CHAPTER 4: Durc
"Uba, I know my chances of survival are not good, so I can't take little Durc with me. I must consign Durc's care to you my Clan sister, and I pray to Ursus that Brun will be able to watch over Durc and not allow Broud to treat him unfairly or harshly." This was the best Ayla could do for her young son.
Uba knew it was Ayla's spirit saying goodbye and what the spirit said was what Ayla herself would have said if she were still living. It all seemed so real to Uba and with no malice present in what the spirit said, Uba felt it was proper for her to watch over Durc; she would be Durc's new Clan mother.
This was a gut-wrenching time for both Durc and his mother. "Durc I must go away for a long, long time. I am forced to leave; I have no choice. I have spoken with Uba and she will be your Clan mother while I am gone. Obey her as you obey me. You will be the only man present to help Uba so I need you to help her whenever you can.
"Durc, I have four things I want you to remember: do your best in all things, be proud of who you are, and help others when and where you can. The fourth thing is to remember me and our love for each other. Always remember Durc, no one can ever take our love away, no one." When it comes to memory, those with Clan blood never forget.
Ayla now calmed her thoughts for a moment; 'I think Ursus will make Broud pay for his evil disposition and cowardice and I hope to live long enough to see him fall from leadership. I have never wished a man was dead, and I never will, but I wouldn't mind reading Broud's totem.' She had been cursed, yet Ayla had pleaded with Brun to protect Durc. She saw a glint of recognition in Brun's eyes as he gave a slight nod to Ayla's incessant pleas when she walked past, at least this was her interpretation.
Ayla had been forced out of the Clan by the same man who had repeatedly abused her. That man was Broud, the elder son of leader Brun. Five summers after Broud became the Clan's leader, he concocted a reason Ayla should receive a Death Curse and then commanded Mog-ur Goov to place the curse on her. Broud's jealous hatred of her since his youth carried into his manhood. He had used that hatred as a weapon and did so with forethought. 'Brun will protect Durc, I am certain of it, and I am indebted to him.' In all that had happened, this thought and the knowledge Uba would care for Durc was Ayla's only comfort.
Brun, the respected ex-leader of the Clan of the Cave Bear, did stand by Durc over the summers in matters of Broud being unreasonable. He made sure Durc was included whenever the other boys were doing things. He insisted Durc be taught skills just like the other boys. He interrupted and stopped Broud whenever a severe or unwarranted punishment was about to take place.
'Why my father defends Durc in different matters and contests any punishment I would give to the inferior mixed blood weakling is something that bothers me. It proves the need to replace my father as Clan leader came none too soon.' Broud's thoughts fully reflected his inability to care for anyone but himself.
"MAMA NOT GO!" These were the very last words little five summer Durc voiced as his mother walked into the forest. The last words Durc saw his mother sign were, 'I LOVE YOU DURC.'
The child tried very hard to understand why his mother had to leave. 'Why mama must go away? Mama not hunting so she be back by dark maybe. I will hide and surprise mama.' He continued to muse to himself all afternoon and into the evening.
"Uba, why mama not home now? It dark and she not home and she need food." Little Durc's signing was clearly understandable and not messy as other youth his age generally signed.
"Durc, your mama was forced to leave both of us, you know this. She loves us and didn't want to leave, but Clan law forced her to leave." Uba could not cry and have it show outwardly but internally she was bawling like an infant. 'Broud is a bastard and the blame for all this is on him. He caused it with his weakness, and vengeful nature; he caused it when he ordered Goov to give Ayla the Death Curse.' Uba's thoughts were concise and correct.
Right now, Uba needed to hold Durc tightly and give the child reassurance the world wasn't at an end. He needed reassurance that some things change but also that some things can never change. "Durc, the love you have for your mother and the love your mother has for you is something that can never change. You need to remember this," Uba signed.
"Yes, Uba, I remember for mama," Durc signed in reply. "Uba, I not like stupid Clan law. Mama come home in morning?"
