The Thinking Rocks

by Butkus, C. Allan

  Hedra had been organizing the work so that they could get back to camp before dark. Long poles had been lashed together and leather thongs tied between, the meat would be lashed to the thongs. One person would grip the poles and drag the load along. One set of the poles carried the tied down body of Menla.

  The small procession made its way to the camp in a subdued manner. There was none of the usual joking about the hunt. The death of a clan member was more than a bad sign; it affected all of their chances of survival. Now there was one less hunter to help feed them. Everyone in the clan would miss Menla.

  When they arrived back at the camp a bad day got worse. Gennos was waiting and shuffled up to meet Cano. “I thought you were dead, we heard that you had been killed by a mammoth. I’m glad the news was wrong,” he said as he grasped Cano’s shoulders.

  Cano returned his brothers grasp and smiled, “No happier than I am brother.” He could tell from his brother’s expression that he had more to say. “What’s wrong,” he asked “is there trouble?”

  Gennos hesitated for a few moments before beginning. “It’s about mother, when she heard that you had died she took it badly, you know how sick she has been. It was too much for her. She is gone. She died a little while ago. There are only the two of us now.”

  They stood quietly looking at each other. Cano could feel his throat tighten and he blinked back the tears that tried to escape. “I must see mother and wish her a goodbye”. He touched his brother’s shoulder before turning to Ceola.

  “We have both lost someone we love this day, I want to be with you, but I must say goodbye. Gennos will stay with you and he can say farewell to your father. I will see you later tonight.”

  Ceola reached out and touched his arm as he walked toward his shelter.

  Gennos stayed with Ceola until she returned to her fire with her brother and sister. There she prepared her father for burial by cleaning his wounds.

  Gennos then moved over to where Hedra and Koonai were talking and told them of his mother’s death. He said that he would be with Cano and they would prepare her for burial. Hedra shook his head at the news and said, “It has been a bad day for the clan. We have lost a man and a woman.”

  Koonai nodded his head in agreement. He looked over at Hedra and asked, “Will you let me use Loki and Moki to help bury Menla?” Hedra nodded agreement. “Cano and Gennos can take care of burying their mother. Do you have any idea where they are to be buried?” he asked Koonai.

  “Yes, I know of two different places that are quiet, places which will not be bothered by animals. I will take Menla to his rest and later I will take Flanos to her rest. Her place will be near the river,” pausing he added, “she loved the river.”

  Later, Koonai led Loki and Moki to where Menla was to be buried. It was in a secluded glen near a stand of tall trees. The men dug the grave in the rocky ground and lined the grave with cedar branches. Next, they lay Menla’s body in a curled position on his right side, with his head pointed in the direction of the sun when it would rise in the morning. They then covered his body with his animal skins, and a final layer of cedar branches, and then the soil. Rocks were then placed over the grave to deter animals from digging. Ceola, Dola, and Opla all carried stones to their Father's grave. It was a tearful time for family. Young Dola was trying to be brave, but little Opla was too young to understand what was happening. As they were putting rocks on the grave, Opla placed some small white flowers she had found next to them. The world had changed for Ceola she now had the responsibility for her family.

  In the mean time Cano and Gennos had finished burying their mother at the site by the river that Koonai had indicated. The digging had not been difficult because the soil was moist and almost without rocks. The actual burial affected them both deeply. They stood next to the grave silently; Gennos had his hand on his brother’s shoulder. When Gennos spoke, Cano kept his eyes on the grave. “We are all that is left, she gave us life and she is gone. I wonder how long it will be before I follow her.”

  This startled Cano back to the present. “It will be a long time big brother, we have much to do. I have to win Ceola and you have to learn Koonai’s ways. We are just getting started on our journey. It’s been a long day. I smell like mammoth dung, was almost killed by a mammoth, had a fight with a saber-tooth, had my Mother die and you talk about our journey ending. No brother, we are just getting started. Let us get back to camp. It’s getting dark and I need to wash off some of this smell.”

