Bana crawled to his knees slowly, dripping blood on the ground. Then with a lightning like move he threw a handful of dirt into Cano’s eyes.
Cano staggered back blinking his eyes in an effort to clear them, it was futile. “No, the lesson isn’t over yet,” hissed Bana through his mangled mouth. He smashed his head into Cano’s stomach and knocked him to the ground. He jumped on top of him, grabbed his ears, and started pounding his head on the ground. He soon tired of this and started pounding him in the face with both of his fists. Cano was almost unconscious and bleeding from his nose and mouth.
Gennos came slowly awake, as the fight had just started. He had gotten to his feet and shuffled over to where Bana was beating Cano. He tried to pull him off but was rewarded with a forearm to the head, which sent him spinning to the ground. He knew he had to stop the fight or Bana would kill Cano. As he rose to his feet, he saw the Canohawk on the ground. Quickly he picked it up and rushed back to the fighting pair. He turned the Canohawk so that when he hit Bana it would be with the flat side of the head and not the blade of the weapon. Before he could complete his swing, he felt someone grab his forearm. He spun around trying to break the grip. He came face to face with Koonai.
“Gennos stop!” he yelled.
In the meantime, Hedra had grabbed Bana and dragged him from Cano’s still form. Bana twisted and tried to break free until he saw who it was that held him.
“What is going on here?” he demanded. “Don’t we have enough trouble without us fighting among ourselves?” Hedra turned to Koonai, “Take Gennos and see how badly Cano is hurt. Try to find out what happened here. I’ll try to find out what this fool has to say.” He motioned to Bana to follow him. “Koonai, come to my fire when you are done and we can decide what is to be done.” With a scowl on his face, he grabbed his son and dragged him away.
Gennos explained what had happened. Dola also explained how it had all started. When Gennos had finished, Cano was sitting up wiping the blood from his face, Koonai spoke,” I will speak with Hedra, but there is a problem that will cause trouble. You,” he looked at Gennos, “have broken the most serious rule of the clan. You raised a weapon of death against another member of the clan. To make matters worse you did it to the chief’s son. You may have been justified to fight, but we never raise weapons against each other.” He paused before continuing, “I must discuss with Hedra what should be done”. He moved quickly away before Cano could speak. Looking at his brother, he said “Why do things like this happen to us? I thought that yesterday was a bad day, but today is not looking good.” He paused, “It makes me mad, Bana causes all the trouble and we are the ones that are blamed. I look forward to the next time I get him alone. He won’t get me with the dirt in the face again.” He stopped a moment to tear a piece of loose skin from his torn lower lip and then said, “Hey, you know what? I forgot to say thanks for helping; I could be in bad shape if you hadn’t helped.”
Gennos smiled at his brother “I hope you are not saying that you are in good shape. I have seen animals hurt less than you die. Lets get your face cleaned up, although there isn’t much I can do, it has always been a mess.” He dodged the swing Cano threw at him, and then smiled more when he saw the way Cano winced from the effort of the swing.
The Clan of the Spear’s camp was quiet and subdued for the rest of the day. Everyone except Dola stayed close to his or her hearth. Dola had gathered the four little bodies of the wolves, carried them into the brush, and buried them. He hid them so that no one would try to eat them. He had been told to take care of them and look what had happened. Almost all of them were dead. It was his fault. He would make sure that nothing bad would happen to Whiteface. When he had finished with the burial, he piled rocks on the tiny graves. He felt so guilty about the loss of the pups. He had failed Cano. Gennos had told him not to worry, that it wasn’t his fault. The final truth was that there was only one wolf left.
When Dola returned to camp, he took a small piece of meat to the remaining puppy. It was sleeping in the corner of the enclosure he had made for them. He reached out and gently stroked the pup’s fur; it was still soft and thick. He knew that later the fur would be coarse and much longer. The pup came awake slowly and rolled onto its back. Dola stroked the young female wolf’s stomach. It rolled its head to the side and then wagged its black tail. The stomach was so soft and warm that he smiled at the little fur ball. After a few moments of stroking the wolf, Dola spoke in a quiet voice, “Whiteface, would you like some thing to eat? You can pretend that it is Bana. No, that’s a bad idea; he would probably make you sick.” Smiling to himself at his joke he placed the chunk of meat on the ground near the pup. Whiteface pounced on it with little growling noises. Dola watched little wolf devour the meat. As the pup ate, Dola made soft clucking noises with his mouth. At first, the pup looked up, but then he returned to eating.
Early the next day Koonai and Hedra called Gennos to a meeting. Cano came with his brother.
Hedra said, “We have talked over what happened. We have decided that the fault lies with more than one person. We will have suitable punishment for Bana, but now we are here to talk about what you did. You raised a weapon against a fellow clan member. There can be no excuse for this action. If we hadn’t come by when we did, you may have killed a clan member. Lucky for you that this didn’t happen or the punishment that you would have received would be much more severe. We have decided that you, Gennos are to be banished from the clan. When the sun sets on this day you must be gone.”
