Ember of a New World

by Watson, Tom

  “My-people use-big-boat. Three more-big than Ember boat,” she said indicating that her people used a boat at least three times the size of their small dugout boat.

  “Boat is more-deep. Much-danger. Some die if come-storm.” Ember didn’t like what she was hearing, but if this was the fate of the Gods, perhaps she could pray for a good crossing. The Gods had been a mixture of helpful and not, so far. If this was their will, a moment given to them might make a difference. Ember winked at Brig'dha, then stood suddenly and walked towards the sandy shore by the water. Brig'dha merely watched her walk away with a confused look on her face. Above Ember, the halfway full moon looked down upon her. After walking perhaps ten lengths of a man from the fire, Ember was nearly at the water. The pebbly sand at her feet was damp and an occasional wave came as far as touching her bare feet. Ember stood for a while, breathed in the salty air, and stretched her tired muscles.

  The air was cold and standing so far from the fire was uncomfortable, but the waves and the never ending breeze put her in the mood for what she was to do. Ember looked up at the moon with her arms held wide and began to sing a ritual song of good luck as she slowly swayed back and forth. These songs and dances were the way of her people, and she had to hope her Gods would hear her. As she swayed, Ember sung each word in a soft melody.

  “God of the lands, Goddess of the moon and skies, God of the Sun, Goddess of rivers, hear my words...” A moment later, Ember heard a second voice behind her, but in a different language. As she turned, Ember found Brig'dha singing and trying to dance as Ember danced. Brig'dha’s movements were rigid and not elegant in the flowing way the people of Ember's tribe danced. Ember concluded that Brig'dha's people were not dancers. Where Brig'dha lacked in dancing, she made up in song, for she sang the most powerful and beautiful song Ember had ever heard. Her words were full of spirit and her rhythm was very slow, filling Ember with a sense of bravery and emotion.

  Brig'dha sang with a powerful voice, often switching her voice pattern in a complex fashion. Her tone oddly tended to stay the same for a short period, suddenly switching higher or lower. Ember sang in quicker and more dynamic manner, the way of her people. Ember smiled, welcoming the help of Brig'dha and her local Gods. Matching their songs as well as they could, the women danced in the cold starry night and let their songs blend into a long prayer for a safe journey. The two young women danced and sang long into the night.

  The next morning, Ember awoke to the rising sun and the call of returning birds. The thawing season was in full swing, and within perhaps nine ten-days the warm season would return. Ember had no idea if she would live through the journey, but she knew that she had to do this. Brig'dha awoke a moment later with a yawn and required immediate stretching. Ember got up and walked over to the Greatest River's mighty shore to wash. Brig'dha watched her go and started rebuilding a fire.

  Does that girl think she's a fish? That water will be very cold! Brig'dha thought. Brig'dha's own people would walk to the water with large pots and capture water to take back to a fire. Water warmed by a fire was the only way to bathe, as far as Brig'dha was concerned. As she fumbled with the fire bow, Brig'dha watched Ember wobbling around in the cold water. She shook her head.

  What makes her do the strange things she does? Surely the Gods possess her, Brig'dha thought to herself with a little mirth.

  The waves were something Ember didn't normally deal with. The water was cold, and so was the breeze. For this reason and for the sake of modesty, Ember tried to wash herself in her skirt, but finally gave up as yet another wave slapped into her, and stripped. Once stripped, Ember sprinted towards the ice cold water and dove in! The water was not much colder than the snow melted water in the Great River. Regardless, it was still incredibly cold and a shock to anyone unused to it. Ember's people tended to swim more than many of the other tribes she knew of, and her people were all quite used to cold water. Little pricks of pain covered her body as she quickly rubbed herself down. The cold was so intense that it took Ember's breath away and made her squeal. As she finished and stood, Ember let loose a loud cry expressing just how cold the water was. Brig'dha simply stared with her mouth open.

  She is totally crazy, Brig'dha thought.

  By the time Ember had returned to the camp, Brig'dha had stirred up a new fire, having watched her water-loving friend perform this crazed ritual each morning so far. Ember huddled by the fire wrapped in a skin for a short while until she was fully dried. Ember normally did not clean her hair each day due to the cold, but today she had fully dove into the water. Ember slung her hair over her shoulder and let the fire dry it quickly. Wet hair was a good way to become ill.

  By midday, Ember and Brig'dha had decided to wait a few more days until they had fully rested. A few days resting by a fire never hurt anyone, Ember had reasoned, and the moon would be full when they left. If the trip took longer than a day, the moon would be a life-or-death tool. The big problem with the moon was determining when the moon would be full. The elders of Ember's tribe could tell exactly when the moon would be full using a stone with grooves cut into it. Ember was hardly an elder, but she figured she would know the night before, at least.

