Cave Bear Mountain

by Jo Sandhu

  ‘Your traders are a half day ahead of us,’ Uri said. He reached a tentative finger towards Utu.

  ‘He can bite,’ Tarin warned him. ‘I know too well.’ But Utu just chirruped and nipped the outstretched finger gently. Uri smiled.

  ‘I like nothing better than plump snowy owl roasted over hot rocks,’ he said. ‘But I may have to change my mind.’

  ‘Have the traders been difficult to track?’ Luuka asked.

  Soron shook his head. ‘The opposite, really,’ he said. ‘They are moving quickly, but don’t try to hide themselves. And we have had wolf spoor to follow.’

  ‘Good girl, Nilkka,’ Kaija said.

  ‘And Noora! Lev! We have seen mammoths,’ Uri said. ‘A small herd, but it will be the first of many, I am sure.’

  ‘Males or females?’ Noora asked.

  ‘An old female and her daughters. A couple of calves.’

  ‘The bulls will be following then.’ Noora said thoughtfully. ‘We need to let Osku know.’

  ‘If you need to go, we can continue by ourselves,’ Tarin said. ‘Rohk has the scent again. I am sure we can find the traders.’

  ‘It won’t be difficult for you,’ Soron said. ‘There is one more river crossing between you and White Fox Clan, but you should overtake them before you need to cross.’

  Noora nodded. ‘I hate to leave you, but Uri and I are the fastest runners. We will run back to camp while Soron and Lev follow with the heavier packs.’

  ‘We understand,’ Kaija said. ‘You have already done so much for us.’

  Noora brushed away their thanks. ‘I feel as though you are Clan,’ she said, and the Ungirski men agreed.

  ‘We will have a meal now, then we each have to travel fast,’ Lev said.

  They shared their final meal and drank a last cup of tea together.

  ‘We still have several hours of daylight,’ Noora said, looking at the sky. ‘We can make good time if those clouds stay away. Safe journey, my friends.’

  She embraced them all and gave Utu a special scratch.

  ‘Safe journey to you, also,’ Tarin said. ‘May we meet again.’

  ‘May we meet again,’ the Ungirski agreed, and the two groups parted.

  Tarin, Kaija and Luuka pushed onwards for the rest of the day, eager to finally have an end to their chase. The wind that had blown the clouds away had turned and was now at their backs, driving them faster. They ate berries as they walked and didn’t stop for another meal. Rohk ran ahead, only slowing his pace when he needed to rest, and even then, he trotted alongside the others. A couple of times Utu took to the sky. Once he flew on ahead, but another time he wheeled back towards the Ungirski. Tarin wondered if they saw him checking on their progress. He was sure Noora would spot him high in the sky.

  Dusk was falling when they climbed a ridge, hoping to find a sheltered spot on the other side to make camp for the night. This time it was Luuka who spotted the movement ahead. A thin trickle of smoke rose in the air, and a fire burnt merrily in the midst of a collection of reindeer-hide kotas.

  They held their breath and stared down at the little camp. Rohk flung his head back and howled, and he was answered immediately.

  They had found the traders, and they had found Nilkka.

  The flap of one of the kotas flew open and a man peered out into the fading light. Then he was pushed aside, and a wolf bounded towards them. Rohk yelped and tore towards his sister. A small boy ran after Nilkka.

  ‘No! No! No!’ he shouted.

  Nilkka and Rohk met each other in mid-air and fell to the ground, rolling over and over. Tarin, Luuka and Kaija ran to them and they, too, threw themselves on the wolves and rolled with them in joy.

  ‘No!’ Sasha cried, tears running down his cheeks. He pulled at the tangle of wolves and arms and legs.

  ‘Ho! So you have finally found us!’ Vas beamed at them. ‘We were becoming concerned.’

  Tarin was the first to pull away from the pile of bodies. He stood up and brushed himself down. ‘What do you mean?’ He stared in confusion at Vas. The trader seemed happy to see them. Tarin didn’t understand.

  Sasha was still sobbing. ‘No! You shan’t have her.’

  Vas looked from his son to the stunned, confused and angry faces before him. ‘Perhaps we had better talk. Starting with you, Sasha child. Do you have something to say?’

  ‘No!’ Sasha wrapped his arms around Nilkka and pressed his face into her fur.

  Vas stroked his beard. ‘Did you know we were taking Nilkka with us?’

  ‘No.’ Luuka stood and faced the man.

