Copyright © 2001
ISBN# 1-4010-3457-8
All Rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, any any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, events, or locales is coincidental.
this book was printed in the United States.
Chapter I
{The Developing World}
It is just at the tail end of the ice age, a new world is emerging. A few animals live, but not in very large numbers around the globe. Years went by so slowly, the primitive people with their limited resources are having a hard time making it. Fire is just a recent discovery, and has made life easier for everyone. In time humans began to adapt to the cold temperatures, but their adaptation would be challenged once again when the surface of the land began to heat up. Through the sheets of ice a pool of water is awakened by the heat of the sizzling sun. Many of the local clans call it Artimus. Artimus provides the fish this ape man needs to maintain a proper diet. Cahia is a hunter who takes great pride in his work as a craftsman in spear heads. Much of his days are spent hunting out in fields of ice and snow. Lithie a close friend of Cahia, is sitting along the bank of the lake now chipping at thin stones, making spear heads for an upcoming hunt. Cahia is taking his time admiring his perfectly shaped tip of his spear head.
“Lithie my spear head is almost perfect. You’ve spent many hours on yours and it still doesn’t look like it will be able to puncture the skin of a deer. Do you want me to finish yours too?”
“You just worry about yours. Mine will be fine, and able to kill a deer when I’m finished”.
“Lithie your not upset are you?”
“No friend I’m not. I’m trying to get my spear head right though and it’s just not working”.
“You are mad. I really don’t mind helping you, it will just take me a few moments more to get the tip of my spear head, and than I’ll help you with yours. See I hold it up to you, to show you how to put the finishing touches on such a piece of artistic perfection”.
Cahia is taping on his spear head to acquire the sharpness he wishes to have, but he misses his desired target and bust the tip completely off his spear head.
“Nice shot Cahia, that will make a good skipping stone now”.
“Ahhh, darn it was a bad shot indeed”.
“I don’t think I need your help now”.
The two spent several more hours along the banks of the lake. Ice and snow are abundant and this primitive man species uses to keep things fresh. They learned this by watching packs of wild dogs hunt. After a kill the dogs would burrow a hole into the snow, to come back and eat latter. It seemed to make since, if animals could keep their food good in this way, people felt it should work for them as well. Cahia tied the spear head to a stick with strips of animal skin. When Cahia and Lithie were finished making their weapons they moved out to higher ground and waited for something to come by to drink out of the lake. They moved behind some rocks off the waters edge. They knew when an animal came near, they are in a position to pounce down on it. There are many clans or small groups in the area. Each one has it’s own territories, and it’s own way of doing things. Cahia’s group is set up with his friend Lithie. These are the two hunters of the group, there is also a medicine man Zola, and lastly Solima; the wife of Cahia. The couple is becoming closer as Cahia is having to spend less time out searching for food. All the males in a group are expected to hunt, while females in a clan perform the household tasks needed to be performed. Once food is brought back to the cave, Solima cleans out the animal carcass for meat. The food is than moved over to an abandoned cave where ice is put on top of it. She than will take the skins from what ever is caught, so that latter clothing, and blankets can be made. Cahia get along with all the other groups in his area with one exception. The Jahol clan, a large group comprising of nine males, and four females. Cahia doesn’t like the Jahol Clan as they are always stealing the food he and Lithie catch for their own clan. Cahia tries to avoid direct contact with his enemy due to his small groups size. Everyone counts in the group and all rely on one another for survival. Lithie hears steps coming towards his position. as the two great hunters peak out from their vantage point behind the gray rounded rocks. The deer stops turning it’s head, puffs of fog coming from it’s face as it starts to breath quicker with every passing moment. Lithie pulls up roaring as he hurls back to deliver a fatal blow, but the deer is faster than he and moves off into the tree line. So they will be forced to wait longer before eating tonight. Nothing else comes by and the small clan is forced to go hungry for the third day in a row. Zola is told of the bad news, and along with being the medicine man he is also the religious teacher of the group. He is one of the many primitive teachers, but he is the most respected of all the clans around the area. Cahia started the conversation to Zola asking him for advice.
“Cahia, what happened today?”
“The deer was so close, I could almost touch it. We got so close, yet we came up to early and as Lithie jumped off the rocks, the deer ran away”.
