by Laura Jack
When they returned to the cave, older, wiser and full of ideas, they found preparations under way for the winter festival. The celebrations started with a sombre plea by Tamo to the spirit of Magda that she would not desert them and bring the warm season back so they could hunt and gather and provide for themselves for another winter.
When winter was at it’s coldest and the days at their shortest people felt a primeval fear that this time the great glacier would not relinquish it’s stranglehold on the land. Like it had done for the ancestors of their ancestors, they feared the great ice wall would grow again, swallowing up the land; and that the warm seasons would not return,forcing them out.
In the morning, the children woke to find a gift laid out for them at the end of their bed furs. As usual, it was the youngest that woke first.
“I got a medin bag! Mother! Father! I got a medin bag.” Matina shrieked, bouncing on her bed holding up a beaver skin medicine bag. It was exactly like the one that Lodina had, but smaller as it was made with a young beaver. It even contained items used for first aid and medicines such as salves and ointments and dried herbs, although nothing potentially dangerous. Matina was far too young for that. Lodina rose quickly and hushed her, but she had already woken up most of the cave. Brinan and Serena, sleepy eyed, were inspecting the parcels at the end of their bed furs.
Brinan knew what in his was before opening it, but he carefully unravelled the soft leather wrapping all the same.
“A backpack, oh thank you mother. Thank you Jonan.” He hugged them both and sat down to inspect his present.
“Felmas made it for us,” Jonan explained. It’s a new design he’s been working on. Look, he has made a few adjustments to the framework. See, here you have extra pockets for smaller items. The frame might seem a bit long for you but he said it’s meant to be like that. It’s made of yew tree, the strongest wood.” He showed Brinan how to dismantle the pack and make it up as a travois for bringing back game. “Now you can carry it on your back or drag heavier loads along with it.”
“It’s so clever, just brilliant!” He whispered in awe of the craftsmanship.
“Oh mother, Jonan, thank you.” Serena had opened her parcel too. It was a sewing set containing sewing awls, sinew, and spun wool of various natural shades. “I’ll make something special to wear at the spring ceremony with this.” She announced. Deema smiled, that was the idea. It would keep her occupied over the next few months of confinement. As bad as the weather had been, they all knew the period between the winter festival and the arrival of spring was worse.
Callom came over to their hearth to show what he had been given; a wood carver’s tool kit, including the apron with pockets which held the various tools in accessible places.
“I wish we could go and work on Felmas’s boat right now.” He said wistfully.
“A trip out would be great,” agreed Brinan. Now that they had their presents, they were longing to try them out. The storms had cleared and it was a bright cloudless day. A frigid cold hung suspended in the air, it was as if winter held its breath. The snow covering the landscape altered the contours of the valley which sparkled in shades of ice blue. Although beautiful, it was extremely cold.
“I bet the lake’s frozen over.” Said Brinan, it gave him an idea. “Mother, can we go down to the lake this morning, please?”
“Not on your own, you know the rules. Predators are far hungrier at this time of year and will be desperate enough to hunt people. You’d make a nice snack for a cave lion!” She joked but her voice had a serious edge.
“I’ll take them.” Offered Felmas; he, like the children, was restless to be outside. “We can make an expedition of it.” Callom hugged his uncle with gratitude.
“Can I come?” Matina asked in a high pitched tone that brought Ruban over.
“Me too?” He pleaded. He had been given a bone hammer and flint. Risella, his mother looked over at Deema. Then both women looked at Lodina, heavily pregnant and tired. They could all do with a bit of peace and quiet thought Deema, feeling washed out from all the preparations that went into the festival. “Alright then, but head back well before sunset and if the weather does close in make straight for home.”
“Yes mother! Oh thank you!” Squealed Felmas, mimicking the voice of a child.
Deema laughed. “Felmas, you’re the biggest child of them all!”
