraged what we could and waited. Everyone watched the horizon, hoping to see our missing clan mates. Meri'Chal and Jo'Lin struggled to keep busy with tasks, but worry for their children kept them searching the horizon. I felt the same about my mother. Unable to stand the wait, I went back to forage some more. Discouraged by the empty horizon, finally I ventured further in, just out of sight of the beach.
I found a few roots and a double handful of glas berries. It wasn't much, but every little bit helped, I reminded myself, trying to stay positive. I turned from the glas berry brambles before realizing the folly of having come in this far alone. Where exactly was I? A sharp pulse of adrenalin shot through me.
Stupid, I berated myself. Alone, in the woods, with hotar sign near
by. I had not paid attention to my surroundings because I was too busy worrying about things I could do nothing about. A large boulder snug up against a needleleaf tree nearby looked familiar, so I walked in that direction. I kept walking, far longer than I thought it should take. What if I was heading deeper into the woods of this place?
I turned back around and muffled a startled shout. Ta'Bor stalked through the trees in front of me, frown on his face.
"What are you doing out here?" he asked, glancing up into the trees.
"Foraging," I replied, just as quietly.
He glared at me. "I thought I made it clear that everyone needed to stay in sight of the camp. We're already missing seven clan members. We don't need to add to that number."
"There was nothing worth foraging closer in. Besides, I was just heading back," I said, hiding my relief that he found me.
"I don't have the time or resources to be combing the woods for you." Ta'Bor rammed the butt of his spear into the ground to punctuate his obvious feelings about my actions.
"Let's go," he said.
I wondered how he had managed to form words with his jaw clenched that tight.
He was right, but I wasn't going to admit that to him. When we reached the beach, he said, "Go be helpful. In sight."
I headed towards the water. As I passed Lasa, she said, "Get lost?"
"No," I replied, and kept walking.
"Ta'Bor has other things to be worrying about than you wandering off alone," she called after me.
Ignoring my sister, I began to clean off the roots and glas berries I had found. I saw that Ses had had some luck hunting. He had caught two multi-legged wivern to roast. The skins would be welcome too. I considered asking for a piece of the skin to make a hair tie, but decided that I had gotten used to my long hair hanging loose.
I went to help Hera and Lor'Li prepare the evening meal. Lor'Li went through the motions, listless and silent. I wished there was some way to help her. It hurt my heart to see her grief. Hera exchanged a glance with me. She looked past me, down the beach, and then returned to her task. I also had to look. No sign. Hera clucked her tongue at me and nodded towards the fire. I put our meal in the coals to cook.
I felt a hitch in my breath and blew out hard, ignoring it. Ven'Ta's group was fine. Just late. But of course, as the next hour wore on, the silence in the camp grew. More eyes turned east, scanning the horizon. Ta'Bor paced the camp in a continuous, restless circle. If he had been walking on hard earth instead of sand, his worry would have carved a deep, visible path.
"I'm sure they are fine," I said out loud to no one in particular. I needed to reassure myself. Hera smiled tightly.
"Of course they are. Ven'Ta is with them."
I smiled back at her.
Not long before Ahuna went to her rest below the horizon, I saw Ta'Bor stop his pacing. Everyone turned. There, in the distance, we could see a small group heading towards us, towing a canoe through the shallow water. I huffed a laugh of relief and stood.
"We should prepare for them," Hera said.
Prepare? I thought, wanting to run to them instead. The Elder tipped her head towards the fire.
"They'll be tired and hungry. Help me."
Tethered by responsibility, I helped the elder put together a meal. I watched Lasa race across the sand to our mother, wishing I could do so too. I stuffed down my resentment. Meri'Chal and Jo'Lin ran down the beach to reach their children. They had been nearly frantic with worry for their little ones. Ta'Bor helped tow the canoe back, giving the weary travelers a break.
When they arrived in the camp, I folded my mother in my arms. I had struggled so hard not to give into the fear that she was lost to me. Now found, I felt the burn of tears in my eyes. I hugged her, then fed her. Ven'Ta did not call an evening meeting, except to say that we would move on in the morning. It was clear that this crew was exhausted. The children fell asleep over their meal and they had been riding along in the canoe, not walking. I saw mother to bed and rolled up in my sleeping fur next to her. Tomorrow we would move on and I would need my strength. We had to carry the canoes part of the way to the Gathering site, and that would not be an easy task.
Two days later, we reached the clearing where the Gathering was held. The weight of the canoes bore heavily on our shoulders. We would store our canoes in a cave until the next crossing. We would also build a replacement canoe from one of the abundant, towering trees surrounding the clearing. A lively debate had ensued at the clan fire the previous night about the merits of carving a new boat now versus carving one later, before we crossed again to the south. After the journey we had just made, Ven'Ta decided for doing it now. Waiting on the return would increase the risk of running into autumn storms if things went badly. Better to be prepared well in advance.
