Racing the Suns (The Hunter and Wanderer)

by Karen Pepin

  To spare the leather, I switched to fruit gathering, my spear propped against a nearby tree. I had seen the katerri herd a few times since setting up my camp. I needed to make a kill soon and store the meat for the cold season before they vanished. If I saw them, that was. The other thing I watched for was that small creature. It was too tiny to be useful as food or for its fur, but I was curious about it.

  I wore my sling and carried a few rocks with me. Every time I needed a break from carrying, I worked on making it a more reliable weapon. There were plenty of rochin here at which to aim. I still hadn't hit any though.

  The katerri herd did not appear for several days. What if they had finally migrated south, despite the plentiful food available for them here? Every day it grew colder and colder. Despite working hard enough that I should be sweating, I found myself shivering instead. During the day, my fingers and toes numbed and ached. I took brief breaks to warm up by my fire when I brought in more wood or edibles.

  My sleeveless leather tunic, which fell to mid-thigh, was not enough to keep me warm anymore, and my foot leathers were growing thin. The only extra leather I had was my hotar sleeping fur. If I turned it into clothing, would its fur keep me warm as I worked? But then what would I use to keep warm at night?

  Finding water remained a worry as well. There were several stone basins in this structure that captured the rain, but I couldn't count on the rain to keep my water supply up all cold season. Gathering my spear and sling, I decided to take a day to explore more of the forest outside the structure—the natural forest. Perhaps I could find a pond or stream. Maybe I could locate the missing katerri, or at least find some sign that they were still here.

  I did not find a water source nearby, but I did find recent katerri droppings. I was relieved they were still around. Then, I found hotar scat. I couldn't tell from the droppings how big the animal was, or if it was the same one that had left the markings I found on that tree before I found this structure. I hoped it wasn't.

  The thought of the marks on that tree led me to examining the trees around me now. I would need to be extra careful when hauling wood. The Hunter's luck blessed me when I killed the last hotar, but it had been young and inexperienced. A full-grown hotar would drop on me before I would hear it. I had been out of the sheltering walls of the structure long enough, and so I hurried back to my unusual camp.

  As the days passed, the more frequent rain increased my water supply. Still, I was aware that it could run out quickly, and at any time. It was hard to convince myself to go out searching for a stream again, despite knowing that there had to be one nearby, for the katerri to still be lingering. It wasn't worth the risk right now though. Besides, I had other things to keep me busy.

  A whole eclipse cycle passed as I readied for the cold. One frigid morning, while I was out gathering wood close to the structure, with my spear near at hand, the wind picked up sharply. Dark, threatening clouds boiled across the sky and the storm roared over me, faster than I thought possible. The trees blocked my view of the horizon, so I had not seen it coming. I quickly turned with the wood I had, and started back towards the shelter of the structure and my den. Daylight dimmed to twilight. The wind cut through my leather tunic as if I wore nothing at all. My teeth chattered uncontrollably. I had never felt such cold and wind. It was like falling into icy water, without the wet. My legs and arms grew stiff as I tried to hurry, but the crutch limited my speed. White flakes spiraled down to the ground like a thick, wind-blown veil. What was this stuff? I caught some and watched with wonder as the icy white pieces turned to water in my hand. The white fell more and more thickly and the wind blew it around until I couldn't see which way I was going. I racked my brain. Something about white on the mountains teased my memories. Snow? The elders spoke of it, but I had never seen it.

  The wildly falling flakes mesmerized me. They resembled a cascade of cold, white flower petals, beautiful and hypnotic. I spun around, trying to see each piece as it fell. The snow, I believe it was called, began sticking to the ground, rapidly covering the red dirt of the forest floor in pure white. The snow landed on my arms and face, melting quickly. I caught some again and watched in wonder as the delicate shapes dissolved. The wind picked up and my nose burned, then grew numb. The wet on my skin made me feel more chilled than ever.

