The SealEaters, 20,000 BC

by Bonnye Matthews

  He knew that once Reg snored at night, it was hard to awaken him. He was waiting for that opportunity. They ate that night a small horse that Reg had speared. Reg decided the next day they’d follow the smallest river using one of the other boats that had been cached. Reg had no intention of walking when he could take a boat.

  Maber had carefully assessed the landscape. He looked for places where Reg would least likely want to go. In the distance he’d seen a small hill that looked rock rough. Little vegetation grew on it, and it appeared difficult to climb. It rose from a thick forest.

  Maber knew Reg disliked dense forests and hated to climb, especially when it was rock rough. He decided to head for the rock rough hill and to go to the south side most distant from the river to climb as high as he felt safe climbing. He would watch the river in the morning for the boat to pass.

  It didn’t take long for his father and brother to go black and snore. Maber grabbed his backpack and quietly headed for the river. He crossed it to the center and walked downriver instead of upriver. That way it would seem less likely that his entry to the forest would be spotted, for they’d expect him to go upriver since only the sea lay downriver.

  Maber walked as carefully as possible. He’d put on his boots to keep from stepping on a stick or something that might injure his feet. He walked rapidly in the little light afforded by the moon in the forest, which was, as he thought, dense. Before dawn he reached the small hill and began the climb on the far side from the river. The climb was hard. The sharp rocks removed skin from his knees and legs. By dawn Maber reached the top where he had a great view of the area. Because there were edges that jutted up on the river side, edges with spaces through which one could view the river without being seen, Maber felt safe from Reg for the first time in his life. He watched the river and rested for a long time. It was not until evening when Reg and Blad rowed upriver past the little rock rough hill. They didn’t stop nearby, but Maber was certain that they wouldn’t go far. They did have food from the previous night, for the horse would feed them for a few days, though Maber had apportioned some of the meat before leaving. He knew Reg and Blad wouldn’t travel the river in the dark. He assumed correctly that they were late passing the rock rough hill because they’d been looking for him. Maber lay on his sleeping skins at the top of the rock rough hill and gazed into the starry sky. His life was about to change for the better, he was convinced. He went black.

  In the morning, Maber awakened to see two men standing over him holding spears. He raised up on an elbow only to find a spear point pressing against his chest.

  Despite the spear, Maber carefully rose to a seated position. He didn’t want to give them reason to kill him. He’d just found freedom. He ignored the spear and touched his chest, saying “Maber.”

  The man with the spear removed it from his side. The two young men each introduced themselves by name, “Ghee” and “Akrumtry.” They made it clear they wanted Maber to follow them. He felt he had no alternative nor desire to be alone. They showed him a pathway that led down the rock rough hill. It was on the west side of the hill. In the night, Maber smiled to himself, he hadn’t gone far enough.

  They walked through the forest. By evening one of them speared a young camel in a glen. When they made camp, they roasted the camel. The savor was great. Busily they made lean-tos for the night. A hearth fire separated the lean-to for Ghee and Akrumtry from the lean-to Maber made. Maber realized that would make it less likely that predators would bother them as they slept. No one had made any signs to set up a night watch. Maber was able go black lightly, and he did.

  In the morning they ate more of the camel. Maber was learning their words as quickly as he could. He wondered how far their village was, but he didn’t have the vocabulary or the signing ability to ask. They walked on for days. Little by little, Maber learned more of the language, though doing this while trekking was difficult. Maber learned that Ghee was twenty years of age and Akrumtry was two years older. He couldn’t understand why they were in the forest. After a moon of traveling through the forest, Ghee made him understand they were headed to their relatives who lived in the far west. There they expected to find wives. They had arrived at a wide swift river and had to cross it. They searched for what Maber finally understood was a boat. They expected to find boats on the shore nearby. They walked a good day both north and south searching for boats, and found none. They were confused. Ghee and Akrumtry finally decided to construct a raft to transport their backpacks and spears across the river. They’d simply hold onto it and kick hard to make it go across the river. Maber understood and was eager to help.

