by Jo Sandhu
‘Luuka!’ Tarin hailed him, and held the spear thrower up. ‘I think it’s ready.’
Luuka stopped his music and hurried over to them. ‘Are you sure? What did you do to it?’
‘See, I stopped the groove before the end of the stick. That way, the spear doesn’t slide off. Now we just have to test it.’
‘See if you can hit the target over there.’ Luuka pointed at an old hide stuffed with grass. It was hung on the lower branches of a tree and the hunters used it to improve their accuracy.
‘Just try and throw it first,’ said Kaija. ‘You can worry about targets later.’
Luuka rolled his eyes and opened his mouth to argue, but Tarin shushed them and positioned himself in front of the target. He was about thirty paces away – an easy throw for his father and the men of Mammoth Clan, but an impossible distance for Tarin.
He narrowed his eyes and felt the weight of the thrower in his hands. He placed a wooden spear into the groove and touched his pendant briefly for good luck. He hooked his fingers into the leather loops, then drew his arm back, and hurled the spear forward. The back of the spear thrower rose upwards, pushing the spear like a giant arm. The extra leverage gave the spear greater power and speed.
Tarin, Kaija and Luuka watched the spear arc toward the target – and keep going. It landed in a tangle of hazelnut bushes a good ten paces past the target. They hurried forward, shouting and laughing in delight.
‘Did you see that? I bet it would have gone even further if that bush wasn’t there!’ Luuka clapped Tarin on the back.
‘That was incredible,’ Kaija agreed. ‘But now you have to hit the target.’
‘A moment ago you said not to worry about the target . . .’ Luuka said.
‘Well, that was a moment ago. Now I’m saying you have to get some accuracy if you’re going to hunt with this thing . . .’
Tarin let their voices wash over him. He couldn’t describe the feeling inside. He had never thrown a spear before. He was too frightened of failing. He had watched the hunters, though. Kalle could throw a spear harder and faster than any man he knew. And Tarin had sat and watched while he taught Taavo.
‘Hold the spear lightly in your hand, boy, but with strength.’
He remembered the way Kalle had guided Taavo’s movements, adjusting his grip and showing him how to curve the throw.
‘Can you teach me, Father? I could throw a spear, couldn’t I?’ Tarin had asked his father. He still recalled Kalle’s booming laugh.
‘What? And have you fall over and break my best spear? Wood is a precious thing, boy. Remember that.’
Too precious to waste on a spear for a boy who will never hunt.
Even when Taavo and the other children were playing at hunting, Tarin hadn’t joined in. He knew they would only laugh at him.
Weak one. Why are you even trying to throw a spear? You’ll never hunt . . . you’ll always be weak . . .
Tarin shook his head and the jeering voices disappeared. But he had thrown a spear, and he hadn’t fallen over. In fact, he had thrown a spear further than Taavo could, and with practice, maybe one day he could even throw it further than Kalle. Tarin pictured how amazed everyone would be.
He looked around the meadow and took a deep breath. Luuka was in the hazelnut bush, retrieving the spear. Kaija held the spear thrower, examining it with interest. Rohk and Nilkka were tearing around the meadow in a frenzy of excitement. Tarin grinned. He knew exactly how the wolf pups felt. He threw his head back and whooped in joy. Rohk and Nilkka loped toward him, joining him in his excitement. Tarin felt strong. He felt invincible.
Before he had time to think he couldn’t do it, he started to run – not fast, but he was still running. He filled his lungs with clean, sharp air and threw back his arms, embracing the pale sun. The wolves leapt high, spurred on by sheer exhilaration.
Blood surged through his veins and his chest heaved. He heard Kaija and Luuka screaming in joy, and Rohk and Nilkka yelping as they ran with him. With a laugh, Tarin collapsed into a snow drift. The wolves pounced on him, nipping him gently and licking his face. Nilkka growled playfully and Tarin growled back. Rohk lifted his head and howled, a high-pitched wavering cry that was still more pup than grown wolf. Tarin laughed and flung his own head back. His howl echoed through the hills.
The spear thrower worked. Now Tarin could truly hunt.
‘Giant deer – down on plains.’ Narn ran up the path to the cave, shouting and waving his arms. Tarin and Luuka were showing Yeb how to shape a spear tip from a node of flint, but they dropped the stone and rose to their feet to meet Narn.
