Chapter 5
A New Spirit
His aim thrown off by Brac's yell, Broud turned his head and glimpsed a blur of golden fur loping toward Grev. "NO!" He screamed. His mind was whirring. IIt can't happen this way. A lion, her totem was the lion.
His spear was roughly pushed aside from the onslaught of the lioness. Broud grunted in pain as her teeth deep into his neck. The momentum from the beast toppled him onto the ground. Broud heard a sickening snap and realized it was the breaking of his backbone. The pain was unbearable as he tried to wrestle the best off of him. Darkness began to edge his vision and he soon felt no more pain.
Brac was frozen into inaction. He watched in terror as the lioness landed on the father of his hearth. He heard the loud snap of vertebrae breaking apart. Dead, the man of his hearth was dead and his brother would soon be too. The lion was closing in. Time slowed as he stood there unable to more. In a gesture of total helplessness, he motioned "Stop!" over and over at the horror about him.
Baby saw the gesture out of the corner of his eye. Could it be? Only Mother made that signal, and Mother took care of me and played with me. Mother was safe and loving. But Mother had yellow hair like me. With a loud growl he rounded on the other creature.
Grev held his arm up in a vain attempt to save himself. A cry of pain was forced from his throat as the lion bit deeply into his arm. He fell to the ground with the mighty beast on top. With one quick swipe, Baby batted his face with unsheathed claws. The strange creature made that sound again.
"Stop!" Brac gasped. Making his legs obey him, he ran towards the beast that had his brother.
Baby lifted his bloody muzzle and looked up in surprise at the motion and noise. Thonolan had been frantically trying to make the lioness stop her attack. Hearing the neck snap, he knew it was too late for Broud. Thonolan had stared motionless as chills swept through him. This was the lioness that had killed him in the same way. That was the lion, no, that was Baby that had tried to kill Jondalar. He jumped back as he watched Broud's spirit emerge from his body.
The lioness was assured that her kill was now safe with Baby helping. She turned back toward the bison. Grunting at Baby, she started dragging her game to their cave. For them, the battle was over.
Baby watched as the strange small creature backed away when he neared. The motion of "stop" made him wary of pursuing. He sniffed at the broken and bleeding body beneath. Snorting, he left the scene, not caring for that particular kind of meat. Their hnga hnga hngas faded into the distance.
At first Brac couldn't believe that the lions were leaving. He was still alive, and mostly unhurt. A sob left Brac's throat as he viewed the carnage left behind. His eyes rolled back into his head and he slipped into unconsciousness.
Broud rushed over to the sons of his hearth, relieved that Brac was unhurt. Inspecting Grev, his throat constricted. His arm was hanging by mere ligaments of muscle and would probably never be useful again. He had gashes and wounds all over from the claws but the face was a different matter. The claws had come down in a diagonal direction from his forehead to ear. One eye was split open. Broud looked up in surprise when he heard someone approach. His eyes widened in shock at the sight of the strange man of the Others.
oooooooooo
Thonolan looked down at the veejia who was once Broud. Though Thonolan was disgusted with the way he had treated Ayla, the Clan part of him understood his reasons. Heaving a sigh, he knew he had to communicate and attempt to help Broud.
Broud's shock increased when the strange apparition began to speak to him. He searched his memories, and found ones that he didn't realize he had. "Onlan," he spoke in recognition.
Thonolan smiled in relief. As Oba had said, the clan veejias' memories held all that happened to Clan. "I am sorry for you," he motioned, "but would like to help."
Taken aback at Onlan's smile, he recalled the Other who had done that. She had bared her teeth and curled up her lips too. He furrowed his brow, "I do not need your help, I need a healer."
"You are beyond needing a healer."
Broud jumped up, chills running through him. "What do you mean?"
Thonolan gestured to a broken and lifeless body. The new veejia eyed his mortal body in disbelief. "What did you do? Are you a spirit?" Fear gripped Broud and he cast his eyes around for other strange apparitions.
