by Jack L Knapp
Together they set off north, following the tracks and splotches of blood.
Chapter 6
Lee gave his weapons a final inspection before dark. He found nothing that need repairing, but decided to wipe down the wood with beeswax.
He routinely carried a small repair kit with him, wrapped in soft leather and stowed in the bottom of his pack. The kit contained a spare bowstring, a dozen arrowheads, and enough split feathers to craft a dozen replacement arrows should he need them while he was away from the camp.
Colin provided dried meat, enough to last the hunting party for two days. Lee divided the meat into three parts, then stowed his portion in his pack. Marc and Philippe added their share to what they already carried. Water bottles would be refilled before departing.
Lee ate his gourd of stew with a little of the dry bread, all that was left now. He was soon asleep.
#
He woke up well before daybreak and roused Marc and Philippe. A few minutes later the small party moved out single file, heading southwest. They crossed the small stream a mile below the camp and spread out. Maintaining rough alignment across their front, they slipped through the trees and watched for an animal.
Tall trees, sustained by the running water, lined the stream on both sides. Beyond the treeline, scrubby bushes and briars gave way to a grassy plain.
Lee hoped to avoid the plain, at least for now. His previous experience hunting in the tall grass had produced a lot of meat, but it had also cost René his life.
Life and death decisions; hunt where it was easier to find game animals but also more dangerous, or hunt where the hunters were safer but had less chance for a kill?
If they could bag a few deer without going onto the plains, perhaps a woodland bison or a stag-moose, the tribe would have meat and with less danger to the hunters. The tribe had already lost René and Matt; few others had good hunting skills.
Forest predators, the jaguars and lesser cats, hunted alone. It was necessary to be alert, of course, but a man with a spear could defend himself. Solitary cats were unlikely to attack a group anyway, preferring to ambush single animals.
The open-plains predators were more mobile and there was no refuge for hunters who became the hunted. Three men might easily find themselves overwhelmed despite their weapons.
Lions hunted in prides of as many as a dozen animals, sabertooths usually hunted in pairs or trios, and a wolf-pack might have greater numbers than even the lions. And predators had not yet learned to be wary of people. Until they did, the transplanted humans were just another source of meat.
In any case, more animals were migrating north as the snow retreated. There would soon be game enough even in the forest as the spring progressed, if the tribe could avoid starving in the meantime.
#
Noon came and the three rested briefly as they chewed on dried jerky. They’d seen a few tracks, some fairly fresh droppings, but no animals. Unless they had better luck soon, they would have to try the grassy plain. The first rule of any hunt is to hunt where the animals are. The open plain was dangerous, but starvation was dangerous too. People would soon begin to succumb to hunger. The youngsters were especially vulnerable. Adults had eaten less so that the children could have more, but that strategy could only work for a short time.
The three discussed whether to sleep in a tree or set up camp on the ground and keep watch during the night. The decision was unanimous, get as much sleep as possible, and that meant sleeping in a tree. They could wake at dawn and see what was stirring out on the plain, now green with new grass.
At least the grass wasn’t tall enough yet to provide cover for predators. Maybe hunting the plains wouldn’t be as dangerous as it had been last year.
Lee ate more jerky and got as comfortable in the crotch of a large tree as he could. This one appeared to be a walnut or perhaps a pecan tree; whatever it was, there had been nuts last year, and something had cracked the thick shells to get at the nutmeat inside. He soon dropped off to sleep.
Waking the next morning, he ate more of his jerky. There was only a little left. They’d be hungry by nightfall if they didn’t kill something today.
Lee led west, slipping cautiously along as the trees became sparse.
They reached the edge of the tree-line as the sun rose behind them. There were briars and brushy plants here, a transition zone between the trees and the treeless plain beyond.
They saw a gently rolling landscape and a low rise about a hundred yards ahead. Nothing moved between them and the rise, and there was no way they could see beyond the crest.
