Bonesetter 2 -Winter-

by Laurence E. Dahners

As the evening meal wound down, Yadin got up and moved toward Agan, hoping to ask her whether he could be taught any of Cold Springs’ secrets. She looked up as he approached and somehow he felt like she already knew what he wanted to ask. Before he opened his mouth, she sidestepped him by asking, “Will you tell us a story tonight Yadin? Something about the Oppos, like Woday told us about the Falls-people last night? As you can see, Pell’s wolf is already here in the cave, so you don’t have to worry about being startled by it like happened to Woday.”

  Yadin felt frustrated to be deflected from his purpose. However, if telling a friendly story would induce them to tell him some of their secrets, it’d be well worth it. When he’d left the Aldans, he’d thought that the stories Lessa, Belk, and Gontra had told about Pell’s capabilities had to be exaggerated at best, or blatant lies at worst. However, by now he was starting to wonder if they might have understated the young man’s abilities.

  From his first meeting when Pell had fish that hadn’t been speared, to seeing him unerringly throwing stones and then today, to witnessing him today, apparently catching a rock pigeon without even being there…

  Yadin shook his head, but then smiled, “I’d be happy to tell you a story of an amazingly lucky hunt we Oppos had, though I must warn you that I’m a poor storyteller.”

  Agan waved a hand, indicating Yadin should proceed though, out of the corner of his eye, Yadin saw Tando, Ontru and Gurix wincing. After all, they’d all heard his story when he told it to the Aldans. They knew that it wasn’t a terribly interesting story and also that Yadin was a poor teller of tales. Nonetheless, Yadin began his story and worked his way through to the end, everyone listening politely. This was better than he’d have received back in the Oppos, where Yadin’s reputation frequently had people jeering even before he began speaking.

  When he’d finished, Tando snorted and turned to Agan, “I told you, he’s a good flint knapper, but a terrible storyteller.”

  For a moment, everyone gaped at Tando’s rudeness, but then they all broke into laughter. Some laughing so hard they were wiping tears from their eyes. Yadin found himself struggling not to laugh himself, though he protested, “I told you I wasn’t good at this!”

  Agan had kept her face still despite all the mirth expressed by the others. Once the laughing settled down she said, “Well, I hope that you all realize we did learn something important from Yadin’s story.”

  Yadin saw several of the others biting their tongues. After a moment Woday turned to Agan with a puzzled look on his face, “What did we learn?”

  Agan turned slowly to him, a serious look still on her face as she sonorously replied, “We learned… not to ask Yadin to tell stories.”

  The cave broke into gales of laughter once again. Somehow, having the serious Agan make a joke without cracking a smile made it all the funnier.

  Agan then called on Gia to tell a story. She launched into a fascinating story which she later admitted to just making up as she went along. It featured a lion which fell in love with a deer, and if that wasn’t ridiculous enough, went on to describe an elaborate wedding ceremony in which all sorts of other beasts participated!

  Yadin never got an opportunity to ask Agan about Cold Springs’ secrets.

  ***

  Fellax stalked back to the rear of the Oppos’ cave where Pont and Nosset were supposedly carrying out some kind of magical ceremony. As she’d suspected, the ceremony featured a small fire with dried hemp smoldering on top of it. At present both of them were lying on their sides. Nosset was giggling and Pont looked like he was nearly unconscious. “What are you two doing?!” Fellax hissed furiously.

  Nosset swayed upright. Pont slowly lolled his head into a different position that let him loosely focus his eyes on Fellax. Slowly, but with an attempt at haughtiness, Nosset said, “We’re performing a ceremony to fend off disease.”

  Pont said dreamily, “You’re interrupting the ceremony. Please leave before you muddle it.”

  Fellax stared at them in disgust. Though it was too dark to tell, she felt certain that if she could have seen, she’d have found their eyes bloodshot with the effects of the hemp. “I think you’re just hiding back here, leglessly hemped—trying to avoid any real work!” she said scathingly. Although she hated Pell, she’d liked his idea that everyone should work harder to get ready for the hungry months ahead. She’d tried to influence the Oppos in that direction, but, though they were happy for her to slave away, only a few of the women had made any effort to follow her lead. She’d come back to talk to the medicine men in hopes that, through Pont, she could get Nosset to influence his tribespeople to work at least a little harder.

