Manak-na looked down.
Ahna looked at the People.
Yomuk-na looked at her.
“I will suggest that we take turns at the observation place. From there you can see part of the path far away. We will have warning when they come.”
Ahna looked around.
Patah-na looked at Ahna. She nodded to him.
“I agree with Yomuk-na. That is a good place to observe whoever comes here. I’ll be glad to participate in the observing. If you set up a plan to observe, Yomuk-na, just let me know when it’s my turn. That is all I have to say.”
Ahna looked up and noticed Hupu-na. She nodded to him.
“I, too, will participate. Let me know, Yomuk-na.” He looked down.
Ahna looked up and nodded to Meta.
“I have good vision. Add me to your observers,” she said enthusiastically.
Yomuk-na got Ahna’s nod and assured the People he had enough observers. They would start after the morning meal.
Ki’ti from her bed could hear the meeting. She was so proud of the young People participating to protect all. And Yomuk-na’s thinking of it. It was good. She drifted back to sleep.
Manak-na was proud of his nephew. For him to have foreseen the ability to have early warning and plan—it was good.
Ahna looked around and noticed Olintak. She nodded to her.
“We are running low on some of our medicinal herbs. If the weather is good tomorrow, any of you willing to join me to search for replacements please meet me at the entryway after the morning meal.” She looked down.
Ahna looked around. She nodded to Sum-na.
“I want to go to the south tomorrow—two hills down. I saw some giant deer, females without young. I would like to take one. Anyone willing to come with me, let me know after the council. That is all I have to say.”
Ahna looked up. No one looked at her. She said, “The council has ended for this evening.” Because it was the season of warm nights, there was no story. The People headed towards their sleeping skins.
Untuk-na slid under the skins next to Ki’ti whose body was cold despite the covering of multiple skins. She moved, so he knew she still lived. His body ached for her to return to health. How awful it must be, he thought, to lie there and have so much to give, and struggle just to breathe. Ti’ti came over and looked right into Untuk’s face. His eyes were shut but he felt someone looking at him. When he opened his eyes, he saw the face of the tiny dog looking at him, a thumb’s length from his eyes. He reached out his hand and scratched gently behind the dog’s ears. “It’s okay, little Ti’ti,” he whispered. For a long time Untuk-na listened to the labored breathing of the one above all he loved. Occasionally he’d let a tear fall from his eyes. When she saw one fall, Ti’ti licked the tear from his face. Finally, he slept.
When Wisdom returned color to the land the People had their morning meal. Yomuk-na and those who would take turns observing gathered to discuss who would take first watch, second, and so on. In the same area Sum-na and four other hunters gathered, ready for the hunt. The hunters left. Olintak, Lakop, Phelen, Yoah, and Luga met to go herb hunting.
Yomuk-na took the first turn at the observation place. His cousin Shud, Frakja-na’s youngest son of fifteen years, joined him. “I’ll help you look,” he offered.
“As long as you keep your mind on what you’re doing, that’s good,” Yomuk-na said.
Shud climbed up on the observation platform. The two watched carefully and during the time they spent there, no people were seen on the path.
Hupu-na came to relieve Yomuk-na. “Anything?” he asked.
“Not a thing.”
“Can I stay with you?” Shud asked Hupu-na.
“As long as you keep your eyes on the path,” Hupu-na said.
“I will,” Shud said solemnly.
Again, while Hupu-na was watching, no people appeared on the path.
Meta arrived. “Anything?” she asked.
“No, nothing,” Hupu-na replied.
Shud asked, “Can I stay with you?”
Hupu-na said, “He’s been here with Yomuk-na and me. He keeps his mind on what he does.”
“Very well, Shud.” Meta couldn’t understand why Shud wanted to stare at the path all day, but she was glad at the same time for company.
They watched and a giant doe with two fawns crossed the path.
“Now, that’s something,” Shud said.
“True,” she replied.