We found the clearing of the Gathering echoingly empty. Only a few people milled about a camp at the far side of the wide, grassy meadow. The number of people present suggested that there was only one clan present. I assumed that most of their members were out hunting or foraging. Ven'Ta led us across the clearing, pointing to where we should set the canoes for now. I rolled my shoulders and shook out my hands to release the tension of carrying the heavy load. I watched as Ven'Ta and Ta'Bor walked over to greet those already here. As they spoke, we began setting up our camp, listening intently to catch their words.
"We are from the clan Tika'Chen," I heard their elder man tell our chief. "You are the last clan to arrive. All others have been accounted for."
"Thanks be to the Wanderer who watched over us."
"To the Wanderer," he replied.
"The rest of your clan?" Ven'Ta asked.
"Safe," he replied easily. "Hunting and foraging nearby."
Ven'Ta nodded.
"You can see there is plenty of room. See to your clan and camp. There will be time to exchange words at the evening fire," the other said.
Just then, a group of hunters came into the clearing, emitting a series of whoops and hollers. Many of the tan-skinned men carried a spear and some small game. They also carried a dead hotar. I let out my own glad shout to join with the cheers of the others. Our clan may not have met these men and women yet, but we were all clan and rejoiced in their success at taking a beast.
Hotar were one of the more deadly predators in the north. Their long, mottled gray-brown fur helped camouflage them in trees or bushes. Their jaws could extend extra wide and their gums, bright pink and coated in slime, were filled with five rows of blade-like teeth. Their three-toed front paws had one claw that was twice the size as the others. With this claw, hotar speared prey. Once impaled and trapped, they would slowly tear off hunks of flesh with their teeth and then extend their jaws to swallow what remained of their catch whole. Their long, furred ears, which normally hung down the sides of their pointed faces, would stand up straight and alert whenever they heard the slightest noise. Their slit eyes allowed them to see in very low light, and they hunted around the clock.
They were territorial, solitary hunters, except when training their young. Unlike the bollar and a few other predators, the hotar remained in the northern lands throughout all the seasons. Most creatures, like the bollar, crossed the Great Divide to follow the herds. It was believed that during the cold season the hotar slept in caves to survive. They were typically the size of a small man, but there were stories of some growing much larger. They hunted all creatures and were not picky about what they ate. Hotar hunted by dropping from tree branches above. Sometimes, they would lay in wait, hidden by a bush or on a ledge, to pounce on unsuspecting prey. Because of their formidable claws and teeth, and their stealth in the woods, catching and killing one was an accomplishment. Though their meat was bitter and tough, their fur, teeth, and claws were a bounty that more than made up for their less than favorable flesh.
Ven'Ta wore a hotar claw blade, almost as long as my forearm, that was passed down from his father. The claw blade I carried was only slightly longer than
my hand. It had been my father's. All hotar claws, even after years of use, remained sharp enough to split a hair on its edge. Hotar teeth were just as lethally sharp and we used them for spear tips when we had them. Otherwise, we used fire-hardened stone points for our spears. These were not as effective, but you work with what you have.
As the hunting party from the other clan came closer, I could hear them boasting of their feat, understandably proud at taking down a full grown, male hotar. The luck of the Hunter must have been with them, as they had sustained no injuries or death. I returned to my task. Doubtless they would tell their tale at the evening fire. My sister abandoned her duties and went to congratulate them. I shook my head. It was no surprise she was drawn to them. Perhaps she would find a mate among them, I mused.
I wished I could watch them butcher the beast. Although a kill was shared by all in the clan, the choicest spoils went to the hunter who felled the animal. He could claim the best teeth and a claw at the very least. Instead, I finished grinding wei seeds to make flat cakes later. Before I could go over to offer my congratulations as well, Ta'Bor gestured to me.
"Ani, I need you to carve a paddle," he said.
"A paddle?"
"For the new canoe."
"You want me to carve it?"
"You do know how, don't you?" His eyes gleamed as if he were amused.
"I've never done one before, but I suppose I could."
"Good. It's always good to learn and try new things. Let's go." He gestured to the woods.
"You mean now?" I asked.
"Is there a problem?"
I looked over at the other clan.
"I guess not," I said, trying not to grumble.
"Then, come on. It needs to be done and I would like it to be finished in time to store with the new canoe. Others are working on that."
He turned and I followed, grinding my teeth. How would I ever meet someone if I never had a moment to do so?
"Bor," Ven'Ta called and waved to his son.
Ta'Bor gestured to the pile of larger branches waiting to be broken up for fire wood and said, "Get started. I'll catch up shortly."