  Gennos seemed to be affected by Cano's speech and actions. He thought, I’m still breathing and the world goes on with or without me. It was a sad time, but times change. Looking over at Cano he said, “You know I hadn’t noticed that you smell any different. Are you sure you have dung all over your body?” Even with his bad leg he was able to dodge the swing that Cano aimed at him.

  They arrived at camp just as the sun set. Koonai had been busy with preparations for the farewell ceremony. They would say farewell to the dead and then feast on the mammoth.

  The clan gathered quietly around the fire. The clan totem Spear was again in the ground with the point aimed at the sky. Koonai emerged from behind the fire and pulled the spear from the ground and held it high. “I am Koonai of the Clan of the Spear, and I am sad.” He waited for the sound of his words to die before continuing. “We have lost Menla and Flanos on this day. We will miss them. The clan will not be the same without them”. He lowered the spear until the butt was on the ground. He silently surveyed the clan and then asked, “Who will speak for Menla?”

  The leader of the clan, Hedra stood, “He was a good hunter and a good man.”

  Moki stood and said, “He could lead, but he chose to follow.”

  Each member of the clan stood and said something about Menla.

  When it was Cano’s turn to speak, he looked toward Ceola and said, “He was a good teacher and a good friend.”

  Ceola stood and said with a tremble in her voice, “My father was a good man; I will miss him each day. When I needed him he was there. He fed us and protected us. More I could not ask.”

  Little Dola stood, “He was my father and I would be like him.”

  When everyone who wished to speak had spoken, Koonai asked who would speak for Flanos.

  Again, Hedra stood first, “She was a good women and a good mother.”

  Each member of the clan had something to say about her, she had been well liked.

  When it was Cano’s turn he said, “She was a strong woman who cared for us. We will miss her, she is at peace now.”

  Gennos rose and moved to Koonai’s side. Looking out at the clan he said, “She gave me life, she was my mother. She cared for me when I was ill, fed me when I was hungry. I felt safe when she was near. Without her I would not be the man I will be.”

  Koonai closed the ceremony by placing the spear in the ground, but this time the point was thrust deep into the ground. He looked around the clan and then at the ground before him, “The Clan of the Spear bids you rest in Peace.”

  Plans

  The next day Sorou was sitting by the fire scraping a piece of mammoth hide. She was not happy. She liked to be in control and that wasn’t happening. Things were moving too fast. She still wanted Cano even if he had treated her badly before. She was used to getting what she wanted, and she was going to get him. After she had him, she could train him into the type mate that she knew he could be. It would just take time, but first she had to get him away from Ceola. That night at the river she almost had him. What she needed was time alone with him, she would have to see if she could arrange it somehow. As she thought back over the previous day she was shocked at how much had happened. She had been dazed when her brother had told her Cano had been killed. She had not thought of the possibility of him dying. She needed to plan a little deeper. She needed to get him away from Ceola permanently. But it would be wise to look at the possibility that something could happen that would stop her from mating with Cano. What could she do to assure her po
sition in the clan? She liked being the chief’s daughter, but she would like being the chief’s mate even more. Then she could be the power behind the chief. If this wasn’t possible, then she wanted someone as chief that she could control. So she thought, I need to find someone other than Cano for Ceola to mate. Who was available? Her brother was the best choice, but Moki, Loki and Gennos were not mated. Yes, her brother was best. He wanted her and if she could arrange for him to get her than she could have Cano. That way her brother and she could still control the clan. He could have Ceola and I will have Cano. I think I will talk to Bana; we can surely come up with a plan.

  Bana was at the river edge repairing one of his spears. The stone point had come loose in the killing of the mammoth. He had soaked a long strip of hide in water overnight. It was slippery and hard to handle. He took one end and placed it under the spearhead after wrapping it around the shaft twice. He held the head in place as he stretched and pulled the strip tighter. He continued to wrap around the spearhead until he only had enough to tuck it under his last loop. He gripped the end in his teeth and pulled as hard as he could, tightening the strip as much as possible. He then set it aside to dry in the bright sun. By sunset, the hide would be tight and hard.