‘Megalocerus?’ Luuka raised his eyebrows. ‘I’ve never seen one before.’
‘I have,’ said Tarin, his eyes shining. ‘On the steppes near my home. You should see their antlers, Luuka! When my father lies down and stretches his arms above his head, he is still not as long at the antlers on a giant deer.’
‘We hunt,’ said Narn, catching his breath. ‘Tell Worj.’
The commotion had already drawn Worj and Iva from the cave, as well as others.
‘I want to hunt this time.’ Kaija grabbed Tarin’s arm and shook him. ‘Tarin! We can try the spear throwers!’
Tarin nodded eagerly. ‘The spear tips are ready, too.’
Worj glanced up at the sky. ‘Maybe storm coming,’ he said. Then he smiled. It was a broad smile, showing many chipped and broken teeth, but it lightened his usually serious face. ‘But Worj like deer meat.’
The hunt was hastily assembled, before the prized deer could move away. Small tents were packed, in case the weather broke and the hunters would need to stay down on the plains for the night.
Tarin quickly bound his flint spear tips to his spears, lashing them with moistened leather thongs. They would dry on the way, shrinking and binding the spear tips firmly to the wood. Longer drying time would be better, but he was eager to try out his new weapon.
Roba watched and shook his head, unconvinced. ‘Wood better.’ He hefted a thick spear in his hand. ‘Stone not good weapon.’
Tarin grinned at him. ‘We’ll see.’
Kaija scurried frantically, packing extra furs and stowing the packets of herbs Ruva pushed into her hands.
‘Nettle tea. Warm hands,’ said Ruva.
‘I have some dung,’ Luuka said. ‘To disguise our scent so we can get closer.’
‘With the spear thrower we may not need to get too close,’ said Tarin. ‘But it’s good to have in case.’ He hesitated and looked down at Rohk, who was burying his nose in one of the backpacks. ‘What about the wolves?’
‘Yorv!’ Luuka called out. ‘How do you hunt the deer? Do you dig a pit trap? Or run them down like the bison?’
‘Cannot run down deer,’ said Yorv with a sad shake of his head. ‘Instead, chase into trees. Big antlers catch in trees.’
Luuka nodded. ‘So, Rohk and Nilkka can help chase the deer then.’ He dropped to one knee beside Rohk and rubbed the thick fur around his neck. ‘Are you ready to be a hunter, brave one?’ Rohk yelped and licked Luuka’s nose.
Tarin laughed. ‘He’s already a hunter. Haven’t you seen those lemmings he’s been digging out of the snow?’
‘If he were still with his wolf pack, he’d start going on hunts now,’ said Luuka.
The group of hunters travelled light and fast, eager to reach the plains. Kaija walked next to Tarin, and gradually he became aware of her glancing toward him, a frown puckering her forehead. He kept his head down and pretended he didn’t see her concerned looks. They paused under overhanging pine trees for a short break and a drink of water.
‘How’s your leg?’ Kaija spoke softly, so no one else would hear.
‘It’s fine.’ Annoyance sharpened Tarin’s voice. He didn’t need her to worry about him. Then he shrugged. ‘A little stiff. But that’s all.’
Kaija nodded thoughtfully. ‘And we’ve run far and fast today. Has it troubled you lately?’
‘Not so much,’ Tarin realised with sur
prise. ‘Usually in Winter it aches so much. But this Winter I’ve felt . . . strong.’
‘That’s good to hear,’ Kaija said, smiling.
The hunters were preparing to move again, and there was no more time to talk. Worj picked up the pace, and soon the heavily wooded forest of beech, pine and oak gave way to the sparser vegetation of slender birch and hornbeam.
Tarin thought about Kaija’s words as he trotted after Narn, following the line of hunters through the trees. His leg was stronger. He was stronger. He could feel it in the way he moved. He was no longer the frightened, weak child that had limped and gasped his way across the steppes near his home. He flexed his shoulder, aware of the hunter’s tattoo on his bicep, and quickened his pace, just because he could. He drew level with Worj, and looked out over the plains.
‘Ice Bringer angry.’ Worj studied the mountain. Clouds wreathed its tip like a steaming breath. He lifted his head and sniffed the air. His nostrils flared wide. ‘Water. Not snow.’