“You will catch something tomorrow perhaps Cahia”, Zola says as he grips his healing stones. Zola feels his stones hold power, that can heal, ward off unwelcome invaders, and show the way to a successful hunt.
“I have waited long enough. I’ll go now and hunt for the food we need”; Cahia states.
“Be careful, many beyond our area may become hostile if they see we have moved in on their space”, Zola expresses with concern.
“I will Zola, and you watch over our area to protect our clan”.
Lithie and Cahia, walked along on the icy surface beyond their clan’s boarders. The wind begins to blow, as the dark puffy clouds up above begin to spill out; showering over the two hunters sheets of frigid snow. Lithie becomes separated from his friend as the blizzard blinds the paths in front of him.
“Where are you Cahia?”
There is no sound. Just sounds of the wind ripping across the landscape. Tree branches start to crackle, and tear off as Lithie struggles to make his way.
“Cahia!!.....Cahia!!...”
Snow is still piling up, all around Lithie and there is no sign of Cahia. The winds start to pick up as Lithie tries to make his way back home to the lake. He turns in many directions on his way back, but as time passes his body becomes stiff, and a numbness seems to over take his body. Worn out and exhausted he falls face first into the snow, still conscious but just barely. Flakes of snow continue to fall, thus covering Lithie in a white snowy grave. The storm had finished, the sun arose the following day one man had survived the night and another is missing. Cahia had sought shelter when he noticed the weather was starting to become unpleasant. He hid in a small cave belonging to a cave bear who was no longer there. Lithie is missing, yet when he asks another hunter out on a hunt about his friends disappearance the man claimed he knew nothing. Cahia returned to the lake where a fire is burning. His two remaining friends are sitting to keep warm.
Solima asks, “Where is Lithie?”
“I was hoping maybe you had seen him Solima. He was just about to catch a fresh kill I think, but the weather turned and he got caught up in the storm”.
“No Cahia, he didn’t return last night”, replies Solima.
“Are you sure?”
“Positive”.
“How about you Zola; have you seen him?”
“Only when you guys left. Did you know he took your broken spear head with him”.
“No, I didn’t..I think he kept it so that he would have something to pattern his heads after”.
“Cahia, Solima said to me earlier that woman of the Jahol clan invited us over for dinner. Food is scarce this time of year, and I think we should go”.
“I am hungry too, but I don’t want to go over and be with the Jahols”.
“But we must Cahia”, Pleads Solima.
“You two may go. I’ll stay here”.
“Ahh Cahia, Solima I have been invited as their honorary guest. They have asked that both of you come as they want me to join their group”.
“Tell me you don’t want to become a part of that old clan. Those old ones have more hair on them, than half the animals I kill”.
“I told them I would think about it. I am starving and must eat, I hope to see you at the feast”.
Zola crouches down and leaves the confines of the cave. He moves off into the hills to a long journey down the mountain were the Jahol’s have a large camp.
“Solima I thought we would never get rid of him”.
“I too felt he would not go. Perhaps we can join him latter, much...much latter dear”.
“I wonder why the Jahol are being so nice Solima. It is not like them, especially when food has been so hard to come by in recent years”.
“Zola is right Cahia you and I do talk to much. You and I need to go to this feast”.
“Perhaps we will, but first lets you and I search for Lithie”.
The two grabbed walking sticks, wrapped their feet in hide to keep their feet warm for their journey. The coats the are wearing are made of cave bear hide, these huge monstrous beasts were once abundant, but as the clans grew in size, the bears moved further out to avoid being pestered by man. Cahia and Solima move along stabbing their sticks into the snow, hoping to find a disturbance in the area that will show Lithie’s location. They walk for miles, yet there is no sign of him. Cahia sits and is deeply upset.
“It is my fault Solima, I should not have left him by himself when the storm appeared”.
“You could not have known he would get lost”.
“I should have gone out to help him find his way to the cave where he and I could wait out the storm. Than both of us would have survived”.
“Cahia you don’t know that he didn’t survive, we haven’t found his body yet”.
“You don’t understand anything!!”
“I didn’t mean to upset you. I was only saying that there is hope. We may still find Lithie”.
