Stone Age Rampage

by Chris Blake

  The man jumped. “Goat talks?” he gasped, blinking in astonishment.

  “Who are you calling a goat?” Zuma said indignantly.

  The boy made a grumbling noise that Tom realised was a chuckle. “She’s not a goat, Blood-Father,” he said. “She’s a girl.” The boy stuck his knife back into his belt. Lifting up the net, he helped Tom and Zuma out. “Sorry,” he said. “We thought you were food.”

  Tom and Zuma scrambled clear of the net, relieved to be free from the prickly ropes. The older hunter put away his axe. He was still scowling. “What tribe you belong?” he asked curtly.

  Tom scratched his head, not sure how to answer. “My tribe isn’t from around here. We’ve come from very far away.”

  “From beyond the mountains?” the hunter asked suspiciously.

  “Way beyond them,” said Zuma. At her feet Chilli was still glaring at the hunter, giving him a warning growl. Zuma picked up the Chihuahua and gave him a hug.

  As the boy began to gather the net, Tom helped him. “This is a strong net,” he said, inspecting the rope. “What did you make it out of?”

  “String peeled from the inside of tree bark,” said the boy, beaming. “I twisted the string into a length of twine, then wove it into a net.”

  “Cool!” said Tom.

  The older hunter gave his chest a thump and grunted. “Gam,” he said, then pointed a scarred finger at the boy. “This Gam’s Blood-Son, Arn.”

  Following the man’s lead, Tom thumped his own chest and said, “Tom.” He then pointed to Zuma and told the hunters her name.

  “Gam glad to meet Tom and Zuma,” said Gam. He let out a heavy sigh. “But still wish you were goats.”

  “What is it with this guy and goats?” muttered Zuma.

  “Blood-Father is upset because we haven’t caught any food,” Arn explained. “A new tribe led by a man called Orm has come over the mountains. For months now they have been hunting on our land and stealing our food.”

  “Poachers,” said Tom.

  Gam nodded. “Orm bad man,” he said. “He kills more deer and goats than he needs. Gam can’t feed his tribe if enemy kills all animals for themselves.”

  “We aren’t part of Orm’s tribe, I promise,” said Zuma. “And for the record, this is Chilli.” She mimicked Gam, giving Chilli’s chest a little thump. “Chilli not goat either. Chilli is friend.”

  “Why Tom and Zuma here if not hunting?” Gam asked.

  “In a way we are hunting,” Tom explained. “We’ve come to find something important that’s been hidden somewhere. As soon as we find it we can go home.”

  “Gam and Arn want to go home too,” said Gam. “But because of Orm, we must travel far to hunt now.”

  There was a sudden noise higher up the mountain, the sound of stones crunching underfoot. Tom looked up to see a goat scrambling across the slope.

  “Look, Blood-Father!” pointed Arn. “A goat! A real one this time.”

  “Shh,” said Gam, slipping his bow from his shoulder. “Loud voice frighten goat away.” Keeping his eyes trained on the goat, he pulled an arrow from his quiver and nimbly placed it against the bowstring. He took aim.

  But before Gam could shoot, Tom and Zuma heard a rumbling laugh. It was Tlaloc! There was a deafening thunderclap. The goat let out a terrified bleat and bounded away, sending a shower of stones tumbling down the slope.

  “No move!” Gam said urgently. “No sound! No want rockfall.”

  But even as Tom and Zuma froze, Tlaloc let off an even louder bang of thunder that echoed around the valley. The trickle of stones started to dislodge large rocks. The rain god had started an avalanche.

  “Run!” shouted Gam.

  At once the hunter began racing back towards the trees. Tom and Zuma ran after him. It was hard for them to keep up with Gam’s long strides, and they were soon several paces behind. As they neared the trees, Tom realised that Arn wasn’t with them. Turning around, he saw that the prehistoric boy had stopped in his tracks, and was looking up the mountain.

  Tom gasped.

  An enormous boulder was rolling straight towards Arn. If he didn’t move fast, he was going to be squashed flat!

  “Arn!” shouted Gam. “Move, Blood-Son!”

  The hunter started to run back towards the boy, but he was too far away – he’d never get there in time. The boulder was picking up speed and Arn was still frozen to the spot, trembling with terror.