  The second important task was to eat. The faster and harder they rowed, the quicker the trip would be finished. They would have little space for extra food, needing most of their space for water. Both women ate heavily over the next few days for they would need the strength for rowing. Ember took eating very seriously, stuffing her face with as much of the dried provisions as possible. One warmer day, Ember even braved the shallow inlets where the Great River emptied into the Greatest River, spearing several large fish. After several days, Brig'dha took Ember side to ask her a question which had been bothering her.

  “Ember, we-eat food because we no-take?” Brig'dha asked.

  “Yes, that-is plan,” Ember replied.

  “If we-eat, food still come-with us?” Brig'dha concluded. Ember stared with a dumbfounded expression. Argh! Brig'dha was correct, she realized. Both women laughed. After days of eating, Ember was looking a little stuffed. She laughed at the thought.

  “If we-sink, we-sink with-full belly,” Ember said shrugging. “Brig'dha, do-you think person could-swim to Inn'bry'th?” Brig'dha shook her head emphatically no. Both women laughed at the thought. The next few days were spent relaxing, singing, and eating the dried deer meat by a roaring camp fire. As they waited, Ember hoped the weather would hold out. A set of four or five clear days during the thawing season was uncommon, but that was what the prayers were for, Ember supposed.

  A full seven days after they had arrived on the beach, Ember and Brig'dha awoke as early as they could to start their journey. This was to be the day of crossing. Ember had spent a long while staring at the moon each night and was sure this very night would be a full moon. The weather had been a little dreary for a few days, but the night before the weather had cleared. All signs pointed to this being the day and the women were not going to let this day pass. After a quick wash and some food, Ember and Brig'dha stood by the little boat, now missing much of its supplies. The boat had been painted with what Brig'dha had explained were magical symbols, using a mixture of fish oil and black soot from the fire. The triple swirl patterns looked stunning, but attracted birds a little more than Ember would have liked.

  Ember and Brig'dha had taken the last of a red ocher paint given to them by Eva and Kat'ja and painted their bodies for luck. Ember had covered herself from head to toe in fingertip-sized dots while Brig'dha had chosen swirls around her knees, elbows, stomach, and cheeks. Both women had dressed as warmly as they could, which hid most of their paints, but Ember had assured Brig'dha that the Gods could still see the paints. Before leaving, they checked their clothing, ensured the oars were tied to the boat, at Ember's request, and stretched their bodies. After a short while, Ember moved forward and gave Brig'dha a hug.

  “Ready?” Ember asked.

  “Yes, ready,” Brig'dha replied. Both nodded and took off their
boots, tossing them into the boat to keep them dry.

  The women started pushing the boat into the waves and quickly learned how hard it was to get a boat through the surf. The water buffeted the little boat as the women tried hard to keep it straight. The water had risen to their waists when Ember gave the signal to get aboard the craft. Both women tried to climb into the boat through the raging water, waves hitting them hard and water getting in their eyes. Ember hauled herself into the boat, using the waves to help push her over the side. She paused for a moment to catch her breath, and then realized that Brig'dha had not made it in. Brig'dha couldn't quite lift herself and was nearly toppling the boat in her struggles. Brig'dha was not used to cold water and was having trouble with the shock of the cold. Ember threw her hand down and grabbed Brig'dha's belt, pulling her aboard.

  The boat bounced through the water slamming hard into waves and rocking nearly out of control. Both women knew that turning the same direction as the waves would spell their end as they would capsize. Grabbing their oars, they pulled and pulled against the strong currents, fighting with all of their strength to keep the boat pointed into the waves. After a short period of intense pulling, the women had moved the boat past the break and into the deeper water away from the shore. While being intense and tiring, the actual voyage through the surf and into the deeper water had not caused too much real damage.

  The boat was half full of water and riding very low, but most of the provisions had made it. Both women carefully scooped most of the water from the boat and checked on supplies. They had lashed the limited supplies to the back and front of the boat using their two large deer hides to protect the dried goods. Their water had been placed in pots with thinner necks and leather wrappings had been secured around the necks to keep the water from splashing out. Some water had been lost, but most of their meager supply was still in the jars.

  The wind and wetness made both women cold. Quickly, they put on their warm boots and took turns at having a short rest before continuing. There warmer clothing had been secured with the dried goods under the larger deer skins to keep them dry until they were in the deeper water. Ember carefully removed her leather shirt and skirt, replacing them with dry clothing and her warm boots. After a short time, she was again warm and dry. Brig'dha had previously done the same thing when her rest time came. Before long, both women were as warm as they could be in the cold waters of the Greatest River.

  Ember had argued that a small fire could be safely lit in the center of the boat, but Brig'dha had explained how poorly boats and fires mixed. Additionally, all of the extra wood would lower the boat in the water. Ember had conceded the point after more careful thought. In the end, the women had decided to use body heat and their collection of furs, hides, and clothing to stay warm.

  The morning of the first day was full of unexpected events as the women learned how to sail a small river boat in the Greatest River. The water pulled the boat ever so slightly to the south, as best as Ember could tell from watching the shore, but there was little she could do about it. She kept following the sun as it moved across the sky and praying that the Gods showed her mercy.