"Durc, we will have to wait and see but we can sleep together tonight if you want to. Would you like that?"
"Yes, Uba, but can I hold you in sleep?"
"We can hold each other in sleep and if mama can't be back in the morning, we can sleep together tomorrow night as well. Durc, you will be safe, and I will always take care of you, I want you to know that."
"Thank you Uba, can we sleep together until mama comes home?"
"Yes, until mama comes home..." She wanted Durc to heal from his loss and she needed healing just the same as he did. Uba gave him the needed love and caring all children need and kept his mother alive in Durc's memory through the countless stories she would tell him over the summers.
During the first summer of being without her, no one in the Clan could count high enough to match the number of times Durc asked Uba about his mother coming back. The second summer of asking was much less and he was no longer sleeping with Uba. By the third summer he only asked about his mother on rare occasions. Durc had finally accepted his mother was gone. Summers passed...
"Uba, I am nearly ten summers now, and I have decided to sign 'Mother' instead of 'Mama,' It is a more 'grown-up' word and from now on when I speak of mother, I will use the proper word sign." 'No one can take away my memory of mother.' This was hard fact in Durc's mind.
Durc enjoyed planning things, it was something his mother had taught him to do at a very young age. Ayla and he would plan trips, hunts, parties, and whatever else came to mind. How best to climb a tree was always a favorite because each tree was different. They didn't do most of the things they planned; they never intended to. The act of doing the planning was the goal and doing it educated and exercised Durc's mind and proved beneficial time after time. As he grew older, Durc continued planning things and was constantly surprising himself in that if a plan didn't work, his mind automatically started to think of alternative ways to work around the problem or eliminate the problem entirely.
Some winters saw various Clan caves losing members due to starvation, especially if the winter was long or severe. Nearing the end of Durc's tenth summer, an idea formed in his mind. 'I know it would help our Clan if I could somehow make the upcoming winter hunt yield enough game to last all winter.' With that thought, Durc now had a problem to solve and his mind went to work.
'I think gathering all the larger game in our forests, valleys, and canyons into one place would be part of the answer. Now I need to think on how and where I can force the animals to gather. I know I can't gather all the game, but I think I can gather a respectful number of them.' Durc went to Broud to gain approval of taking fifteen to twenty boys on what he called a 'unity gathering;' he had a plan.
"Leader Broud, I seek your permission to take fifteen to twenty boys near my age into the hunting fields in a 'unity gathering.' This would done to unify us as future hunters for our Clan. We will kill no animals as we are not yet hunters and would be away from our caves for ten to fifteen moons. Would you grant me permission to do this?" Broud had no idea what 'unity' meant but getting Durc out of his hair for ten to fifteen moons would be like a gift from Ursus.
"Go and unity as you ask, and I make your 'unity gathering' my command." Durc didn't correct Broud's signing; he took pleasure in it. Making the unity gathering his command would give Broud the credit if the unity thing goes well, yet he could be blame Durc if the thing goes bad. Broud's Clan was limited in weapons, hunters, and tactics, but his Clan would soon be needing a large supply of meat so they would have the time needed to dry and store it before the winter snows came.
Durc had planned a 'Zig-Zag' pattern through his Clan's hunting grounds and the plan would allow little chance of missing game. The zig-zag pattern Durc had devised allowed the boys to see to the left and right of each zig and each zag. Animals that weren't worried enough to move forward on the zig pass would surely be worried on the zag pass. What would worry the creatures as much as the proximity of humans would be the beating of the crude drums fifteen of the twenty boys would make.
Addressing the advance group of five men, Durc signed, "I'm asking you five men to head out three moons before the driving group and bring enough nuts and dried meat to be gone for as long as twenty moons. Brac will be the leader of your group and I have spoken to him of the things you men will need to do."
