by Watson, Tom
Keeping a gutted fish on a stick was not easy. The tail would be cut off and a slit made from the belly through the tail muscle and out of the hole where the tail had been. The stick was inserted through the mouth and made to exit the hole where the tail had been. A second stick, poking into the opened belly, would be needed to turn and control the fish as it crackled over the fire. The mussels were simply placed beside the fire where they could steam from the inside. Their little shells would slowly open telling Ember that they were done.
Ember slid a fish, as hot as it was, but being very hungry, off of its cooking stick and started eating it. Ember carefully licked burned fingers as she tasted the wonderful fish meat. She carefully ate each fish heart, her favorite part, as well as other assorted fish organs. Her now oily fingers were a welcomed thing indeed. Ember lay back on the pebbly sand and nibbled the inside of each mussel, chewing the succulent sweet meat.
With her hunger abated, Ember now took note of her long doe skin shirt. It covered her as she walked, but it lacked much protection at the bottom. Sitting on the sandy shore had quickly reminded Ember why her people, and all other peoples she knew of, used reed mats or hides for sitting. Flax cloth was very comfortable but too valuable for sitting on. Worse, any person she might meet would see her in a compromised position if she so much as moved! The wind reminded her of these facts repeatedly.
Standing in place and waving with a smile is hardly the right way to interact with people, she thought with a smirk.
Nudity, when required, was not a major concern of her people but covering oneself was still more comfortable and polite. Additionally, other tribes who lived farther from the rivers were more modest. Besides, being a woman, she would need to change her breechcloth or even remove it entirely if she should have her pains, which came every three to four ten-days. In the village, she would use long grasses and several changes of breechcloths every day of that painful business, but out here, she would be forced to wait it out when it came. Ember needed a skirt. With these issues in mind, she walked along the river bank looking for the proper materials to construct a simple skirt. Her tool and clothing needs would not be satisfied with leather or rawhide as she hadn't any way to kill anything large enough and tanning took as much as a season!
Skins of animals could be obtained and made into simple useful leathers, but this took time. Skins could be simply scraped clean of fat, meat, and outer skin. The process was time consuming, though quicker than tanning, and required a rack to stretch the leather. Ember considered possibly creating a fish-skin drying rack in a few days, if needed. Fish skin was easy to work with and the one animal she knew she could catch.
Not far from her “camp” grew tall reeds, a great resource and incredibly useful building material. Reeds, especially the wide firm ones she had seen by the bank, were strong and flexible. They could be worked into clothing, baskets, and shelters. Ember walked to the bank and carefully selected some choice reeds. She chose an armload of the longest and strongest segments and placed them into a pool of water by the river bank. They would soak up water and become more flexible over the course of the day. Ember felt good taking back some control over her situation. She was starting to feel a slight tingle of freedom in her body.
With her building materials on the way and food supplies replenished, Ember turned her attention towards herself. The blue on Ember's skin was nearly faded away, and more coloring would be needed. Colored skin tended to repel insects, though this was the effect of the colorant used and not the color itself. Painted skin was also a custom of her people, and she would feel better with her second skins of reed and paint.
Ember would remedy her clothing issues soon enough, but she could start making the remedy for the coloring first. Ember carefully searched the River's edge until she found some quality smooth and pure clay. Scooping a good handful, she returned to her “camp” and placed the clay on a flat rock. Pulling the slab of cool light colored clay apart she removed a bit of the purest clay, with a rich uniform color. As she pulled the piece of clay out from the slab, little bubbles of air and water squished from the clay.
Before she could finish, she found herself poking a finger in the clay and making a funny noise.
Pokee pokee... After a moment of this, she considered how silly she was being and resumed her work. The clay would become the base of new body paint. Before she could finish, she would need to obtain oil and bone char. The clay would need time to dry a little, as well. Ember sat the clay on a smooth rock in the direct sun a few moments’ walk from her fire to dry. As the clay dried, Ember returned to her would-be camp to check on her two remaining cooked fish.