Luma couldn’t believe her luck at being out of the cave. She raced ahead of the small band of children and one tall, honorary child. She picked up the scent of a snow hare and flushed it out of its hiding place. She would have caught it too if it hadn’t dived under the thorny canes of a blackberry bush. She tried to follow it, bringing down a shower of snow, and getting a scratch on her nose for her efforts. She let Matina wipe it and put on some salve. Felmas thought how odd it looked – the small child nursing the wolf. But Luma was used to her mothering attention; in fact, she thrived on being treated as another member of the Clan.
They reached the west end of the lake, closest to their cave. Brinan was right, it had almost frozen over. Further out, almost beyond their range of vision, it was still fluid in the centre where it was at its widest. They quickly set up a day camp, Felmas and the boys cut down branches for a fire to scare off predators. They always felt safer once they had a fire going.
“It’s a pity we couldn’t launch the boat.” Said Callom. He had enjoyed cutting wood for the fire but wanted to do something more innovative with his new tool kit.
“We could slide on the ice.” Suggested Felmas and showed the boys how to make a sledge out of their backpacks. “Another adaptation of my backpack - but one that only we know of.”
He launched the sledge onto the ice. The poles slid along easily, even with the weight of a child on top. They made a downhill run from the bank, gathering up speed before they slid on the ice and across the edge of the lake. A competition was held to see who could slide the farthest. Soon their cheeks glowed red pinched with cold and their eyes sparkled brightly.
Felmas showed them how - if they leaned right back - they could go faster. The boys discovered that with two on board, the momentum increased and the sledge went even farther. They toppled off onto the frozen lake and rolled over laughing. It was just the sort of happy day that made them wish every day could be like this.
“Are you injured?” Matina asked hopefully, her medicine bag at the ready.
“We’re fine,” replied Callom. Matina’s face slumped, she didn’t try to hide her disappointment. Just a bleeding nose would have been nice!
“Can we take Flossa on the next run?” Brinan asked, winking at Callom.
Matina gave him her doll, playing along. “Hold on tight to her!”
The boys climbed back up the hill. Brinan put Flossa on his lap. Callom got on behind him and together they kicked off down the slope. Luma chased after them. While sliding across the ice past Matina, Brinan knocked Flossa off. “Oh no, baby overboard! Stop!” Putting their feet down, the boys swerved to a halt and tumbled off. Luma tumbled into them. They got up and ran over to the doll as Matina ran out to rescue it. The sledge became a stretcher. Carefully, Brinan picked up the doll and placed her on the stretcher. “Quick, healer, I think she’s broken something.”
“Her blood flow is slowing, she’s dying of cold.” Callom added pretending to feel the dolls’ life pulse.
“Step aside,” Commanded Matina and proceeded to examine the doll with all the seriousness of her mother. She re-checked the doll’s pulse; it doesn’t pay to rely on the opinion of amateurs. “Get her back to the fire, Brinan I’ll need something for a splint.”
Callom pulled the sledge and Matina walked beside him reassuring her patient. Once by the fire she opened her beaver skin bag, took out a small rabbit skin bandage, and with some cotton flax, cleaned the imaginary wound. The patient was carefully put onto a fur by the fire. Brinan gave her a twig rescued from the fire, for a splint. Matina set about fixing the broken leg, too happy to notice the boys wanderi
ng off. They enjoyed indulging Matina in her game but sledging was more fun. Luma barked at them, wanting another run so she could chase them again.
Callom looked longingly across the lake. “I wish we could get further out. What we need is a bigger sledge.”
Felmas overheard them. “Why don’t we see if we can attach my travois to your sledge then I can sit on with you and perhaps the extra weight will send us downhill faster?” It took them a while to work it out, even when he was finished, Felmas wasn’t sure it would hold all their weight.