This was probably overkill on the amount of food needed, but Durc felt it would be better to have too much food than not have enough. He also knew he would need to physically show his men how much food would be required. Thinking ahead in quantifying terms was strange for the boys; they couldn't think the way Durc did. They followed Durc because they knew he was somehow special and also very lucky. It was Durc's planning that created his luck.
"The other fifteen men will leave three moons after you leave so you will have roughly five moons to build a barrier at the narrowest part of the canyon Brac leads you to before the worried game reaches you." Using the term 'men' instead of 'boys' instilled honor, pride, and unity among the group of young men. This would be the first time Brac would act as a leader of a group and he did well.
Brac and the four other boys he had chosen traveled directly to a predetermined spot in a narrow, rock-walled canyon. This would be where the animals would be driven. Upon arriving at the canyon Brac addressed his friends, "Men, Durc says we should have five moons to build a barrier. If we really work at it, we can do what he asks." The boys agreed and each boy worked as if he truly were a man.
Broud had allowed Brac, his son, to go on Durc's unity gathering and Durc had put Brac in charge of the advance team. "Durc told me we should remove the lower limbs of the trees we chop down for the barrier to make it easier to chop at the trunk. He said to only cut the lower limbs from the weak side of each tree."
One of the boys asked, "Brac, how are we to know which side of a tree is the weak side?"
"That is what I asked Durc," Brac answered. "He said the weak side has fewer limbs and the limbs will look a little scrawny because that side of the tree gets less sunlight." The team quickly went to work building the needed barrier. There was more than enough time to cut down the ten and twelve-foot pine trees needed to create the blockade.
By removing the obstructing low limbs on the weak side, the trees were quick and easy to chop down and were placed alongside dead brush and live uprooted brush to form the needed barrier. Pine trees, dead limbs, and dry foliage were plentiful nearly everywhere in the narrow valley. All the foliage was brought to the narrowest spot in the canyon and placed such that once finished, the animals would see the barrier as something they could not go through, over, or around. The boys had followed Brac's directions and now waited. It had taken just one moon for the advance team to get to the canyon. It would take two and a half-moons for the fifteen drumming boys and Durc to get there do to the increased travel distance of Durc's zig-zag pattern.
At the beginning of the game gathering, Durc saw some animals escaping at the left and right ends of his drummer group. This was a problem but, in his mind, solving the problem was simple. 'I'll try putting an advance man at each end of the drum line. The two advance men would walk ahead of and at the outer ends of the group. This should lessen the number of animals getting away.' His thoughts were correct.
Beating the small drums while walking in the forest proved very effective in prompting deer, auroch, swine, and other game to move in the direction the boys wanted them to go. Predators followed the game and were only slightly concerned about the drummers. Having fifteen drummers seemed just the right number.
The unity gathering was already looking to be very successful by the morning of the second day of urging game movement. Durc decided to send Etham, his most dependable and intelligent friend, back to Jonacas, the Clan's current Hunt Leader. Normally Etham would not have walked back to his Clan by himself, but now there should be no predators for him to avoid. The actuality was that predators, as well as game, were being herded into the canyon.
It was sometime after high sun when Etham reached his Clan. "Jonacas, Durc and twenty of us young men are having a successful unity gathering and should have more game animals in one place than is needed for the coming winter. Durc suggests..."
Hunt Leader Jonacas was shocked and interrupted Etham. "DURC! He is only ten summers! I am the Hunt Leader of this Clan and Durc has no right to lead a hunt!" Durc had prepared Etham for the Hunt Leader's probable reaction.
"Jonacas, Durc and we other boys are not hunting. We are just scaring animals into a canyon they cannot get out of. Durc suggests that as Hunt Leader you would want to gather our hunters so they can down the animals. Of course, you will have the women who butcher kills with you and the other women can then bring back to our caves all the meat we need for the coming winter. Durc thought you would like this because it will be safer for our hunters since the kills can be done in an orderly manner and can be done quickly. I can lead the way to the canyon as it is just a moon and a full morning away." Etham was very pleased Durc had chosen and trusted him to alert the hunt leader.