“That isn’t fair,” cried Cano. “We were the ones that were attacked; it was our wolves that were killed. Your son was the one at fault. He should be the one to be banished. He destroyed what belonged to us.”
Hedra had listened in silence, “You can think what you wish, but Gennos is to be banished by sunset today. That is my decision. Now leave this place and help your brother prepare to leave.”
Cano stood and stared at both Hedra and Koonai and then said, “No.”
Hedra was shocked by Cano’s retort. “What do you mean; 'NO.' Are you challenging me?”
Cano said, “I am not challenging you. I don’t like the decision that you have made. To send my brother away alone is to tell him to go die. I will not be a party to sending him to his death. It is not his fault that he was injured, but that injury is a death sentence if he is cast out of the clan. On the last hunt, we lost Menla and my mother. Now you have made a decision that has not only cost you Gennos but also another hunter.”
Hedra then asked, “Who do you speak of?”
Cano did not answer Hedra, but turned to his brother and said, “Come Brother, we must pack.”
While they walked back to their hearth Gennos said, “This is silly brother. I will be able to live by myself. Besides, your life is here with Ceola. You and her are to mate. That is the life that you should have.”
“I can still have that life, but not here. I will ask her to come with us. I can hunt for all of us.” Cano hesitated and then added, “Do you think I would abandon my big brother after he saved my life?”
“I didn’t save your life; I was just going to swat Bana upside his head with the flat part of your Canohawk.” Then he paused for a moment and then said, “It still seems like a good idea.” He paused again, smiled and then said, “Well maybe later.”
Cano returned the smile, “You start packing, and I’m going to see Ceola.”
When he reached her hearth, he saw that her eyes were red from crying. “I’m sorry about your Father, I would have been here sooner, but I’ve had a bit of trouble. I want you to know that I will miss him too.” He reached out and took her hands. “I tried to save him from the saber tooth, but it was to fast for me. I tried, I really tried, but it was no use. I liked your father; he was a good man.”
She put her arms around his neck and hugged him. “I will miss him so. I have no one now. My mother is gone and now my father, I only have the children.”
Cano pulled back from her, “That isn’
t true, you have me. That is why I have come here. You heard of the fight with Bana?”
She nodded yes.
Cano continued, “That is why I have come. Hedra has decided that Gennos is to be banished from the clan for raising a weapon against a fellow clan member. He has to leave by sunset.”
“How does that affect you?” she asked.
“My brother saved my life by raising that weapon. He is my family. Where he goes, we go. That is why I am here. I want you, Dola, and little Opla to come with us. We will start our own clan.” He stood there smiling expectantly at her.
She stared at him silently for a few moments before answering, “I know that you are a good hunter, but can you hunt to feed us all? What happens if you can’t do it? Do we all die because your brother broke a rule? I love you and want you for a mate, but I can’t give up the lives of my little brother and sister for you. Can’t you stay? Gennos is smart; maybe he will be all right by himself.”
Cano was shocked; this wasn’t what he expected. He was being forced to choose between the woman he loved and his brother, his own blood. After hearing her last comments, he wasn’t sure this was the Ceola he loved. “I can’t believe I’m hearing you say these words. I can no more betray my brother than I could betray you. Say that you will be my mate, and come with us when we leave the camp on this day. The last thing I will say is from my heart. You are my love. Please come with us. A new life waits for us.” He brushed the hair from her face and touched her cheek.
“What I hear you saying is that you can not give up your family because it is your duty to take care of them. But that is what you are expecting me to do. We both know that when times are hard, it is the young that die first. I love you more than I love life. Yet you ask me to possibly sacrifice my brother and sister so that you may save your brother.” She stood there with tears streaming down her face.
What was it to be? He could not turn away from his blood, just as she could not turn away from her blood. She would be happy to be with him, but could they survive with only a single hunter to feed them all? Could she trade her brother and sister for a mate? Her shoulders shook with the tears she was shedding. Not long ago she was happy, she had a family and would soon mate. Now her father was gone and soon her love would leave her. Should she or could she give up her brother and sister for her happiness? I don’t know, she thought, I just don’t know.
Cano had been standing quietly watching her cry. He had said all he could say. If she loved him, if she trusted him she would come. If she doubted him, then she would think of herself first and stay with the clan. Sadly, he turned away and returned to his hearth to pack.
As Cano turned away, she felt sick. Her stomach had been acting up for the last couple of days. She moved off to the side of her shelter and vomited. Just what I need she thought, this is no time to get sick. It seemed worse in the morning, usually by afternoon she felt fine.
That day just before sunset, Cano and Gennos were ready to leave. Cano looked across the campsite toward Ceola’s hearth. She had a fire going and her back was to him. So he thought, 'She has made her choice.' He started to turn away when he felt his brother’s hand on his arm. He turned and looked silently at him.
“Why don’t you go to her, I can do this by myself. There is no need for you to waste your life as mine has been wasted. Go to her and live a full life.”
Cano spoke in a low voice, “If you believe that I could live a happy life by watching you walk from this camp by yourself, then you are not the brother I know. I love her more than anything in this world, but it was her choice. Come, my brother it is time for an adventure.”