  The reality of my danger hit me. I could not remain out in the cold and wasn't sure in which direction shelter was. The falling white veil obscured my view, turning the woods into a place I did not recognize, shifting all shapes of things I thought I knew. I hitched up the bag of wood with my aching fingers and made a best guess. The wind buffeted me around. I tried to keep a straight line, heading back toward the structure. After a few minutes, I could see the wall looming ahead of me. I hurried on, relieved.

  Still, I must have veered off course. I could not find the opening. Snow was already piling up on the ground. I would have to follow the wall to return to my camp. But which way to go? If I went right and was already past my gap, I would come to the end of the structure and have to backtrack in, which would take time. If I went left and was between the two gaps, I could enter in the second one and make my way back. Perhaps the freezing wind would be less penetrating inside. I went left and prayed I had not veered so far off course as to have already passed the second gap.

  The wind blew snow into my eyes and staggered me. I nearly dropped my wood to lighten my load, but knew I would need it later. How long this storm would last? Nothing was familiar about this place and I felt lost in a fog. The blowing white created forms that looked familiar but then shape-shifted and vanished on the wind.

  After what seemed like hours of numbing cold and blowing snow, I found the gap. It was the one by my camp. I made my way inside the gray walls. The wind died down to almost nothing here. Visibility remained poor, but I could see well enough to locate my den. I slipped inside, slid the closing shut, and built up the fire. I quickly stripped off my damp leather tunic and hung it to dry. Naked, I huddled in my hotar fur for warmth, shivering for a long time. My fingers and toes ached and burned as they slowly warmed. When the chill finally left me, exhaustion dragged me under and I gave in readily, curling up to sleep. There was not much I could do until the storm passed.

  14

  Snow continued falling the next morning. Opening the sliding door to my den, I found the snow reached up almost to my knees.

  The cold air numbed my skin immediately like being stroked with a giant, icy hand. The dense forest inside the walls held a thick layer of white, which sparkled dimly in the diffuse light of day. The snow seemed sand-soft and laid smoothly over everything, hiding all the sharp edges and colors. Even sound seemed to be muffled by it. Everything was peaceful and still, like slipping into a dream. Entranced, I stepped out of my den. Freezing snow slid into my foot leather and along my bare leg, breaking the illusion.

  I couldn't go out in this. Not as I was. I slid the closing shut again, shaken. Was this why no one could survive? Wearing what I did, I would freeze trying to gather wood or forage for food, both of which were buried in white. I leaned my head against the smooth cold closure and looked around the room, lit by the flickering flames of my fire.

  I needed to do an inventory of what I had and how long I could make it last. I also needed to keep searching this structure for something useful. Armed with a plan and needing to do something to distract myself from panic and uncertainty, I ran my hand over everything not a part of a wall that I could see. The board on top of four sticks and the rock step structures flanking it would not budge when I tried to move them. There was a tall box against the wall with lines on it. I traced my finger along the lines, but I didn't understand what they meant. I had wood stacked against the wall two stacks deep—enough for some time if I used it sparingly. Not knowing how long the storm would last or the cold, this did not reassure me. Finding nothing of use on that cursory look, I placed my numb hands in my armpits and returned to my sleeping room, to search there, w
here it was warmer.

  Recklessly, I added a couple of branches to the fire for more light and warmth then began looking around. There was a rectangular indent, bigger than a man, on one side of the room with lined walls above and below it. I had been using it as a place to sleep. I found it warmer than the cold floor. Two other walls also had lines in them. Nothing useful here.

  I took a burning branch and went to the room I used as storage. The branch did not give off much light, but it was enough. This chamber was set up the exact same as the room I slept in. I had placed the meat and red fruit up in the indent in the wall to keep them safe from small scavengers. But more red fruit covered the floor in the corner. I had enough food to hold out for some time. Maybe another full eclipse cycle, if I lived lean.

