Ice Angel

by Linda Deane

  CHAPTER 6 – THE COUNCIL

  The next morning, the tribe could not believe what they saw. Curled up tightly in the crook of the sleeping boy’s arm, its head just visible above the fur blanket was a small, stripy grey cat, sleeping as soundly as the boy she was snuggling up to. It was unbelievable! No animal had ever entered their cave in their presence. Many times bears and other animals had raided their food stores while they were out hunting and gathering food but never had a live animal been so close to any of them and been so obviously content to be that close to a human. Some of the more superstitious members of the tribe believed it to be an omen. Perhaps the boy had been given a special power to charm animals.

  Brin glared at the sleeping Aric. It must be a trick. Aric had probably been secretly feeding the cat for ages, feeding it food that belonged to the tribe. He had probably tamed this beast by wasting valuable resources. Now he was performing this elaborate scheme to get attention. Never mind, as soon as the opportunity arose, he, Brin would sort out the cat. He had just the right spear for the job. They would eat this stupid cat and he would wear its fur as a hat. He would be a hero for providing meat, even if it was only cat meat!

  The tribe was divided. Most people were not sure what to believe. Some of the younger men wanted to go with Aric to find the mammoths. After all, he had not lied about the cat. He could very well have seen mammoths and if he could remember where to find them, they could arrange a hunt. If it was successful, all their troubles would be over. There would be more than enough to eat for the rest of the winter and perhaps even well into the summer.

  Soren was the most troubled of all. As leader of the tribe, he had to make a decision that would be best for all of his people. Some of the older men were right. The lad was not even one of the men yet. He had not participated in his first hunt. How could the child be relied upon to lead them to these mammoths – creatures that had not even been seen in these parts for such a long time? Why would they suddenly be here in the tribe’s territory during one of the worst winters Soren could remember? Winter had been cold and summer brief for all of Soren’s lifetime and that of his father and his father’s father, but never had it been as relentless and merciless as this winter.

  There were some women who believed the cat was a sign and should not be ignored. Something like this had never happened before. None of the elders could remember any tales of animals befriending people. She must be a good omen, because Aric had survived the worst storm of the winter away from the security of his cave and his people. The cat must truly have protected him. There were others who believed the cat to be an evil omen. Brin’s mother said she had enchanted the boy and led him astray. She had bewitched his mind, leading him to believe things he hadn’t actually seen. He had been lucky to find his way home and had probably not been far from the cave anyway. How could he possibly have walked for a day on an empty stomach? Who had ever heard of an animal feeding a human child?

  Soren decided to call a meeting of the whole tribe. That evening, after their meagre meal, they gathered around the fire.

  “It has been a very harsh winter, I don’t know how much more of this we can endure,” said Soren. “We have already lost four people to the cold, old people and young children who may have survived if it wasn’t so cold and food so scarce. Maya’s baby would have survived the illness if we could feed her properly. We really can’t afford to lose anyone else. We all need each other to survive. I can’t send my best huntsmen off on a mere whim. The risk is just too great.”

  “Yes, that’s all true, but our tribe is already so depleted. What do we have to lose by going to look for the mammoths?” argued Isthan.

  “Well what if there are no mammoths? Even if there are, then how are we going to hunt them? We are so weak and you know how dangerous a mammoth hunt can be,” countered Soren. “This will be extremely risky and we have absolutely no guarantee of success. The chances of death and injury are much, much greater than the chance of gaining anything.”

  “Well, I personally would rather die trying than die of cold and starvation. I don’t think any of us will survive another winter like this one,” said Isthan stubbornly crossing his arms.

  Deep into the night, the debate continued. Aric sat silently with his cat on his lap, just listening. It was forbidden for children to speak at a council meeting of this nature. When everyone had put forward their arguments for or against the idea, Aric slowly rose to his feet. The tribe was amazed, that this boy, who had not yet proved his manhood, had the gall to address the elders.

  Aric spoke softly, stating calmly, “Tomorrow, I am going to the valley where I saw the mammoths.”

  “Make him sit down! How dare this impudent child address the council!” shouted a grumpy old man.