They each had a small pack with food and water. Cano carried a spear in each hand and his Canohawk at his side on a thong. Gennos carried only one spear to help him walk and a Canohawk at his waist. They moved past the members of the clan that watched silently as they left the camp. They walked with their heads held high, eyes straight ahead. They walked with the sunset at their backs. A small pack that Cano carried seemed to move by its self. A small white furry head poked out of the flap.
No one present knew a milestone in Man's journey was being passed. On this day, a new relationship started between man and beast, it would last thousands of years. All an observer could see were two men and a puppy leaving camp at sunset. Nevertheless, it was the dawn of a new Era.
The Trek
After leaving the campground of the Clan of the Spear, the two young men traveled as far as they could before dark. They found a good campsite in a stand of tall trees, but it was without water. Cano gathered wood for the fire and Gennos prepared some of the food that they had brought along. The white-faced wolf was tied to a sapling with a strip of rawhide. She was enjoying a scrap of meaty mammoth hide beneath a small bush.
When they had finished eating and were bedded down, they lay looking up at the starry sky through the tree branches. Neither spoke for a long time, they were both lost in their own thoughts.
Gennos spoke first, "You know you should have stayed.”
Cano did not answer right away, "You know why I could not stay. I feel betrayed, not by you, but by her. I offered her everything I could if she would come with us. I thought she loved me as I love her. She said that she cared for me, but she had to think of her brother and sister. She said someone had to take care of them, that it was her responsibility. That may be so, but I could take care of all of them." Pausing, he took a deep breath and then sighed before continuing. "I hope the pain I feel will go away. But I don’t know if it ever will, I don’t want to think about it, but I can’t help myself." He hesitated again, as he relived their last moments together. "I think that the deepest pain is that she didn’t believe in me. I can understand her concern for her family. She cares for her family, as I care for mine. What I can’t understand is her not believing I could take care of all of us. It was her choice; she said she loved me. Yet the first time a test of her love came, she failed it."
Gennos listened quietly, knowing that his brother needed to think out their present situation. By speaking the words, he was able to put things in their proper order. He knew how much this break with Ceola had hurt him. He knew that after tonight he would speak little of her, but he also knew that the love he had for her would be slow to die. The pain he felt now was a wound that would eventually heal, and the only remembrance of it would be a scar. And the scar would have a name, Ceola.
Gennos decided to change the course of Cano's thinking by changing the subject. "Brother," Gennos asked, "Where do you think we should go when the sun rises?"
Cano was deep in thought and startled by Gennos's voice and said, "What?"
"I said, do you have any idea where we're going?"
Cano rolled over on his side so that he could see his brother better. "Why yes, I know exactly where we're going. Would you like me to explain it to you?"
Gennos said, "I would really like to know. After all, here we are in the woods with little food and even less water. AH Way, I forgot we have the protection of a white-faced wolf." He added, "Please tell me where we're going."
Cano smiled and answered, "And you are supposed to be the smart one in the family. I thought that you would have figured out by now where we are going. Now listen carefully and I will tell you. When I'm finished you may ask questions." He paused and then continued, "We are going away." With this, he touched his chest with his right hand, palm down, and made a smooth motion away from his chest with his hand.
Gennos looked at him for several moments before replying. "This is your plan? Away, that's it? Maybe I should have let Bana put you out of your misery. After hearing your plan I am sure you are correct about one thing. I am the smart one in this family. I think we should change your plan to include an important detail which you left out." Cano was beginning to feel better. "Oh smart one, what detail did I leave out?"
Gennos gave him a mocking smile. "You think we should go away. I think we should go away--- that way." Pointing in the direction that they h
ad been traveling.
Cano picked up a stick and threw it at his brother. Gennos dodged the stick, but before he could return it, they were interrupted. They heard a growl coming from the small wolf that seemed much too big to be coming from the little bundle of fur.
Both men silently reached for their weapons, Cano looked over at the small wolf. It was looking off into the darkness, its ruff was up and a snarl curled past his tiny mouth. Cano took hold of his Canohawk, rolled away from the fire, and stood.
Gennos lay aside his weapon and piled more fuel on the fire.
The wolf moved to the end of her restraint. Suddenly, her ruff went down and she began to wag her tail. She began barking and jerking at her restraint.
Cano looked in the direction the wolf was looking and saw movement in the brush. He moved into a better position so they could defend themselves against this unknown danger. That is when he heard something unexpected.
"Cano…Cano…Can I come into the camp?" It was Dola.
Neither brother spoke as the small figure approached the fire.
Gennos was the first to reply. "Dola what are you doing here? You know how dangerous it is in the woods at night. Why are you here?"
Dola moved into the firelight and stood looking at the brothers. "I had to come, I have no place to stay," he said in frighten voice.
Cano was excited, "Has Ceola come with you?" He said as he hopefully scanned the dark woods.
"No," said Dola, "I come alone."
Gennos moved closer to the boy and asked again, "Why are you here? You know it is not wise to be this far from camp at night. Tell me why you came here when it is so dangerous."
The Thinking Rocks Page 12