Chapter 5 Durc
"Grev!" The young man turned despondently toward the leader. "You have failed in your hunt, today you will not become a man," Broud motioned.
Grev's shoulders slumped in shame. This was to be his manhood hunt, when he made the first kill. The Clan had few stores of meat for the winter, and every hunt counted. Broud had recently decided to add to the number of their hunters and count Grev among them.
The men had tracked the herd of antelope for most of the morning, to where the animals had stopped to drink at a river. Two doe had wandered towards them, reaching for the rich grass nearby. At Broud's signal, the hunters yelled and cut them off from the herd that was now fleeing away.
In their instinctive fear of the man smell, the does raced back and forth chased by the strange creatures. As the men closed in, Grev was given the signal to thrust the fatal spear. Caught up in the excitement and smelling the doe's fear, Grev was overconfident. He ran close and thrust his spear toward the heart of one the beasts. The spear and glanced off a bone and the shock of the impact made Grev loose his grip. Startled by the pain, she charged through the hunters, heedless of her previous fears, the other doe close behind.
Broud was ready with his spear, and ran forward to thrust it as the animal drew abreast of him. The doe dodged away, and his spear glanced off a rib. The doe wild with pain thundered as fast as she could away from the men. The other hunters gave chase in a vain attempt to complete the kill. She was too swift, and was far away from their field of range.
As the doe ran past the last of the strange creatures, a thunk sounded. A spear protruded from her abdomen in a fatal blow as she sunk to the ground as the second doe shied away and ran off. Winded, the men stopped, hardly able to believe the antelope was down.
"Who threw that spear?" Broud motioned. When no one came forward he became impatient. Clan men did not throw spears; it was almost impossible for their physiological bodies. The spear looked unfamiliar in its creation and made him uneasy. It was slightly smaller than normal, and decorated with crude carvings of animals. "Vorn, who threw that spear?"
Vorn was uneasy. He knew that Broud would be upset when he was told, but it was his duty. "Durc threw the spear."
Anger lit Broud's eyes, "Durc! Is this true?"
The young boy/man came forward, towering over the leader and nodded. Excitement had hummed through him as he saw the doe racing toward his post. He and Brac had been allowed to come on this hunt to help run the doe into exhaustion. The boys stayed at their post, not wanting to unwittingly cause the hunt to be unsuccessful. When Durc saw the doe veering toward him, he instinctively, took aim and cast his spear. No one was more surprised than he was when the doe collapsed in the dirt.
"Today, Durc is a man, and a hunter of the Clan," Vorn announced, "it is our tradition." He added with a knowing look toward Broud. The hunters gathered around to congratulated Durc into manhood. "He should have first bite of the liver."
Broud used all the self-control he possessed as he watched the hunters partake of the fresh, warm liver. This was to be Grev's celebration. Grev had showed much promise in hunting, and Broud was looking forward to counting him as one of the hunters. This celebration for the Deformed One was a total surprise. Broud held himself back from tasting the liver. He wasn't sure of his own emotions toward the Deformed One. If there were any way to stop Durc's manhood celebration, he would do it. He would ask Goov to search his memories.
"I can't believe I've been led all this way to keep watch over these flatheads. They can't help me in the afterlife, so what good am I going to do? Doni, are you sure this is where you want me?"
"My children are dying."
Thonolan sat down on the ground near the hunters. Her children. He hadn't quite thought of them that way before. He gazed in wonderment at the odd looking men. The mother who created me has also created them. Was it possible that his people had a kinship bond with the flatheads?
"Clan."
"Alright, Clan. But it doesn't mean that I'm going to enjoy this too much." Thonolan got up to follow the Clan hunters back to the cave. "I'd rather be watching over a group of Mamutoi women," he muttered.
When the hunters had returned to the cave, Thonolan had seen the single-minded purpose of Broud when he sought out Goov. Curious, he followed the men into a back corner of the cave set aside for the mog-ur. Goov knew a spirit was with them, but he never guessed it was a spirit of the Others.
"Goov, what did you find out?"
Goov paused before the leader, the man whom he had looked up to. He was ashamed at what he was asked to do. Broud has lost status in his eyes. "A boy who makes his first kill always becomes a man. All clan traditions point to this, for every hunter is necessary for clan survival."
Broud became impatient; "everyone knows this. Have you found any exceptions in your memories?"
Vorn nodded. He was reluctant to continue.
"Vorn! Tell me," Broud motioned excitedly.
"Long ago, before when the great ice was young, there was a break in the tradition. A boy had been out with the hunters, and killed a bison by accident. The leader knew the boy did not intend to hunt the animal, and could not count it as his first kill. He did not become a man for two more summers." Goov held back most of the story, knowing that it would anger the leader. He himself was puzzled about the vision of the young boy with blue eyes. "Durc thrust his spear with the intention of killing the antelope. He did not kill by accident."
Broud nodded. He conceded the fact that the Deformed One would become a man sooner than any other boy would his age, including Brac. Brac should have had his hunt first.
Vorn was relieved at the impassive response from Broud. Ever since the mother of Durc had died, Broud had turned his hatred to the son. Though he did not show his emotions openly, the clan was well aware of the conflict. Vorn was uncomfortable that his leader let himself be affected by such a young boy. He retreated to his hearth and pondered the vision he had seen in his memories. The boy with the blue eyes had been named Durc.