  “This is unheard of! It would never have been allowed when I was a child. He should have been given a good beating for running off in the first place!” mumbled Brin’s toothless old granny.

  “I will let the boy speak,” sighed Soren wearily.

  “I know that what I saw was real. It’s our only chance of survival. Angelica is no ordinary animal. None of you can deny that,” stated Aric calmly as he looked at the tribe one by one. “She’s ready to lead me to the place again and I must leave tomorrow at first light. She wants me to follow her urgently. We can’t delay and I cannot wait for a decision from this council. I know that I have a mission to fulfil. It is my destiny,” he stated with conviction. “I have no idea why I have been chosen but I know with all my heart that she wants me to follow her again and only good will come of it for all of us,” said Aric courageously as he looked straight into the eyes of the tribe leader.

  The tribe was in uproar. This blatant flouting of the rules was unheard of. Yet Aric was not an arrogant or insolent child by nature. He was well-liked and had always shown respect for all in the tribe. He was an obedient and well-mannered boy who would never have dared to speak out like this under ordinary circumstances. His absolute conviction that the cat had come to him for a purpose made some of them feel uneasy. Perhaps he really did have a mission to fulfil.

  Isthan addressed the council, “I will go with my son.” Aric’s two older cousins and some of the younger men stepped up behind Isthan in support.

  Mika stood up, “The men will need helpers to carve up the meat and carry it back to the cave.” All the young women who did not yet have children volunteered to join in the expedition.

  “Very well,” sighed Soren, “this will serve as your initiation hunt, young man, make us proud. All who wish to join you may do so; the rest of the tribe will remain here at the cave. You may leave at daybreak.”

  CHAPTER 7 – ANGELICA’S QUEST

  The little band of people wound its way down the hill following the boy and the cat. It was a sight that had never been seen before and the tribe members that remained at the cave stared in stony silence, most of them totally disapproving of these strange events. Soren feared that he had lost the strongest and fittest members of his tribe to a totally mad scheme. However, there was little hope for them in any case, had they chosen to stay at the cave, where the remaining tribe members were bound to starve to death. This way, at least some of his tribe might survive.

  On and on Angelica lead her weary followers. Only Aric was able to understand her. To the rest of the hunters, Angelica was just a cat. They were deaf to the constant, wordless stream of communication between her and Aric.

  The people were weak and needed to rest frequently. Angelica was uneasy and impatient. Aric tried to hurry them along but only succeeded in annoying them. Although it was not snowing, the weather was cold and miserable. An icy wind blew into their faces all day, finding its way into their fur clothing, stinging their ears, burning their eyes and noses. They carried heavy burdens - sturdy hunting spears, flint knives for skinning the beasts and cutting up the meat and furs and hides to make shelters if the weather worsened. Some started to grumble and threatened to turn back, but Aric urged them to continue. Their p
rogress was painfully slow.

  Aric could sense Angelica’s frustration and impatience. Fear briefly toyed with his mind that she might run off leaving him to lead them to the valley, a valley that he could not find by himself. But Angelica remained faithful to her cause. She too, had been given a mission and she would accomplish it. She knew that they had to press on but the little cat had compassion on these pitiful humans. She had been tasked with easing their suffering and she would achieve what her master had sent her to do, but they had to hurry!

  By nightfall, they were ready to drop with exhaustion. They were so weak and their progress had been so slow. They had had nothing to eat all day and they had brought almost no food for the journey. There simply had been none to bring. Only Aric still remained steadfast in his resolve to follow Angelica, the rest were ready to plunge their spears into her - particularly Brin. He kept his malevolent gaze on the cat, silently waiting for his chance. The tribe would applaud him for solving this problem, he reasoned to himself.

  He sowed dissension among them. In their emaciated state, at Brin’s prompting, they unreasonably blamed the cat for their woes. Aric stoically defended her. He knew she would not let them down. Someone suggested that they kill and eat the cat; that they should have done it the moment she first appeared with the crazy boy.