In truth, Etham was more than a young boy, he was a young man, and each of the boys took pride in assuming the new title. Etham was a friend Durc could trust to tell the Hunt Leader exactly what had been done; he informed Hunt Leader Jonacas just as he had been told and had added the 'and a full morning away,' because Durc said the women would slow the pace.
Jonacas was happy, angry, and confused at the same time. 'Happy' that Durc had gathered so much large game in one place, 'angry' he wasn't informed about it in advance, and 'confused' because there is no canyon anywhere in the Clan's hunting lands that an uninjured animal couldn't just walk through. He soon had little choice in taking action because two Clan hunters had seen Etham's signing and spoke freely of it. Knowledge of what Durc had done spread quickly.
The Clan's hunters would leave in the morning and the women butchers, cooks, and helpers would travel with them. Durc had planned on having some lag time between the end of the unity gathering and the arrival of the Clan's hunters and the women butchers. Now all he and the other boys needed to do was to keep the wild beasts in the canyon; doing this was not a problem.
The barrier wall Durc's young men had built was taller than the tallest of the Clan's men and was nearly opaque with all the green pine needles still on the limbs of the downed trees. The trees had been chopped down in mass. By design, the right end of the barrier was left open four leg's length in anticipation the wolves, cats and other predators would see the opening and escape entrapment.
The wolves were hated most because there were so many of them. They ran in packs and had little respect for humans. Still, they were Great Earth Mother's creation and had a right to live up to and until the moment they threatened a human; at that point the rules change. When the first animals began to arrive in the narrow canyon, Brac used a hot coal brought from the prior night's warming fire to start a small 'protection fire' close to but separate from the barrier and at the far-left edge of the imposing barricade. The game and the predators would stay away from the fire.
Deer and auroch showed up first, not because they were the fastest, but because the deer and auroch tried to maintain safe distance from the predators following behind them. Humans were predators as far as deer, auroch, wolves, cats, and game were concerned. This was just the same as wolves and cats being predators as far as humans were concerned. Not nearly as fast as the four-legged predators, humans had greater intelligence and could create weapons that killed. Fire, spears, knives, rocks, and clubs were common weapons. Less common weapons for the hunters were rock slings and pit traps.
Channeled toward the barrier, the groupings of various predators sought escape and found it through the opening at the right end of the barrier. This was the only escape location the boys had created. It was the furthest point away from the protection fire and the smell of smoke. The barrier opening had worked well and allowed all the predators to escape entrapment and the hunters following behind them. Seeing the predators go through the barrier opening, the gathered deer, auroch, and other creatures wouldn't go near it.
When the last predator had escaped the canyon trap, Brac and his men closed the opening by filling the gap with brush and twenty trees they had cut down just the prior day for this purpose. The trees were heavy but by dragging them the weight problem was manageable. When finished, the barrier was something the animals would see as an impassable wall.
"When Hunt Leader Jonacas gets here along with our hunters and the women butchers, we must wait until Etham signals us to light the barrier on fire. With the barrier burning, the trapped game will not try to break through it and Durc will have our drummers spread out between the narrow canyon walls. This should prevent any escape the game may attempt. There is enough room within the trap for the animals to stay clear of the fire and still be away from our hunters." Brac and his friends were proud of what they had created. Durc was pleased as well and signed openly of his gratitude after the unity gathering had ended.
Etham led Jonacas, his hunters, and the women butchers to a cliff overlook; they were amazed and well pleased with the sight before them. "Jonacas, with your permission, I will start a signal fire. Upon seeing the smoke, five of my friends will begin burning the entire length of the barrier wall." It took less than a finger of time for Etham to kindle a small smoke fire and he lit the fire with a hot ember taken from last night's protection fire.