  Sorou found her brother just as he finished with the repair to his spear. “We must talk,” she said as she approached him.

  “Do I smell trouble?” he asked.

  “Not trouble, but a chance for you to get Ceola, if you still want her,” she said.

  His attention was focused on her instantly. “I’ve been thinking of little else, but I’m not sure what to do. I thought I would wait a day or so to let her grieve for her Father.”

  Sorou frowned “Now is the time to act, she needs someone to lean on, someone strong. If you wait, Cano will be the one she leans on.”

  “I am a better man than he is, and I will be chief one day. She should be proud that I would have her as a mate.”

  “That maybe true, but you have to make her want to be with you. It has to seem that it is her choice, her idea.” She paused to think before continuing, “It would be wise to go to her fire now and talk, let her know you are sorry that Menla is gone and how much you will miss him, let her know how much you care for her. Offer to help her, tell her there will always be food at her fire as long as you live.” She paused again for effect, “Now is the time for action.”

  He hesitated for only a moment, his sister understood the ways of women, and she was used to thinking about things more than he did. I can do things he thought, but sometimes I’m not sure of the best ways of doing them. I just want to get things done, so I go do it. It’s a lot simpler that way. Women are a mystery. They don’t act or think like men. Maybe they keep changing the way they act to keep me confused. I’m wandering in circles and not getting anything done. I am standing here thinking about thinking when I should be talking to Ceola. “I will go now, I hope this will work.”

  He walked swiftly through the camp toward Ceola’s fire. He had to pass the small pen Gennos had made for the wolf puppies. Dola was playing with them; he had a small bone on a strip of hide, and was pulling it past the pups. They scrambled over each other trying to get the bone. Dola was laughing at them and not paying attention to the noise that they were making. Bana paused as he passed Dola. He didn’t like this child. Feeling a need to assert his authority, he said, “Those wolves are noisy. Make them be quiet.”

  Dola looked up quickly and seeing who it was his smile faded. “They are only playing, it’s not very loud.”

  Bana was nervous about seeing Ceola and did not want any back talk from a child. “I told you to make them stop making noise. I did not ask you to do it, I told you to do it.” Starting to lose his temper, he shouted “Do it now!”

  Dola knew he should not argue with a grown up, but he didn’t like Bana. Besides, it was his job to take care of the wolves. “They will stop making noise after I feed them. I’ll do that now.” As an after thought he shouted “You are not my Father, don’t yell at me.”

  “I didn’t tell you to feed them I said to make them be quiet.”

  The pups where getting excited with all the shouting and they renewed their barking and howling at this point.

  Gennos came out of his shelter and confronted Bana and Dola. “What is happening?” he asked.

  Bana turned to him angrily, “These wolves are making too much noise and I want it stopped.” He pointed to Dola “He needs a lesson on how to act before adults.”

  There was no love lost between Gennos and Bana, but Gennos knew he should try to calm things down. “They are not making that much noise, but if it will make you happy I will quiet them down. He turned to Dola “Feed the wolves, that will make them be quiet.” Gennos turned back to Bana he said “Does that satisfy you?”

  Bana exploded, “I don’t want the wolves fed, I want them quiet. If you can’t quiet them I can.”

  Gennos stood his ground, “What you want does not mean anything to me. These wolves are mine, do you understand? You can’t tell me what to do with them.” He looked Bana directly in the eyes and said, “If you don’t like it, why don’t you go home and get your father to solve your problems, like you usually do.”

  This was more than Bana could stand. He had a child talking back to him and now a cripple was insulting him. He pushed Gennos out of the way. He reached into the pen and grabbed one of the wolves by the neck.

  Gennos lost his balance and fell to the side knocking Cano’s spears over. One of them fell and struck Bana a glancing blow to the side of his head. This caused Bana to lose his grip on the pup he had started to pick up. He fell to his knees. As he tried to regain his balance, his hand came down on the white-faced wolf puppy’s tail. In a reaction that was as old as a wolf’s need to howl, the pup spun around and sank its razor-like milk teeth into Bana wrist and racked his hand, before jumping free and rushing to the far corner of the pen. She crouched in the corner and bared her teeth in her best puppy snarl.