  Brin shoved Aric and he bumped into a tired, hungry bad tempered hunter. A scuffle broke out among some of the young men. Aric darted out of the thick of it and snatching Angelica up into his arms, he ran blindly into the night, terrified that they really would try to eat her. In his headlong flight he tumbled over a boulder. It was half covered in snow and in the gloomy twilight, he noticed strange branches growing out of it. Overjoyed, he realised that it was not a boulder, but a skinny deer, which had succumbed to the cold! He put Angelica down and ran back to the tribe shouting, “Hey! Come and look here! A deer, she led me to a deer, come and see!”

  They fell upon the carcass like hungry wolves. They had not eaten meat for so long that they could not remember what it tasted like. Nobody could be bothered to light a fire or to wait for it to cook, so great was their need for food. Ravenously they hacked off chunks of the half-frozen meat and stuffed it into their mouths. Blood stained their fur clothing making them look like macabre, half-dead animals themselves, their hungry eyes staring out of their skeletal faces.

  Nobody except Angelica and Aric could sleep that night. They were all in agony from the unexpected meal they had devoured. Miserably they huddled together for warmth and comfort appreciating what little shelter the trees overhead provided from the weather. Brin sat clutching his aching belly, glaring at the innocent picture of boy and cat. This could not be allowed to continue. He would have to act soon, very soon.

  By morning, the tribe started to feel a bit better. Sanity returned as they discussed the good fortune that had befallen them. Perhaps Aric was right; perhaps the cat really did have supernatural powers and had been sent to save them.

  Aric sat off to one side with Angelica on his lap. Isthan marvelled at the way the boy and the cat had almost become a unit. It was unheard of that man and animal could be so close. Animals were to be hunted and eaten or to be respected and feared. Man was either the predator or the prey, never the companion. This in itself was a miracle. Let alone the fact that the cat had made the boy understand he needed to follow her. How could that be? How did Aric understand her? As if that was not enough, she had led him to a great source of food. She had protected him, sheltered him and fed him. Now she was the direct cause of them eating their first meat meal in many seasons. It was completely unnatural.

  CHAPTER 8 – MAMMOTH VALLEY

  It took the weakened tribe another two full days before they finally reached the mammoth valley; a distance that Aric had miraculously covered in just one day with Angelica. Nobody believed that he had done it in a day but Aric no longer cared what they thought about him.

  He was bursting with excitement but he urged them to be cautious. They all crept up the hill. Angelica was uneasy but Aric was too excited to pay much attention. He carefully inched forward to the edge of the cliff and peered over…. NOTHING. Not a single mammoth! They were all gone, it was too late, and the whole journey had been in vain.

  Aric wanted to cry. He felt hot tears of frustration and disappointment well up inside him and forced them back. A hunter could not show weakness. Instead of the cries of jubilation that he had expected, there were only puzzled, questioning looks. They were all disappointed.

  “Are you sure the mammoths weren’t just a figment of your imagination?” inquired Brin sweetly. “Perhaps the cold and the hunger were playing tricks on your mind. You’ve always had such an active imagination Aric.” Aric wanted to punch Brin for his snide remarks. Mika glared at her sneering cousin, putting her arm protectively around her little brother’s shoulders.

  Stubbornly he drew himself up, “I shall go down into the valley to find their trail. We will follow them and find them. I knew we were moving far too slowly. We should have got here much sooner. Now they have moved on and we have to look for them.”

  They had come so far that a little bit further would not make any difference, Isthan decided. The way down was steep and treacherous with many sheer drops, narrow ledges and loose boulders that rumbled down the slope as the hunters dislodged them. Led by the cat who carefully picked her way through these hazardous obstacles, the small band of people nervously made their way down the treacherous slope into the valley.

  It was Aric who found the first mound of mammoth dung. Overjoyed, he flung handfuls of it at some of the older boys. A huge lump splattered into the scowling face of Brin who had to eat his words about Aric’s imagination.

  The celebrations were short lived though. Despite the dung heaps, that proved the mammoths had been there, try as they might, the tribe could not find a trail. It was as if the huge beasts had simply disappeared. Aric was bitterly disappointed. This was a hollow victory. Although everyone believed him now, what good was it if the mammoths were gone?