“A extremely remote possibility Solima, the weather conditions were brutal. The low visibility from the huge sheets of snow made it difficult to see. I could hear him, but just barley. I came out of the cave for a moment, but Lithie was nowhere to be found. I was to late perhaps; I should have came out earlier”.
“Cahia I am cold, tired, and weak from this search. We must get moving again to keep ourselves from freezing”.
Before Cahia could get up from his position, some members of the Jahol clan are spotted along the tree line. Their numbers have increased as other small bands have joined their ranks. The Jahol’s have been around since time itself, and are increasing in numbers now. Cahia and his wife have somewhat of a modern look that is displeasing to the Jahol’s. Cahia refers to the Jahol’s as the old ones. He feels his parents were chased off by the Jahol’s, when he was a boy to protect the old ones from future transformations. Aside from the appearance difference, Cahia’s group and the other clans have remained friendly. Five of the Jahol members emerge from the tree line, they walk slowly towards Cahia and Solima. They appear to be carrying a new type of weapon. These long sticks they carry still have a spear head on them, but the length of the tip is much longer now. Four of the men stop about ten yards from Cahia, and one of the men keeps coming. He is upbeat and offers his hand in friendship as he stands in front of Solima.
“I’m the brother of the leader of the Jahol clan. They call me Vul, and I was sent out to find you by Zola. He was your medicine man, but now he is not. Zola is respected among all, and it is the reason we offer you a place at our table tonight”.
Although Cahia disliked the Jahol’s he didn’t want to insult the brother of the most powerful group around by refusing to accept Vul’s invitation. Cahia hesitated for a moment, and than spoke.
“You’ve had a fresh kill have you?”
“Yes you might say that, and there is plenty for all. So you will go?”
“Food has been hard to by Vul, of course I shall come”.
“What’s wrong with your woman Cahia does she not speak”.
“I can speak saber tooth”.
“You might want to watch your tongue woman, or I may come down there to cut it off”.
Cahia raises his hand in front of him as to warn Vul not to approach.
“Solima speaks many times with out thinking Vul, and I know she didn’t mean to insult you”.
“Cahia you watch that lady of yours as next time I may not hold back my attack”.
Solima says nothing, and Vul and his men move on into the tightly packed pine trees.
“What’s wrong with you Solima?”
“Oh come on Cahia you would like to say what I said, and worse about those old ones”.
“I can’t argue with you there, but to insult him in the presence of so many of his group puts us one step closer to a direct conflict. Our numbers are too small for that”.
“Cahia I’ve heard rumors of a race similar to us which live down on the valley floors of the mountains. If we could find them and increase our numbers we could run the old ones away”.
“Where did you hear this?”
“From other clans who would not join the Jahol clan. I never saw those people after that day, but I’ve been told that when they left the meeting I had with them, the two were followed, murdered, and their bodies thrown into the lake”.
“Is there anyone I could talk to about this?”
“Yes Cahia, but they are afraid to speak”.
“I understand, I too would be afraid...So I guess you and I shall go to the feast tonight”.
“Do you think this is wise?”
“No Solima I don’t, but what choice do we have?”
“I guess we will be OK, Zola will be there as their guest of honor before they initiate him into their group. I often think we too should join their group”.
“Zola appears similar in form to the old ones, an we do not. Their group would never except us”, says Cahia.
The couple moved along the trails, it is the middle of the day and the sun is out casting a blinding reflection off the snow. Solima is tired and wishes to rest, but Cahia urges her to keep moving as they are not far from reaching their destination. Out in the distance smoke is now lifting into the heavens from a fire lit by the Jahol’s. The white smoke is a welcome sign to the couple as they know when they arrive they can sit by the fire and once again be warm. Their make shift shoes are iced up, their muscles are sore, but they keep moving as it is not far now to the camp. As they move along there lies huge rocks, in which the flames are towering from behind them. The warmth from this fire can already be felt, and Cahia’s numb stinging hands start to defrost.
“Solima we have finally arrived”, Cahia says in excitement.
Solima has fallen in the snow some eight yards back, and Cahia rushes over to her aid to assist her in the final stretches of their journey. When he reaches her he takes his coat off and gives it to her. He reaches down to her, as she rises from the ground he wraps her arm around his neck. The two make their way into the camp.