  “Come on, Tom!” cried Zuma. “Help me!”

  Tom’s heart thudded as he followed the Aztec girl back into danger. Rocks were falling all around him. The air was thick with dust and loud crashes. Tom had to duck and weave to avoid the stones bouncing down the mountain. Arn’s eyes were wide with terror as he stared at the boulder rolling towards him.

  Zuma and Tom reached the boy at the same time; they grabbed a handful of Arn’s cloak and pulled him out of the way. The three of them went tumbling to the ground, and the boulder crashed over the exact spot where Arn had been standing.

  “Phew!” said Zuma. “That was close!”

  “It’s not over yet,” said Tom, scrambling to his feet. “We need to find shelter!”

  It was true. Large rocks were still bouncing down the slope. It was as though the whole mountain had come alive.

  Suddenly Gam was at their side, pointing towards a dark opening in the rock face beyond the trees.

  “Go there!” he shouted. “We take cover!”

  Together they ran towards the cave, shielding their heads from the rain of stones and coughing in the dust. Chilli zoomed ahead of them, barking urgently. They dived inside the cave and were swallowed up by the darkness. The sound of rocks crashing down the slope was even louder now. Tom had to put his hands over his ears to drown out the din. Chilli stood at the opening of the cave, yapping at the avalanche as though it was an enemy he could fight. Zuma had to drag the little Chihuahua away to safety.

  “Come here, doggie,” she said. “We don’t want you getting squashed, do we?”

  Finally, the sound of tumbling boulders faded away. The deadly rockfall had ended. Gam kneeled down by his son anxiously.

  “Arn hurt?” he asked.

  “I’m fine, Blood-Father,” said Arn. “Thanks to Tom and Zuma.”

  Gam nodded. “Thanks to Tom and Zuma,” he said, patting them both on the shoulder. A big grin lit up his craggy face. “You save Blood-Son from big rock. Now Gam do all he can to help you.”

  “Thanks,” said Tom.

  “Yes, thanks,” said Zuma, marching back towards the opening of the cave. “With your help we’ll be home in no time.”

  Arn caught her by her cape, stopping Zuma in her tracks. “Evening will come soon,” he said. “Orm’s tribe could be near and they might capture you. Or a bear might eat you.”

  “Oh.” Zuma wrinkled her nose. “Well, we don’t want that, do we.” She plonked herself down on the floor of the cave. “I guess we’ll just have to stay here until morning.”

  “Need fire,” Gam announced. “And food.”

  Tom’s stomach growled in agreement. He watched as Gam reached into a small leather pouch on his belt. The hunter removed a grey lump of what looked like a dried mushroom, and a tool made from a small stone lashed to the end of a wooden handle.

  Gam noticed Tom’s interest and smiled. “You have flint where you come from?”

  “Of course,” said Tom. “It’s a kind of rock, isn’t it?”

  Gam nodded. “Help make fire,” he said. “Watch.” He placed the mushroom on a mound of moss that looked like a tiny bird’s nest. When he struck the grey lump with the flint Tom was amazed to see a bright shower of sparks. Within a minute the moss had caught fire, and the cave was filled with warm, crackling light.

  As Arn gathered up twigs from the cave floor to toss on the fire, Gam showed Tom the other tools in his kit. They included a scraper, an awl for punching holes to help sew clothes, and even a small drill. The tools were painstakingly crafted. Tom was very impressed. Gam was
nothing like he had expected. This wasn’t a caveman, but a highly skilled hunter.

  The cave was growing warmer. Gam removed his hat and threw off his heavy fur cloak. When he leaned over to tend the fire, Tom noticed markings on his back, like strange blue tattoos.

  “What are those?” Tom whispered to Arn.

  “They heal the body where it hurts,” the boy explained. “We cut the skin and mark with charcoal. It helps stop pain.”

  “Like acupuncture!” said Tom. Of course Arn had no idea what he was talking about.

  Zuma rolled her eyes. “Don’t worry,” she told the boy. “He’s always making up funny words.”

  Gam reached into his rucksack and produced some flat bread and dried plums, which he and Arn shared with their guests. After nibbling some of the fruit, Chilli let out a squeaky yawn, curled up in a ball and began to snore. This made Arn laugh.

  “Small beast, big snores,” he observed.