  How could this be possible? Angelica could not have put them all through this ordeal in vain, but how could she have known? She had tried to hurry them up but they were so slow! He knew she had wanted them to move faster. How had she known about the mammoths in the first place? Nothing made sense to Aric anymore. He looked deep into her yellow eyes, puzzled, trying to find the answer, but Angelica was strangely uncommunicative. She was aloof, distant, as if she was in another world.

  After a full day of searching the area, Isthan finally decided their search was futile and it was time to go home. In the morning, they would start their return journey empty handed. They had been very lucky that the weather had held out thus far. It was not wise to tempt fate any further.

  It was with heavy hearts that the tribe’s people emerged from their hide coverings and fur blankets the next morning. During their search the previous day, some of them had managed to find some roots and a few berries. They breakfasted on the meagre rations and readied themselves for the long journey home. Angelica was gone. She was nowhere to be found. Aric had woken with a great burden of sadness that morning, realising that the presence of the cat had left him.

  Brin caught his eye and grinned a cold, evil grin. Aric felt sick. Cold, oily fingers of fear squeezed his heart. Had Brin done something to Angelica? Brin smirked at him then turned to one of his companions, muttered something under his breath and laughed mockingly. Brin denied that he knew anything about Angelica’s disappearance. One of the girls mentioned that she had seen a cat, early that morning, disappearing over the hill but she could not be certain that it was Angelica, or even a cat. It could have been a skinny, frightened hare.

  Aric called for her and searched the area. He was heartbroken. How could Angelica have left him after all this? He was confused and scared. What if Brin had killed her or even worse – tortured her? His cruelty was boundless.

  Eventually Isthan insisted that they begin their homeward journey. Aric k
new that Angelica would not be travelling back with them to the cave and he felt utterly miserable as he shouldered his share of the load. Where just the previous evening he had fallen asleep with her warm, comforting presence beside him and in his heart, today there was just coldness and desolation. He felt empty and so alone.

  CHAPTER 9 – FIRST KILL

  It was a defeated band of hunters who wearily arrived at their home cave as the snow began to fall again. The sceptics gloated. Others tried in vain to hide their disappointment. Secretly, even the most cynical had hoped that the mission would be a success. To hide their weakness, they now hammered the believers with knowing comments. “We told you so; we knew nothing would come of this madness. So what if you found Mammoth dung - dung can’t be eaten.” The tempers were short and people flared up at each other for no reason. Everywhere were scowling, sullen faces. Aric bore the brunt of the tribe’s bitter disappointment. He felt that he had failed them. They had put their faith in him and he had let them down.

  Aric was so confused. Why had it all happened? Why had he been given this glimpse of their salvation only to be let down? Why had Angelica given up on him? Why had she left? Where was she now when he really needed answers? Was she safe somewhere, or had Brin harmed her in some way? He could not bear the thought of her lying somewhere out in the cold, dead or dying a painful death. Why had she not stayed close to him? Should he venture off on his own to find her? Aric wrapped up his tools in a leather pouch and decided to go for a walk by himself. He did not care that it was forbidden for a child to go out alone without an adult. He wanted to think, to work out the answers without the clamour and accusations of the disgruntled tribe.

  He walked a short distance from the cave and found a quiet spot sheltered by a large rock. He unrolled the leather pouch and surveyed the flint knife he had been working on. His father and uncle had been training him in the art of making tools and weapons for hunting. He picked up his hand axe and chipped away at a piece of flint he had been honing. When he was done, it would make a fine arrow-head for the spear he had in mind. He held it up against one end of the straight stick he had been whittling away at for some time. This stick would be the shaft of his spear. The fit seemed to be right and he surveyed his handiwork with satisfaction. Carefully he began the painstaking task of fitting the flint arrow-head to the wooden shaft. It was a complex task and he was totally absorbed in his project. At last it was secure. Aric eyed his new spear with approval. It was his best attempt yet. With this spear, he would certainly be able to kill an animal, if he could find one.