  As I turned to go, I jumped. A small furry creature scampered along the wall, the same small creature I had found while harvesting the red fruit. The little thing stopped, nose twitching towards me. Then it turned and fled back the way it came, slipping through a small crack in the floor.

  "Wait," I said. I hadn't meant to speak out loud. My voice sounded like a shout in the silence. I hobbled closer and peered into the dark crack. I couldn't see a thing.

  I didn't want that animal to nibble on all of my food, or to bring friends to feast, but something about how little and frightened it was touched me. Surely one piece of fruit wouldn't hurt. I picked up the piece of red fruit the creature had bitten into and placed it by the hole. After studying the pile of red fruit still on the floor, I decided to move as much of it as I could onto the shelf. There were more than I could fit up there, so I went to my main den and got the katerri leather and moved the rest of the fruit to my den. Each trip, I searched for that small creature, but I did not reappear. Perhaps my movement was scaring it off. After I finished rearranging things, I waited, motionless, hoping to spot the animal. Finally, the cold forced me to return to my fire. I took stock of my situation. Wood could end up a problem. And water. I hadn't found any yet. But, at least I had enough food for now.

  The next day, I slid open the door. The air felt noticeably warmer. It was still cold, but manageable. The snow, if that was truly what it was—and I shrugged to myself and accepted the name—seemed less deep than before. Where had it gone? I picked up a handful, needing to understand it better to deal with it. As before, it changed into water and dripped from my fingers. I licked my cold hand. It really was water! I picked up another small handful and put it in my mouth. My tongue and teeth complained about the cold, but the snow changed instantly and I swallowed water. Excited now, I ate another handful. Snow was water. I didn't need to find a stream for the time being. I had water right here, just like when it rained. I would have to think of a way to collect the snow so that I had a ready supply of water on hand.

  Giddy with one less worry, I could see the snow turning to water and dripping from above. Soon, the snow would all disappear and I could return to gathering wood and food. In the meantime, until it melted, I could finally take the time to explore this structure again. I could search the other hives for useful items and perhaps locate something in which to store water. Everything here had a structure, a specific order. Perhaps some yet undiscovered room held this place's secrets. What was this place? Why was it here? Where did it come from? Now I would look for answers.

  For safety, I took my spear and some branches, one lit so that I could see in the darkened rooms. I started at the rooms next to mine. Then the rooms after that. For the rest of the day, I searched the rooms on my side of the structure, pushing through the heavy snow to reach them and taking breaks only to grab more wood for light or to warm up by my fire. They were all exactly the same. Undaunted, I decided to try the level above me.

  The climbing steps to reach the next level were mostly intact. One section had partially collapsed, but I was able to negotiate my way over its holes. I poked one red-brown spot on the floor and it crumbled under the butt of my spear. I gave those areas a wide berth afterward.

  By my third day of exploring, the snow level had dropped significantly. I would return to gathering wood tomorrow. So far, I had not found anything helpful. Each and every hive I explored was identical. Discouraged, I decided to spend my last day searching by going through the rooms on the far side of the forest from me. Surely there was something here I could use.

  The hive directly across from my den had a large hole in its floor a few steps beyond its entrance. Not wanting to drop my lit stick into the darkness below and lose all light, I left. Hive after hive, I found nothing. Just as I was giving up, discouraged and frustrated, my eye caught the edge of one of those lines in the wall. I almost missed it, but I could see a block of the wall was sticking farther out. I ran my fingers along its edge gently. Then I drew a finger across it towards me. It opened a crack at the top. Startled, I jumped back. That crack was enough to put a finger in and pull it farther out. Too scared to do that, I used one of the unlit sticks to pry it open.

  The block was carved out, like a canoe would be, and full to the brim with brightly colored items. My eyes couldn't make sense of them. Cautious and unwilling to reach inside to pluck one out, I slid the opening shut. Then I pried open another wall box. And another. There were items hidden in the walls of each of these rooms. My lit branch started to flicker. I would need to fetch more wood to burn if I wanted to continue exploring. It hit me then that I didn't need to come back this far: I could explore what was in my den first, where my fire would give me the light I needed. I hurried out, wielding my crutch with skill and speed.

