Manak-na pushed his head covering back a little.
“Why don’t you two let us take it to the meat preparation cave and you can rest from your trek. We’ll take good care of it. And the skin’s for Domur for a sleeping skin?”
Manak-na nodded affirmatively. Manak-na and Kai-na let the men take it. Both were still somewhat short of breath. They headed into the home cave where they removed their clothing designed for outside wear and came to a hearth to warm up. Domur arrived curious as to whether they’d found ochre.
“I have the ochre,” Manak-na said, “and thanks to help from Kai-na, you’ll have a caribou sleeping skin. It’s very soft.”
Domur smiled and took the bags of ochre. It was heavier than she expected. The men had made the trip worthwhile by filling the two bags full. She went to the area where tools used primarily by women were stored. She found a stone bowl and a crushing stone. She carried them to her place near the hearth. She took a small piece of the ochre and put it into the stone bowl and began to crush the stone. It would take her a while to make powder of it. She asked Manak-na to let her have a small piece of the ball in the bag he carried to paint his face. He pulled the leather strip over his head and handed her the whole pouch. She kneaded the ball trying to discover what besides ochre it contained. She smelled it. She tasted it. Then she carefully put the ball back into the pouch and she continued to grind the ochre to powder. She continued grinding until she could put a tiny amount of the powder on her finger and blow it off. It felt very finely ground. Domur added a little water and stirred the mixture. It certainly made a wet colored mixture, but Manak-na’s wasn’t wet. In fact he spit on it to moisten it just before using it.
Domur went to the container of rendered animal fat. She let the water mixture settle and then poured off the clear water she’d mixed with the ochre. She added a tiny amount of the rendered fat. It made the mixture workable, but wasn’t exactly what she had in mind. Domur cleaned out the stone bowl and ground more stone. Again, to turn the stone to powder took a very long time. The evening meal was announced, so Domur had to abandon her work until they finished eating. The ochre experiment was fascinating to her. It captured her mind web. She could hardly wait to return to it.
The men’s council was called and the People took their places. A hush came upon them. Ki’ti looked up to see whether anyone was making eye contact for permission to speak. Mootmu-na looked directly into Ki’ti’s eyes. She nodded.
Mootmu-na began. “Today Hahami-na and I discussed two things. First, we talked about the lack of other humans in this huge territory we’ve explored. We’ve seen very few other people here. Night after night we send people to search for fires and we never see any. Even though we have many people, far more than at any other time in our history, we do not have enough to continue on without meeting other people to keep our joining safe. This is not an immediate problem, but if things continue as they are, it will be a problem in the future. The second thing we discussed is whether it is wise to continue to the big lake. Kipotuilak told us that it is severely cold there in the season of cold days. Cold enough to require double sets of garments designed for outside wear. We tried to guess how that would be to walk. How anyone would hunt in two sets of outside garments seems impossible to imagine. And the white rain would be deeper. As it is here, it’s difficult to walk in this depth of white rain. Manak-na has told us that the farther north we go the colder it gets. My question is whether it is wise to continue on. This is a seemingly good place to live. We are distant from the boatbuilder people, but there are people there. That is all I have to say.”
Grypchon-na laughed and looked at Ki’ti. “It would definitely be to my personal best interest to remain here! Cold is not good with this stiffness of old age. Neither is trekking.”
Arkan-na looked at Ki’ti. She nodded.
“I reason that most of us are tired of trekking. It is hard to feel so impermanent. I suppose I wonder whether Wisdom plans for us to go to the big lake or whether it is just the direction that is important. If it’s just the direction, I’d agree with Mootmu-na and Grypchon-na. Staying here is a good plan.”
Lamul-na got Ki’ti’s attention. She nodded.
“What do you say about Wisdom’s plan, Ki’ti?”