  Pont struggled partially upright, then cast an imperious finger toward the cave opening. “Go! Don’t meddle in things you don’t understand!”

  Fellax stood her ground, chewing her lip and wondering how to bring these two idiots to their senses. Finally she said, “How long has Yadin been gone?”

  Pont still had his arm pointing at the exit and for a moment Fellax thought he’d repeat his demand that she leave. But then he dropped the arm and turned to Nosset with a puzzled look on his face, “Nosset, do you know how long it’s been?”

  Nosset frowned uncertainly, “Quite a few days.”

  “Shouldn’t he be back by now?”

  Nosset nodded thoughtfully.

  Fellax wondered whether Yadin might have recognized that Pell’s rules might help the hungry Aldans survive the winter. Maybe even survive the winter better than the Oppos were going to. The Oppos had stores of food, but not as much as she thought they would need.

  Pont had obviously been thinking as well. He said, “We should send someone to check on him. I’ll bet he’s been taken over by the same evil spirit that captured Pell!”

  A little eagerly, Nosset said, “We should have a big ceremony with the evening meal. We’ll tell them…” Nosset paused for a guilty look at Fellax, then changed his words. “We’ll try to divine what’s happened to Yadin, and if we can’t tell from here, we’ll suggest that someone should go to check on Yadin from afar.”

  Feeling a little lightheaded from the smoke, Fellax turned to leave. The two men reminded her of children playing make-believe.

  Dangerous children, since other men followed them.

  She wondered how she’d come to follow Pont when he’d left the Aldans.

  Pell murdered Roley, she thought. I couldn’t stay with the Aldans while they were in his thrall! Or, the thrall of the spirit controlling Pell, if you believed Pont.

  Still, she hadn’t loved Roley for quite some time. She wondered why she’d been so upset over his death. Had her pride caused her to make a decision she’d regret forever?

  ***

  In the morning, Manute and Deltin invited Yadin to go on a hunt with them. Tando enthusiastically invited himself along and asked Boro if he wanted to go as well. Woday glanced at Pell, worried that Pell would decide to go on the hunt as well. Not having much skill with spear throwing or facing down charging animals, Woday had little desire to expose himself to the derision other hunters usually heaped on him. Realizing Woday would never have much success killing large game himself, the Falls-people hunters had used him almost exclusively as a beater the past few years.

  To Woday’s relief, Pell made no effort to join the hunt. As the five men started up the ravine, full of braggadocio and enthusiasm, Pell turned to Woday and grinned, “Let’s go try out your new fish trap.”

  Pleased to be going somewhere with Pell, and even more proud to have it labeled his fish trap, Woday picked it up and tugged on the door they’d made at the end of it. He also got the fish guts he’d set aside the night before. Woday blinked, realizing that although he’d happily thought of the trap as his, really the only part of it that could actually be thought of as Woday’s would be the door. The concept of the fish trap belonged to Pell, yet Pell had readily given him credit, calling the trap Woday’s! He wondered if Pell really thought of the trap as Woday’s or w
as just such a cordial person that he dispensed recognition to others—rather than bragging like most people did.

  Or, did Pell just naïvely think it was Woday’s?

  Pell came out of the cave carrying another basket. It was similar in shape to the one Woday held in his hand, but much more loosely woven. Woday narrowed his eyes, “When did you make that one?!”

  Pell laughed, “My mother made it for me. Then, when you had your genius idea to put a door in them, she had to work late last night making a door!” He lifted an eyebrow at Woday, “You’re not on her good side, you know?”

  Woday threw his free hand up in a peacemaking gesture. “Wait! You didn’t tell her that I said she should fit it with a door, did you?!”

  “No,” Pell said in a jokingly ominous fashion, “but she knows it was your idea.”

  “But… but I can’t help having an idea. If it’s a good idea…” he trailed off plaintively.