The fish were still intact when she returned to them. It was important to guard your food against birds and small animals. The day was still early, and Ember was still quite tired from the night before. She decided to leave the clay to dry a little longer, it was quite wet, and take a short nap while the reeds soaked. Ember relaxed on the shore for a while, periodically taking a drink at the river and eating of her cooked fish. What a fine day this was. The sun slowly warmed her skin and Ember found herself almost feeling relaxed. Ember broke into a long and cheerful song. As she sung, she listened to her voice as it disappeared into the woods to join the birds and other animals.
As evening rolled in, Ember sat beside her fire pit preparing to fix her skirt. The reeds had soaked most of the day and were now quite flexible. Over the fire, she heated the middle portions of the soaked reeds using a long stick to hold them over the flame. After a short time, she folded the reeds in half, length-wise and cooled them in the river water. The reeds were now folded in two. Ember placed these reeds on the ground side by side in a row roughly two arm lengths long and one arm’s length tall; a sort of “panel”. She carefully wove several wet reeds through the panel of reeds at a perpendicular angle as one would weave a reed basket. This connected all of the reeds allowing them to hang off of the main reed.
The process of weaving a skirt took a long time, but Ember had nothing much to do that evening. When she was finished, she had a simple reed skirt with ten reeds forming a belt across the top and many long reeds hanging to knee level. Ember left the new skirt upon the sand to dry. Her leather belt would further bolster the weakly constructed skirt. She would be more comfortable tomorrow with her new clothing, though she longed for a proper leather skirt.
As the evening turned into night, Ember lay on the sandy beach by her now larger fire and fell asleep. It had been a good day, and she still had a fish for tomorrow’s breakfast. The clay would probably be ready by the morning, and perhaps tonight she could get some needed rest. The moon was out and the sky was beautifully clad in stars. There were clouds, but they were far to the south west. Ember relaxed and let herself drift into a deep sleep.
Ember awoke to the sound of chewing and sniffing. She opened her eyes to a dark sky with a moon blocked by clouds. She started to wonder if the sound was a dream when she heard it again, this time from her other side. She rolled onto her back and quickly turned her head to look, too frightened to sit up. Not one length of a man from her stood a large wolf! The wolf was very large with gray fur and bright yellow eyes, like the moon, which turned to regard Ember.
Staring a wolf in the face close enough to smell its breath took Ember's away. She was frozen, unable to even blink. The wolf lifted its lips showing its fierce sharp teeth and issued a low growl. Ember was so frightened that tears rolled down her face. The moment of fight or flight came upon Ember, and she chose the former. Kicking her feet at the dirt before the wolf, she blasted enough sand into the air to disturb the beast. With a snarl, the wolf backed off a short distance and turned lowering its head and baring its fangs. Ember quickly stood on shaky legs and looked around for a stone. Quickly picking up a heavy one, she hurled the missile at the wolf. The stone struck the hind quarters of the wolf causing it to whimper and run off.
How had this happened? Ember's brain slowly began to take in what was going on. She had been so deeply asleep t
hat she had let her guard down. Ember looked to her precious fire and saw, to her horror, that it was out! Fire would have thwarted the beasts, but in the dark of night with only her dagger, she was extremely vulnerable. As if an answer to her thoughts she heard wolves in the distance. This was a worsening situation, and Ember needed to react fast if she was to live. Suddenly, Ember realized why rabbits are so fearful.
The wolf stood its ground, seemingly as shocked to discover Ember as she was to discover it. Ember turned and ran from the wolf towards the river. She would attempt to seek refuge in the waters where a wolf might not go. Looking over her shoulder she saw the wolf right on her heels! Ember dashed into the water splashing in all directions, moving up to waist deep very quickly. She fought to move farther into the river with the splash of the wolf right behind her! As she felt the current tug against her waist, the sound of the wolf diminished. Ember turned in time to see the beast leaving the water. It had only just placed its paws in the water, not wishing to go deeper than a finger's length. Ember stood shaking in the cool water with a crisp breeze blowing, to make things worse. The season was warm, and she knew she could stand the water temperature for quite a while, but could she stand being in the water for the rest of the night? Even when people could swim in the Great River, it was still quite chilly. As if to punctuate that thought, three more wolves came from the forest edge, raising the total wolves to four.
