Once Upon a Caveman

by Cassandra Gannon

  He was smart, goddamn it.

  It was hard to erase so many cycles of believing himself to be dumb, but he trusted Lucy’s judgement. Lucy would never rely on a halfwit. Never look to him for guidance or ask his advice. Never see him as a partner and mate. Lucy believed Rhawn was smart. She said so. Why should he believe all the people who called him stupid, when the one person who mattered thought he was a genius?

  And once Rhawn started looking at the situation logically, he began to recognize that his ideas were good. His inventions worked. His thinking was sound. Why had he believed otherwise? He would never again let someone tell him that he was stupid or slow. He should have had more confidence in himself.

  Rhawn was smart.

  He knew it and it was a good feeling.

  Now if he could just get everyone on the island to safety and convince Lucy to Choose him, he would have everything he’d always wanted.

  Rhawn reached the edge of the valley and looked down the gentle slope. Off to the left, the island’s river raged down a series of waterfalls and fed into a large lake. The water kept the grasses lush. A dozen mammoths grazed in the green fields in front of him. These were the creatures the Clan had spared, up until now. The breeding mothers, the very young, and the most dangerous males. Killing any of them would be difficult. The adults would fight and the smaller mammoths would not have sufficient meat for the voyage, so many would need to die.

  This was why Rhawn had postponed killing Skoll.

  The Clan always hunted together. They would isolate a mammoth and sneak up on it, hidden in the grass. When they surrounded it, one man would give a yell and the Clan would charge at their prey. Spears would pierce the animal’s thick hide, again and again. It had to be done quickly and with great precision.

  When the mammoth reared in pain and panic, the Clan would retreat, hoping that some of their blows had been killing ones. The rest of the mammoth herd would thunder away from the scent of blood, leaving the dying animal alone. Vulnerable. If the wounds were deep enough it would bleed and thrash until it collapsed, exhausted. Then the Clan could move in and finish it off.

  Rhawn already knew Lucy would not like seeing a hunt.

  It was a brutal business, which was why Skoll excelled at it. His expertise would’ve come in handy today, except Skoll was still missing. No one had seen him since Warren defeated him in the challenge. Whatever Skoll was plotting, it was bound to be bad. Deep down, Rhawn hoped the man stayed hidden until the rest of them were safely off the island.

  He doubted he would be so lucky, though.

  Lucy came up beside him, her eyes filled with wonder as she stared at the mammoth herd. Rhawn had tried to convince her to stay behind, but she’d refused, eager to see the creatures for herself. “Oh my god.” Her voice was reverent. “Look at them! They’re so beautiful. Rhawn, they’re so beautiful.” Her voice actually cracked on the word, like she was trying not to cry. “I knew they’d be beautiful, but to see them in person… It’s like seeing magic.”

  Rhawn glanced at her from the corner of his eye, the feeling of foreboding settling deeper into his stomach. She would really not like what was about to happen. “Lucy…”

  She ignored the warning in his tone and started down the slope, unmindful of the fact she might spook the creatures. “Do you see how there are adult males with the herd?” Lucy headed towards the valley floor, so she could get a closer look. “They live with their mothers for the first decade or so, but this group might stay together longer, since they’re so isolated.” She couldn’t take her eyes off the creatures, cataloging every piece of them in her phenomenal mind. “They’re big, like the Columbian Mammoth in America. At least thirteen feet at the shoulder. Do you see? But, their hair is longer, more like the European Woolies. You think these guys are a hybrid?”

  Rhawn sighed at her excitement, knowing this hunt would break her heart. “Lucy,” he hurried down the slope after her. The rest of the Clan stayed back, waiting to see what Lucy would have them do next. “Lucy, wait!” He called to her.

  “Huh?” She sent him a quick frown. “I just want to get some measurements. Look at their tusks! My God. Some of them must be a dozen feet long.”

  “Lucy.” He caught up with her, his voice insistent. “Do not become attached. We must hunt these animals. You know this. You agreed to this.”

  She shook her head emphatically, her gaze going back to the herd. “I’ve changed my mind. I mean, hunt something so beautiful? No. No. We’ll have to think of something else. We’re not killing these animals.”