  By the time they had successfully crossed the wide river, it was clear that Ghee and Akrumtry had fully accepted Maber. The three were enjoying the adventure. One night, at another river, the three young men had climbed a hill to check for others in the vicinity. From the forest to the southwest, they could see that a good sized fire was sending up its sign. All three of them watched and listened.

  “Are these the people you seek?” Maber asked.

  “No,” Ghee replied. “The people we seek are across the very high mountains.”

  “Not mountains like any we’ve seen?”

  “No,” Akrumtry laughed. “You haven’t seen real mountains.”

  “I haven’t?” he replied.

  “Not at all,” Ghee agreed. “All you’ve seen are hills. Little hills.”

  Maber was surprised. He was eager to see what these men called mountains.

  “It is best that we are careful not to be seen by the people with the fire. We will not make a fire until we are out of range of their vision.”

  “Why? Are they fierce?”

  “We don’t know who they are. There are some people we do fear—the Niktonkata, and they have people everywhere. Sometimes they abduct one of us. We never hear from that person again. It’s as if the earth swallows them up. Because we don’t know who those people are, it is wise to be extremely cautious. Niktonkata do not travel in small numbers. For a fire that large, the numbers must be large.”

  “I understand,” Maber replied in a low voice.

  “Why are you here alone?” Akrumtry asked, settling himself to sit on a fallen log while Ghee began to set up their lean-to.

  “I am a SealEater, a people from across the sea. We are being squeezed by ice and mountains, so we set out a group of explorers to come here to find a new place for our people. I did not want to make this trip. My father, a man of great stature and very determined to have his way, insisted my brother and I come. He is a violent man and has severely beaten my brother and me all of our lives. Coming here he has been careless in his treatment of the people who live here. We were run out from one group of natives. We rowed boats north, set up a cache for our return to our home in the east, and began to explore. I waited until my father and brother snored to depart. I saw them rowing up the river near the rock where you found me.”

  “Ho!” Ghee called out from the lean-to. “They row right into the Alu territory. They’ll wish they hadn’t.”

  “What do you mean?” Maber asked, turning from his lean-to preparation.

  “The Alu do not permit anyone to enter their territory. Who knows what they’ll do with strangers. I do not wish to be them!”

  “I feel sorry for my brother.”

  “Why did you not ask him to join you?”

  Maber looked down at his feet. “I just couldn’t trust him. He could have told my father. Oh, I’m sure he’d have wanted to come with me. I think, though, that he’d have been frightened to take the risk. Angering my father and being caught, you could lose your life.”

  “Are you sure you do not exaggerate?” Akrumtry asked.

  Maber stood before them slowly circling. He removed his jacket. “Look at the scars on my body. They were made by my father, not accidental misfortune. He is a brutal, mean spitited man.”

  “Eeeee, by the Creator Spirit, I wonder whether you were ever loved.”

  “Yes,
my mother loved us all. She was powerless to do anything. She was the only person my father treated well. I don’t know why.”

  “I understand well how you would wish to leave. It is better to die well than to live in misery.”

  “Sadly, not all would agree with you,” Maber said.

  “It’s a matter of courage,” Akrumtry added. “You have shown courage, Maber.”

  “Thank you,” he replied quietly. He hadn’t thought of courage or anything except escape.

  “Let’s rest. Tomorrow we have another big river to cross.” Akrumtry entered the lean-to and stretched out on his sleeping skins.

  A terrible howl split the night’s quiet. The three young men grabbed their spears and crouched in their lean-tos. Apparently the people with the fire had been tracking a bear and had succeeded in spearing him in the forest at night. The noise from the bear was terrifying. Maber, Ghee, and Akrumtry listened. The noise was coming no closer, and the bear sounds ceased. The three listened carefully as the noise grew lower and lower. Finally, after a long time, the noise ceased altogether. None wanted to return to sleep. Quietly they packed their things, disassembled the lean-tos so as not to give away their recent use of the place.

  Akrumtry whispered, “Follow me, Maber. We know the way, and in the dark it’ll be hard for you. Try to remain silent.”