"Yes..."
Broud gasped at hearing this and started to back away.
"...And so are you," Thonolan finished. In a sadistic way, he enjoyed watching the terror and confusion on Broud's face. Compassion took over and he felt ashamed.
"Noooo!" Unable to comprehend all that was happening, Broud prepared to flee. Turning away, he curled back in fright at the sight of another spirit. "Creb," he whimpered.
"Yes, it is I." Fixing Broud with a baleful stare, Creb began chanting.
The new veejia crumpled to the ground in a helpless pile of whimpers. This can't be, this can't be, Broud said to himself over and over in a monotonous rhythm. An earthly rumble assaulted his senses and he knew something else had come to greet him.
"Broud, get up! Do not cast shame upon me."
He hesitantly peeked up, but regretted it at once. There, standing in his full glory, was the largest wooly rhino he had ever seen. The rhino noted his cowardice and lowered his horny head.
Grasping around desperately, Broud tried to pick up his spear. Each time he put his hand on it, it went through it! In a last attempt to save himself he threw back his head and emitted a shrill guttural wail.
The rhino stopped his stamping and nodded. "Do not act so again. Creb and I will help you until you are ready to go to your spirit hearth."
Broud stumbled to a sitting position, feeling exhaustion. They were here to help..."but what about Onlan?"
Creb turned his attention to the veejia. "His purpose is higher than helping you. He is weaving a future that you helped to start."
Confusion covered his features. "Help? How did I help in this?"
Leaning close, Creb stared into his eyes. After a few moments, Broud started to squirm. "You set Her free to her destiny."
Broud's eyes glazed over in fury. Jumping up he began gesturing wildly. "She is dead! She can have no more destiny than an animal. She was cursed and her spirit wanders about the earth. I had her cursed! She is dead!"
"No, Broud." Casting a glance at Thonolan, Creb held out his one good arm. "Thonolan and I will show you how you have helped shape her destiny."
A New Spirit
His aim thrown off by Brac's yell, Broud turned his head and glimpsed a blur of golden fur loping toward Grev. "NO!" He screamed. His mind was whirring. IIt can't happen this way. A lion, her totem was the lion.
His spear was roughly pushed aside from the onslaught of the lioness. Broud grunted in pain as her teeth deep into his neck. The momentum from the beast toppled him onto the ground. Broud heard a sickening snap and realized it was the breaking of his backbone. The pain was unbearable as he tried to wrestle the best off of him. Darkness began to edge his vision and he soon felt no more pain.
Brac was frozen into inaction. He watched in terror as the lioness landed on the father of his hearth. He heard the loud snap of vertebrae breaking apart. Dead, the man of his hearth was dead and his brother would soon be too. The lion was closing in. Time slowed as he stood there unable to more. In a gesture of total helplessness, he motioned "Stop!" over and over at the horror about him.
Baby saw the gesture out of the corner of his eye. Could it be? Only Mother made that signal, and Mother took care of me and played with me. Mother was safe and loving. But Mother had yellow hair like me. With a loud growl he rounded on the other creature.
Grev held his arm up in a vain attempt to save himself. A cry of pain was forced from his throat as the lion bit deeply into his arm. He fell to the ground with the mighty beast on top. With one quick swipe, Baby batted his face with unsheathed claws. The strange creature made that sound again.
"Stop!" Brac gasped. Making his legs obey him, he ran towards the beast that had his brother.
Baby lifted his bloody muzzle and looked up in surprise at the motion and noise. Thonolan had been frantically trying to make the lioness stop her attack. Hearing the neck snap, he knew it was too late for Broud. Thonolan had stared motionless as chills swept through him. This was the lioness that had killed him in the same way. That was the lion, no, that was Baby that had tried to kill Jondalar. He jumped back as he watched Broud's spirit emerge from his body.