  “Uooloa will sink this island, at any time. They will perish anyway.”

  “I’m not killing them, Rhawn! If I’m the Savior, I want to save them. At least, from us.” They were within a hundred yards of the mammoths, now. Lucy didn’t seem to care that it was dangerous to get any closer. She kept going, hypnotized by the beasts.

  Rhawn grabbed her arm, pulling her to a stop. “There isn’t another way.” He said firmly. “We will just kill a few small ones, yes?”

  “Babies?!” She gasped horror. “You want to kill little baby miracles?” He might as well have turned the spear on her.

  Rhawn winced. “An old one, then. I did promise you I would choose a very old and sick one, remember? I will choose on that is already dying, alright? Go back to the caves and wait for me. This will be over soon.” Rhawn did not want her to witness what was to come. Didn’t want her watching him as he killed something she so clearly cherished.

  Lucy was refusing to retreat, though. Green eyes stared up at him, desperate and pleading. “There must be another way. You’re a genius. Think of another plan. Please. You can’t just kill a mammoth.”

  Actually, he could… but not like this.

  Rhawn tilted his head back, seeking guidance from the gods. Lucy did not come from this world. There had not been a day in her life when she’d been hungry. There was so much food in Newyork, people could pick and choose what to eat. Forgo meat entirely. She couldn’t understand the very real struggle for survival that the Clan endured. It was beyond her frame of reference.

  Lucy did not see the mammoths as food. All she saw were miracles.

  And if she watched one her magical creatures bleeding to death and trumpeting out in pain, she might never forgive Rhawn. Might never love him. More importantly, it would crush her and he did not want to see Lucy hurt. Beneath her antisocial snarking, she was an innocent. He would do all he could to shield Lucy from the darker realities of the world.

  Still, they must eat. What else could Rhawn hunt, instead mammoths? All the other options were bad, but not as bad as seeing her cry.

  “Would you allow me to kill long-tooths?” He asked after a beat. Perhaps he could lure a pack of them into the pits and kill them while they were trapped. That way they could not fight back. It had worked well enough for Craig.

  Lucy winced. “Sabretooths, you mean? I love them even more than mammoths. Aren’t there any --like-- ugly, mean animals you can slaughter?”

  “Long-tooths are mean.” He assured her, but he could tell that she would cry over the hunting of those beasts too. Rhawn blew out a frustrated breath. “We have already had this discussion, Lucy. We must have some kind of meat. If it cannot be mammoth, it must be something else.”

  “I know. But, I’m just asking you to murder something less magical. Please.”

  Rhawn thought for a beat, not wanting to disappoint her. There had to be something… A creature moved in the distance and he brightened. It was more dangerous to hunt tandar, but not even Lucy could care about such a monster. They were hideous and aggressive. He pointed to it, feeling pleased with his intelligence. “We will hunt that beast, instead.”

  She followed his triumphant gesture, her eyebrows climbing. “You want to spear a rhinoceros?” She gasped, sounding horrified.

  Rhawn scowled. “It’s a tandar!

  “It’s a wooly rhinoceros! Look at the horns!” She jabbed a finger at the two septar growing from its f
ace, one on the tip of its snout and one between its eyes. “Look at its long, wooly hair! Look at the fact that it’s a fucking rhinoceros!”

  That was a wooly rhinoceros?

  Rhawn made a considering face. Oh. Well, that explained why the animal had been unfamiliar to him when she spoke of it. Lucy’s people called so many simple things by complicated names. Not that it much mattered. The beast was still unpleasant. And, at twelve feet tall and weighing half a ton, it had plenty of meat on it. It was a suitable choice for the hunt.

  “What are you? Hemingway, now?” Lucy continued hotly. “We’re not killing rhinos, Rhawn. Even the regular ones back on Earth are endangered. Keeping thinking of new plans, because all your current ones suck.”

  The woman made him want to tear out his hair. “You are the one being unreasonable, Lucy. In Newyork, I am aware there are building full of food to pick from. But here we must…”

  His words were interrupted by the earthquake. The ground moved in waves as Uooloa spewed smoke into the air. Lucy and Rhawn were both knocked off their feet, their eyes going up, up, up to the very top of the fiery mountain.