Ki’ti looked startled. Normally, no one asked questions of her directly at council. “We knew we needed to leave the last permanent place we lived because of the earthquakes. The south was not possible—it is a land of nothing but volcanic ash. The east held warrior Minguat. The west was Mol territory. That left north for us. Wisdom never specified that we were to go all the way to the big lake. I think the idea of the lake captivated us when we heard of it. No one knew how cold it got in the season of cold days. Wisdom guided us on the path made by the Mol giants, because that is where we decided to go. I agree that we have traveled very far, and that it is colder and colder each winter. I, too, am troubled by the lack of people and the very idea of having to wear double season-of-cold-days garments to survive outside in winter. I want what is best for our People. What do the rest of you say?”
The men began one by one to indicate that they wanted to stay. Once the men had their say the women were polled. They, too, wanted to stay. Everyone liked the place where they were living. Not one voice was raised to leave for the big lake.
Secretly, Ki’ti was well pleased. She, too, was tired of the trekking. It drained her physically, for it required better breathing than she had. She looked up. “Are there any other issues to bring to the council?” The council members all looked down. “Then, the meeting is over for this night. There will not be a story. The stories will continue tomorrow.” Ki’ti was tired. The meeting issues were a surprise to her and the outcome surprised her even more. So much had happened so fast in the lives of this little group of People that there was a great need to slow down and take stock of the changes. Ki’ti remained sitting at her place at the council as thoughts raced through the fibers of her mind web. Mootmu-na was so good to have raised the issues he raised. He spoke what all others had thought but not expressed. It would be good for Grypchon-na to be able to live without the trekking.
Untuk-na approached Ki’ti so she could see him and not be startled. He realized she was lost in thought. “My Wise One, he said gently, it is time you slept. You have been overtired for a long time. It is not good. Come,” he said extending his two hands to help her up. She put her small hands into his and smiled her special smile for him.
“Tonight, my dearest Untuk-na, I wish we had places set aside on the hill where special time could be taken in private. I also wish I had the energy for it.”
“There are places on the hill, Ki’ti. When you are fully rested I’ll take you there.”
“There are places there?” She laughed gently. She began to wonder where she’d been. Normally she’d have known about the private places. Her life had been too busy to think about the normal things in life.
Untuk-na prepared the sleeping place. Ki’ti snuggled down in the skins. Tiriku slipped under the covers at her feet. Untuk-na knelt beside her and brought his body beside hers. He put his arm around her and pulled her close. They kissed and Ki’ti closed her eyes in sleep.
Wisdom brought clouds and white rain to the hills and valleys, no color to the land—just black and white. The clatter and busy morning meal preparation awakened Untuk-na. He was surprised that Ki’ti still slept. He cupped her shoulder and tried to awaken her. Slowly she opened her eyes. Untuk-na realized that Ki’ti had slept through the night and was not refreshed. He told her to remain where she was. Ki’ti was jarred slightly. Untuk-na rarely told her what to do. He had done this clearly and decisively. She did not argue. She was very tired. She had dreamed and she was struggling to separate from the dream.
Likichi came to Ki’ti. “What is it?” Ki’ti asked. She moaned when she saw that Likichi had brought the container they used when someone couldn’t make it to the privy.
Likichi looked at Ki’ti, loving her d
early. She helped her use the container and then lie back down on the sleeping skins. “You are exhausted. You need rest. You will now rest.”
Ki’ti had no energy to use for arguing. She just lay there. Tiriku stretched under the sleeping skins and pulled himself so that his eyes just escaped the covers. He realized instantly that something was different this morning. He raced outside and returned to see what was happening with Ki’ti.
Untuk-na returned with Ki’ti’s bowl of food. She indicated she wasn’t hungry, but he insisted she eat. Ki’ti sat up. She ate part of the food. Untuk-na insisted she finish it. Ki’ti wanted to argue, but she didn’t have the energy for it. She ate. The dream hung over her like a morning mountain mist. She tried to remember it, but recovery proved futile.
She looked at Untuk-na when she finished. “I have been pushing to do what was necessary to teach Ahna, to be sure that all was well with the People, to plan for the next trek, and to live my life available to all. I am tired. Last night I realized I could relax. I haven’t felt that since we started this trek. I guess I took the idea of relaxing to the extreme, I am just so tired.”