“Ruban!” Callom shouted at the boy who was sitting by the fireside chipping away at a piece of flint. “We need another body, on you come.” Reluctantly, Ruban got up and made his way over. He insisted on being a passenger while they pulled the sledge up the hill. The boys jumped on and set off for another run, Luma yelped at their side and leapt over the double sledge as it gathered speed. Their screams of delight confirmed that they were going faster. It was gathering even more speed when it hit a bump and jerked violently. Callom and Brinan fell off the first half, made up of Brinan’s travois. Ruban clung onto the back travois. With no weight on it, the front travois flipped up. Now Ruban couldn’t see where he was going but he wouldn’t take his hands off the rails to push the travois down.
Felmas and the boys watched, expecting the sledge to slow down. However, the wind, which had been growing steadily stronger all afternoon, caught the vertical hide of the travois and carried it - and the back travois with Ruban on it - along the lake at increasing speed.
“For the love of Magda!” Swore Felmas. Serena and Matina stood up to watch. “The hide on the travois has caught the power of the wind.” Callom said, like a flint striking a spark in his mind it came as a revelation.
It was Brinan who recognised the danger Ruban was in. He started to run towards the flying sledge.
“Put your foot down Ruban, you’re getting too close to the middle, you’ll fall through the ice.” His voice carried in the wind and he saw Ruban put a foot down, stalling the sledge. It swerved violently then toppled over and lost the driving power of the wind. Ruban got up, dusted off the loose snow, and stomped towards Brinan.
“Do it yourself next time!” He snapped, oblivious to the revelation he had created.
They all had a turn of the sailing sledge, Brinan first, then Callom then Serena with Matina on her lap and finally, Felmas. It was only after he felt the speed of the wind that he realized such a wind meant a storm approaching. Reluctantly, they broke camp and returned to the cave just as another winter blizzard darkened the sky.
That evening they celebrated the Winter Festival with a feast of meats, grains, nuts and dried fruits. The children were not allowed the alcoholic drinks that the adults had but revelled in the merriment it caused in them. After the feasting came singing and dancing, then everyone settled to story-telling. Felmas and the boys regaled their story of the sailing sledge. Felmas played down the fear he felt when the sledge went faster than he could ever imagine. It was Callom, who inadvertently spawned the idea of exploring the possibilities of trying to harness the wind to sail a boat. “I wonder,” he said. “If the sledge had been a boat, would it have travelled as fast on open water?”
“We could travel much farther, much faster.” Said Brinan.
“We’ll just have to build something and find out.” Replied Felmas and proceeded to draw out some plans on the dirt floor of the cave. The boys in particular, took an interest in the plans and a lively discussion grew out of a passing thought. It was the perfect end to a perfect day. They couldn’t wait until spring to put their ideas into action.
11 Winter
Now that the excitement of the winter festival was over, everyone settled to mending and making. Depending on age and interest, they gathered at different hearths for different projects. Happy thoughts of the forthcoming Spring Festival and the Summer Gathering got them through the long, monotonous winter days.
Serena made good use of her sewing set. She was fringing a deer hide tunic with plaited mouflon wool tasseling the tips. Working at the hearth of Lodina along with Juno, she quickly tuned out of the idle gossip of the women and the easy but repetitive task allowed her the concentration to think deeply.
I will be glad when it is spring so we can get back up to the cave and I can draw again. I wish I could draw on this tunic; it would just come off though, so there is no point. If only there was a way to preserve colour in the leather and use the colour to make images.
When the last plait had been given its tasselled end, Serena admired her handy work. The deep brown mouflon wool contrasted beautifully with the creamy leather that had been steeped in stale urine to lighten it.
Although it doesn’t sound very nice, urine that is kept for a long time changes to become a powerful cleaning fluid that also bleaches hides. Originally used to clean the last of the fat and membrane tissues off a hide it was discovered that it also tended to lighten the hide. The longer you left it, the lighter it was. The creamy hide was clean and beautifully soft. It was to be a shawl for her to wear at the Spring ceremony.
Serena gazed at the centre. The large expanse of white invited further decorating. She didn’t want to do beads – Everyone does beads! She thought. I wish I could put a picture on it, like the ones in the cave. If only I could draw some patterns on it, I still have plenty of mouflon wool left over. It would be nice to make patterns using the wool. The gem of an idea came to her. I wonder, would it work?