  ‘We were helping the injured, after the fire,’ Kaija said. ‘We looked for you.’

  ‘And you had gone.’ Luuka glared at Sasha, who was still holding fast to the wolf.

  Vas’s shoulders dropped. ‘I . . . don’t know what to say,’ he said. ‘But come. We have food ready and we will talk.’ His smile was suddenly gone and he looked tired. ‘I thought . . . after what my son said . . . and your mother . . .’ His words faded as he ushered them towards the fire.

  They went with him, but as they approached the cooking pit, Luuka stopped. Senja was standing there. In the flickering light, it was difficult to see her expression, but she held her shoulders and back stiffly.

  ‘After what my mother said?’ Luuka repeated. ‘What exactly did she say?’

  Vas’s other family members had taken their food and disappeared. Vas fussed with the travellers, making sure they had food and drink and were warm enough. He patted Rohk and gave Utu a scratch. Slowly, his smile returned. He genuinely seemed happy to see them.

  ‘The fire was close to the kotas,’ he said. ‘We are very fast at taking them down and putting them up, so it seemed wise to move them to safety. The reindeer hides we can always replace. The wood poles are more difficult. These poles are particularly good straight ones. It is not easy to find such straight poles.’

  Luuka looked at him coldly. ‘What about Nilkka?’

  ‘Ah, dear Nilkka.’ Vas poured another drink and passed it to Kaija. She hesitated, then took it from him. ‘Dearest Nilkka.’ Vas smiled at the wolf sitting with her head resting against Kaija. On her other side, Rohk sat close and often leant over to lick her face or touch noses with his sister. ‘She has been a wonderful companion, these last weeks,’ Vas said. ‘But I would not have brought her with us, if I thought you knew nothing about it.’

  ‘We didn’t,’ said Luuka.

  ‘My son . . .’ Vas paused, then continued. ‘He is very fond of the wolf.’

  ‘We are all fond of her,’ Kaija said angrily. ‘We love her. She is Clan.’

  Vas raised his hand at her outburst and nodded. ‘I know, little one, I know. When we were packing the tents, my son came to me. He had Nilkka, and he thought you had told him to keep her while you freed Rohk.’

  ‘I did say that,’ Luuka said, frowning. ‘But I meant to keep her from harm until we were safe, and then give her back. I didn’t mean for you to up and leave.’

  ‘You ran away with her.’ Kaija glared at Vas. ‘We have travelled so many days to find you.’

  ‘As I thought you would,’ Vas said. He sat with them and ran his hand through his hair. ‘I thought . . . I was told . . . you would follow.’ He shrugged his shoulders and looked at them helplessly.

  ‘Is that what my mother told you?’ Kaija looked at her mother coldly.

  Senja had sat silently listening to them, but had said nothing. Now she lifted her gaze from the fire and looked at them.

  ‘That is what I told him. You should not blame Vas, or Sasha.’

  ‘But why?’ Kaija cried. ‘If you were just keeping Nilkka safe for us, why did you keep travelling? Why not wait by the river? Why not send a message for us? Did you truly believe we would follow you?’

  ‘No,’ Senja said. ‘I believed you wouldn’t follow us. How could you, over so many days, over so many rivers and mountains?’

  ‘Rohk followed you. He followed his sister,’ said Luuka. ‘You to
ok his sister from him.’

  ‘You had no right!’ Kaija’s voice rose. ‘What right had you to take Nilkka from us?’

  Senja glared at her. ‘You have the other wolf. It is enough. When I saw how unhappy Sasha was at leaving Nilkka, I told Vas you had said to go and you would follow.’

  ‘Oh, lyubi.’ Vas sighed. He looked at them and shook his head sadly. ‘We will not keep your wolf from you.’

  ‘Isa, no!’ Sasha jumped to his feet and shook his father’s arm, but Vas turned him to face the others. ‘Boy, you have to say you are sorry. It was not right what you did, to take their Nilkka from them.’

  ‘But I love her,’ Sasha sobbed. He hid his face in his hands and wept.

  Kaija swallowed. She moved forward to take Sasha’s hands in hers and she lifted his chin so he would look at her. ‘Sasha, we all love Nilkka, but she is Clan. We cannot leave her, or give her to you.’

  Sasha nodded miserably. He turned to his father and buried his face in his chest. Vas’s arms went around him.