“Well, Ki’ti,” he said, “Likichi and I have talked. We are going to move our sleeping skins near the hearth over there, so you’ll stay warm. You are going to rest for as many fingers of days as I have on one hand. If you still are tired, then you will have another hand of days to rest. Do not fight me. The People depend on you. You must rest. Likichi and I will see that you do. There is nothing that needs your immediate attention. Nothing!”
Untuk-na braced for a fight. Instead, Ki’ti lay back down and murmured, “Let me know when you want to move the sleeping skins.” She shut her eyes. She slept.
Likichi and Untuk-na worked quickly to prepare the area for the move to the warmth of the hearth. The People were watching carefully to be sure that their Wise One was well. Untuk-na spoke to the entire group telling them that Ki’ti had been carrying a lot of physical, emotional, and spiritual weight from the time the trek began. He told them that finally, when the decision was made to remain at this place, she put her burden down and could admit to the extreme fatigue she felt. Rest would cure the fatigue. She just needed a great amount of rest. He urged People to check with Likichi if they had any problems that needed to be solved while the Wise One rested.
Likichi had swept the area and Untuk-na picked up the sleeping Ki’ti and carried her along with sleeping skins to the location near the hearth. Tiriku snuggled against Ki’ti’s side outside the coverings once the sleeping area was set up. It was too warm for him to be under the skins.
Domur awakened to the excitement of the challenge again to make the replacement ochre ball for Manak-na to use for face painting. She noticed the change surrounding the Wise One, but realized there was nothing she could do to help there. First, there was the necessity of the morning meal. When all that had been accomplished and her duties were finished, she gathered the rock bowl, the grinder stone, the bag of ochre, and returned to the hearth side to work on grinding the stone to powder. This time she planned to grind much more powder and put some aside once it was finely ground. Her plan was to make a large supply of powder and experiment with substances to bind it into a malleable, cohesive material that could be formed into a ball such as Manak-na carried in his pouch. She began to grind the tiny stones of ochre into powder. Minagle came over to sit by her. Minagle was making some hand coverings from deer skins.
“Are you happy to be staying here instead of continuing farther north?” Minagle asked her.
Domur looked up at her friend with a beaming smile. “Of course. I am ready for a good, long stop to establish ourselves in a land where there are no people threats and we are free to hunt to meet our needs. The constant trekking is hard on everyone. I’m so glad someone finally brought it up.”
“I am, too, but I could never have done it.” Minagle was not comfortable with the idea of presenting ideas when she didn’t have any sense how they’d be received.
Song joined her mother and Domur, lowering herself carefully. “I’m glad I won’t be having a baby on a trek,” she said inserting herself into the conversation, knowing she’d be welcome.
Minagle put her arm around Song. “How are you doing?” she asked.
“I’m doing well, Mother. And Humko-na is so excited!” Song was radiating happiness as she caressed her belly.
Manak-na, Arkan-na, Ekuktu-na, and Lamul-na went to the meat preparation cave to check the small smoking fire for the meat taken by Manak-na and Kai-na the previous day. On their way they swept the path. Already there was a wonderful savor of fresh meat from the cave. It was a great day, notwithstanding the clouds and white rain falling. Most of the men no longer dreaded the white rain. They had garments to keep them warm, and it seemed a natural part of their lives—except when the snow depth grew too great to walk easily. Some looked forward to the briskly clean air it brought; some, to the way it smoothed sharp edges and lay upon tree branches, giving a different, yet pleasing, look to their surroundings. They worked well together and shared the same views that Minagle and Domur had just moments before—they were pleased to be remaining in this place. They began to look at the meat preparation cave differently, with a sense of ownership.