  This was it. They both knew it.

  Uooloa was beginning its final eruption.

  The rock sides of the mountain were already changing shape. Rhawn could actually see them swell from the pressure within, as Uooloa prepared to blow. They were out of time.

  “Go!” He roared and shoved Lucy to her feet. He was right behind her, half pushing her back up the slope. They had to get to the ragan.

  Now.

  The mammoths panicked at the noise and shaking ground. The herd stampeded away from Uooloa, charging at Rhawn and Lucy. Thousands of pounds of muscle and bone bore down on them. Their massive bodies hemmed in Lucy and Rhawn, so they couldn’t break away from the herd. They could not outrun them, either, so they were surrounded. At any moment, they could be crushed by a terrified mammoth..

  Rhawn cursed and looked around for somewhere to hide. Options were limited. The mammoths’ feet were huge and flat, capable of killing a human without even noticing the bump. If they stepped on Lucy or Rhawn, it would be an instant and painful death. He quickly dragged Lucy into a small crevasse between two of the large rocks dotting the slope. It was the best he could do for shelter, but he still wasn’t sure it would be enough.

  Especially, not when she tried to touch the damn things.

  Lucy’s hand reached out to try and pet the mammoths’ wiry fur. Rhawn yanked her wrist back down again, sending her an incredulous look.

  She shrugged helplessly. “But they’re so pretty.”

  A huge mammoth walked over top of them, his legs like tree trucks, his huge form casting a shadow. Lucy still wasn’t afraid. She craned her head back to gape up at the creature, as Rhawn covered her body with his own. He wanted to protect her. She just wanted to admire the animals threatening to stomp them. The beasts thundered by, blaring out their cries of danger and she was looking awed again.

  For a second, Rhawn saw the mammoths through her eyes.

  The animals towered over them, powerful and beyond human scale. Their thick brown fur and long trunks looked like nothing else in the world. This close they were even more majestic. Even he could appreciate the wonder of them. The sounds of their breathing and the wild smell of them and the glints of intelligence in their eyes… Maybe they were magical, just as she said.

  But he could still eat them.

  Magical or not, they were an ideal food source. It was fortunate that Lucy had stalled the hunt, though. If they had been any closer to the herd when the earthquake began, there would have been no way to avoid the stampede. The whole Clan might have been killed. As usual, Lucy had protected them all just by being her perfect self.

  How could she not see she was the Savior?

  “Lucy! Rhawn!” Warren bellowed, dashing to the top of the hill and peering around for them, as the mammoths galloped towards the river. The ground was still shaking from Uooloa and he was having a hard time keeping his balance. “Hey, did you see those furry elephants? And --shit!-- there’s one of your wooly rhinos over there, too, Lucy! Wow, I think you were right. This isn’t Aruba, at all!”

  “Can I at least kill him?” Rhawn asked, breathing hard.

  “Go ahead. But I’m not eating Warren, either.”

  Warren frowned as they got to their feet. “You guys okay down there?”

  “We are fine.” Rhawn quickly helped Lucy up the slope. “At least for now. Uooloa is going to explode very soon.”

  “I was coming to tell you guys that Anniah and I were just back at the caves. We were gonna… ya know… and wanted some privacy. But then I noticed that Craig’s escaped! I think Taffi let him out of that bamboo cell thing, ya know?”

  Rhawn bit off another oath and glowered down at Lucy. “If you had let me kill Craig last night, he would not be a problem now.”

  “Oh, you just want to kill everything lately.” Lucy retorted. “Besides, Team Taffi can do whatever the hell they want here on Fireball Island and it won’t matter. We’re leaving, right?”

  Rhawn supposed could not argue with that. “We’re leaving.” He agreed and hustled Warren and Lucy towards the beach. He could see the rest of the Clan making their way towards them, running over the unsteady ground. “We must get to the ocean!” He bellowed over the mountain’s roar. There was no time to gather more food. They would just have to make do with the fruits and water already loaded into the ragan. “We must leave now!”