  ‘I know how sad it makes you, my son.’ He looked at the travellers. ‘Will you stay here with us tonight? Already the night sky is full of stars and the wind is cold. We were planning to stay a few days while the weather is fine, and dry the berries we picked in the forest.’

  ‘Maybe one night,’ Luuka said. ‘But we keep Nilkka with us. And Rohk.’ He, too, looked kindly at Sasha. ‘We cannot give our wolves away any more than your father could give you away. Do you understand?’

  Sasha sniffed and nodded. ‘I am sorry,’ he mumbled. ‘Perhaps you will let me sit with you tonight?’

  ‘We will be happy to have you sit with us tonight,’ said Kaija, and she hugged the boy.

  They set up their own tent by the side of the fire.

  ‘I think one of us should keep watch.’ Kaija kept her voice low so Sasha wouldn’t hear. He lay with his head against Nilkka’s side, listening to her heartbeat. Next to him, Rohk kept a careful watch.

  ‘Do you think we need to?’ Tarin asked. ‘I’m sure Rohk would alert us if anything was wrong.’

  ‘I suppose so.’ Kaija smoothed Rohk’s fur. ‘Maybe I’ll just walk for a bit. I feel too angry to sleep.’

  ‘It’s cold outside,’ Luuka said. ‘Stay near the fire.’

  ‘I will,’ said Kaija, and slipped out of the tent.

  She caught her breath sharply as she stepped out into the night. The air was colder than she expected. The night sky was filled with stars, and as she watched, one of the twinkling lights shot across the sky like a falling flame. She sighed deeply and huddled near the fire. It had burnt low, but was still warm.

  ‘Kaija?’ Her mother came out of the shadows and Kaija’s pleasure in the night disappeared. She felt she no longer knew this woman sitting next to her. She didn’t speak, but kept her gaze on the glowing embers of the dying fire.

  ‘I’d like to talk to you, if you’ll listen.’ Kaija shrugged.

  Senja leant forward and added more wood and dung to the fire. It flared to life, sending a cascade of sparks upwards into the night sky. ‘When I thought you and Luuka were dead, I, too, felt dead inside. Until you have lost a child, I don’t think you can truly understand.’

  Kaija shifted position, but didn’t speak.

  ‘I fell in with Vas.’ A smile hovered on Senja’s face. ‘He loves me, even with all my faults, and I came to love him and Sasha. Sasha was like another chance for me. I’d lost all the babies of my body, but here was a child of my heart for me to love.’

  Kaija gripped her hands together to stop herself from lashing out at the woman. ‘You didn’t “lose” us. You sent us away.’ She ground her teeth together.

  But Senja wasn’t listening to her.

  ‘When I saw the kotas already packed, and Sasha there with Nilkka, I decided we should leave. I didn’t know what would happen if we stayed, and you were determined to try and save your other wolf. I thought it probable you would all die.’

  ‘You didn’t think to try and help us?’

  Senja didn’t answer and the silence grew. A log cracked in the fire.

  ‘Kaija, I know you hate me, but try to understand . . .’

  ‘I will never understand you, Mother. Never.’

  ‘Then give me the chance to make it up to you.’

  Kaija half turned towards her mother. Beyond the circle of the fire, all was blackness. She wasn’t even aware of the circle of tents. All that existed for her at that moment was here in this cocoon of warmth and light. She wanted to understand the desperate woman sitting with her, but it was so hard. Her mother had hurt her not only with her words, but with her actions. Taking Nilkka from them could never be forgiven.

  ‘How could you possibly make it up to me? To us?’ Kaija finally asked.

  Senja grabbed her hands and the girl stiffened. She tried to drag her hands away, but her mother held fast.

  ‘Come with me, Kaija. Join Vas and Sasha and the others. They are good people, and they would welcome you.’

  ‘What about the others? What about Luuka?’

  ‘Luuka, too. He was always fascinated by stories of travels and traders. This would be his chance.’

  ‘And Tarin?’

  Senja shrugged. ‘He would return to his own people, of course. He would probably be glad he no longer had to travel with you. He would have returned to his clan sooner if you weren’t looking for me.’

  Kaija thought quietly about her mother’s words. Senja released her hands and moved the leftover pot of tea closer to the heat. She flicked a hot stone up and into the pot and the steam curled into the air.

  ‘Yes, he would have,’ Kaija murmured. Senja added another stone to the water, then dipped a cup into the tea and handed it to Kaija. She took a cup for herself, too.