‘It reminds me of home,’ Tarin murmured. His gaze followed the undulating plains to the far horizon where they met the foothills of Ice Bringer. His chest felt tight, but he knew it wasn’t because he was having trouble breathing. It was because he felt a great longing in his heart for the steppes of Mammoth Clan. It was like a rock lodged in his heart, heavy and unmoving.
Worj looked at him closely. ‘Yarin home. North of Ice Bringer?’
Tarin nodded and lifted his face to the stiff breeze. It stung his eyes and reddened his cheeks. He pushed his tangled hair aside and nodded.
‘Yarin hunt mammuthus?’
‘My clan hunts mammoths, yes.’ Tarin narrowed his eyes and searched the steppes. He could almost imagine a line of the humpbacked giants making their way to the Summer pastures, their coats thick with Winter growth. ‘Maybe I can, too, now.’ He stroked the spear thrower as he spoke.
‘Worj!’ Iva hurried toward them. ‘Deer near valley. Very close now.’
Worj whirled around and barked orders to the hunters. They split into two groups, circling wide of the herd of deer so as not to startle them too soon. Tarin and Kaija followed Yorv and Yeb, crouching low as they ran. Luuka followed further behind, restraining the over-eager wolf pups.
The thin cover of snow on the ground crunched beneath their feet. Their breath steamed in the crisp air. Tarin felt a surge of excitement flood his veins. One hand gripped the smooth wood of the spear thrower, and in his other hand he held six slender spears, tipped with flint. His eyes strained ahead for a first glimpse of the megalocerus.
Suddenly, Yorv threw up his hand and stopped abruptly.
‘Donta!’ he hissed, crouching low. The others followed his lead, dropping to the ground. Through the trees they saw a large, shaggy bulk snuffling at a tussock of grass that was poking through the snow cover. It grunted and swiped at the snow, pushing it aside with the lower of its long, flattened horns.
Donta! Woolly rhinoceros!
Tarin caught his breath at the size of the huge animal. The massive beast would have dwarfed even his father. Coarse, shaggy hair covered its body – a soft, downy inner layer, and a thick outer layer – double protection against the bitter cold.
‘He looks angry,’ murmured Tarin. The rhinoceros flicked its ears and pulled savagely at the grass, its small black eyes focused on its task.
‘Donta cannot see good, but can smell,’ whispered Yeb. He pulled Tarin and Kaija back the way they had come. ‘Move slow. We go round other way.’
The rhinoceros lifted its head and shook it, sniffing the air. Tarin froze. Then the beast snorted, expelling its warm breath in an explosion of vapour. It lowered its head once more to the grass. Tarin let his breath go, and turned and followed Yeb.
Worj frowned impatiently when he saw them approaching through the trees.
‘Donta,’ explained Yorv, and the clan leader scratched his beard and looked worried.
‘Deer moving toward river,’ he said. ‘We follow.’
They followed the herd at a distance, careful to stay upwind of the skittish animals. Two young bucks ran at each other, their antlers clashing together with a resounding crash. Worj signalled the hunters to halt.
The animals paused, sensing danger. A large stag, the herd leader, stamped the ground, lowered his antlers and bellowed. The muscles in his thick neck bunched and he urged his herd forward.
Worj could delay no longer. With a cry, he waved his arms in the air and leapt toward the herd, followed closely by Iva and Vana. Startled by the noise and the running hunters, the deer took fright and charged toward the river. But Nord, Narn and Aba were waiting there with flaming torches of silver fir. The panicked deer whirled, seeking an escape. They might have still made a break for the river, except for Rohk and Nilkka. The wolf pups leapt forward, joining in the excitement. They jumped at the deer and nipped their heels. Rohk narrowly escaped a flying kick.
The terror-stricken deer plunged toward the cover of the trees. Scrubby hornbeam and smooth-barked beech reached out to trap the wide antlers. Low branches became their prison. Once trapped, the deer were doomed, but it was still a dangerous thing to leap onto a bucking deer’s back and plunge a spear into its heaving side. Roba was sent flying through the air, but he landed softly and rolled to his feet.
A young stag, whose rack was still growing, dodged through the trees, but when Kaija ran at him waving a flapping blanket of bison hide, he fled deeper into the forest and became trapped. Tarin set a spear into his spear thrower and heaved. The spear shot forward, and stuck into the rump of the animal. The stag rolled his eyes and thrashed helplessly.