Still no people were seen when it was Patah-na’s turn to observe.
Shud asked, “Can I stay with you?”
Meta added, “He’s been here with Yomuk-na, Hupu-na, and me. He is helpful and keeps his mind on what he’s doing.
Patah-na looked at the young man carefully. “Very well,” he said.
“I’ll take one moment outside,” Shud said.
He returned moments later after running to the privy.
Sum-na and the others returned with a giant deer. It was tough for them to carry it all. Two of the men each struggled to carry a quarter. Sum-na carried the skin rolled around the cleaned guts and carried over his shoulders. They took it all to the meat preparation cave, where they’d return after the evening meal.
When it was time for the evening meal, Wisdom had already sucked color from the land. Patah-na and Shud went to the home cave to eat as soon as darkness came.
Untuk-na sat next to Ki’ti and watched her struggling to breathe. She had hardly wakened all day. She just slept, breathing somewhat irregularly with her chest moving as it had for days in an unnatural rhythm. He knew her body was shutting down. It hurt to watch, but he’d rather be nowhere else. He gently picked up her hand. It was so cold.
Ti’ti went to Untuk-na and sat beside him leaning against his side. She looked up at his face, and he reached down to pet her. She seemed, to him, not to understand. He thought she needed comforting.
Because there was nothing to report, there was no men’s council. People went to their sleeping skins as if something were about to happen, but no one knew what. There was a sense of expectancy.
Two guards were at the entryway, out far enough that they were able to see in the dark without the hearth fires interfering. Low murmurs wafted on the breeze between them. There appeared to be no people out in the dark.
When Wisdom restored color to the land it was with a few white clouds and rays of golden light shining through. As soon as the guards saw the first glow of sunshine, they entered the home cave and their entrance stirred the People to awaken. Soon hearth fires glowed to flame and the morning meal was available. People rolled their sleeping skins up and put them against the walls of the cave, ready for places to sit for eating. Another day.
Yomuk-na took a handful of jerky and headed for the observation place, shadowed by Shud.
“Shud, what is it that interests you in the observation place?” Yomuk-na asked.
Shud thought how to put into words why he wanted to be there. “I am worried about these people of Komus who would have murdered our People. Imagine cowards who would murder women! I am outraged when I think of it. I want to do everything I can do to protect our People.”
“Why didn’t you volunteer, when I asked?”
“Yomuk-na, I am young yet. I haven’t had a lot of experience. I can think, though, that if two people are here instead of one, there is a better chance that Komus’s people won’t slip by unobserved.”
“You have thought well,” Yomuk-na admitted. “That’s why you’ve been so diligent?”
“Yes.”
“I commend you Shud. Even Wisdom would approve.”
“Thank you, Cousin.” Shud glowed in Yomuk-na’s praise. Yomuk-na remembered when Manak-na would praise him for some reason. He smiled to himself.
Yomuk-na looked at the place where the path was. “Look, Shud, what is that?”
“They have arrived. Should we not notify the People?”
“Yes. Let’s go alert them and get the children up to the h
ome cave.”
The two went down the hill quickly and Manak-na whistled the signal for all to come immediately to the home cave. All arrived and the People went to the council place to hear what Manak-na was about to say. Through it all Ki’ti slept.
“We have observed Komus’s people on the hill we can see from the observation place. They should be here before high sun. All people under the age of twelve must remain in the home cave. Are they all here now?”
Mothers looked around. Men did also. No child under twelve was missing.
“Very well, keep them supervised. I’d like to see seasoned hunters find trees for protection and go to the lower levels in case of trouble. Bring a supply of spears. I will meet the people of Komus on the level ground below. I will permit only two men to come to the cave where there are possessions that were given as gifts to the evil man. They may take what is theirs and be on their way. I will offer food for them to take with them for their evening meal, and enough to carry with them to see them through getting settled in their new home.”
“Aren’t you being too generous?” Arkan-na asked.