  Bana jerked his bleeding hand back and yelled. He turned and looked toward Gennos and screamed, “Do you see my blood? You caused this.” He looked over at Dola and then grabbed him and dragged him over. “Do you see this blood? Here take a close look.” He rubbed his bloody hand over Dola face. “Do you see it now?” He rubbed more of it across his chest before he tossed him aside. He grabbed the nearest pup and threw the small body against a tree. The bundle of fur made a sickening crunch as it hit the tree and then slid down to the ground with only a small twitching of its hind legs. Then it was still.

  Bana took hold of another pup and stood up; looking over at Gennos, he said; “Now that is a quiet wolf.” Drawing his arm back, he said, “Here is another.” And the second body followed the first to the tree. Gennos scrambled to his feet “You can’t do that, those are mine, stop or I’ll …”Bana interrupted “Or what? Are you going to stop me cripple?” With that said, he reached in and grabbed another pup and smashed it to the ground and then stamped on it.

  The crunch of the tiny bones was heard by Dola who was huddled on the ground where Bana had tossed him after rubbing the blood on him. These pups were his responsibility, and they were being killed. He could not let it go on. He flew in to a rage and lunged at Bana’s legs. He jerked at them in an attempt to make him fall, but he wasn’t strong enough. In his desperation he took a lesson from White Face, he sank his teeth in Bana’s leg. He was rewarded with a scream of pain, and then a fist to the side of his head, which knocked him unconscious and sent him spinning away.

  “This has gone far enough,” yelled Gennos as he grabbed Bana. Unfortunately, Bana was faster and tossed Gennos toward the tree where the puppies lay. He tumbled across the ground until his head struck a rock. His dazed form lay in the dust with the dead puppies. Bana straighten up and looked at the remaining pups. The white-faced one was still in the corner with his ruff up and a snarl on his muzzle. Reaching down quickly he grabbed the other pup and looked around for something suitable to destroy it
. It was then he heard his voice called; he turned toward the voice and found Cano standing there.

  Cano spoke again, “I said, stop! I will not say it again. What do you think you are doing here? Why have you attacked my brother and a child? Have you gone mad?”

  Bana took a moment before answering, “I’m giving lessons in respect. These wolves were making too much noise and no one could get them to be quiet. I am showing the child and the cripple that when I say something, it should be done. Not questioned.” He paused and smiled “Would you like the next lesson?”

  Cano could see that Bana wanted to fight. “Those wolves are mine and not yours. You have no right to kill them. As for teaching me a lesson, the only thing you could teach me is how to run for camp when there is danger in the woods.” Cano hesitated and then added “like yesterday.”

  The chief’s son knew there was talk in camp about why he wasn’t in the fight with the saber-tooth. However, this was the first time anyone had dared say anything aloud. The rage he felt redoubled itself and surged to the surface. He held the squirming pup up to Cano, then reached up his other hand, and grasped the pup’s head; he twisted until its neck snapped. He smiled and tossed the pup’s lifeless body to the ground at Cano’s feet.

  In less than a heartbeat, Cano’s fist flashed out and struck Bana’s face with such force that his nose seemed to explode. Bana staggered back with his hands over his shattered nose. Cano knocked his hands away, and grabbing his throat in both hands, started squeezing with all of his might.

  Bana grabbed Cano’s throat instinctively and returned the pressure. He liked hurting him. It made him smile.

  Cano saw the smile on his face and decided to see if he could remove it. He released his right hand from Bana’s neck, drew back his fist, and smashed it into his face. It felt so good he did it again. Bana’s mouth was a bloody mess. The smile was gone. Cano struck repeatedly until the hands at his throat slipped away and Bana fell to the ground and rolled over. Cano stood over him and looked down. He asked quietly “Is my lesson over yet?”