Thrower speared a small rabbit one day and Sannum Straight Hair managed to trap three tiny voles once, but they were eaten uncooked, as the savage Mikino ate their food. Hama told them they had to protect the fire they carried. Akkal Firetender was doing a good job keeping the smoldering embers in his horn from going out. She did not want to disturb his good work.
At the next new sun, Enga bent her sore legs and looked at the bottoms of her feet before she rose. They were raw and cracked. The tribe no longer had enough skins to wrap the feet of everyone. The remaining foot skins went to the Elders. Their feet were older and more tender. The leg of Panan had healed after Vala Golden Hair had helped him walk for several days, but he still limped.
How could any of them walk one more sun?
When Enga surveyed the surroundings, she knew they could not stay here, either. There was nothing for them in this place. They had to walk.
Tog waved his arms at her. Look. In the far distance. Tog put his hands on her head and turned it in the direction he was looking. Do you see it?
She did. Her smile broke through her gloom. The land is different. There are hills.
Finally, they would be off this plain, so barren, so devoid of life. The slight rolling hills looked far, but they would have to make it there. Enga rubbed the smooth, wooden tummy of the Aja Hama. She drew it from her pouch and showed it to Tog.
His eyes grew wide. The Aja Hama had been his birth-mother and he recognized it immediately.
You still have this carving? You have kept it all this time?
She leaned close to him. She has gotten us this far. Her spirit is with us. She is guiding us.
Tog mumbled something about guiding them to the Mikino, but he patted her arm and continued packing up with a smile on his broad face.
It was three more suns before they drew near the hills. If they had been stronger, that might have been only two. They were all so weakened and moving so much more slowly than normal. However, when they could smell the verdant trees on the hills, the pace quickened. Enga could see faint smiles on many faces. She studied her tribe mates as they stepped up their pace.
Bodd Blow Striker, the shorter red-haired Gata male, had carried the baby of Vala Golden Hair for the last two suns. But Enga saw the way Vala looked at Panan One Eye. Panan had left her side after he could walk unaided. Now Vala was trying to make Panan jealous and was trying to win him back. At least she was not going near Tog. That was a relief to Enga.
From so many rough days, dissentions had sprung up. Hapa had always resented the fact the Panan had not supported his mate in the last election for Hama. She had been chosen by the rest of the tribe in spite of that, but sometimes it seemed that Panan still opposed Hama and Hapa for no good reason.
Mootak Big Heart also aimed ill will toward Panan at times. Especially when Panan gave the Saga and Mootak could have given it as well. During the first part of the trek, Mootak sat for lessons from Panan, as he had done for many seasons before they left. Enga did not think he was doing this now.
Hapa had even been heard telling some of the tribe that it would be better when Mootak took over the Saga from Panan and when Panan retired from any leadership in the tribe. Hama did nothing to stop her mate from spreading his opinions. Enga did not think that was right. Enga pondered how so much discord swirled around Panan One Eye.
As soon as they reached a place with animals to eat, they would all behave as Hamapa should behave. Full bellies would help everything look better. Enga sent a plea to Dakadaga for that time to come soon. She had begun to wonder if Dakadaga was receiving the thoughts that the Hamapa sent to her.
Chapter 9
“Scientists have reconstructed the whole…genome of a group of ancient humans called Denisovans. …(T)hey had dark hair, eyes, and skin, the journal Science reports.”
— UK Natural History Museum online
At the next new sun, Enga bent her sore legs and looked at the bottoms of her feet before she rose. They were raw and cracked. The tribe no longer had enough skins to wrap the feet of everyone. The remaining foot skins went to the Elders. Their feet were older and more tender. The leg of Panan had healed after Vala Golden Hair had helped him walk for several days, but he still limped.
How could any of them walk one more sun?
When Enga surveyed the surroundings, she knew they could not stay here, either. There was nothing for them in this place. They had to walk.
Tog waved his arms at her. Look. In the far distance. Tog put his hands on her head and turned it in the direction he was looking. Do you see it?
She did. Her smile broke through her gloom. The land is different. There are hills.
Finally, they would be off this plain, so barren, so devoid of life. The slight rolling hills looked far, but they would have to make it there. Enga rubbed the smooth, wooden tummy of the Aja Hama. She drew it from her pouch and showed it to Tog.
His eyes grew wide. The Aja Hama had been his birth-mother and he recognized it immediately.
You still have this carving? You have kept it all this time?
She leaned close to him. She has gotten us this far. Her spirit is with us. She is guiding us.
Tog mumbled something about guiding them to the Mikino, but he patted her arm and continued packing up with a smile on his broad face.
It was three more suns before they drew near the hills. If they had been stronger, that might have been only two. They were all so weakened and moving so much more slowly than normal. However, when they could smell the verdant trees on the hills, the pace quickened. Enga could see faint smiles on many faces. She studied her tribe mates as they stepped up their pace.
Bodd Blow Striker, the shorter red-haired Gata male, had carried the baby of Vala Golden Hair for the last two suns. But Enga saw the way Vala looked at Panan One Eye. Panan had left her side after he could walk unaided. Now Vala was trying to make Panan jealous and was trying to win him back. At least she was not going near Tog. That was a relief to Enga.
From so many rough days, dissentions had sprung up. Hapa had always resented the fact the Panan had not supported his mate in the last election for Hama. She had been chosen by the rest of the tribe in spite of that, but sometimes it seemed that Panan still opposed Hama and Hapa for no good reason.
Mootak Big Heart also aimed ill will toward Panan at times. Especially when Panan gave the Saga and Mootak could have given it as well. During the first part of the trek, Mootak sat for lessons from Panan, as he had done for many seasons before they left. Enga did not think he was doing this now.
Hapa had even been heard telling some of the tribe that it would be better when Mootak took over the Saga from Panan and when Panan retired from any leadership in the tribe. Hama did nothing to stop her mate from spreading his opinions. Enga did not think that was right. Enga pondered how so much discord swirled around Panan One Eye.
As soon as they reached a place with animals to eat, they would all behave as Hamapa should behave. Full bellies would help everything look better. Enga sent a plea to Dakadaga for that time to come soon. She had begun to wonder if Dakadaga was receiving the thoughts that the Hamapa sent to her.
Chapter 9
“Scientists have reconstructed the whole…genome of a group of ancient humans called Denisovans. …(T)hey had dark hair, eyes, and skin, the journal Science reports.”
— UK Natural History Museum online
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