  Chapter 20: A New World

  The ancient mouth of the Rhine was quite wide and full of many tributary waterways which opened into the North Sea. The beaches along the coast were sometimes pebbly, but often sandy. Leaving the river for the wide open ocean could not be understated as a brave act. The waters of the North Sea are cold and unforgiving. Unlike the Rhine, the ocean can swallow entire ships with ease and no one existed to aid those lost at sea. Luckily, the frigid winter winds would have mostly ceased by the time the women arrived at the coastline. At this point, the women are approximately twenty miles south of the city of Rotterdam in the Netherlands. It should be noted that 7,500 years ago, the coast line, water depth, and general orientation of the coast would not be the same as today.

  Only a few thousand years before, the island of Britain was connected to mainland Europe. The landmass of Doggerland had only fully disappeared beneath the waves a mere five hundred to one thousand years before. The result of these changes to the ancient English Channel and North Sea was likely a smoother trip from Europe to Britain. Perhaps the shallower waters of the North Sea and English Channel will afford Ember and Brig'dha better fortunes.

  For much of the day, the women remained close to the shore, far beyond the surf, and moved west by southwest. Determining the actual heading was very difficult and became more so as the land drifted farther and farther from sight. Brig'dha had explained that the correct way across the Greatest River, according to her late husband, was to travel south west for perhaps a day or more by water. The big worry to both women was the current. Ember was sure it was moving the boat, but she didn't know in which way it flowed.

  She tried various means to determine the water current using methods that she knew worked on a river. Ember held her fishing spear in the water to feel the current and tossed bits of drift wood upon the water to watch it float. These methods all failed to show Ember any current, and yet she knew the water was moving them far more than the rowing. Ember had wanted to get a better feel for the way the waters worked in the Greatest River before venturing into the unknown of the horizon and the edge of the world, but the timing had just not worked out. From early morning until late night the two women slowly moved south west, or so they reckoned, taking turns rowing and keeping from over exerting themselves. Both women had spent much of their lives in fields picking plants or harvesting flora from the forests. As a result, both had the arm strength and endurance to tolerate some extended rowing.

  As the night came upon them, Ember started to panic. Cold darkness was rolling in upon them, and no land was in sight. She had long lost sight of the shore and now saw only water. The thought of being alone in a void of endless water frightened Ember. She was acutely aware of the power of water and the spirits which inhabited water. They could flip the boat over and drown them at a whim. Seeing Ember's fear, Brig'dha reassured her that they would be okay. Ember was unsure how drifting at night in a small boat in the middle of the largest river she had ever imagined would be, “okay.”

  With the night coming fully, the women took turns sleeping, always with one awake and keeping the boat moving in what they thought was the correct direction. Ember thanked the Gods for the bright and full moon. It was by the light of the moon that Ember now drew her strength, fear always just below her chest and ready to rise up. She would have to trust Brig'dha; what else could she do?

  The night passed its mid-point, and Ember lay on her back with her head propped on a deer hide. Brig'dha slept with her head in Ember's lap, allowing the women to stretch out and to help each other remain warm. Ember was glad she had tied the oars to the boat. She had dozed off a few times, by accident, and each time the oar would have slipped into the night had it not been tied down, due to the waves. While causing fear, the waves were oddly relaxing…, and Ember suddenly shook herself free from a near sleep experience. As she came to, Ember realized that Brig'dha was awake. Brig'dha looked tired from having just awoken, but she was also worried.

  “What is-wrong,” Ember asked.

  “Were we-good to-kill men?” Brig'dha said. Ember was taken aback by the question, both at how out of place it was and by the fact that she had, until then, kept from thinking deeply about the events of the recent past. Ember could still remember watching the life leaving the eyes of each man and how they gasped for air. Ember looked up at the moon for a short time and then back to Brig'dha.

  “I do-not know,” Ember said. In fact, she was unsure of herself concerning those events. A flood of emotions and memories came upon her, and Ember lay back in the boat and took the time to consider them. She felt an odd sense of guilt, but when she thought about the source of the guilt, she could not pin it down. Taking women in the way those men had was not uncommon and perhaps the deaths had been an accident? No, she kept remembering the way the men had laughed at her and how they had acted. Th
ey didn't act like good men who had merely met with an unfortunate set of experiences.

  Why is it not okay to kill to protect others? Ember wondered to herself. Who decides who is right and who is wrong? The Gods remain silent on this, so why can't I decide? But if I decide it is okay to kill the men to save the women, and that is okay, then is it not also okay for the men to choose to take the women? What about their reasons? If the Gods will not say what is right and wrong, how do I know?

  Brig'dha didn't say anything as Ember continued with her deliberations, merely watching the moon as the boat bobbed about in the night. Time went by as Ember mulled the memories of the battle around trying to find where she had gone wrong. No matter how many ways she tried to condemn herself, the faces of the scared women returned to her. She remembered the people on the shores crying and the fear in the eyes of those women, girls really. No, she was sure she had done the right thing.