Seeing smoke rise from Etham's fire, Brac and his advance team began to light the entire barrier wall on fire. To finish the barrier, Brac's men had kindled many fire-starting points on the game side of the blockade. The barrier would burn slowly because they were filled with sap. Trees that were well dead would have burned quickly. It would take time for the barrier fire to reach full bloom and this was time the Clan's hunters and women would use to get down to the base of the killing field where Brac, Durc, and the drummers were.
The increasing smoke and flame caused the animals to stay well away from the barrier as Durc had anticipated. Reaching the valley floor, Jonacas signed "HUNT!" Once the killing started, this new style of hunting proved to be fun and easy. The hunters couldn't retrieve their spears fast enough. Brac and each of his men were extremely pleased. Grunts of delight and tangible joy were in the air; game was everywhere. The entire Clan would survive the winter because of Durc, and he felt a rightful pride in this, but it was Broud who took credit for the event. After all, it was HIS command that sent Durc and the other twenty boys into the hunting fields.
Being only ten summers when he created what was soon being called a 'Game Gathering,' Durc would not contest Broud's brag of being responsible for it. Durc's men, and the Clan's people, knew the truth in the matter. With Broud, truth was a matter of viewpoint and could often be manipulated without telling a lie.
Most of the people in Broud's Clan would follow him simply because he was their leader, but they would often seek Durc's opinion on things and follow his lead. No lies were present, and no deception either. Although he was young, Durc had repeatedly shown how a task could be done easier, faster, or better than traditional ways. The people were simply living life as best they could and saw Broud as an auroch's ass in his manner. Even so, people within the Clan would not speak of it. Durc's intent was to always do things that helped an individual or the Clan as a whole. Even so, he was always doing things that upset Broud. The upset wasn't planned, but when it occurred Durc considered it as partial payback for all the auroch crap Broud continually put him through.
One day Etham asked, "Durc, why do you do things that get Broud mad? Wouldn't it be better to do things that make him happy?"
"Etham, I don't purposely set out to anger Broud, but he doesn't like me and finds fault even where there is none. You must understand, it doesn't really make any difference what I do, he will find fault with some aspect of it. I was helping Uba make medicinals one day and he got angry because I wasn't present to get him some tea. Another time I surprised him with some blueberry mash Uba had made and he got upset and said it wasn't a large enough portion. I went away and brought him more of the mash and then he complained I was wasting the mash by bringing him more than he could eat."
"That that isn't right," Etham asserted.
"That's what I am saying. Broud is angry in his heart and he has chosen me as a target for his anger. It is something I must put up with for now... but not forever."
Broud's people followed his orders but sometimes did the things he requested in different ways than what was customary, this was confusing to him. He would ask why something was being done differently than normal. The usual answers were, 'This way is faster. This way is easier. This way is more precise. This way things stay cleaner. This way the animal-fat lamps burn longer and brighter.' Broud began to hate the phrase 'this way.' The older Clan tended to use the traditional ways, but the younger Clan tended to use Durc's non-traditional ways which, in time, would become the traditional ways.
Durc was twelve summers when he had an idea for a new tool. This tool would make the hunters throwing spears better, hopefully much better. The idea came to him while waiting for a deer haunch to finish roasting, it was being turned on a spit over a roasting fire. Durc was excited about his idea and thought a similar spit could be used for a completely different purpose. In his mind he was creating a tool that he would use to improve the spears the Clan was using. This was not at all confusing to Durc. It was just a matter of a basic need and a series of things that would be required to fulfill the need; a plan developed. In all of this, he only needed the generosity of the Clan's knapper.
Durc was two summers older than Brac and the boy was around Durc whenever he could be away from his father. 'It seems ironic that Broud dislikes me, while his son feels the exact opposite.' This thought tended to soothe Durc's disgust of Broud. In reality, the young men were half-brothers and were unaware of the connection. Brac looked up to Durc and felt his friend was almost magical.
The Others realized males and females being together will, at times, result in starting a new life. This was a belief the Clan wasn't ready to accept as yet. Not once did Broud even think Durc was his own son; he was Ayla's son and was deformed; no more needed to be said.
