Chapter Two
Notes: Ice Ages are often triggered by warmer climates by the poles (known as: polar warming): this snow from the ice cap falls to lower latitudes; in essence, this is what was happening during Big-chests lifetime.
The Ice Sheet and the Cave
The Cave
And so it was, or seemed: a new group was born, or was being created, a good sample of everyone who existed in the old world environment seemed to be stepping into Big-chests path (except for the Stone-builders), a little bit of this and that, that is to say. At hand, were three groups now, the Branch-People, the last survivor of the Horde, and a royalty of the Fire-People? Had fate brought them to gather thought Pekingg-girl, as she looked at each and everyone within the group, as they all sat around the firewatching it flicker about, warming up; that in itself was a new experience for all but Jaguar-eyes: who still eating the big bird three days later, as they all sat around enjoying the evening; possibly it was fate yes, why not, mixed with necessity of course.
Stern-toes had weapons of stone, and Jaguar-eyes had spears, and Big-chest, muscles to spare, and they had a pet that seemed to be able to sense any danger, incoming predators that is, longlong before they could be seen: even when birds flew over head, or were about to, Single-tooth would squeal with a high pitch: eekeekeek, and all eyes would look where Single-tooth was lookingand sure enough, the birds would appear a minute or so flying over head
[Manifestations
as they all sat by the fire, Big-chest seemed to fall into a staring means, a reflection mode, one that carried him off to a vision world: it was dim, faded as always, but it lasted longer this time, that is, his reflections. Hed get those off and on, but theyd fad reminiscent of a dream, not being able to put the pieces together, but he sometimes couldlike this very momentremembering someone who seemed to represent his father, a caretaker of sorts, a big blob of muscle and anger, a breathing thing, with not much laughter, and this personage would come back to the huge tree they lived in and eat everything in sight: bananas, and other fruits, and kill animals and rip them apart, sometime sharing, most of the time not. Hed then grab his ear and push him out of the branches, instructing him to go hunt, and bring back prey, food, and theyd eat it. He was a harsh father, yet he knew it was a harsh world
at times, hed sneak down to the Horde and visit an old woman, he never knew who she was, but she was always kind to him, possibly his mother, if not, he had wished it was. Shed sit in the back of a cave all alone just rocking back and forth, back and forth, back and forth with her body, her back arched, and her head almost touching her feet, hour after hour: then hed show up, and shed get an erect back, and a slight smile. Oh he remembered that smile, and hed often leave a piece of mea t for her, and shed be thankful. And when he left shed rock back into her rhythm again, the smile gone
she always seemed to have a little water for him, a piece of old banana waiting or him, old but hed eat it, not sure why he ate it, to please her of course, but why, the real way, why would he not just through it at her (like he did to everyone else), but he couldnt, he ate it, and smiled when he dida premonition filled his black blood, during these excursions.
Outside of the cave he didnt smile though, it was as his father said it was a tough world
his father knew he went to the old womans cave, and he never stopped him, but never talked about her either, or visited her, never acknowledge her, only him did he recognize, and barley that.
As the fire continued to burn and flicker, the warmth of the fire brought to Big-chest, other reflections. He could feel her body heat when he visited her, yes when he visited her, O yes, she had body heat, but wh at he felt was warm inside, not knowing why. He almost showed tears in his eyes as he reflected. It was one of the few, if any, few good memories he had. Oh he had a few with Short-legs, and his sidekick Little-eyes, but it was out of his fierceness that their friendship developed, if you could even call it that. This old woman was never afraid of him. And she died, yes died. Then, after her death, he never went back into that cave, never again, not even once. As the story goes: a lion crept into it one night and killed her, ate her up: yes, took away his only fond memory. The only name he ever knew her as, was Poor al-ram.
Big-chest was rather young back then it was good to reflect, thought Big-chest, sad or not, it felt good, and terrible; good because he discovered he had some good moments in his life; bad because they were painful ones for some reason, but whatever it was, that old woman, and that bulk of an old man carved into him survival, and a touch of cari ng for not knowing what else to call it; as he looked about the fire in the circle, a circle of friends now, he was acquiring that caring for sprit, I suppose, slowly, slowly
Big-chest
It was the forth morning at the campfire, and Big-chest who was a survivor made a decision to leave, and he beat his chest for all to follow, and accordingly they did. Jaguar-eyes put out the fire, as Stern-toes gathered water putting it in a skin container now, something he had picked up a few years back by watching the Stone-Builders; and Pekingg-girl, smoothed out the leaves around the camp, and did what little cleaning that was necessary and joined Big-chest as they all rallied together, and headed on through the thick wooded area northbound.