Lamk-na, Tongip-na, and Slamika-na took brooms and went out to clear a path to the valley below. They knew it would be necessary to repeat the process after the white rain stopped falling, but letting it pile up made the task much more difficult. They also chose to clear paths to the stone structure where the Mol giants had chipped symbols into the stones and to the caves associated with the evil man. They enjoyed working together in the white rain.
When they began sweeping uphill, Lamk-na said, “We’ve got to rename these caves. To continue referring to a cave as belonging to an evil one leaves a fog of bad feeling over what is now our real home. That evil one is gone and so are his evil ways.”
“I agree. Why don’t you bring it up at the men’s council,” Slamika-na suggested.
“I’ll do that tonight. We will have one, even with the Wise One not feeling well?”
“I’m sure of it,” Tongip-na said. “We are a People, not ever dependent on a single individual. The Wise One will hear us. I expect she will be glad to know we continue the council. She said there would be a story tonight. I wonder whether Ahna will tell it.”
“Time will tell,” Slamika-na added. “This is a very exciting time to be alive. There is so much new surrounding us. So much to learn. I am glad that we have such a great group of People. It is good. What is this?” Slamika-na had looked at the edge of a window in the stone building. There was a shiny piece of gold metal placed there. Slamika-na took a rock to the window, climbed up on it, and looked at the ledge. Where he couldn’t see from the ground, he now saw a shiny rock, a piece of animal fur, and a black raven feather. He laughed and turned to face the others. “It seems that Raven has decided to deposit his treasures here. This is what he has put here: a piece of gold, a rock, fur, and a feather.” He showed each item as he named it. Then, he carefully replaced the items on the ledge. He placed the piece of gold on the feather to keep it from blowing away.
“We are a strange People,” Tongip-na said with a chuckle. “Our Wise One has a dog, and the dog has a raven.”
“I like it,” Lamk-na said, leaning on his broom.
“I, too,” both others added.
They had finished sweeping paths, so they returned to the home cave.
When Wisdom dimmed the light and turned outside to darkness while white rain continued to fall, the evening meal was being served. Untuk-na carried food to Ki’ti and insisted she eat. She had slept most of the day. She wasn’t hungry, having slept so much, but she ate what Untuk-na brought her without arguing. She knew she had to regain the strength which seemed to have flowed out of her when she found she could relax. If sleeping and eating when she wasn’t hungry was the way to do that, so be it. She had asked Ahna to tell a story that night, one of her own choo
sing. Ahna spent the day preparing. Yomuk came over while she was working on the story and she had to tell him to leave her alone to do what she must do. Yomuk was hurt but he left her alone.
Yomuk had found Ahna irresistible from the day he first saw her. He wanted her for his wife, though that decision was premature, he knew. Nevertheless he sought her out at every opportunity. She lived in his belly, where emotions resided, and he treasured every time he could be near her. It hurt when he was rebuffed. He couldn’t see himself as a nuisance.
After the evening meal, the men’s council gathered without Ki’ti, though she could hear well anything that was said. She forced herself to stay awake so she wouldn’t miss anything. Grypchon-na led the council. He looked around and saw that Lamk-na was looking at him. He nodded to Lamk-na.
“Some of us went to sweep white rain from the paths today. While we were doing that, we came to look at this place as our home, not just a temporary place to live. It concerns us that we have connected the evil man to the cave. We would like to rename the caves—other than the home cave and meat preparation cave—so that they are ours and reflect us, not someone who did evil here long ago.” He looked at Grypchon-na.
Grypchon-na looked around to see who else was looking at his face. He nodded to Arkan-na.
“I think that is a great idea, Lamk-na. I have already tended to think of the stone structure as the observation place. That seems to be its purpose. We could also use it for that purpose if we brought stones to make it so we gained the elevation around the wall where we need to look out.” He looked back at Grypchon-na.
On her sleeping skins, warm and resting, Ki’ti smiled contentedly. Her People were continuing on as they would have if she’d been there. How grateful she was that they did not totally depend on her. She mused that Wamumur must have had similar feelings from time to time.
Manak-na's Story, 75,000 BC Page 30