  The three left the place and moved through the quiet forest. They reached the river just before the sun had arisen, but there was adequate light to see.

  “Let’s make a raft for our things and cross this river now, before any early risers come to make sure the river’s clear.”

  They used the cordage Maber carried and tied a few logs together with the backpacks on the top. They headed out into the water. It was cold and Maber was not prepared for it. He sucked in his breath.

  “Silence,” Ghee hissed.

  They waded into the river and soon were kicking with all their energy to push the logs and themselves across the water. Once on the other side, they pulled the logs to the trees, untied the logs and backpacks, and vanished into the forest.

  It was evening before Akrumtry felt free. “I think we can consider we made a good escape,” he said with a sigh. He’d felt responsibility for the two younger men.

  Ghee looked at Akrumtry, “Niktonkata?”

  “Probably. I can think of none other skilled enough to chase a short faced bear at night into the forest to spear it.”

  “Is this land filled with many people?” Maber asked.

  Ghee said, “In this area, north of here there are the Alu. We’ve already spoken of the Alu. We’re careful not to tread on their land or even come close to it. There is much land that is not used, but where people claim territory, even if they are few in number, they will defend the land that they claim. They will defend it fiercely.”

  “I appreciate your letting me join you. I would not have known how to travel this land.”

  “We are not all knowing, Maber,” Akrumtry added. “There are changes all the time. What you most want to know is where the people like the Alu are to avoid them. Most others will treat you well enough, if you treat them well. You may have to prove yourself.”

  “What do you mean by prove myself?”

  “Show them you mean no harm.”

  “How do you do that?”

  “You listen to what they ask of you and do it. You do it without cowardice or showing pain.”

  “Are you talking about fighting contests?”

  “Possibly. Some of the people have unusual ways of asking you to show your good will. Some will only ask that you take your sleeping place with one of the women.”

  “That wouldn’t be too bad,” Maber laughed and the others joined him in the laugh.

  “Some will ask you to inflict pain on yourself.”

  “I don’t think I’d care for that.”

  “It’s better than dying.”

  “Some have you go without food or water. There are a variety of ways.”

  “I have learned why it’s best to be prudent and not be caught.”

  “You have learned.” Ghee grinned.

  The lean-tos were assembled and the three slept well.

  It was moons before they ascended a hill and Akrumtry announced, “Those are mountains!”

  Maber had seen many mountains, but none quite as astonishing as the large mountains that lay before him in the distance. They were intimidating. Clearly they were far in the distance, but the natives had made it clear they would cross the mountains.

  As the evening came on, it began to rain. The land they passed through was not as dense a forest as they’d been through. Making lean-tos was not as easy. They did eventually find enough materials to keep the sleeping places dry. They ate some remains of a deer kill they cooked on sticks over the fire. Tired, they went to rest early.

  In the middle of the night the wind rose. A terrible storm was in the making. The wind blew the logs off the lean-to shared by Akrumtry and Ghee. They grabbed their sleeping skins, backpacks, and spears, and huddled next to Maber in his lean-to.

  Suddenly, Akrumtry stood up and said, “Grab all your things. We must move to high ground. I almost forgot.”

  In the drenching rain the three ran toward a rise in the land. In the distance there was a small hill. Akrumtry waved them on. He moved faster than Ghee knew he could. There was nothing for shelter, so they took their sleeping skins and wrapped in them.

  “Why did we come here?” Ghee asked.

  “The rain. I’d forgotten that on land such as this, the rain has to go somewhere. It gathers and runs fast in the lower levels sometimes making river-like floods. We don’t want to be swept away in a flood.”

  “I’m glad you remembered,” Maber said.

  The three huddled together, watching the storm release its water and lightning. They were soaked by the time the storm ended. Dawn was breaking.

  They decided to cook the remains of the camel meat before beginning the day’s trek. Ghee set up a hearth with some dry wood he brought from the night’s lean-to. To that he added some wood that Maber found inside a hollow log. It wasn’t a great fire, but it served their purpose.

