265,000 years ago.
They were being hunted.
It had been days since they'd gotten a good night's sleep. They would each sleep for a few hours while the other sat on watch, looking out for the marauders that were hunting them. The rest of the time they spent constantly on the move, carefully covering up their tracks and their campsites but they had to reluctantly agree that the ones following them weren't amateurs.
They had been travelling for two days across a valley, sparsely covered in tall coniferous trees, trying to get to the mountain which would provide them better safety. Out here in the vast open plain they were far too exposed, they could be easily spotted by their pursuers. No matter what they did the hunters always managed to find their trail but then the tall grass just wasn't enough to hide them. They both knew that all this constant moving around and the stress wasn't good for the child that the woman was carrying within her but they also knew that if captured they would face much worse that just a stressful childbirth. Their hunters could very well be cannibals. They had been told by other travellers that there were a few of them in this region. Sometimes men just went for the easiest prey and there was nothing more easier to hunt that man. The man and the woman had both heard of horrifying tales of what these marauders did to babies. They would both die before they let them have their child.
The man and the woman were both slightly dark skinned. They belonged to a small tribe, called the Indigo, for that was the color they painted their eyes with. They had hunted near the upper regions of the river which would one day be called the Karun in a region that would become Iran, but for now it had no name, they had just known the river as a place where they could fish and bathe. For a long time the gods had been kind to them and they had managed to lead a plentiful life.
But over the years their tribe had slowly migrated up north to the lower regions of Europe, to slightly colder climates. The valleys were greener there and there was plenty to hunt. Somewhere in those years the man, Zev, had joined the tribe. He was the last remaining member of a small band of hunters and he had stumbled upon the indigo tribe during a bison hunt. His skills were formidable and he was decent human being. He was welcomed into the tribe with open arms. The woman, Soraya, and Zev had met a few months later as she was out with another hunting party. They had fallen in love almost immediately. Zev had a nice sense of humour which Soraya appreciated. Their life was a rough one, to have someone who could make one laugh was priceless. They had decided that with the permission of the elders they would build their own hut in the spring and start a family, but the winter had been harsh that year and a particularly ravenous wolf pack claimed over half the tribe. Over the course of the next year the remaining members had fallen prey to disease and wounds from their routine hunts, for which they no longer had cures since their tribe healer was one of the first to fall victim to the wolves. The man and the woman had been strong and lucky to have gotten away without any major injuries or sickness.
After their tribe had dwindled down to just three remaining members, the two men and the woman had decided to travel up north. Soraya had once heard of a small settlement that was two hundred sunsets away in the north. They were all excellent hunters and trackers, they knew their skills could get them a place in the new settlement if it existed.
But luck wasn't with them.
The third member of their group had barely made it few days out with them when they were attacked by a hungry sabre tooth. Even though they had rescued him from the big cat, his injuries had proven to be too grave and he died the few day later. They left his body out in the open. They had no burial rituals. Their tribe had believed that if the body could feed the animals then that was a good enough use for it. After all that's how they survived, by feeding on the animals. Why should their deaths be any different.
By the time they had started their journey the woman was already six months pregnant. They had now been traveling for over ninety days and they knew that the baby was due any day. The old woman in their tribe had told them it would be a boy. A brave warrior who would make their tribe proud.
They had finally reached the base of the mountain and had started to climb but they were both tired and decided to take a small break. The woman held her pregnant belly and slowly sat down on a rock while the man stood guard.
"How are you feeling, Soraya?" Asked the man.
"Tired and sore." She smiled back at the love of her life.
The man looked around and couldn't spot their would be hunters so he decided to join the woman on the rock.
"Is it time?" The man asked nervously.
"Soon, Zev, soon." she replied as she shifted her weight to make herself feel comfortable.
"We can't keep moving. We have to find a place for you to lay down, when the time comes. A safe place."
Soraya nodded as she wrapped her fur coat around herself tighter. The wind was colder up here and she could feel the winter arriving.
She was dressed in leather and fur from head to toe. They had prepared themselves for the coming winter before they had started their journey. She was armed with a stone knife and a bow. She a quiver full of stone arrows tied to her waist. Lev too was dressed in fur with a giant fur coat that he would sometimes use as camouflage. He was carrying a stone hammer and his favorite axe. He also had three spears tied to is back and a small blow dart pipe and a few poisonous darts in a small pouch tied to his waist. The spears and the arrows were also tipped in poison. Both Zev and Soraya had wooden shields tied to their backs for added protection.
Zev was nearly six feet tall and muscular with a heavy set jaw and dark eyes that were set deep within his skull. He had a long beard that he had tied into a small ponytail at the base with some thread. His hair were nearly shoulder length. He was letting them grow since it would help keep him warm during winter.
Soraya has far more delicate features but she was equally muscular since that was the life they'd led. She had a sharp nose, large hazel eyes and thick long hair. She also had a smile that would always brighten Zev's day.
"There's some movement in the woods below." Soraya commented.