This must be a pack, she thought.
Ember's options seemed a little bleak, but she had survived the river and was not about to be killed by some random wolves. People lived in villages for a reason, but a lone human was really outclassed by most animals and Ember would have to use her superior brain to defeat these skilled hunters. As the wolves slowly came from the forest to stalk by water’s edge, Ember made up her mind. She would try and walk down the river far enough away to keep safe and hope the wolves would lose interest. As she walked, slowly due to the strength of the slow but powerful river, the wolves continued to follow her. For a long time Ember walked and the wolves followed.
“Shoo! Go away! Stupid wolves!” The wolves appeared quite whiling to wait her out; not good at all. A new thought occurred to her: what made her think the morning would somehow banish the wolves? Just how long would they linger? Not far down the river Ember decided on a new and more proactive strategy. She was at a standoff distance, and the wolves could not advance without braving a river, something she was sure they would not do. Ember might eventually become too tired and become their meal or be swept away, but in the mean time they would pay and pay dearly. Ember strode closer to shore where the water was shallow and stuck her arms underwater feeling around for stones. The wolves approached her cautiously. When Ember's arms emerged from the water, they bore a new arsenal of ranged weapons.
The Gods had given the wolves speed and a powerful bite, but they gave Ember long arms, a good aim, and the understanding to use her environment as a tool. As she lifted the first missile, the wolf she had hit before turned and stalked away with its head down low. Ember hurled a rock at the same wolf hoping it would break before the rest and cause a total rout. The stone missed its target, but the wolf did scurry farther away. The others looked worried, dipping heads and pacing about, but they were not yet broken. Ember continued to hurl stones at each of the wolves in turn.
As the stone rain fell on the wolves they lost interest quickly, several taking nasty hits to their heads. The warm seasons provided lots of animals to eat and the need to hunt a single person was not worth being battered so much. Regardless, they remained close by in the edge of the woods in the event Ember was foolish enough to come ashore. Seeing their persistence Ember lost heart quickly. As their distance increased, her aim decreased. As if noting this, the wolves moved even farther from the water. She couldn't hurl a stone far enough to hit them.
Ember was standing in the chill waters of the flowing river without a warm sun and still quite tired as the water slowly sapped her strength. Every now and then she thought she felt something bump her leg, but she couldn't see what it had been as the waters were just too dark. Fear was starting to become ever present as the night rolled along. She felt her will to stand in the water wane with still half of the night ahead of her. Ember slowly started her walk down stream again but was unsure if the wolves were following her. Perhaps she could come ashore and climb a tree. From a tree, she could secure a place to rest, though sleep would be dangerous.
After much time had passed, when the wolves had not been seen or heard from in a while, Ember started her walk towards the shore. She brought two large stones, one in each hand, but she was unable to consider them anything more than a token against her own fear. Even if she threw them perfectly, which she would likely not, only two wolves could be wounded at best. There were at least four. Ember slowly placed her first cold foot onto the sand and then her second, moving slowly and carefully listening for any movement. The trees by the bank were small and not so firm. Farther in, a short dash, were large full sized trees. Before Ember, stood a large tree with massive limbs. She was pretty sure she could climb that tree but she would have to run into the bushes and the start of the forest to get to it. That would leave her vulnerable for a moment, perhaps a moment too long.
Slowly she walked, as quietly as her feet could move, towards the tree line. Once she thought she even saw the gold rings of wolf eyes. She kept walking, her heart pounding in her chest, heaving as it already was. Ember suddenly stepped on a dry branch snapping it and creating a loud noise. In the left corner of her eye, she saw movement. With a burst of pure panic, Ember sprinted for the tree, only just ahead. Her feet pounded into the ground, and her arms pumped as she ran blindly towards the tree, her vision darkening for everything but the tree. Just as she was nearly to the tree, she heard the low growl of a wolf right on her heals! This caused her to move even faster than she thought she could, a blind run!