  “I have come to love the forests,” Maber said. “My people fear dense forests. I kept away from forests as a child.”

  “Why would anyone fear forests?” Akrumtry asked.

  “I don’t know. It was taught and I learned it. When I broke from my father, I found comfort in the forest. It is still a place I don’t understand as I understand the sea coast, but it saved me.”

  “Unlike you,” Ghee said, “the forest has always been our home. All our life is tied to the forest. It provides our food, water, shelter, clothing—all our needs.”

  “It also gives space to people you fear and short faced bears.” Maber was still shaken from the bear spearing event.

  “That too,” Akrumtry said.

  “Our next destination,” Akrumtry said, “is that hill over there that appears to be split in two.”

  “That’s not what I think best,” Ghee spoke up.

  “I don’t want to go the other way, since we’re aware there could be Niktonkata in the forest.”

  “Why do you think we’d run into them going my way instead of yours? We’re long past them.”

  “Experience.”

  “Akrumtry, sometimes you’re a pile of bison dung on a hot day!”

  “Let’s settle this our way,” Akrumtry said.

  They shed their clothes. Each laid a sleeping skin on the ground side by side. Each had a small knife.

  Akrumtry looked at Maber. “Stay out of this. The object is to shed blood of the other while on the skin and then throw him off the skins. Once you blood the other and remove him from the skin, you both have to lay down your knives. Whoever succeeds first in both efforts chooses the route we take.”

  Maber stepped back. He did not for any reason wish to have his blood shed, but he watched as the men began to circle for advantage. Akrumtry’s knife almo
st made contact with Ghee’s arm. Ghee’s knife missed Akrumtry’s leg. They worked back and forth each having and losing the advantage. Much time passed for they were evenly matched. Ghee blocked a thrust of Akrumtry’s and lost his knife. Akrumtry had the advantage and rushed Ghee. Ghee tripped Akrumtry who went outside the skins long enough for Ghee to retrieve his knife. When Akrumtry returned to the skins, he came determined. He succeeded in blooding Ghee’s arm, but Ghee swiped his side. Both tossed their knives outside the skin area and wrestled, each trying to force the other off the mat. The wrestling went on for a very long time. Maber finally became bored, because they were so evenly matched that when one made a move the other knew how to counter.

  Ghee suddenly shouted, “Brother, you’re bleeding.” At which time he managed to force Akrumtry outside the skins.

  Akrumtry looked at his side and found that he was indeed bleeding profusely. The wound didn’t particularly hurt, but he was losing a lot of blood.

  “Will you let me look at it?” Maber asked.

  Akrumtry walked over to Maber and showed him the wound. It wasn’t deep. Just a dangling skin flap.

  “I can sew it back together to try to stop the bleeding, if you like.”

  “You have the tools and knowledge?” Akrumtry asked astonished.

  “Of course. We don’t travel without what’s needed to handle small emergencies. Ghee, will you please bring some water?”

  Ghee had seen a small creek they passed over. He took the gourd and ran to the creek.

  “You’ll need to lie down, Akrumtry. This will hurt.”

  Akrumtry stretched out on his sleeping skin. Drops of his blood kept falling on the skin. Maber hunted around in his backpack until he found his bundle of herbs and honey. He gathered a few small pieces of leather.

  Ghee was back with water by the time Maber had his supplies.

  Carefully, Maber washed the wound. He took the bone needle and the twist of hair he’d taken from Ipsalu, his father Reg’s second wife, whose clean long hair he treasured for his emergency kit. Because of Reg’s cruelty to her, Ipsalu’s thinking place appeared to be separate from her body, but she secretively communicated with Maber. He took a strand of hair and threaded the bone needle and warned Akrumtry about the pain and began to sew the wound shut. He didn’t sew it so tight as to prevent it from draining. Then, he covered the wound area with a pinch of herbs and honey squeezed from a small bladder. Maber took some of Akrumtry’s skins that Ghee brought him, made a cover for the wound, and tied a belt around it to keep it clean.