  The flickering fire cast a bright glow around the cave, revealing a series of pictures drawn on the far wall.

  “Look at that!” said Zuma.

  “Cave paintings!” Tom said excitedly. “Cool!”

  They went over for a closer look. The cave paintings were simply drawn, using stick figures, but still skilful. Tom was impressed. One painting showed a line of men with bows and arrows chasing after a herd of animals. Beneath it there was another painting showing a ring of what seemed to be large standing stones.

  “What are those?” Zuma asked.

  “I don’t know,” said Tom. When he leaned in closer, his eyes lit up. “But look, there – in the centre of the circle!”

  Zuma squinted at the drawing, then squealed with delight. Sure enough, floating in the centre of the ring was an image of a coin. “Tlaloc’s coin!” she cried. “It has the face of the Aztec sun!”

  Tom waved Arn over and pointed at the cave painting. “What is this?” he asked.

  “We call it the Ring of Stones,” said Arn. “It is a place where we worship and honour fallen tribesmen.”

  “Where can we find it?” Zuma asked, bouncing excitedly in her furry boots.

  “It isn’t too far,” said Arn. “Close to my village.” He smiled. “Come with Blood-Father and me and we will show you.”

  “Count us in!” said Zuma.

  Across the cave, Gam let out a stern grunt. “We are glad to have friends Tom and Zuma join us,” he said gravely. “But journey will not be easy. Orm’s tribe prepares to attack any day now. Always chance of ambush along the way.”

  Tom eyed the razor-sharp edge of the copper axe glinting in Gam’s belt. “We’ll be safe with you,” he said, smiling at the hunter. “And besides, Zuma and I have come up against plenty of dangerous warriors on our adventures. We haven’t been beaten yet.”

  Gam nodded. “We start at sunrise,” he declared. “All of us. For now, get sleep.” He stretched out on the ground and closed his eyes. Arn returned to the fire and did the same. Tom suddenly realised how exhausted he was. Sleep sounded like a good plan.

  But the thought of finding the fourth coin had Zuma so excited she wasn’t ready for bed.

  “I think I’ll just explore the cave a bit,” she said, heading away from the fire. She had just disappeared into the shadows when Tom heard a loud rattle.

  “Zuma?” he said. “Are you OK?” He threw some of Gam’s moss into the fire to make it burn more brightly. The flames shone far enough into the cave to pick out Zuma. She was crouching down, holding up a dry, white bone.

  “I tripped over a pile of bones,” she said, studying the one in her hand. “Looks like this used to be somebody’s leg. Yuck!”

  Tom looked at the bone and shuddered. “Maybe you’d better come back to the fire.”

  “Why?”

  “It’s a pile of bones, Zuma!” said Tom. “Aren’t you worried how they got there?”

  “Not really,” replied the slave girl, tossing the bone back into the pile. “They’re just bones. Back home in the Aztec capital we have giant racks filled with the skulls of human sacrifices.”

  “No way!” said Tom.

  “If I hadn’t run away, my skull would be on one of those racks too.” Zuma looked around the cave, tapping her foot. “Do you know what I need? A torch, so I can look for more cave paintings. It’s much too dark over here.”

  Tom was about to reply when the words died in his throat. A light was shining behind Zuma – two lights, in fact. Two small circles. A pair of eyes. Something was hiding in the darkness.

  Zuma gave Tom a curious look. “What’s wrong?” she asked. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

  “Don’t. Move,” whispered Tom.

  His heart pounded as a giant cat padded out of the shadows behind Zuma. It was a fierce-looking creature with sharp teeth and dirty, ragged fur. At some stage it must have been in a nasty fight – there were scars across its body and it was missing an ear.

  As the big cat sniffed the air, Zuma gulped and stayed very still. “Nice kitty,” she murmured, a tremble in her voice. “No need to use those big old teeth on me.”

  Tom ignored the voice in his head telling him to run. He desperately wanted to help his friend, but how? He didn’t have a weapon and he knew that any sudden movements could make the cat angry. He didn’t want to give the creature any reason to attack.

  His heart in his mouth, Tom watched Zuma edge away from the cat towards him. The cat watched them warily, the firelight flickering in her eyes.

  “You never know,” Zuma whispered hopefully. “Maybe it’s pleased to see us.”