“I am being no more generous than I’d hope others would be if the situation were reversed. It will not affect our storage that much and could be the difference between their making it in the new place and starving. I do not want to have any part in the starvation of other people, even if there were evil ones among them.”
“I see your point, Manak-na.” Arkan-na still shivered when he thought of seven hunters attacking the six of his People, only three of which were male.
“I would like them to see that we are on alert, but that we are also thoughtful and generous. I want to give them absolutely no reason ever to consider attacking us again. I also want every man who has facial hair down there with spears ready. I want them to realize our strength is far superior to theirs. But be sure to keep a tree between you and them.”
The men gathered their weapons. A few young women took their slingshots and some rocks and headed down also.
“Where are you going,” Manak-na stopped Tiki, Luga, and Mona
Mona stood straight, making herself as tall as possible, looking up at Manak-na. “We are the most accurate with slingshots. We are going to climb the big trees and be ready to take aim from there. We have learned from your travel that women can kill if there is a need.”
Manak-na stood there and laughed out loud. Hunters turned back to see what caused the mirth. That was definitely out of character with their present purpose.
When they discovered what the young women planned, they, too, laughed.
“What’s even more amusing,” Manak-na added, “is that I intend to take them up on their offer. Women killed some of these men with slingshots. We cannot trivialize them.”
The young women stood stiff when they heard Manak-na’s words. They wanted to jump and shout for joy, but they kept a solemn demeanor and went to look for suitable trees to climb. They needed trees with large openings so rocks from the slings would not be deflected.
By the time the men had positioned themselves, they could see Komus’s people turning in their direction. When they were just about to the path to the cave, Manak-na stepped out alone to greet them.The people of Komus came to a quick stop.
“You have made good time,” Manak-na observed.
The people of Komus were beginning to detect the men and young women all poised with spears and slingshots. They were startled but did not seem frightened.
“We have two things for you. First, you have your things that were given as gifts that weren’t gifts but rather a type of extortion. You may send two men up to get what is yours. I will accompany them. Second, we have food for you to carry with you to keep you until you can make a store for yourself for the season of cold days.”
“Manak-na, my people have already discussed this. We willingly forfeit the things that were taken as gifts because of how our people treated you. We do not feel that we have any right to accept your generous gift of food to help us.”
“We don’t want your things that were taken from you. You are quite free to get them. Just tell two of your men what they are and I will take them to the cave to get them. You err in not accepting the food we offer. You will need it to assure your passage through the season of cold days. I urge you to reconsider. It is a true gift, and gifts have no conditions regarding whether one has a right to receive—a gift is simply a transfer of something from one person or people to another without any condition of any kind.”
Komus and the three hunters talked among themselves.
“We are willing to gather some of the gifts that were taken from us by the evil one, and we accept your very generous offer of food.”
“Good. Tell the men what are the gifts you had to give the evil man.”
The people of Komus talked briefly, and two men came slowly to present themselves to Manak-na.
“Good,” Manak-na said, “Lay your spears down. Let’s go.” He began to lead the men up the hill.
At that precise moment, as if planned, quietly the dogs came down the hill from their assigned places. They reached the base of the hill, formed a line along the base of the hill, and sat there staring at the people of Komus. They did not offer to bite or snarl, only stared at the people with their golden eyes. Manak-na looked at the dogs and had to stifle the inappropriate urge to release his mirth in a booming laugh. How the dogs decided to do what they’d done escaped him, but he was grateful for the animals’ action.
Komus’s people were filled with terror. The dogs were wolves to them. They were in awe of the people from the beginning—they had rid a living place of evil; they were astonished when three men and three women returned with seven of their hunters dead; and to add to that, they had trained wolves to protect them—it was too much for the people of Komus to comprehend. As they grew back into a viable people the stories they would tell about these wolves magnified into legend, and from legend to myth.