As the winds started to pickup, on their third day of marching after leaving the campsite, the cold was getting to Stern-toes, so with the carcass of the Broody-bird they had eaten, he saved its hide; he made coverings for the shou lders and chest of all the members of the Assemblage. Big-chest didnt need hisor so he said, and possibly it was true with all the hair he had covering his bodyand gave his to Pekingg-girl; accordingly, she had two now and as Jaguar-eyes did a double take on Big-chest after doing this, he simply raised his eyebrows, --smiled feeling there was no reason in disturbing the peace: saying with in his hearts eye, if he wanted to give it away, it was his business. And on their way they all went, the happy-four.
Stern-toes and the Water
It proved to beafter two more weeks of walking northit proved to be quite a rough journey, through its, rocky and roughed terrain. Jaguar-eyes was the best hunter of the cluster, as was Big-chest the mightiest and bravest, and Stern-toes the smartest, and Pekingg-girl, the cleanest, and the one who did most of the cleaning up for everyone. Single-tooth followed Jaguar-eyes all around, but also seemed to take a liking to Big-chest, as he d sit by his side, thus, if Jaguar-eyes fell to sleep at night or day or anytime he was liken to a bodyguard; for Big-chest always slept with an eye open, for the most part, but was experimenting with closing them.
All in all this group was walking into what was left of an Ice Age, an Ice Age, not sure which one, or what stage it was in, but it was getting colder as they stepped forward and drifted further north. The closer they got to the ice-sheets they could almost smell them, smell the ice, feel it in their veins, and taste it in their lungsthe closer they got, temperatures raised for a while then within this hemisphere they starting to lose energy quicker more drastically; at which time, Big-chest now requested his covering for his back and shoulders: requested them back from Pekingg-girl, a little embarrassed to ask, somewhat discomfited, but it was now a matter of survival, and he had learned to suck in his pride when such things stood in his way: face to face with him; pride was not a thing to be destroyed by, for it could do just that, pride was a thing to honor.
In addition to other duties Pekingg-girl acquired, she was given the job of carrying branches on her back tied and wrapped in skins. It was accepted as a gallant trust, and she most willingly did it. So often shed feel useless, and now to be needed was to be honored, a great feeling for her.
Although each and everyone of the group often times looked in back of them, not missing anyone in particular from their old home or environment per se: just trying to remember what was back therewhich was really nothing, and that was always to be their final conclusion, there was really no retreat, nothing worthwhile to go back to; hence, the closer they got to the Greenland Sea the better.
As their journey lengthened a bit, they noticed a few animal remains about, frozen, bones lying in bog piles and old rock beds, they found themselves picking meat off the dead frozen animals when none could be found; meat that they warmed up of course, for now it was the main event of the evening, that is, to sit by the fire with a piece of meat, and talk about the day, enjoy the meat (yet at times frozen meat would do also)it would seem they had options now, and ate whatever was available.
Beyond one certain area they found somewhat of a graveyard for dead Arctic Walrus; nearby they also found an empty cave, it was, or looked approximating to be a burial cave of sorts, for there wereway in the backstacked up, and stack under some rocks, human bones. From the assemblage of species that were spread throughout the cave, the bones were of all sizes and dimensions: it seemed other animals had come into this cave and either died of old age: was eaten by a praetor, and of course died a paralyzing death, or snow bound and was overwhelmed, and again died a frozen death. All in all, death reeked throughout the cavern.
Quickly, Jaguar-eyes star ted a fire and Pekingg-girl went looking for more wood; as the evening seeped into the environment, all got close together in a circle as to radiate more body heat for one another.
Arctic Walruss Remains
See Dennis' web site: http://dennissiluk.tripod.com
Author:: Dennis Siluk
Keywords:: Chapter Story
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