‘That won’t kill him, Tarin!’ Kaija shouted.
‘Maybe if you ask it to stand still,’ Luuka said with a laugh.
‘Maybe you can get Rohk and Nilkka to stop jumping up at it,’ Tarin muttered and set another spear in place. This time, it lanced the animal’s throat and the deer fell. Luuka and Kaija hurried forward to release the antlers from the tree.
‘Donta! Donta!’
A frantic cry broke through the sounds of the hunt. Tarin, Luuka and Kaija spun around as the huge woolly rhinoceros crashed through the trees and ran toward the hunters, its small, weak eyes focused on the flaming torches moving beneath the trees. It crushed fallen branches beneath its vast bulk. Its head waved from side to side. The long, lethal horns searched for a target.
Worj’s hunters were unprepared. Most had dropped their spears and were already butchering the fallen deer.
The donta spotted movement and lunged forward. The horns found soft flesh, and ripped upwards. Yorv screamed in agony.
Yeb and Roba jumped forward to distract the beast and the wolves snarled and ran toward it. Tarin slapped a spear into the spear thrower and threw. The spear sailed past the donta and landed on the ground. Again he tried, gritting his teeth and hurling. The donta moved forward, rushing for Yeb, and again, the spear missed.
Yeb dived out of the way, and the huge beast turned its attention back to Yorv, who was lying helpless on the ground. With its huge horns, it rolled him along the ground. Yorv screamed. The ground beneath him was stained red with his blood.
Worj picked up a still-burning torch and waved it in the donta’s face. It tossed its head and swiped at Worj, catching him in the side and knocking him against a tree. Narn and Iva tried to reach Yorv, to pull him out of the way, but the donta charged for them and they had to back away. The rhinoceros snorted and lowered its head, ready to charge again.
‘Tarin! Hurry!’ Kaija cried.
Tarin set another spear, took a deep breath, and pulled his arm back. This time his aim was true, and the spear thudded into the side of the donta. It squealed and spun around. Again Tarin threw. The spear landed in the animal’s neck. The enraged animal turned toward the source of its pain and thundered toward Tarin. Tarin had one spear left. He slapped it into the spear thrower and hurled, but the raging donta was fast, and the spear passed over its head and landed harmlessly in a stand of alder brush.
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Tarin closed his eyes and waited for the impact. But it never came. As the massive beast thundered toward him, Roba yelled and leapt onto its back, two spears clasped in his hands. He drew one back, and thrust it into the animal’s eye. The donta bellowed and thrashed. He plunged the other spear into the other eye, pushing it in as deep as he could. The beast faltered. Blood poured from its injuries. It fell to its knees and, with a final bellow, crashed to the ground.
Time stopped. The hunters stood frozen. Then Kaija gasped and hurried toward Yorv. He was lying in a pool of blood, groaning in agony. His leggings were split from his knee to his thigh.
‘Quickly!’ Kaija pushed the bison hide toward Vana. ‘I need this cut into strips. Luuka! Press down here. As hard as you can.’
Luuka nodded, his face pale. He pressed down on Yorv’s torn flesh, but the blood welled under his hands.
‘Tarin! I need horsetail and bear’s claw.’
Tarin called to the wolf pups to stop sniffing at Yorv’s leg and hurried to Kaija’s pack.
‘Where’s Worj?’ Aba asked. Everyone turned to where the leader had fallen. Iva was helping him sit against the tree. He looked pale, and when he moved he clutched his ribs, but he was a strong man of the Esi. His injuries would heal.
Kaija bit her lip and concentrated on Yorv’s leg. He had already lost a lot of blood.
‘Narn make water hot.’ Aba squatted down next to Luuka and helped him press down on the wound.
‘Good.’ Kaija nodded and pushed her hair away from her face with a bloodied hand. ‘Tarin, I need those herbs crushed and a little hot water added to them. Not now, Rohk!’ She pushed the pup out of the way impatiently.
‘Maybe you should let him help,’ Luuka said. ‘You know how fast my arm healed after he licked it.’
Kaija gave up pushing the pup away and took a strip of hide from Vana. The crushed leaves of bear’s claw and horsetail she put straight on the wound, packing it around the torn skin.