"Grev!" The young man turned despondently toward the leader. "You have failed in your hunt, today you will not become a man," Broud motioned.
Grev's shoulders slumped in shame. This was to be his manhood hunt, when he made the first kill. The Clan had few stores of meat for the winter, and every hunt counted. Broud had recently decided to add to the number of their hunters and count Grev among them.
The men had tracked the herd of antelope for most of the morning, to where the animals had stopped to drink at a river. Two doe had wandered towards them, reaching for the rich grass nearby. At Broud's signal, the hunters yelled and cut them off from the herd that was now fleeing away.
In their instinctive fear of the man smell, the does raced back and forth chased by the strange creatures. As the men closed in, Grev was given the signal to thrust the fatal spear. Caught up in the excitement and smelling the doe's fear, Grev was overconfident. He ran close and thrust his spear toward the heart of one the beasts. The spear and glanced off a bone and the shock of the impact made Grev loose his grip. Startled by the pain, she charged through the hunters, heedless of her previous fears, the other doe close behind.
Broud was ready with his spear, and ran forward to thrust it as the animal drew abreast of him. The doe dodged away, and his spear glanced off a rib. The doe wild with pain thundered as fast as she could away from the men. The other hunters gave chase in a vain attempt to complete the kill. She was too swift, and was far away from their field of range.
As the doe ran past the last of the strange creatures, a thunk sounded. A spear protruded from her abdomen in a fatal blow as she sunk to the ground as the second doe shied away and ran off. Winded, the men stopped, hardly able to believe the antelope was down.
"Who threw that spear?" Broud motioned. When no one came forward he became impatient. Clan men did not throw spears; it was almost impossible for their physiological bodies. The spear looked unfamiliar in its creation and made him uneasy. It was slightly smaller than normal, and decorated with crude carvings of animals. "Vorn, who threw that spear?"
Vorn was uneasy. He knew that Broud would be upset when he was told, but it was his duty. "Durc threw the spear."
Anger lit Broud's eyes, "Durc! Is this true?"
The young boy/man came forward, towering over the leader and nodded. Excitement had hummed through him as he saw the doe racing toward his post. He and Brac had been allowed to come on this hunt to help run the doe into exhaustion. The boys stayed at their post, not wanting to unwittingly cause the hunt to be unsuccessful. When Durc saw the doe veering toward him, he instinctively, took aim and cast his spear. No one was more surprised than he was when the doe collapsed in the dirt.
"Today, Durc is a man, and a hunter of the Clan," Vorn announced, "it is our tradition." He added with a knowing look toward Broud. The hunters gathered around to congratulated Durc into manhood. "He should have first bite of the liver."
Broud used all the self-control he possessed as he watched the hunters partake of the fresh, warm liver. This was to be Grev's celebration. Grev had showed much promise in hunting, and Broud was looking forward to counting him as one of the hunters. This celebration for the Deformed One was a total surprise. Broud held himself back from tasting the liver. He wasn't sure of his own emotions toward the Deformed One. If there were any way to stop Durc's manhood celebration, he would do it. He would ask Goov to search his memories.
"I can't believe I've been led all this way to keep watch over these flatheads. They can't help me in the afterlife, so what good am I going to do? Doni, are you sure this is where you want me?"
"My children are dying."
Thonolan sat down on the ground near the hunters. Her children. He hadn't quite thought of them that way before. He gazed in wonderment at the odd looking men. The mother who created me has also created them. Was it possible that his people had a kinship bond with the flatheads?
"Clan."
"Alright, Clan. But it doesn't mean that I'm going to enjoy this too much." Thonolan got up to follow the Clan hunters back to the cave. "I'd rather be watching over a group of Mamutoi women," he muttered.
When the hunters had returned to the cave, Thonolan had seen the single-minded purpose of Broud when he sought out Goov. Curious, he followed the men into a back corner of the cave set aside for the mog-ur. Goov knew a spirit was with them, but he never guessed it was a spirit of the Others.
"Goov, what did you find out?"
Goov paused before the leader, the man whom he had looked up to. He was ashamed at what he was asked to do. Broud has lost status in his eyes. "A boy who makes his first kill always becomes a man. All clan traditions point to this, for every hunter is necessary for clan survival."
Broud became impatient; "everyone knows this. Have you found any exceptions in your memories?"
Vorn nodded. He was reluctant to continue.
"Vorn! Tell me," Broud motioned excitedly.
"Long ago, before when the great ice was young, there was a break in the tradition. A boy had been out with the hunters, and killed a bison by accident. The leader knew the boy did not intend to hunt the animal, and could not count it as his first kill. He did not become a man for two more summers." Goov held back most of the story, knowing that it would anger the leader. He himself was puzzled about the vision of the young boy with blue eyes. "Durc thrust his spear with the intention of killing the antelope. He did not kill by accident."
Broud nodded. He conceded the fact that the Deformed One would become a man sooner than any other boy would his age, including Brac. Brac should have had his hunt first.
Vorn was relieved at the impassive response from Broud. Ever since the mother of Durc had died, Broud had turned his hatred to the son. Though he did not show his emotions openly, the clan was well aware of the conflict. Vorn was uncomfortable that his leader let himself be affected by such a young boy. He retreated to his hearth and pondered the vision he had seen in his memories. The boy with the blue eyes had been named Durc.