  The big cat threw back its head and roared, revealing two rows of sharp teeth.

  “Maybe not,” said Tom.

  The loud roar had woken up Gam and Arn. As the big cat padded closer, the hunter rose stealthily to his feet.

  “Cave lion,” grunted Gam. “Tom and Zuma must be very careful.”

  There was a sharp yap, and Chilli bravely dashed forward to stand in front of Zuma. The little Chihuahua’s teeth were bared, but the cave lion hadn’t even noticed. It only had eyes for Tom and Zuma. The lion’s matted tail flicked the cave floor as it stalked towards them.

  Suddenly, with a roar, the lion sprang. Tom dived out of the way as a powerful paw whistled through the air where his head had been a second earlier. Hissing and spitting, the lion crouched, preparing to pounce on top of Tom. But Gam was ready for it. Drawing back his bow, he sent an arrow whistling across the cave, burying itself in the big cat’s paw. The lion let out a howl of agony, and slunk back into the darkness.

  “Phew,” said Tom. “Thanks, Gam!”

  “No need to thank Gam,” the hunter replied. He went back to the fire and began to gather up his tools and clothing. “But cave lion will be back. We need to go now.”

  “What if we come across Orm’s tribe?” asked Tom.

  “We take our chances,” Gam told him.

  “First rockfalls, then cave lions and now enemy tribes,” huffed Zuma. “There’s a lot of danger in prehis-whatty times.”

  “No more talk,” ordered Gam. “We leave.”

  Arn obediently scooped up Chilli and hurried out of the cave, with Gam following closely behind him. Tom had reached the mouth of the cave when he realised Zuma wasn’t with him. She was staring longingly at the painting of the Ring of Stones, her gaze locked on the Aztec coin.

  “Zuma!” he called, dashing back to grab her arm. “Come on!”

  Just as they left the cave, they heard another blood-curdling roar booming out of the darkness. Gam was right – the giant cat hadn’t finished with them. It was definitely time to go.

  Outside, they scrambled over fallen rock and tall mounds of loose dirt until they reached clear ground. Then they ran as fast as they could, until the cave was far behind them. The night was cold and quiet. Tom had never seen a sky so black, with so many stars. Back home, even on moonless nights there was always a glow from the city lights.

  They had all had enough of caves for one night. Gam
led them to a small wood and made camp at the bottom of a large tree. Arn, Zuma, Chilli and Tom stretched out on the ground. The last thing Tom saw before he drifted off to sleep was Gam. The hunter’s eyes were wide open, and his hand rested on the handle of his axe. Tom could fall asleep safe in the knowledge that Gam would be keeping watch for them.

  The next morning, Tom opened his eyes to find that Arn and Gam were already up, preparing a breakfast of fruit and bread.

  “Must eat quickly,” said Gam. “Long way to village.”

  “How do you remember your way?” asked Tom, as they trudged through the woodland. “There aren’t any buildings or street signs, and the trees and rocks all look the same.”

  “He’s right,” said Zuma. “This place could do with a pyramid or two.”

  “We follow the rushing water,” Arn said. “The water leads us home.”

  They came out of the woods near the bank of a wide river. The water flowed fast, pounding over rocks and churning into a swirl of white foam.

  “The winter thaw has begun,” Gam explained. “Snow turns to water. Water runs into river. The river becomes angry.”

  Keeping to the edge of the water, they hurried across the rough ground. As they came around a bend in the river, Gam suddenly stopped in his tracks.

  “What is it?” asked Zuma.

  Gam didn’t reply. He was staring at a hilly ridge on the other side of the river.

  “There,” he said, pointing up at the ridge.

  Tom followed the hunter’s gaze. His heart thudded at what he saw. In the distance a troop of men in bulky furs like Gam’s were walking in a line across the ridge. There must have been nearly fifty of them. Each carried at least one weapon; some had two or three – axes, bows, blades – all of them deadly-looking.

  “Are they friends of yours?” Zuma asked hopefully.

  Arn shook his head. “It’s Orm,” he said. The young boy looked angry. “He is leading a hunting party into our lands again.”

  “Worse than that,” grunted Gam. “Too many men for just a hunting party, Blood-Son. All of Orm’s warriors. We must go.”