"Yeah, I spotted them too. There are five of them and armed."
"We can't keep running, we have to end this once and for all."
"I agree" Zev replied as he scanned the mountain for a good place to hide and defend and for once luck was with them.
"I think I found something.' he said as he pointed towards a small cave on the side of the mountain. It wasn't very far, they figured it would take them about an hour to get to it which would be just before sunset. They knew the marauders wouldn't attack before nightfall, that would give them some time to prepare.
They slowly made their way up the mountain with Zev occasionally helping Soraya. She took off her fur coat and handed it to Zev to make herself a lighter. She wanted to hand over the weapons too but she didn't want be left unarmed, especially not in their present situation. Shortly, they reached the cave. Zev turned around and saw that the sun had reached the horizon and clouds had started to gather as well. He figured it was going to rain in the night. It might provide them additional cover but the rain would also prevent him from hearing the approaching footsteps of their hunters, but no matter, if that was how the gods willed it then that is how they would fight.
Out of breath, Soraya reached the mouth of the cave. The cave was surrounded by trees which made it difficult to spot and also gave Zev quite a few hiding spots.
"What's the plan, O' brave warrior?" Soraya asked, gently mocking her mate.
"I don't know. I was thinking we could sit up here and throw rocks at them or maybe we could just roll you down the hill and you can crush them with your sheer weight." He grinned back at her as he took down the spears from his back.
"Funny."
"I know right, if nothing else maybe that brave warrior inside you could come out soon and he can help us with the fight."
"Aren't you expecting bit too much? I know the old woman said our child would one day be a brave warrior but I don't think she meant that to be the day he was born. Besides I don't think it's a he, he could be a she." She smiled back at him.
"A girl? But the old woman said..."
"The old woman didn't know everything. Everyone just thought she knew everything because she was old."
"A girl would be good too, just as long as she doesn't get my looks."
"Or your beard."
"What's wrong with my beard, it's a mighty beard. Anyone would be proud to have a beard like mine, even our little girl." He grinned back at her.
She laughed gently.
"You remember young Tol and his beard that looked like a cat's whiskers and he even try to braid it." Soraya said as she laughed.
"Yes, and old Drev who actually had bald patches in his beard. I'd never seen that before."
Zev chuckled as he ran his hand over his beard.
"I miss them all." Soraya said, with a sadness in her voice.
"So do I." Zev replied with a sigh as he gently kissed his mate on her forehead.
They both sat their quietly as the sun went down over the horizon and knew that they were running out of time. Zev helped Soraya stand up and took her inside the cave. The cave wasn't very deep but it was wide enough for two large men to stand side by side and tall enough for them to stand straight with at least another head of space on top. They quickly made a fire and Soraya got comfortable next to it.
"You still haven't told me what the plan is?" She asked.
"Simple, we use you as bait." He replied with a grin.
"Now that's a good plan."
"I knew you would like it. Just keep your bow next to you. If anyone gets in put an arrow through his heart."
Soraya nodded in agreement as she pulled her bow closer. At that moment she felt the contraction in her stomach and she knew that her little girl was ready to come into this world.
Zev saw her wince.
"Is it time? If you want I'll stay here."
Soraya knew that if they both stayed in the cave their chances of survival would be far lesser. The hunters would be expecting him to stay with her given her present condition.
"Go, I can handle this."
Zev reluctantly stood up and left.
As he got out and he made his way towards the tree line, he could hear his mate breathing heavily. He wanted to go back and be by her side but he first had to make sure that they were safe, right now that was his job. He had found a small rock outcrop behind which he could hide. They had let the fire in the cave burn so that it would attract the hunters to them but also so that it would be easier to see them in this darkness since the gathering clouds had all but killed the visibility. Now it was all a matter of patience and that was something he had in plenty, after all he too had spent his entire life on the hunt.
The rains had stopped and the clouds had finally decided to let in a little bit of moonlight. Zev had been sitting for hours and his senses had dulled a bit from the boredom of waiting but then through the corner of his eye he noticed some movement in the trees and he was instantly back on full alert. He saw three figures moving amidst the trees making their towards the cave. He couldn't spot the other two but he decided that he would deal with these three first. He was hidden underneath the shadows of the trees but his hunters were very well lit under the moonlight. They were all armed with massive stone axes and had bone piercings in their ears and nose. They were spread out and moving towards the cave from slightly different directions. They were at least ten to fifteen feet apart and couldn't exactly see each other because of the trees .
Zev waited till one of them was hidden from the others and shot him with a blow dart. The poison on the dart was a very fast acting paralytic. The man went down after stumbling for a few steps. The large man crashed to the ground causing his companions to immediately spin around. As they stood around trying to spot their attacker, Zev knew he wouldn't have enough time but then her heard Soraya cry out and he knew that the baby was coming. The coming of the baby proved to fortuitous since Soraya's scream temporarily distracted the hunters. Zev didn't waste the opportunity. He took out a spear and threw it at the second hunter as he rushed towards the third one. The second man went down as Zev lunged at the third hunter, with his axe drawn.
