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Authors: Karah Quinney
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antlers from the animal’s skull. Both men worked side by si de with practiced movements, in perfect harmony.
Soon the meat was strung up so that it hung far above the ground out of the reach of predators. Antuk stepped forward with a stone that was used for scraping the flesh from the inside of the animal’s skin.
Amara could see that the men were used to working without the help of a woman. She knew how to scrape a hide and work the skin until it was supple. When she stepped forward to help the warrior that had placed the killing arrows grunted and shook his head.
“You are injured. Do not move, we are almost finished.” True to his word they made quick work of the animal’s skin. The larger warrior quickly buried the entrails and preserved the organs, after washing them clean with the last of the water.
Without any more speech between the m, Amara watched as the men prepared to leave. She glanced back at the meat that hung from its place and he seemed to understand her concern. What if a predator came upon the meat before they were able to return? Even though her situation was dire and her future uncertain, she did not seek to waste something as hard-won as the meat from the buck.
“We will join Azin’s people by midday. I will send several of the young runners eager to prove themselves to this place where they will retrieve the meat. Come, we have much farther to go before we rest.” Kaichen gestured for the woman to follow behind him.
Antuk took up the rear as they journeyed onward. Not for the first time, Kaichen wished that he had brought his horse along with him. He was concerned about the man that they had managed to injure. If he had survived his wounds then it was possible that he pursued them. The woman’s fear was tangible and he could not determine if she feared them or the man that might even now be following after them.
Kaichen was unwilling to leave Antuk and check their trail for signs of pursuit. He walked with his bow in one hand and his spear in the other. If one injured man sought to challenge him for the woman, then the man had unknowingly chosen death instead of life.
Azin was surprised when on e of the young boys ran to him, bouncing from foot to foot with breathless excitement. “Kaichen and Antuk have returned and they bring with them a young woman.”
He forced his body to move, though he had aches and pains in places that became better known to him each day. Kaichen had gone to seek food to fill their food caches, but what had he found instead?
Azin moved quickly and from a distance, he moved with the same sureness of footing as he had in his youth. His seasons of life spent as a hunter and warrior served him well, even in his old age. So too did his eyes take in every detail of the three people walking toward them.
He was not surprised that his people did not immediately circle around Kaichen and Antuk, eager for word of their brief journey. Kaichen’s scowl was firmly in place and he did not inspire feelings of welcome.
Antuk, for his part, appeared distracted by the noise of the villagers and the sights and sounds around them. Azin sighed as he looked upon the two men that had unknowingly become the future of the bands that took shelter upon the mesas and the deserts sands.
He noticed the proprietary gleam in Kaichen’s eyes as some of the young hunters stood ready to make their presence known to the young woman, huddled behind Kaichen.
Azin was not so old that he could not see the way that young woman’s eyes continued to flicker back and forth between their people and Kaichen. The young men of his band poked each other with elbows and slaps upon the back as they eyed the woman. Kaichen fairly growled as some of the bolder men walked forward. Before Kaichen could make his intentions known Azin cleared his throat, calling the people to order around him.
“ I am Azin, leader of the people of
Soon the meat was strung up so that it hung far above the ground out of the reach of predators. Antuk stepped forward with a stone that was used for scraping the flesh from the inside of the animal’s skin.
Amara could see that the men were used to working without the help of a woman. She knew how to scrape a hide and work the skin until it was supple. When she stepped forward to help the warrior that had placed the killing arrows grunted and shook his head.
“You are injured. Do not move, we are almost finished.” True to his word they made quick work of the animal’s skin. The larger warrior quickly buried the entrails and preserved the organs, after washing them clean with the last of the water.
Without any more speech between the m, Amara watched as the men prepared to leave. She glanced back at the meat that hung from its place and he seemed to understand her concern. What if a predator came upon the meat before they were able to return? Even though her situation was dire and her future uncertain, she did not seek to waste something as hard-won as the meat from the buck.
“We will join Azin’s people by midday. I will send several of the young runners eager to prove themselves to this place where they will retrieve the meat. Come, we have much farther to go before we rest.” Kaichen gestured for the woman to follow behind him.
Antuk took up the rear as they journeyed onward. Not for the first time, Kaichen wished that he had brought his horse along with him. He was concerned about the man that they had managed to injure. If he had survived his wounds then it was possible that he pursued them. The woman’s fear was tangible and he could not determine if she feared them or the man that might even now be following after them.
Kaichen was unwilling to leave Antuk and check their trail for signs of pursuit. He walked with his bow in one hand and his spear in the other. If one injured man sought to challenge him for the woman, then the man had unknowingly chosen death instead of life.
Azin was surprised when on e of the young boys ran to him, bouncing from foot to foot with breathless excitement. “Kaichen and Antuk have returned and they bring with them a young woman.”
He forced his body to move, though he had aches and pains in places that became better known to him each day. Kaichen had gone to seek food to fill their food caches, but what had he found instead?
Azin moved quickly and from a distance, he moved with the same sureness of footing as he had in his youth. His seasons of life spent as a hunter and warrior served him well, even in his old age. So too did his eyes take in every detail of the three people walking toward them.
He was not surprised that his people did not immediately circle around Kaichen and Antuk, eager for word of their brief journey. Kaichen’s scowl was firmly in place and he did not inspire feelings of welcome.
Antuk, for his part, appeared distracted by the noise of the villagers and the sights and sounds around them. Azin sighed as he looked upon the two men that had unknowingly become the future of the bands that took shelter upon the mesas and the deserts sands.
He noticed the proprietary gleam in Kaichen’s eyes as some of the young hunters stood ready to make their presence known to the young woman, huddled behind Kaichen.
Azin was not so old that he could not see the way that young woman’s eyes continued to flicker back and forth between their people and Kaichen. The young men of his band poked each other with elbows and slaps upon the back as they eyed the woman. Kaichen fairly growled as some of the bolder men walked forward. Before Kaichen could make his intentions known Azin cleared his throat, calling the people to order around him.
“ I am Azin, leader of the people of
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