  Back in my den, I threw the remains of the branch in my hand on the fire to finish burning. Then I went to the wall. I used my fingers to pry at the lines on the wall. A wall box slid open. I shouted in excitement. Some clues, possibly some answers!

  Nervous that these strange boxes might be nests to some sharp-toothed creatures, I gingerly pulled out an item from the top. Nothing jumped at me. I examined the item. It was some sort of soft, flexible material the color of dark green leaves. As I lifted it up, it unfolded, revealing that it was a larger piece than I expected. I rubbed the material between my fingers. It wasn't as thick or stiff as leather. Like the walls of this place, I had never encountered a substance of its like. What had it been used for? It had obviously been stored with care, but by what, or who?

  I placed it on the floor beside me and pulled out another item. The next, a shade of red darker than the fruit I had found, opened up into a different shape. I tugged on the material. It too, was thinner than leather, but sturdy. It didn't tear when I tugged. It had some stretch to it, but still retained its same shape when I finished pulling. I pressed two pieces of it together wondering if they would stick or meld. I didn’t really expected them to and was unsurprised when they did not.

  I pulled out several more items and laid them out in a dazzling array of colors, some of which I had never seen in the natural world. Piling these items all to one side, I began pulling out items from the other side of the box. They were made of similar material, but their design was startlingly familiar: they were shortened tunics that would only reach from neck to waist, with material to cover one's arms. My guts quivered. The implications were alarming, unsettling, and more than a little confusing. I pulled more and more of these tunics out. They had variations of color, neck openings, and arm covering lengths. The more I saw them, the more I simply couldn't deny what they were.

  I came to the bottom of the box. My mind whirled. These pieces had to be clothing, but were made of a material that I had never encountered before. Whose were they? And if there was a who, could these people still be around, in a den like this one—on another level of this structure? The idea of no longer being alone filled me with terrible hope. But at the same time, this place seemed devoid of all life except for the game animals. Surely, I would have met the owners of these strange garments by now.

  I wracked my brain for any stories that the elders told about other peoples and customs. The mystery
of this place deepened and then a thought raised the hair on my arms. What if the beings that built this place were not friendly? I wasn't sure now if I wanted to meet the inhabitants of this place or not.

  My stomach growled at me. Time to eat and perhaps sleep afterward. I returned all the items, folding them as best I could and closed the box back into the wall.

  The next day dawned clear but cold, colder than the day before. Snow still covered the ground thickly enough that there would be no point venturing out to gather. One more day inside would not hurt. I closed the opening to my den and went back to warm up by my fire. As I sat staring at the flames, I questioned my reluctance to explore more of those boxes. If I was right and the box I explored yesterday could be used as clothing to help keep me warm, then I could venture into the snow, protected. The other wall boxes might have items which I could use as well—all gifts from the Wanderer. Whomever or whatever had used them in the past was gone. One did not squander the gifts given them, or they might not receive any more. Nervously, I returned to exploring.

  I opened a new wall box. Inside I found items made from a finer, lighter material than the ones I had laid out the day prior. Soft, stretchy, but solid, I pulled out a few pieces. They looked like some sort of loin cloth, like what the clan men wore to keep cool. Not much in this drawer seemed useful to me, so I put it all back and continued on. Next to these boxes was a taller wall box, but instead of sliding out by pulling, a thin wall swung open, revealing an opening within.

  Foot coverings littered the floor of this box. There were light ones with a harder, but flexible sole. I slid one of these on and it felt as light as falling snow. There were also heavier and more familiar foot coverings of leather which had lacings to hold them closed. The soles of these were hard and less flexible, so would better protect my feet from the ground or the snow. I pulled a pair out and tried matching it to the bottom of my feet. They were bigger than my feet. I did this with each pair. They all were too big.