The hunter managed to grab Zev's hand before he could strike and he snarled back at him. Zev almost choked from the foul breath coming from the man's mouth. He knew his suspicions about them were correct, they were cannibals. They both went down to the ground struggling to pull the other man's weapon from him. Zev smashed his head into the hunter's head and broke his nose. The hunter raised his hand instinctively towards his nose and that was all Zev was looking for, he pulled out a small knife from his belt and jabbed the man in the side of his neck. As the man struggled to stop the blood pouring out of his neck, Zev stood up and put his axe into the hunter's skull almost splitting it in two.
Zev pulled his axe out of the hunter's skull and he heard Soraya scream again, this time a lot louder than before. He threw caution to the wind and ran towards the cave. As he approached the cave he could see that Soraya was already in the process of delivering the baby, in fact he could already see the baby's head. She still had her bow in her hand as she pushed the baby out. Just as he reached the cave Soraya delivered their child. Sweating profusely and trying to catch her breath, she looked up and was about to smile at Zev but instead she ended up shouting,
"Watch out."
A figure jumped from the darkness at Zev and dug its teeth into Zev's neck. Zev screamed in pain as the sharpened teeth broke through the skin on his neck. This new assailant was a woman. She wasn't as big as the others but she had a grip like a bear. No matter what how hard he tried he couldn't make her let go and she seemed like she wanted to eat her way through his neck. He finally spun around, his back towards Soraya, and slammed his assailant into the cave wall. He heard a few of her ribs break. At last the hunter began to loosen her grip as all the breath from her body rushed out. At the same time Soraya let an arrow fly and shot the hunter in his head. Dead, the hunter finally let go and slipped to the ground. As she fell to the ground the fire exposed her face. She had elaborate tattoos and scarification and two small bones piercing through her lips and several through her ears. Her teeth were sharpened too just like the others, but Zev didn't need to see that, he still could feel them on his neck. Thankfully she hadn't managed to get in too deep into his neck.
As Soraya sat there cradling the child, having severed the umbilical cord, she smiled at him.
"My brave mate, still needs his pregnant wife to save his skin."
Zev grinned back at her and reached into the cave to get a better look at their child when he heard a loud roar behind him.
It was the last of the hunters and from the look in his eyes Zev assumed that the woman they'd just killed was probably his mate.
The last hunter was huge. He towered over Zev by almost a foot and was twice as wide as him. Dressed in fur, he had a massive stone sword in his hand and a wooden shield on his chest. He stepped up to Zev as he stood up to face the hunter. The hunter swung his massive sword at Zev's head. He ducked and jabbed the hunter in his leg with his knife but the big man barely flinched from the wound. He reached down, picked Zev up off the ground and flung him into the cave wall. He threw him so hard that Zev almost lost consciousness. Then the hunter made his way towards Soraya, who notched another arrow in her bow and let it fly. The arrow bounced harmlessly off the shield on the hunter's chest. Thankfully the hunter was too tall to fit in the cave so he had to bend to try and reach the woman. Zev shook his head, trying to regain his senses and his balance. He saw the giant hunter reach into cave and grab Soraya's leg and try and pull her out. Zev picked up a spear and drove into the hunter's leg. The hunter roared. He let go off the woman and turned his attention towards Zev. He picked up his giant stone sword and was about to bring it down on Zev when help came from the most unexpected corner.
Just as the hunter was about to bring down his sword, a giant wolf leapt at him from the darkness followed by two others. In their rush to find a place to hide, Zev and Soraya had missed the signs that this was in fact a cave that a wolf pack occasionally used for shelter and wolves did not appreciate trespassers.
The wolves tore the last hunter apart as Zev crawled and put himself between the wolves and his mate. He knew that there was no way they would get out of this situation. There was no way they could kill the entire pack.
As the wolves made their way towards the three remaining humans, Zev held up his axe to try and block their way and Soraya put another arrow in her bow. Three wolves advanced upon them, snarling and baring their massive canines, the alpha in the front. But just as they were about to attack, the baby giggled in the sweetest voice they'd ever heard and all the wolves stopped.
Zev and Soraya had no idea what just happened. The Alpha slowly made it's way towards the new born child who was staring back at it. As it approached the child it slowly put it's head down and the child reached out and touched it's nose. The wolf stood there for a moment and then retreated from the cave along with the rest of it's pack leaving Zev and Soraya thoroughly flummoxed.
"What just happened?" Zev asked his mate.
"I have no idea, but I think the goddess must have decided to smile on us and you know what, I think I know what to name her."
"Her... it's a girl?" Zev asked.
"Of course. I told you the old woman was wrong." Soraya smiled.
"So what name have you decided?"
"I want to name her after the goddess of song and hunt. After all our little girl survived the worst hunt we've ever been in and it was her beautiful voice saved us."
"Yes, I think that would be a good name and I think the goddess wouldn't mind it either. That's what we'll call her, Sameen."