  They raced through the forest, dodging falling trees and terrified animals. All the inhabitants of the island were fleeing Uooloa’s wrath. Glancing over his shoulder, Rhawn could see that the smoke was glowing red now. Sparks were beginning to shoot up into the soot-filled sky. The top of the mountain seemed as if it was about to ignite.

  “Oh gods.” Rhawn whispered.

  “There are different kinds of eruptions.” Lucy got out, following his gaze. “Hopefully, this one isn’t like Pompeii. Those poor bastards were cooked alive by superheated ash called a pyroclastic flow. Vesuvius didn’t even need lava to kill them. Their brains just boiled inside their skulls. If that shit starts coming out of your volcano, we aren’t out running it.”

  Rattling off facts seemed to bring her some comfort.

  Rhawn did not find it nearly so reassuring.

  “And I can’t believe I’m hoping to see lava.” Lucy continued, holding Rhawn’s hand as he led her across the river. “I swear this island is making me crazy.” They were stepping from rock to rock and Lucy’s eyes instinctively went upstream. “Hang on…” She stopped walking, an amazed expression on her face. “Rhawn, do you see that?

  “Yes. There is a waterfall.” He dragged her forward. “We must hurry, Lucy.”

  “Not the waterfall. The cave. There’s cave behind the waterfall.”

  “Does it matter?” He lifted her onto dry land and kept going.

  “Well, it does if… shit!” Lucy tripped over a tree root and fell to the ground.

  The forest floor was teeming with small creatures, some of which ran right over her in their panicked flight. A boga scampered across her hand and Rhawn’s heart stopped. One bite could kill her and Lucy didn’t even seem to comprehend the danger, as she shooed it off. Miraculously, the rodent scampered away without sinking its fangs into her, but that had been far too close.

  “Do not touch that!” Rhawn bent to pick her up and slung her over his shoulder, barely slowing his stride. He fastened an arm around the back of her legs, holding her with one hand and his spear in the other as he ran. “Why must you always try to touch things?”

  “I didn’t touch that mouse. It touched me!” She shouted back.

  People from Newyork clearly did not understand the dangers vermin presented. Like with the “wooly rhino,” they did not even call boga by their proper name. Rhawn tried to put it into words she would understand.

  “Lucy you must be more careful. Hamsters are very deadly.”

  For some
reason, the woman found that hysterical. She was all but crying with semi-crazed laugher by the time they reached the beach. Rhawn didn’t mind. They were almost safe! Never had he been so glad to feel sand beneath his feet.

  He headed for the ragan, shouting out orders to Warren and the others. “Get all the ragan into the water and…”

  And that’s when he spotted Skoll.

  The other man was standing right in the middle of the beach, a torch in his hand. He stood above the completed ragan, preparing to drop the flames and ignite their only means of escape. The vessels were made of thick tar and drying wood that would burn beyond repair in a matter of seconds.

  If fire touched the ragan, they would all die.

  Rhawn very slowly set Lucy on her feet, trying to figure out what to do next. “We’ve been looking for you, Skoll.” He said in a soft and humoring voice. “Uooloa is erupting.” He gestured to the mountain, in case the other man had somehow missed it. “We must go now.”

  “This is all her fault!” Skoll snarled and there was something not sane shining in his eyes. His face was bruised from the fight with Warren, giving him the look of a demon from myth. He jabbed a finger at Lucy. “All of it is her doing. She is the one who brought this upon us. The gods are punishing us now, because the rest of you followed her and believed her lies.”

  “The ground was shaking before Lucy even arrived.” Rhawn argued in a reasonable tone. “She did not cause this. She is trying to save us.”

  “She will have us killed out in the sea! I would rather die here on land, than perish lost and at her mercy on the waves! I won’t let that bitch win!”

  Rhawn’s grip shifted on his spear. If he threw it from this angle, he could hit Skoll, but the other man would drop the torch on the ragan as he fell. If he changed angles, Skoll would no doubt drop the torch anyway.

  They were at a stalemate.

  The rest of the Clan was filling up the beach, everyone terrified of what Skoll might do if they pushed him and even more terrified of what Uooloa would do if they waited much longer.