Ember leaped up the tree planting one foot into the thick bark and the other right above it. The sharp bark bit into her skin as her momentum carried her up to her first hand hold, then the second. Ember literally pulled her body up to the first branch with just her arms, a feat she couldn't have normally done but for her fight or flight panic. Her tunnel vision and adrenaline made her goal of the next branch above her all she could think of, and she ignored all pain. The first pull had hurt her arms, though perhaps saved her life, but she couldn't pull herself up again, her momentum spent. Below her, the wolves jumped at the tree snarling and growling! Floundering, Ember kicked with her feet while she fought for a better grasp on the branch she was holding. The thought of being eaten alive filled her veins with primal fear! She could nearly pull herself up, but her weight was just a little heavier than what her arms could lift!
So close... no! She thought.
Ember knew pure terror as she felt her arms slowly giving way and her body sinking towards the wolves. She was to be eaten alive! Her feet suddenly found a wet furry face to step upon, and she planted all of her weight into that face, a now yelping wolf! Ember reached with her weakened right arm and grasped the branch above! The leg-up from the reluctant wolf was all she needed and moments later she was in the tree sitting on a large branch. Ember held the trunk tightly as a new born holds its mother. She quivered in fear as the wolves growled below. Their interest renewed by the meal so close and the droplets of blood from her injured feet.
Ember sat there for a while watching the wolves. She had lost her rocks somewhere before the trees. If she had them, she could teach these beasts a lesson. After a short time, the wolves lost interest and stalked off; Ember was not sure how far. When she calmed down, she checked herself for damage. The throbbing in her feet told her the answer. Ember's feet had literally bit into the tree, catching the bark and holding fast by the force of the bark digging into the soft flesh.
Ember shed many a tear as she removed a few pieces of bark. Her poor feet would heal quickly, they always had, but she needed to stay in one place for a while
, especially if a fever came. Sometimes wounds would cause a person to become very hot to the touch and even flush with color. Rest, removing debris from the wound, and heat were beneficial in reducing the chance of this. She needed a good rest as well as some security. Mostly, she needed a boat. Ember decided that come the next morning she would build a proper camp. Camps, with a shelter, fire, and traps, would offer security and a warm place to sleep. As she thought about the fire and how she would make a boat, Ember slowly fell asleep, still clutching the tree. Luckily, humans have had a long history of arboreal adventures, and true to her primate heritage, Ember snuggled against the tree, tightly, all night.
Each morning brings a new chance at life and a fresh look at the world. Ember awoke that next morning with a sense of hope. She had lived through the night and now would take measures to ensure that life continued. Her arms hurt from being wrapped around the tree all night, and her legs throbbed from springing to life from a dead sleep without taking the time to stretch. Worst of all was her poor foot, which continued to ache. Today she would take it slowly and build a temporary camp so that she could heal and rest for a few days. Perhaps she could possibly construct a new boat, even though she wasn't entirely sure how that was done. However, she did know how to rig a camp. Camps generally had the same design wherever you went: A central fire to cook, provide heat, perform rituals, and ward against animals, such as wolves, a simple hut made of wooden poles and thatching, a bed of woven reeds, and defenses. Everything else was decoration or convenience.
Ember climbed down from the tree and walked the short distance towards the river she had run to and from so fast the night before. Her feet hurt from their cuts, but the wood seemed to have not hurt her as badly as she had thought the night before. Her right foot bled a little, but blood loss cleaned a wound and was not to be feared unless it became a great amount. Generally, Ember was in physically acceptable shape, but she was without boots, fire bow, boat, or much hope. With a sigh, she set to work gathering sticks for kindling and firewood for the main fire. After a short while, Ember had gathered plenty of wood and even found her hunting spear in the process. The spear lay on the ground near her previous camp site by her finished reed skirt.