Bushes and low thickets of blackberry dotted the landscape to their front. The berry vines were growing and new green leaves sprouted thick on the thorny stems. It would be a month at least before the blackberries began ripening, but rabbits loved blackberry patches. They would feed on the fresh leaves of the berry plants as well as the new grasses, and the thorns provided a refuge from predators.
“Marc, climb that tree and have a look over the rise. Philippe, let’s you and me see if we can bag a rabbit or two. That’ll be enough for our supper even if it won’t be enough to feed the tribe. Rabbits will let us stay out until we find something bigger to take back to camp, and meanwhile we won’t be eating the tribe’s food. Maybe Marc will see something over that rise and we can get a shot, preferably without having to fight off lions and wolves.”
Marc slipped the ready arrow into his quiver, slung his bow, and jumped to catch a tree branch. He could see Lee, cautiously moving around a large briar-patch. Philippe had already disappeared, likely around the other side of the briars.
Marc climbed thirty feet up before stopping to survey the plain. The tree continued another twenty feet above him, but the limbs were smaller and less able to bear his weight. His current position would have to do.
A quick scan revealed nothing moving. A second, slower, examination was unproductive at first but then Marc noticed moving shadows in the distance. He realized that he was looking at a small herd of bison feeding their way northward. Marc looked carefully at the landscape near the small hill that had blocked their view, but saw only grass and scrubby bushes. He mapped out a possible route of approach to follow should Lee decide to stalk the bison.
Recon finished, he descended from limb to lower limb until he’d reached the ground. Glancing at landmarks, Marc fixed the location of the bison herd in memory and went to the briar-patch to report his find.
“No predators? Just the bison?”
“All I saw were the bison and I only found them by their shadows. There might be predators, but I wouldn’t have seen them. They wouldn’t cast shadows if they were hiding behind bushes, maybe lying down or something. There weren’t any moving, anyway.”
“You said the bison were grazing north. We can keep inside the forest for a couple of hours while we try to get ahead of them, then head west. We should be in position for a shot within three hours at most, wherever we can find a good place for an ambush. Besides, the herd is moving north and the tribe’s up that way,”
Lee grinned. “If I knew they’d keep going the same way, I’d just set up across from the tribe and kill as many animals as we can. But they’re feeding upwind, and if the breeze changes direction or dies out they might go anywhere. I don’t think we can afford to wait. We’ll find a spot ahead of them, and as soon as they’re close enough, we’ll pick three and take them down.”
#
Matt and Lilia tracked the horse until dark but were unable to catch the wounded animal. They finally found a tree and bedded down beneath its sheltering limbs. Lilia offered to share her parka but that proved impossible. She finally wrapped herself in the parka and slept while Matt huddled to expose as little skin to the chill as possible. He endured, and slept for short spells during the night.
He’d done this before. At least the temperature no longer dropped below freezing at night.
He woke Lilia as soon as false dawn turned the eastern sky gray. They ate a littl
e of the leftover fish that Matt had cooked the day before; it was not particularly palatable now but it kept their hunger at bay.
They crossed the tracks left by the travois a short time later. The horse had died half a mile beyond that point. At least, no scavengers had found it yet.
The two soon had the carcass open and thick steaks and roasts filled Lilia’s pack and Matt’s small bag, the one he’d woven from rootlets. Regretfully, they decided they’d have to leave the rest. A few final cuts gave them enough meat for a substantial meal and Matt built a fire. Lilia roasted the horsemeat while Matt dozed.
“Should we go back and follow the drag marks, Matt?”
“It’s just as easy to cut across from here. It’s not as if there’s a road or even a trail. We head west-by-southwest and we’ll soon come to their tracks. We might even spot the tribe first. I suspect they’ll be surprised to see me!”
“Pavel too, Matt. Surprised, but not pleasantly. It’s not good when the fellow you reported drowned shows up in camp!”
