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Authors: Laurence Dahners
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alone. Later in the spring when the plants began to green and the tubers to fatte n up Donte would be invaluable. S he knew the wom an’s art of gathering plant food .
Pell came back to reality. Right now it was early spring when they depended on the hunt for all their food and Donte, being a woman, would only be a heavier burden for an inferior hunter such as himself. It didn’t occur to Pell that Donte might help with the hunt, the concept of women hunting wasn’t within the pale of his experience. “Oh Momma, we can’t form a tribe without any hunters. You’d just die with me.”
“Better to die with you then. All my other children dead… so many years now... It’s no use going on if I lose you too.”
Pell thought a moment, “No! You’ve got to stay with the tribe, at least for now. You might be able to sneak me a few supplies if I need them. You wouldn’t be able to steal anything for me if you were an exile too. Later this summer, if I’m still alive, you could join me and help me gather for the winter. We could try to form our own tribe then. Besides, what I’m really hoping is that Roley will change his mind and let me back in the tribe. If you stay, you would be able to beg him for mercy on my behalf. You won’t be able to influence him if you’re an outcast too.”
Tears brimming in her eyes, Donte sat staring into the distance awhile, finally nodded, then said simply, “Wait.”
She turned and walked back up the path to the cave. A few minutes later she came out with a bundle and walked back to where the forlorn Pell stood, somewhat out of sight behind several small trees.
“Here,” she said handing him the bundle, “Two furs, one of Lenta’s old firepots with a couple of good coals, some flint, some sinew and thongs, a big piece of leather and a chunk of meat from yesterday’s kill. I’ve been thinking about where you should set up your camp. You need to be a day’s walk from here so you’ll be out of Roley’s regular hunting area. It would be good if it was towards the Aldans’ usual summer hunting areas so I would be able to find you when the gathering gets better.”
They talked a while and Pell agreed to try to set up his camp in a ravine a day’s walk in the direction of the summer gathering place. The tribe normally summered at the edge of a large area of grassland about two and a half days walk toward the summer tribal gathering and trading area which was a few days beyond that even. Thus, he would be about half way between the tribe’s winter and summer areas but at a day’s walk, still outside the hunting areas for either. The ravine they agreed upon was easy enough to identify because it had a spring fed stream . T he water of the stream was known for running ice cold, even in the heat of summer.
Donte clasped Pell to her bosom. Realizing bemusedly that he had grown enough to be as tall as she was, Pell hugged her back a moment. Then he turned and trudged away.
Initially Pell started out directly for the ravine with the cold springs. He hadn’t gone far when he realized he wouldn’t be passing too far from the brush choked gulch where he had wanted to lay in waiting, hoping that an animal would get stuck in his trap. He had intended to go there later that day anyway. On the one hand he didn’t want to go, because he needed to set up a shelter as soon as possible against the fear of the big night cats. On the other hand, he realized that the thicket of brush might be a safe refuge from the cats, which would have difficulty insinuating their bulk within. It didn’t look like rain that night anyway and the dead brush would provide material for a fire. And so, instead of passing by , he turned into the mouth of the little gulch.
When he arrived at the brushy wall, he immediately smelled blood. Something had made a fresh kill nearby. He looked around but whatever it was it wasn’t on his side of the brush wall. Perhaps it was on the other side? Excitedly he
Pell came back to reality. Right now it was early spring when they depended on the hunt for all their food and Donte, being a woman, would only be a heavier burden for an inferior hunter such as himself. It didn’t occur to Pell that Donte might help with the hunt, the concept of women hunting wasn’t within the pale of his experience. “Oh Momma, we can’t form a tribe without any hunters. You’d just die with me.”
“Better to die with you then. All my other children dead… so many years now... It’s no use going on if I lose you too.”
Pell thought a moment, “No! You’ve got to stay with the tribe, at least for now. You might be able to sneak me a few supplies if I need them. You wouldn’t be able to steal anything for me if you were an exile too. Later this summer, if I’m still alive, you could join me and help me gather for the winter. We could try to form our own tribe then. Besides, what I’m really hoping is that Roley will change his mind and let me back in the tribe. If you stay, you would be able to beg him for mercy on my behalf. You won’t be able to influence him if you’re an outcast too.”
Tears brimming in her eyes, Donte sat staring into the distance awhile, finally nodded, then said simply, “Wait.”
She turned and walked back up the path to the cave. A few minutes later she came out with a bundle and walked back to where the forlorn Pell stood, somewhat out of sight behind several small trees.
“Here,” she said handing him the bundle, “Two furs, one of Lenta’s old firepots with a couple of good coals, some flint, some sinew and thongs, a big piece of leather and a chunk of meat from yesterday’s kill. I’ve been thinking about where you should set up your camp. You need to be a day’s walk from here so you’ll be out of Roley’s regular hunting area. It would be good if it was towards the Aldans’ usual summer hunting areas so I would be able to find you when the gathering gets better.”
They talked a while and Pell agreed to try to set up his camp in a ravine a day’s walk in the direction of the summer gathering place. The tribe normally summered at the edge of a large area of grassland about two and a half days walk toward the summer tribal gathering and trading area which was a few days beyond that even. Thus, he would be about half way between the tribe’s winter and summer areas but at a day’s walk, still outside the hunting areas for either. The ravine they agreed upon was easy enough to identify because it had a spring fed stream . T he water of the stream was known for running ice cold, even in the heat of summer.
Donte clasped Pell to her bosom. Realizing bemusedly that he had grown enough to be as tall as she was, Pell hugged her back a moment. Then he turned and trudged away.
Initially Pell started out directly for the ravine with the cold springs. He hadn’t gone far when he realized he wouldn’t be passing too far from the brush choked gulch where he had wanted to lay in waiting, hoping that an animal would get stuck in his trap. He had intended to go there later that day anyway. On the one hand he didn’t want to go, because he needed to set up a shelter as soon as possible against the fear of the big night cats. On the other hand, he realized that the thicket of brush might be a safe refuge from the cats, which would have difficulty insinuating their bulk within. It didn’t look like rain that night anyway and the dead brush would provide material for a fire. And so, instead of passing by , he turned into the mouth of the little gulch.
When he arrived at the brushy wall, he immediately smelled blood. Something had made a fresh kill nearby. He looked around but whatever it was it wasn’t on his side of the brush wall. Perhaps it was on the other side? Excitedly he
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