Vinsen was first knapper at Broud's Clan. He was a middle-aged man and liked Durc. Vinsen had been with Broud's Clan over the last seven summers, and it was he who made the sharp flint blades used on the Clan's spears, hand axes' and knives. Durc's idea for the new tool would require several axe blades at the start of the project. If all went well, additional blades may be needed. "Vinsen, I want to replace our Clan's throwing spears because they are too heavy to throw very far, and they are unbalanced by being too thick on the butt end and too skinny on the blade end.
"I have an entire forest of trees to choose from but the trees I want for the new spears are the kind that grow straight upward and have a trunk roughly the same size at the base as at the top. I will only use young trees of this kind. They have very little taper and would make good spears after I use my new tool on them." Durc felt certain his idea was a good one and the blades Vinsen made for the tool would be key to the project. Brac, leader Broud's son, was who Durc wanted to help him create the new tool.
"Durc, you have told me of your new tool, and I think it has merit. If you wish to create the tool, I would be happy to supply all the blades you need. Understand, I do this as your friend and as partial repayment for all the flint you have brought to me over the last three summers. Just the flint you provided to me after I broke my leg in that rockslide is worth anything I could give you. If it is ax blades you want, it is ax blades you will get."
Torkos, the second knapper at Clan of the Cave Bear, saw what Vinsen had said to Durc and could see honor in what had been signed. He would work alongside Vinsen in the knapping of ax blades for Durc, he too felt indebted to Durc for the young man's help on previous projects. Getting the younger trees would be easy as only trees a bit taller than the height of a fifteen-summer boy were needed. "I think I had best create the spear making tool I have in mind and see if it works.' Durc's thoughts were proper for the task at hand.
It was time to start building his tool. Durc had the design locked in his mind. 'The first thing I need is to find two trees growing roughly two leg-lengths apart and about two or three fists thick at the base. Then I need to cut the trunk of both trees roughly a full leg length from the ground and about even in height. Next, I will chop a 'V' shaped notch into the top of the two stumps and do the cuts in a parallel fashion just the same as a roasting spit would use.'
Durc's thoughts were concise and correct. The notches would hold an unworked spear in place no matter if the diameter was different from spear to spear. The two tree trunks would provide a solid base for his creation. After only a brief search, Durc was pleased to find the two trees needed for the base. He cut both tree trunks as he had planned then cut the parallel notches. Step one was now completed. The labor needed to make the new tool was something Durc was pleased to do. The two tree trunks for the vertical part of his design each took a full four fingers of time to cut and notch. Each spear would require two passes through what Durc had been calling a spearmaker and he decided to keep 'spearmaker' as the name of his tool.
The first pass on the spearmaker was to shave off the limb stubs from the spear by using an axe blade and moving the blade left and right the length of the shaft. The raw spear would be rotated just like a haunch of meat would be when roasting but would be rotated much faster. The second pass used river sand to better smooth the shaft. The result would be a relatively smooth spear with a minor taper end to end. A 'turning plate' was needed and would work best if it had some semblance of being flat on both sides and hefty in weight. With a tapered hole carved into the center of the turning plate, a raw spear could be jammed into the hole and be held tight. Making the turning plate was step two but could wait until morning came again.
Brac, Broud's only full Clan son, had been looking for Durc and not finding him in camp, he began asking others if they knew where Durc might be. None of the boys he asked seemed to know. His next action was to ask some adults. He started and ended at the knapper's workbench. "May I speak with you?" Brac signed. Being given permission to talk with the man, Brac asked about Durc. "Yes, I know where Durc is," signed Torkos, the Clan's second knapper. "He has been working on a new tool his mind devised. I believe you can find him on that rise in the land next to our water creek where it joins the larger stream."
Brac signed proper gratitude for the information then immediately went to the place the knapper had spoken of. The boy announced his presence by giving a loud grunt from a near distance, "I have been looking for you Durc, Torkos suggested I might find you here," the boy signed.