Matt was holding the spear as she said this, ready to sling it over his shoulder when they were ready to leave. He hefted the spear, examined the tip for a moment. “I think I might have a few pointed questions for Mr. Pavel.”
He grinned and Lilia smiled in return.
“Fire’s out. Ready to go?” She nodded assent and they set off.
#
Three hours later they hadn’t reached the trail where the tribe had passed, but Matt decided they couldn’t be far away. Just a little more to the south…
Lilia spotted the watcher first. A low hiss caught Matt’s attention and he crouched, watching to see what she’d discovered.
She slipped closer until she could whisper near his ear. “There’s someone hiding ahead of us, maybe a hundred yards or so. He’s behind that clump of brush, just left of the pine tree with the forked trunk. See him?”
Matt looked, then shook his head before whispering, “I don’t see anything. Are you sure?”
Lilia replied, voice barely intelligible. “It’s a man wearing buckskins. He’s got a spear slung over his shoulder. That’s what I saw first, but he’s also got a bow with an arrow on the string. I think he’d just moved to stretch or something when I saw him. But you can still see the spear point. Look just above that bush. See the dark object?”
Matt looked carefully where Lilia indicated. Finally he saw the spear point. It moved slightly while he watched.
“If he’s from the tribe, he could be hunting. Poor technique, though; he should have laid that spear aside while he was waiting.”
“Matt, would someone be hunting where the tribe has passed? Wouldn’t that scare off any game?”
“You’re right. If I were doing it, I’d want to be ahead where no one has disturbed the animals. But still, this one doesn’t look like he knows what he’s doing. Maybe we should ask him.”
“Matt, what if they’re waiting for me to return? If they knew I’d gone to look for you…”
“One way to be sure. We can get closer. There are enough bushes between here and where he’s hiding. We get closer and make sure he’s alone. How would you feel about drawing fire? Just stand up for a second, then drop and crawl under cover. If he’s friendly, he’ll say something. If he draws that bow you mentioned, well, I’ll know what to do.”
Matt led, Lilia followed. Crawling slowly, they approached the clump of bushes where Lilia had seen the man waiting. Finally Matt judged they were close enough. He looked at Lilia and pointed to a downed log. When he had her attention, he mouthed, “Stand up, then duck behind the log. I’ll see what he does.”
Lilia looked dubious for a moment, then decided she was safe as long as Matt watched. The spear point was now obvious, projecting above the bush where the man crouched. He would have to stand up before he could launch an arrow, and if he did, Matt would have a clear shot.
Carefully she thought through her actions; step out, wait briefly, step back and then drop behind the downed tree. Crawl a few yards farther while concealed, then she too could stand, concealed behind a large beech-tree. By then Matt would have decided what to do.
Taking a deep breath, Lilia stood up. The clump of brush she watched was only thirty yards away…and Nikolai suddenly saw her.
His eyes opened wide in surprise and he sprang up, fumbling with the bow and arrow. The arrow had come loose and it took a second for him to replace the nock on the string. He glanced down as he did this and when he raised his eyes to where he’d seen Lilia, she had disappeared.
Well, she couldn’t be far. But Pavel would need to be warned.
He drew back the bowstring and called “Pavel! She’s here!”
He never felt the arrow punch through his temple.
Matt had nocked a second arrow, but it wouldn’t be needed. He watched as Nikolai collapsed bonelessly behind the bush.
Matt had heard Nikolai call out, as had Lilia. He slipped over to the log and the two sought better cover.
“There are more of them. You said Pavel has…had…four men. He’s only got three now. That one looked south before he called, so they’re probably over there.”
“Matt, we’re outnumbered.”
“You’re right. For now, we wait. See what they do. An hour from now, see if you can reach Lee. Pavel’s bunch won’t have come far from the camp if they planned to ambush you. Get Lee and any others you trust and bring them back here. I’ll wait, make sure they don’t try following you.”