“Solima, I didn’t hear you cry out that you had fallen”.
“I didn’t cry out, but thanks for coming back for me. I am very weak, and exhausted from the many days of travel, and the lack of food”.
“It’s been hard on everyone these days, but I still feel your the best woman to have in all the clans”.
“Your not just saying that to be nice?...You really mean that?”
“Yes I do...We don’t get much time to talk, in recent months as I’m always out searching for our groups next meal, but you are always on my mind. It gives me hope, knowing you are at the home site when I return from a hunt”.
“I love you too, even though you didn’t exactly say it. You know I use to get angry at you while you and Lithie were off on your hunts for weeks on end”.
“I didn’t know that”.
“Yes will it did. It took time away from us. It wasn’t so bad at first, but as the years went by and food became scarce, I saw less and less of you. The weeks of isolation really played on my emotions”.
“That wasn’t my intention, but I did what I thought was needed to keep our group healthy and strong”.
“I knew that Cahia, and that’s why I never said anything to you about it”.
The crackling of the bon fire, are the sounds the two hear while approaching the camp. They turn the corner of a pile of rocks, there is a smaller fire that the old ones are using to cook over. Many folks are at the camp, some are dancing, others telling stories about the hunt. Cahia is somewhat surprised to see so many people at one place, it was unlike anything he had ever witnessed. There is a small stream which is fed by the lake, along side the camp. The old ones choose to stay where the waters flow, as they enjoy the sprig water which descends from the higher mountains. The lake is fed by snow run off, and the rains from the storms. It is the run off waters that Cahia and his group pray for as they wish always to keep the lake full and abundant in food. Solima is happy to be at this gathering; Cahia is not. As the two sit by the bon fire, they over hear a man telling about his latest hunt which made the gathering possible. A man asked a simple question as to how the hunt got started. The hunter laughed for a moment, and than started to speak.
“It didn’t start out as a hunt. I was walking through the snow to gather wood for the fire. My club was handy, yet it was out of reach. There were many trees around, that had fallen branches from a storm we had a few days ago. I heard some movement in the brush, and I stopped to see what it could be. The howls they haunted me as I heard some foot steps approaching. I started to panic, and tried to run. With razor sharp teeth, claws and slobbery wet face, a monstrous beast appeared out of the bushes. Another man who was also gathering wood heard voice. He came out of no where screaming dire wolf!....dire wolf!!...more are approaching you better take to higher ground. I tried to grab my club as many dogs surrounded me. The man who had warned me was almost near, running at a very fast pace. He was screaming in primal rage without fear, and yelling at the dire wolves to go away. One of the ferocious beasts bit me here on the bottom of my leg, another here on my shoulder. The man took his spear, and with a yelp the wolf hit the ground. I scrambled up and worked my way free, to grab my club, when the next wave of attacks came. I pulled back my heavy club, and struck down one of them with just one blow”.
“How many of these wolves were there?”, a man says.
“At least five, but when I and the other man killed two of them the rest ran away”.
“It is good than you made it and are still alive”.
“Uhmm....yes it is, and alive is good. It sure got my attention”.
The other men in the group laugh and drink water from a make shift cup. Vul had noticed Cahia and his woman just getting into camp, and he announces their arrival to the rest of the clans.
“Hello, please come over and sit with me. Welcome, Cahia it’s good you could make it. I am not among your favorite people I know, but I’ve changed my mind about your group”.
“Where is Zola, Vul. He said he was coming, yet I do not see him”.
“Oh he is here, he went with my brother Kolet. They are checking traps, for more food for the feast. We can go look for them if you’d like?”
“No, I’m worn out from my travels here”.
“It is a long way Cahia. How is the lake anyway?”
“It is cold and murky. I have not been able to catch fish”.
“The hot springs have no fish in them?”
“Not very many. Even if I catch them all they are to small right now to feed my group”.
“Oh Solima, how have you been?”
“I’m fine”.
“Why of course you are”, Vul responds as he smiles at Solima.
Cahia takes notice and motions at his young wife to move away. Everyone has stopped what they are doing as Zola has changed his mind. There is much being said as Zola comes up from down stream. Zola is over heard shouting at Vul’s brother Kolet.