"Greetings Brac! You look well this fine morning!" Durc signed in return.
"Yes, I am both well and happy! Torkos said you were making something. Would you let me help in the making?" Durc liked Broud's son and enjoyed having him around. Brac would often offer to help on projects and had shown himself to be capable with tools and very meticulous in the work he did. Even if all he was doing was cleaning something, whatever it was it would be well cleaned. "Brac, I would be honored to have you work with me on making my 'spearmaker' tool. I have cut a plate from that fallen tree over there and now I want to flatten the surface of the plate on one side and then the other side. I am using a hand axe blade and a hammer stone to cut away the unwanted wood. I would have you work with me on both sides of the plate if you will."
"Yes, I would like to help, and now that I know what we are doing, I will need a hammer stone and an axe blade to help cut away the unwanted wood."
"I have extra axe blades and you can find a hammer stone that fits your hand in that pile of rocks by the stream." Getting the plate somewhat flat went quickly as it was only as wide as a man's fingertip to elbow and was sturdy by being three fingers thick. Brac was happiest when he was with Durc and helping him do projects was something the young man enjoyed doing.
"Brac, we can start on the third part of my project now. I need to put a hole roughly three fingers from the outer rim of the turning plate. We will also need a beveled hole right in the center of the plate. The beveled inner surface of the center hole will allow a spear blank to be jammed into it." Creating the beveled hole was relatively easy because a man's belt knife already has a tapered edge by design and finding the center of the plate was no problem because of the growth rings within the tree. Brac started working on the smaller hole as Durc started on the larger center hole.
Durc hoped his spearmaker tool would work but if it didn't, his backup plan was to call his creation firewood. He was like that; very little brought him down and he knew not all of his ideas would work out. "Brac, you haven't asked why we are making a spearmaker tool."
"I am guessing it is because you want to make many spears so you can use them in barters. Otherwise, you would have no need to make many spears."
"No, that's not the reason. It's because my new tool should allow me to make our spears fly faster, further, and be more accurate when thrown. The plate we just finished will be the main part of my new tool. A hand grasp will be used to rotate the plate. Doing this and thus rotating the unworked spears jammed into the plate's center hole, the rough surface of the raw spears can be smoothed. Of course, what we do may be of no use if the tool doesn't work, but I think it will."
"Well, if it doesn't work, at least we will have tried. Besides, chipping away at a piece of wood is a lot less work than digging a waste pit." Durc agreed with Brac's statement and was genuinely surprised Brac came up with the comparison since neither he nor his younger friend had ever helped in digging a waste pit. Brac was growing up and his comments were showing thought.
The hand grasp was held securely in place simply by hammering in a wedge-shaped filler plate. Brac could grip the hand grasp with both hands to rotate the turning plate. Durc felt the spearmaker would work best if he could make it rotate faster but he hadn't yet figured out how to accomplish that feature.
The next step was to chop down three young trees to use as the first spears he would make with his new tool. The thickness of the spears would be roughly two fingers in diameter at the narrow end. The basic design of the spearmaker did work, but only after a hefty branch was used as a brace for the butt end of the ax blade. Durc quickly found a support guide was needed for the underside of the blade as well. Both additions helped greatly in creating the new spears.
Brac turned the hand grasp that rotated the raw spear as Durc held an axe blade against the back brace and the guide to smooth the spear's shaft. With a few other needed modifications, the spearmaker tool worked fairly well. A spear's initial diameter would be slightly different end to end but the 'V' shape notch in the two vertical supports of the turning wheel compensated for the taper. This allowed the raw spear to spin while the movable axe blade shaved the shaft, thus forming a relatively smooth and slightly tapered spear.
Durc and Brac made three spears as a test of the tool. Now it was time to get a flint blade for each of the three prototype spears from the 'test run' of the new spearmaker. "Brac, what would you think about making all three of these spears somewhat shorter so someone your age would have the right size spear for hunting?"