Taking a piece of charcoal, she neatly drew out part of a design in the centre then taking her awl and some wool sewed over the design so that the pattern was repeated using the wool. She experimented with different types of stitching and different shades of wool. Not to overdo it and risk spoiling the cape, she just did one pattern in the middle repeating it on a smaller scale along the bottom of the cape just above the tassels.
The project took her the best part of the day, but the end result was worth it. It was every bit as rewarding as making jewellery; she decided and wondered what trade value it would have. Although the older women openly admired her work, Serena thought only of how she could improve on the next piece, she still wished she could combine the greater range of colours with her ochres directly into the leather. It was while watching her mother rub fat into a hide to tan and waterproof it that she hit on an idea.
“Mother, could I have a rabbit hide?” She asked, knowing there were plenty in store.
“Of course, what are you planning on?”
“I’m not sure yet, I just want to try something out.” She went to the store at the back of the cave. Luma was there, hunting rodents; it wasn’t something anyone had thought of but the young wolf was proving herself an asset by keeping vermin under control in the cave.
“Luma, shift over, I need to get at these skins.” Serena said using the pressure of her leg to shift the young wolf, it made her notice how big Luma was growing, she wasn’t far off her adult size, although it would be a while yet before she filled out. Serena felt a surge of excitement when she found a rabbit hide that had been soaked in stale urine, it was a particularly pale colour. She also picked up some small shells for dishes.
She took everything back to the hearth and returned to her place.
“Lodina, can I have some rendered fat? I don’t need a lot.” Lodina didn’t reply just used her foot to push a container of fat towards Serena. Carefully, Serena measured out a small portion of fat into each cup. She had her drawing ochres with her and put a little of each colour into each cup mixing it well. She decided not to waste time trying to draw any specific image but instead began with a small circle of fat blackened with charcoal in the centre of the hide, then a circle of dark ochre red, then light red ochre, then yellow ochre, then finished the outside with a mixture of fat and chalk for a true white shade. She was delighted with the end result.
“How clever,” remarked Juno. Serena hadn’t even noticed- that the women had stopped gossiping to watch her work the last colour int
o the hide. “What will you make with it?”
“I don’t know,” replied Serena.
“Why not a pouch? Here, use this awl to make holes and trim the edge of the hide to make a thong.” Suggested Juno. Serena smiled broadly, she could visualise what Juno meant and quickly made the holes and trimmed the edges. The strip of hide that she had trimmed away was threaded through and knotted at the end. Then she pulled and the draw string pouch closed up. She was delighted with the result.
“Now those would trade well,” remarked Juno. “You have a rare gift for creativity child - you’ll never go hungry!”
“I wish I could get every colour onto leather this way. Like you do with the mouflon wool. I especially like the blue.”
“It’s from wode, we steep the plant and extract the colour. Fat and water don’t mix well but if you let the water steam off it would leave a residue that you could mix with the fat.” Explained Lodina.
“How did you discover it?” Serena asked.
“It was an accident, many years ago; someone dropped the woody plant into a cooking pot instead of the fire. It ruined a good mammoth stock, no-one wanted to risk drinking bright blue!”
Serena’s innovation became a group project. Several days later Serena was the proud owner of a unique pale blue deer hide tunic for the spring ceremony. The women resolved to keep the process a secret to their clan. Woad was unique to the northern territories and it was not obvious when you looked at the plant how to get the blue colour. It was why it was used in face markings at ceremonies so that the Wolf Clan stood out.
As Clan leaders, Arguus and Deema took a keen interest in the process. Anything that was new or innovative would attract interest at the Summer Gathering. They would garner a lot of prestige and valuable trade for both the coloured fat idea and Serena’s embroidery. Gathering wool that had been shed from migrating animals in the spring was an annual task and this spring, Arguus resolved, it would be an industrious group effort by everyone.