  ‘Well, then. That would suit Tarin, and you and Luuka would have a new clan and a new family. We could be together again.’

  Kaija sipped the tea and nodded. She looked up into the sky and tried to trace the shape of the bear, but the stars looked different to her tonight, and there were so many.

  ‘And what about the animals?’ she asked quietly.

  Senja sipped her tea before answering. ‘The wolves would come with you, of course. I’ve seen how close they are to Luuka. The owl would probably go with Tarin, although he must get very tired of it always riding around on his shoulder. I would think he’d be happy to be rid of it.’

  Kaija finished her tea and tipped the dregs slowly onto the cold ground. There would be a heavy frost in the morning.

  ‘I think my plan is best, don’t you?’ Senja said.

  ‘Maybe,’ Kaija murmured.

  ‘Well, promise me you’ll think about it. Stay here a few days with us at least and see.’

  ‘I’ll have to talk to Luuka,’ Kaija said.

  ‘Of course.’ Senja stood and looked down at her daughter. ‘It will be like River Clan again, with all of us together.’ And she left to retire to her kota.

  Kaija sat silently by the fire a long time, watching the dancing flames.

  All together, she thought. A family. A new clan.

  She looked up at the sky, but there was no Sky Dance there tonight. She didn’t know whether to be glad or sorry.

  ‘If we stay just a few days, we can dry the berries. The rocks are already heating, the sun is shining. It should only take two days, and we could set some snares. I’ve seen a few foxes around, and stoats. We could use the extra furs,’ said Luuka. He and Tarin sat over the fire early the next day.

  ‘I know.’ Tarin pushed his hair out of his eyes and rubbed his face. The fast pace they had set ever since the Karvkh had been hard on them all, but they had succeeded. They had caught up with the traders and rescued Nilkka. Now they had to decide where to go from here, and a few days’ rest sounded good.

  ‘Lev said we’d be welcome to Winter with them. We could reach them before first snowfall.’ Luuka’s gaze followed Rohk and Nilkka as they romped with Sasha.

  ‘And then t
here’s Vas’s offer,’ Tarin said. ‘We continue with them to White Fox Clan.’

  Luuka looked at him thoughtfully. ‘Or we leave now, and head to Mammoth Clan. Can we make it, Tarin?’

  Tarin stared into the sky. No clouds. No rain. No snow. For today, at least, but tomorrow?

  ‘I don’t know,’ he said. ‘Kaija? What do you think?’

  Kaija sat a little apart from them, tracing a shape in the dirt with her toe.

  ‘Kaija?’ Luuka threw a berry at her.

  ‘What?’

  ‘We’re deciding. Do we go with Vas?’

  ‘Do you want to?’ She asked. Her eyes were puffy, as though she had been crying, and she looked tired.

  ‘No,’ Luuka said. ‘I don’t. Did you sleep last night?’

  ‘Not so well.’ Kaija sighed deeply and tilted her face to the sun. ‘I sat here for long time last night,’ she said. ‘And I asked the Earth Mother that same question.’ She squinted through the sunlight at the boys. ‘Do you remember Noora saying the Earth Mother always sent the Sky Dance, to tell her if her decisions were right? Well, I asked the Mother what we should do, but she didn’t answer. There was no Sky Dance last night, and now . . .’ Her voice wavered and she swallowed. ‘I don’t know what to do.’

  Luuka put an arm around her shoulder and hugged her. ‘Then I will tell you what we are doing.’

  Tarin raised an eyebrow at him, but didn’t speak.

  Luuka wiped the tear that had slipped from his sister’s eye. ‘We are taking our wolves, and our owl, and we are going to Mammoth Clan. Today. As soon as we are packed.’

  A smile split Kaija’s face. ‘Really? Now?’

  ‘Now,’ said Luuka. He looked at Tarin. ‘Even if the snow starts, we can still make it, I’m sure.’

  ‘I think we can, too,’ said Tarin. He tried to look serious, but a smile kept quivering at the corner of his mouth. He would have gone with Vas or to the Ungirski, if that’s what the other two wanted, but he was glad they had decided not to. To Winter anywhere else meant staying until the Spring melt was over. He had been away from home too long now, and his heart ached to return. Then his face fell. There was still the chance he wouldn’t be welcome – even if he returned a hunter, he had still failed to give their Offering to the Earth Mother. He could take that risk for himself, but what about Kaija and Luuka?