  “Ah, but you see,” Pell smiled, “in her mind, you should have had this idea before she made the basket.”

  “But I didn’t even know about basket traps then!” Woday said exasperatedly.

  Pell shook his head sadly, “I’m told a good apprentice plans for the future.”

  Wide-eyed, Woday wondered if Pell really believed he should have anticipated…

  Pell broke into a broad smile, slapped Woday on the shoulder and said, “Don’t be so delicate. I haven’t been able to tease anyone for months so I’m taking it all out on you.”

  A wash of relief flooded over Woday, then he drew himself up and said pompously, “You’re not supposed to tease your elders.”

  Pell laughed as they walked along, then said as if he were sad, “Everybody’s my elder except Falin and Boro. Falin’s too young to tease and Boro’s been sick.” He shook his head mournfully, “And now you’re telling me I can’t even tease my apprentice?! What a sad world I live in.”

  Woday snorted, “I’m sure you’ll get by… somehow.”

  Pell surprised Woday by stopping off at a small meadow on their way down along the stream. He walked out to an area that was nearly bare and set down his loosely woven basket there. He said, “Do you see a rock I can use as a hammer?”

  Puzzled, Woday looked around and found a stone a little bigger than his fist. He picked it up, “Will this one do?”

  Pell nodded, pulling out a stake and pushing it through the loose weave of the basket from top to bottom. When Woday handed him the rock, he pounded the stake into the ground beneath the basket. Pell pounded another stake through the side of the basket near the opposite end, where the in-pointing reeds made the one way opening. He tugged and pulled on the basket as if to assure himself it was secure.

  Woday tilted his head as he studied the basket. Inside, it had a small, shallow clay bowl attached to the bottom of it. “What’s the bowl for?”

  “To hold the grain,” Pell said, untying the door at the end of the basket and reaching in with a little pouch to pour some grain into the bowl. Pulling his hand back out, he scattered a little more grain around the basket, then started retying the thongs to hold the door back in place.

  Woday shook his head slowly in confusion, “I think as soon as you put it in the water, the grain’ll float away. You should glue the grain in place with some resin or something.”

  Pell drew his head back as if surprised, “Oh! This is a bird trap, not a fish trap.” He grinned up at Woday, “You’ve got the fish trap. We’re leaving this thing here. We’ll check it on our way back.” He stood and started back toward the trail down along the stream.

  Woday followed, feeling as if the ground had shifted under him a little bit. Now that Pell had called it a “bird trap” Woday could see how it could trap birds just like the “fish trap” trapped fish. What shook him was the fact that he hadn’t recognized that a slight modification of the fish trap could turn it into something suitable for birds.

  They reached the little bend in the stream where they’d put the fish trap before. Pell stopped and looked around, then turned to Woday. “The first two times we put the trap in the water about there,” he said pointing. “Where do you think we should put it this time?”

  Woday looked where Pell was pointing. The water flowed there, but not very quickly. He pointed to a quiet eddy and said, “I think if you put it in the really slow water, over there where it’s rocky, you might get more crayfish.”

  “Oh, I liked the crayfish,” Pell said with a grin.

  They undid the door and reached in to tie the fish guts to the wall of the basket. They did the door back up, tied it to the small rope Pell had left there from the other times and tossed the fish trap into the stream where Woday had suggested.

  They watched from the vantage of the rock for a little while. Woday had been daydreaming when Pell nudged him. Speaking quietly, he said, “Look, there’s a crayfish investigating it.”

  Woday saw another crayfish beginning to creep out toward the basket as well. “We might catch quite a few!” he said, feeling quite pleased.

  Pell stood slowly, “Let’s leave this for a while and go see what’s happening with the bird trap.”

  As they walked back up to the little meadow, Woday felt his mind tumbling like the stream they walked beside. Finally, he said, “Why do we need the basket trap for birds? It seems like it’s easier to make the trap with the bent sapling.”

  “Yeah,” Pell said. “If they both catch the same number of birds, it’s crazy to spend a lot of time weaving baskets isn’t it?” Musingly, he continued, “But I think the basket trap might catch them uninjured. That might be useful.”