#
Two hours later Lilia returned with Robert and Laz. She’d found Lee gone but had picked up her spear, now slung over her shoulder. She’d left her pack with the horsemeat in camp.
The three spread out as they approached the place where Lilia had left Matt, waiting. But he had disappeared.
While they were wondering where he might have gone, Matt approached from the south.
“Pavel took off. I saw him, but couldn’t get a shot. He had two others with him.”
Robert spoke. “Welcome back, Matt. I’ve never been more pleasantly surprised than I was when Lilia told me she’d found you alive. Anyway, Pavel only had three men with him. He left one with the two women in his group. What used to be his group, anyway.
“Lilia said you lost your memory, at least some of it?”
“It’s been returning in bits and pieces, Robert. Anyway, I’m glad to be back. Lee’s not with you?”
“No, he took Marc and Philippe hunting. We’ve been getting pretty hungry over the last few days. We need meat.”
“Lilia and I brought some. Probably not enough for everyone, but every little bit helps.”
“You said Pavel took off?”
“Yeah. They were running and I didn’t think they were worth chasing.”
“Good thinking. Well, if they try to come back, we’ll get to use that firing squad. But if they’re gone, good riddance. Maybe a saber-tooth will get them.
“Let’s head back to camp. People will want to see you. I imagine you’re tired, too. It’s noon, and Colin will probably have food ready by the time we get back. How about a salad and a nice horsemeat steak?”
Chapter 7
Lilia led several of the women downstream to look for vegetables. Another group, led by the Wise Woman, went north.
Sandra and Millie went with the second group. Accomplished archers, they went along to protect the gatherers. Cindy went with Lilia; the two were more than enough to keep watch over the group that went south.
The camp soon resounded with saws and axes as men cut firewood and selected wood for making wheels.
Matt found his weapons belt at his group’s campsite. Buckling the belt around his waist felt very natural, and he soon found comfortable positions for the knife and axe.
He walked through the camp, spoke briefly to the three people working around the kitchen, and soon met Robert. After exchanging greetings, they discussed what to do about Pavel and his remaining men.
Pavel, Gregor, and Vlad were gone, fled to wh
o-knew-where. Nikolai’s body had been left in the forest; animals would soon dispose of it.
The tribe now consisted of twenty-six members, fifteen women, eleven men. Seven of them camped as part of Matt’s group, five including Colin had come from the mine and camped together near the kitchen, the rest were from Robert’s original tribe. Of those, three remained who had come to the tribe with Pavel. Their camp was situated a little apart from Robert’s, at the far end of the site from where Matt’s group had set up.
“What do we do with the rest of Pavel’s group, Robert?”
“Matt, they’re camped a little away from us, mostly because Pavel wanted it that way. I think they will need to be join with your group or mine now. I can’t see them fitting in with Colin, and if they remain together, they’ll be...well, not outcasts, but not part of the tribe either. I could take the two women, they’ve already got friends in my group, and I think the Wise Woman could use their help. Can you take the man?”
“I guess so, Robert. I’ll give him a chance. He can work as a scout when Lee gets back. Maybe I’ll take him hunting first, see what he’s like.”
“You’re going hunting too, Matt? Lee’s already out.”
“I know. But I want to see what my new member is made of before I consider him one of my group. I can do that better out in the bush.”
“Well, you know best. I think he’s been mostly a maker of things, arrows and sleds and travois and such. He’s good with his hands.”
“We can always use someone with those skills, Robert. But he’s going to need to know more. Does he have weapons?
“Flint-tipped spear and bow. I don’t know how good he is, but he’s got the weapons. I think he made them himself, but he used your chipped points and a bowstring made by Lilia.”
“Yeah, she’s handy, really knows a lot of stuff. OK, it’s settled. I’ll take him with me and we’ll leave at dawn tomorrow. What’s his name?”
“Piotr. I get the feeling Pavel never trusted him.”