The lioness was assured that her kill was now safe with Baby helping. She turned back toward the bison. Grunting at Baby, she started dragging her game to their cave. For them, the battle was over.
Baby watched as the strange small creature backed away when he neared. The motion of "stop" made him wary of pursuing. He sniffed at the broken and bleeding body beneath. Snorting, he left the scene, not caring for that particular kind of meat. Their hnga hnga hngas faded into the distance.
At first Brac couldn't believe that the lions were leaving. He was still alive, and mostly unhurt. A sob left Brac's throat as he viewed the carnage left behind. His eyes rolled back into his head and he slipped into unconsciousness.
Broud rushed over to the sons of his hearth, relieved that Brac was unhurt. Inspecting Grev, his throat constricted. His arm was hanging by mere ligaments of muscle and would probably never be useful again. He had gashes and wounds all over from the claws but the face was a different matter. The claws had come down in a diagonal direction from his forehead to ear. One eye was split open. Broud looked up in surprise when he heard someone approach. His eyes widened in shock at the sight of the strange man of the Others.
oooooooooo
Thonolan looked down at the veejia who was once Broud. Though Thonolan was disgusted with the way he had treated Ayla, the Clan part of him understood his reasons. Heaving a sigh, he knew he had to communicate and attempt to help Broud.
Broud's shock increased when the strange apparition began to speak to him. He searched his memories, and found ones that he didn't realize he had. "Onlan," he spoke in recognition.
Thonolan smiled in relief. As Oba had said, the clan veejias' memories held all that happened to Clan. "I am sorry for you," he motioned, "but would like to help."
Taken aback at Onlan's smile, he recalled the Other who had done that. She had bared her teeth and curled up her lips too. He furrowed his brow, "I do not need your help, I need a healer."
"You are beyond needing a healer."
Broud jumped up, chills running through him. "What do you mean?"
Thonolan gestured to a broken and lifeless body. The new veejia eyed his mortal body in disbelief. "What did you do? Are you a spirit?" Fear gripped Broud and he cast his eyes around for other strange apparitions.
"Yes..."
Broud gasped at hearing this and started to back away.
"...And so are you," Thonolan finished. In a sadistic way, he enjoyed watching the terror and confusion on Broud's face. Compassion took over and he felt ashamed.
"Noooo!" Unable to comprehend all that was happening, Broud prepared to flee. Turning away, he curled back in fright at the sight of another spirit. "Creb," he whimpered.
"Yes, it is I." Fixing Broud with a baleful stare, Creb began chanting.
The new veejia crumpled to the ground in a helpless pile of whimpers. This can't be, this can't be, Broud said to himself over and over in a monotonous rhythm. An earthly rumble assaulted his senses and he knew something else had come to greet him.
"Broud, get up! Do not cast shame upon me."
He hesitantly peeked up, but regretted it at once. There, standing in his full glory, was the largest wooly rhino he had ever seen. The rhino noted his cowardice and lowered his horny head.
Grasping around desperately, Broud tried to pick up his spear. Each time he put his hand on it, it went through it! In a last attempt to save himself he threw back his head and emitted a shrill guttural wail.
The rhino stopped his stamping and nodded. "Do not act so again. Creb and I will help you until you are ready to go to your spirit hearth."
Broud stumbled to a sitting position, feeling exhaustion. They were here to help..."but what about Onlan?"
Creb turned his attention to the veejia. "His purpose is higher than helping you. He is weaving a future that you helped to start."
Confusion covered his features. "Help? How did I help in this?"
Leaning close, Creb stared into his eyes. After a few moments, Broud started to squirm. "You set Her free to her destiny."
Broud's eyes glazed over in fury. Jumping up he began gesturing wildly. "She is dead! She can have no more destiny than an animal. She was cursed and her spirit wanders about the earth. I had her cursed! She is dead!"
"No, Broud." Casting a glance at Thonolan, Creb held out his one good arm. "Thonolan and I will show you how you have helped shape her destiny."