  “What?! Why?”

  Pell turned to look at him, “What if we kept the live birds around? We’d need a huge basket to keep them in. But if we did, we could feed them some grain to keep them alive, then, sometime in the middle of the winter, we could have fresh meat.”

  Woday was so surprised that he stopped walking.

  Pell stopped and turned to look at him curiously, “What do you think?”

  Woday stared at Pell for a minute, then said, “I don’t know. Wouldn’t it be better if we ate the grain, instead of having the birds eating the grain and us eating the birds?”

  Pell frowned a moment, then shrugged, “You’re probably right. I just thought it might be nice to have some grouse for a midwinter feast.”

  “Well, that’s true. But if the birds ate a lot of grain… Um, the women complain that harvesting and preparing grain is a lot of work. They might be pretty unhappy if you took the grain they worked so hard to harvest, thresh, winnow, and hull; then you fed it to a bird!”

  Pell’s eyes widened a little in surprise, then he grinned, “Oh! I think you just saved me from getting in a lot of trouble, didn’t you?” He frowned, “Though, I think a lot of the work is in threshing and the hulling of the grain. Do you think we could just toss the birds the un-threshed sheaves? I’m pretty sure that no one threshes or hulls the seeds that birds normally eat.”

  Surprised to be asked questions on a topic of which he had virtually no knowledge, Woday said, “I don’t know!” But then they rounded a copse into the meadow and saw that their new bird trap had two grouse in it. Woday turned to Pell and lifted an eyebrow, “I guess you could try it out with those two.”

  Pell had just seen the bird trap himself. He grinned, “I guess we can.” He snorted, “If I can keep Gia from eating those two birds.” He gave Woday a knowing look, “She really likes grouse.”

  ***

  Yadin enthusiastically followed Manute and Deltin as they started off on their hunt. He hoped to learn how they were so successful hunting small game. However, they led him up onto the big plateau above the ravine and, after surveying the possibilities, began discussing how they might manage to spear one of the big animals grazing up there.

  Yadin listened for a little while, thinking that there might be something special about the way they hunted big animals as well, but the ideas they discussed were similar to ones he’d used
when hunting with the Oppos. Eventually, Yadin said, “I was hoping to learn how you managed to kill rabbits, hedgehogs and squirrels almost every hunt.”

  Manute and Deltin looked at one another, then Manute said, “Um, we’d need Pell for that.”

  Yadin sighed, “And I suppose he’d tell me to ask Agan if it’s okay to teach me that secret?”

  Deltin laughed, “You’re probably right about that.”

  “I know he’s good at throwing rocks. Did he teach you guys some trick for throwing, something that makes you so accurate you can hit little animals?”

  Manute widened his eyes, “You’re trying to trip us up and get us to tell you his secret!” he said with a grin. Then he gave Yadin a considering look, “But, without giving it away, I can tell you that it doesn’t involve throwing rocks.” He laughed, “Pell may be good at a lot of things, but throwing—either rocks or spears—isn’t one of them.”

  Startled, Yadin schooled his face to stillness, not wanting to show his surprise. After all, he’d watched Pell throwing rocks at that stand of small trees! He knew Pell was good, why didn’t these guys? Is Pell hiding his ability? Or—Yadin’d seen a number of young men quickly improve their coordination during their adolescence—could that have happened to Pell? “When’s the last time you went hunting with him?”

  Manute looked up as he thought about it, “Way back in the summer.” He glanced at Deltin, “And I don’t think Pell’s ever gone hunting with Deltin. To tell the truth, I think he avoids going hunting because he’s embarrassed about the way he throws.” Manute shrugged, “I’d be embarrassed, if I threw that badly. But, he really shouldn’t be. There are so many other things he’s good at that any tribe would be happy to have him, even if he couldn’t throw at all!”

  Deltin said, “It’s true, he’s never been hunting with me and I’d swear he’s avoided getting in any situation where he might have to throw in front of me.” He shrugged, “I don’t know how he thinks he’s ever going to get better if he doesn’t practice.”