Sorry for the delay in updating Blast from the Past Chalk it up to to many story ideas.
BLAST FROM THE PAST: VICTOR GOES NATIVE: CHAPTER 2
The three riders rode for many hours in relative silence. Victor was in no mood to talk and both of his new friends were not inclined to speak to him. The boy that was Victor's age stole looks to him from time to time, but said nothing.
It was getting dark and the sun was starting to go down. They came to a clearing and the man stopped his horse and said.
"We will camp here for the night. Tipanic, gather dry wood for a fire, and Victor would you help him?" The man asked.
"Yes, sir," Victor said quietly and got down off of Malachi. Making a campfire was not a new experience for him. He walked around and spotted some dry wood and picked it up and carried in his arms. "Where do want to build the fire, sir?" Victor asked politely. The man pointed to a dry round parcel of area that had a black circle. It looked as if someone had already made a fire there before. Victor dropped the wood at the indicated spot and wandered around to look for more wood. Malachi followed him.
"Malachi, it is not necessary for you to follow me everywhere I go, you silly horse." Victor said with some amusement. The horse merely nickered and pushed his head into Victor's chest rubbing him affectionately. Victor's somber mood lifted and he rubbed the horse's head between the ears roughly, scratching the places he knew Malachi liked to have scratched. Tipanic laughed.
"Your horse thinks he is a dog, yes?" Tipanic said laughing.
"Yes, he does. He's always been that way. Do you think he likes me a lot?" Victor asked innocently.
"I would appear that he does, Victor." Tipanic smiled.
"Is Tipanic an unusual name? I've never heard it before." Victor asked politely.
"My father said he read it in a book somewhere, but he never said what book. I think it's a made up name, myself." Tipanic said grinning.
"I like it. It is really different. My name is almost common." Victor said in a bored tone.
"Maybe, but at least people don't giggle when they hear it." Tipanic said, grinning.
"Did you hear me giggle once?" Victor asked innocently.
"No, I did not. But you've been kind of upset." Tipanic said, and almost regretted it instantly. Victor's smiled dimmed. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything."
"That's alright. I was upset. It was very unfair of me to think that about my parents. I know my mother doesn't hate me, but I couldn't help saying it." Victor sighed.
"I do that a lot myself. For some unknown reason I feel angry and find myself yelling at my father or mother. It's just the growing up part I really have learned to hate." Tipanic said sagely.
"Boys, I'll need more wood then that." Tracer called to the boys.
"Yes, Uncle," "Yes, sir," the boys chorused together. They immediately started to gather dry wood for the fire. Tracer smiled, it was good that the boys were starting to make friends. He chuckled when he noticed the large black horse follow Victor like a large friendly dog. The other horses, especially the pack horse ignored the large black one that insisted on following the boy around. The pinto Tipanic had been riding watched stoically as Malachi followed Victor.
Tracer suspected that there was more to Victor then met the eyes. John had explained that Victor was a little different at birth and had been changing rapidly in the last year or so. Tracer's plan was to turn Victor over to his younger brother for some training. But he was going to let him stay with the tribe's shaman to balance things out a bit. His brother Wolf Mane, what he insisted on being called, was an old traditionalist like his father; and Tracer wasn't about to turn Victor over to him 24/7 as John was incline to say.
Victor's differences were not totally obvious to anyone on first inspection. It did become obvious in constant company though. The tribal tales of such a person with those character traits and abilities had been passed down thru the ages and if Victor was one, it would be a good idea to train him as soon as possible.
The boys had gathered a great deal of dried wood for the fire and Tracer chuckled as Malachi kept following Victor about. He idly wondered if Malachi would insist on living in the cabin with Victor. Did all animals find him greatly attractive company, or was it just this horse? Well, according to John, Victor would be staying for awhile and he would be able to answer his own questions about the boy. He was polite and respectful, though he was going through the usual things that boys his age go through. The burst of anger was familiar; his own father with all his sons had been put thru a great deal of emotional trauma with five sons and four daughters it was a lot of trauma.
Several hours later, the fire had been burning just right to make enough heat and light for the night. The horses had been settled nicely and they were nodding off. The boys were talking quietly about what boys usually talk about. Tracer had feed them a fine meal and he could see that they were getting sleepy.
"Time for bed, boys," he chuckled a little to himself at the almost rebellious looks he was getting from them. But they obeyed with little fuss. They crawled into their bedrolls and settled down; they of course were still talking. He was glad that they seem to like each other well. It was a good idea to bring his nephew along. His own son was too old for such company and wouldn't have given Victor another thought.
Two hours later the boys had worn themselves out talking and now were asleep. The light from the fire made it possible for Tracer to give a good look at Victor. Victor's fingernails were starting to get darker and longer and they looked very sharp. John had told him that Victor cut his fingernails at least twice a day and they still grew back as long and sharp as ever. Victor's mouth was slightly opened as he breathed slow and steady in his sleep. Tracer could see that the canine of both top and lower were much longer and bigger then the average boy his age. Tracer calculated that in the coming years that they would only get longer and stronger with his growth, the same of his nails. Victor seemed to have a cat-like quality about him. In the way he moved and tilted his head to listen for noises about him. He would make a fine hunter and that would please Wolf Mane much.
The fire had died down a lot during the night and it needed a bit of wood and some poking to get going again to help make the breakfast. The boys were eager to help gather more firewood since it meant breakfast. Malachi resumed his following of Victor around and it appeared that he was trying to help…although it looked like he was making an amusing pest out of himself more then actually helping.
They continued on their journey and by late afternoon they had arrived at the village. There were many finely made cabins and some authentic looking tents that dotted the area clearly saying that this was an Indian living site. Many of the residents came out to greet them. The dogs fiercely barked in a happy excited frenzy at Chief Tracer's return.
It was only a few minutes later that Tracer noticed that the dogs and the cats were attracted to Victor and crowded around him affectionately. Victor was waylaid by Tracer's own large dog, who really didn't like anyone else. Victor giggled as the dog gave his face a good cleaning with his large wet tongue.
"That will be quite enough, Swifty. You get down and leave that boy alone." Tracer said sternly to the dog.
"That's alright sir, he's not bothering me." Victor grinned broadly, laughing.
"Well, then on your own head be it then." Tracer nodded and had several men unload the pack horse and take the horses to the corral. Malachi simply would not budge from his young master's side. The older man tried to pull him behind him, but Malachi dug his heels into the ground and his hunches were set firmly into not moving from his spot.
"Forget that one, George…that's Malachi and he's not going anywhere without Victor." Tracer said to George. George kind of huffed a bit and dropped the reins and gave the large black horse a stern glare. The horse snorted at him, "So there," he seemed to say. George couldn't believe it and began chuckling. Malachi strolled over to Victor and nudged him affectionately.
"Ah, so it's that way is it?" George shook his head and walked over to the rest of the horses and had no trouble leading the others away. Tipanic giggled.
"You know, he can't move into our house."
"Aw, why not?" Victor joked.
"He's too big to fit inside. Besides, Mum doesn't like animal in the house, not even a dog or cat…she really would not like a horse inside either." Tipanic said grinning.
"Ya know, my mother doesn't like animals in the house either. Must be a mother thing." Victor said with some wisdom.
"Must be." Tipanic confirmed.