I had this made months after Primal came out and completely forgot about it. I think I nearly lost it in my last PC, but thankfully it was backed up. I found quite a few stories I worked on before. I can't guarantee updates of this because of my other stories, but hey, these chapters are short, so maybe I can update quickly. Anywho, enjoy!
The need for connection and community is primal, as fundamental as the need for air, water, and food.
-Dean Ornish
Hunt or be hunted
That's the rule of nature.
It was a rule all Wenja lived by.
The world was an unforgiving place.
At least that's what Takkar felt.
His hunting party was dead. The man he saw as a father, a mentor, was dead. Killed by the bloody fanged tiger.
Tired, hungry . . . alone. What was a lone hunter to do, but go home? To someplace familiar.
But this was not familiar and he was not the only one alone.
"Where are other Wenja?" Takkar asked after gazing around the empty cave.
The gatherer, Sayla, just stared at Takkar. Slowly, she stood up, and spoke a name like a curse. "Ull. The Udam leader. He destroy Wenja home."
She walked over to a cave painting of a large black figure, with a bloody red handprint on its chest. Her fist collided with the painting. Sayla punched it again and again, like she believed hitting the painting was the same as hitting this "Ull."
Fists bloody, her breath panting, Sayla turned back to Takkar. "Udam kill many Wenja." She collapsed into Takkar's arms, her breath was getting heavier by the second. "Now all Wenja walk alone. No home in Oros."
The gatherer started to cry. But Takkar was more concerned with the blood on his hands then Sayla's tears. He looked at her back and saw the deep gashes. Very bad wounds. Sayla laughed, seeming to forget her anguish at the moment.
"Tiger bite deep."
"I help." He said, trying to comfort the woman.
Sayla winced from his touch, now starting to feel the wound. She pointed outside the cave, just passed the hill. "Green leaves outside. Bring to me."
Wordlessly the hunter left to get her medicine.
Sayla watched the hunter leave her domicile. She almost wanted to shout out "Stay!" Afraid that the Udam would find him and Takkar would just become another scream in her head. But she needed leaves and she was in no condition to move so much. So she stayed quiet.
She pondered. How long had it been since she talked to someone? How long had it been since she shared a meal? She hadn't realized how good it was to talk to someone. To not feel alone.
There were still Wenja in Oros. Scattered to the winds, but still there. But they were all put off by her. They thought she was cursed, not because she lost everyone she cared about, but because their screams haunted her and no one else could hear them. Only the ears of Udam could sate the screams. For a while.
A new fear popped into her head now. Would Takkar leave her like the others? Abandon her for being cursed? That scared her more than the tiger and perhaps even more then the Udam. She didn't want to be alone! Not again! She whined in pain. Not from her wounds, but from the achiness in her chest.
What was this? Why did being alone hurt? Why did the UDAM have to take EVERYTHING and curse her?!
Why?
WHY?
WHY?!
She was about to scream along with the agonized wails in her head, but her mind was pulled back to reality by Takkar's words.
"Sayla."
She turned around and saw the man hold out to her the green leaves. She smiled in relief seeing him, but Takkar thought she was just happy to have pain relievers.
Sayla grabbed the herbs and put them in her mouth. Her hand grabbed Takkar's empty ones as she chewed the leaves. Touching him calmed her down a little.
"Screams loud today." She said looking into the fire before looking at the hunter. "You hear?"
"Screams?" Takkar asked confused.
Sayla didn't answer. She just looked at him before spitting the chewed up plants into his hand.
"Push deep into the wound." She said turning around, providing easy access to the bloody gash on her back.
His first attempt to do so caused her to grunt in pain. Sayla grabbed a stick and put in her mouth to clench through the pain and screams.
Takkar started again when she gave the go-ahead. He placed pieces of the chewed up leaves deep into her wounds. Each press caused her to grunt in pain. When he was done, the gatherer gave him a leaf that he used to bandage the wound as the herbs did their healing effects.
"Thank you." Sayla said. Relieved that the worst was over.
Takkar nodded and stood up. "I go now and see Oros."
She looked up at him. She wanted him to stay. She got up and looked at the land outside her cave. Warning him of all the dangers the valley had to offer, from bears, to wolves, to the Udam themselves.
But Takkar was adamant. "I go to find Wenja. I tell them of this place. That it is safe."
Sayla's eyes widened. He would tell the Wenja to come to her cave? Yes, her cave was safe. Udam barely bother her here. She wouldn't be alone anymore? She was still afraid for Takkar, but the hope of more Wenja coming was too much for her and she nodded her head in agreement.
"Cave is safe for you. It your home now. Tell other Wenja of this place." She said.
Takkar nodded and then walked back out into the land of Oros.