The men went into the storage cave. There on the flat rock lay a number of gifts to the evil man. The men took three things, a piece of jade, a rock that appeared to have no meaning, and a small leather pouch.
“That is all?” Manak-na asked.
“I see none of the other things,” one of the men replied.
“Look again,” Manak-na suggested.
They did, but whatever they sought was not there.
“What are you looking for?” Manak-na asked. “I thought a purple bowl was taken from you.”
“A string of bear teeth and another pouch made of caribou fur.” The men were eager to go back down the hill. “That’s all we came to get.”
“Very well,” Manak-na replied. “Let’s go back down.”
By the time they got down, men from the People had brought two stretchers piled high with food. They had skin coverings over them and were lashed onto the stretcher so that nothing would fall off. The people of Komus were amazed.
Manak-na walked over to Komus and put his hand on the man’s shoulder. “Komus, how will you get seal?”
The man looked into his eyes. Manak-na noticed the fatigue in them—and sadness. Komus said, “I have thought of that. We can send smaller boats north to gather seals, maybe even some of the black and white ones, prepare them for us, and then return with them for storage. It won’t be totally fresh, but it’ll do. I’m surprised you thought about that, Manak-na.”
“You had said your people need to eat seal for health and around it your culture is based. I am just concerned for you, my friend. We have offered meat, but we have no seal. Fare well, Komus.”
“And you also, Manak-na.” Komus turned and his people began the long trek to the boatbuilders’ place. They tried to pick up the stretchers and found that they were very heavy. It took four men to carry one stretcher. Young men had to help because there were not enough older men to carry the stretchers.
Yomuk-na signaled to Shud. They returned to the observation place to assure themselves that the men did in fact
leave. Untuk-na noticed and approved.
Girls climbed down from the trees and the men came uphill from their places near big trees. Dogs returned to their places. Their meeting had been successful, they all felt. It was clear that the people of Komus were slightly frightened by them. For the present that seemed a good idea.
“Untuk-na,” Manak-na said, “please, add this to the collection on the ledge. It is the type of bowl from the Maknu-na and Rimlad story. It was from Komus’s people, I think, but they didn’t want it, or else they were unsure it was theirs. It will be good for us to see something from an old story.”
Untuk-na took the purple shell and placed it on the shelf he’d made. He wished Ki’ti had known. Maybe deep in her sleep she did? He wondered.
They all went back to the cave to put away their weapons and chat among themselves. After the initial confusion they found places to sit and chat. Suddenly, from the relative quiet, tiny little Ti’ti threw her head back and began the most soulful howl anyone could imagine, and her size belied the volume she could put out.
Untuk-na ran to Ki’ti and found she no longer breathed. He rested his head on her chest and silently wept. Ti’ti continued the sad howl, her tiny mouth looking almost like a circle. Her eyes searched nervously while her head was thrown back and she continued to howl. She was inconsolable. Likichi came and put a band around Ki’ti’s jaw, tying the band over her head, so her mouth would remain closed. She closed Ki’ti’s eyes. No announcement was necessary. The dog had done that. Oddly, the howl seemed utterly appropriate by the inhabitants of the cave, though it began to get on Likichi’s nerves.
Ahna came over and picked up Ti’ti. “You’re supposed to come with me little one,” Ahna said. Ti’ti leaned her tiny body against Ahna and stopped howling. She looked up to Ahna’s face with her too big eyes as if asking many questions in silence. Ahna stroked her little frame and tried to comfort her. “It’ll be good in time, little Ti’ti. Give it time.”
Some of the men went to the place where tools were kept in the storage cave now. They gathered tools for breaking up the grasses and for digging out soil. They would dig a grave for Ki’ti. As they began, honest tears flowed from their eyes and ran unchecked. They did not feel embarrassed or unmanly; they adored their former Wise One. She had played a part many times in the lives of each of them, making their lives infinitely better. How they would miss her! They dug deep.
Manak-na's Story, 75,000 BC Page 41