"You would do that? I have never had spears my size and since it is made by your spearmaker tool they should be accurate." Brac was very pleased Durc would give him the first three spears made with the new tool. He was also pleased Durc was his friend.
"Brac, tomorrow morning let's go to our knappers and get some flint blades, then we can mount a blade on each spear.
"With the blades mounted, we can find the balance point for each spear." All three spears would have a different balance point for hand position. The difference in balance points was mainly the different weights of the three flint spearheads. Durc was pleased, Brac was pleased, and this was the fifth and final step in making the new spears. He also knew Durc was a good man and was a guiding friend; Durc had always been good to him.
It was early dark when Brac returned to his cave. Oda, his mother, asked him what things he did today. After recounting his day with Durc, his mother asked that he not tell Broud of his day with Durc or speak of the spearmaker tool. "If asked, sign only what you want your father to know; part of your day was with Durc. If he asks what you and Durc did together you should tell him how both of you sat and chipped away at pieces of wood. This will answer his questions truthfully. Don't offer knowledge of your new spears or the spearmaker tool at this time because it would likely anger him."
This made sense to Brac. "Mother, if father asks about my day I will do as you suggest, but I don't think he would be likely to ask. In any event, I have no desire to speak of personal matters and I choose not to speak of my new spears... they are a personal matter." Oda was well pleased that Brac understood. Not speaking of personal matters is acceptable within the Clan and Brac had, on more than one occasion, been subjected to his father's lectures, tantrums, and thoughtless diatribes.
The following day found Durc and Brac together again but this time they were at the knapper's hearth and with Vinsen, the Clan's lead knapper. "Brac, what have you in your hand?" signed Vinsen.
"These are three new throwing spears ready for flint spearheads."
The knapper asked, "Why are the spears shorter than normal spears?"
Durc was present and joined the conversation by answering for Brac. "Vinsen, the spears are shorter because they are for Brac. He is not yet fully grown and cannot throw a fully-grown man's spear very well. These three shorter spears are ones that someone his age can handle. He needs three of your smaller spearheads to finish them."
Looking directly at Brac, the knapper now signed, "Brac, this man would ask you for something and would give you something in return."
"What is it you wish to have and what is it you wish to give in return?" Both Durc and Vinsen were surprised that Brac had recited the traditional offer to barter using the proper words and cadence. The reality was that Brac had never bartered before but knew the traditional procedure from hearing others as they bartered.
"I wish to have flint rocks so I may make blades for our hunters. In return, I wish to give you finished blades for your three spears. Is this acceptable to you?"
"Yes, I will give you three flint rocks in exchange for three spear blades. Is this acceptable to you Vinsen?"
"Yes, three flint rocks are acceptable to me. My terms of barter are that the three flint rocks are about the size of Durc's fist, are my terms acceptable to you Brac?"
"Yes, your terms are acceptable, and my barter terms are that the blades are sized appropriately for my shorter spears. Vinsen, are my barter terms acceptable to you?"
"Yes Brac, your terms are acceptable to me."
"Then our barter is finished." Brac had signed the statement with pride. This was his first barter with a tradesman, and he felt a manly pride in doing it. Both Durc and Vinsen knew what had just happened and gave each other knowing looks.
Brac and Durc walked away and signed as they left. "Brac, you did well in your barter with Vinsen; you bartered for what you wanted, and he accepted your terms. I couldn't have bartered any better."
"Durc, I too am happy with the barter and if you would mount the blades onto my spears for me, I will find and take three flint rocks to Vinsen."
"Your informal request to barter is acceptable to me but my terms of barter are that we will always be friends. Do you accept my terms of barter?" signed Durc.
Realizing what Durc was doing, Brac replied, "Yes I accept your barter terms. My barter terms are we will always be BEST friends. Do you accept my barter terms?
"Yes Brac, I accept your terms of barter."
"Then our barter is finished," Brac signed. Both young men were pleased with the informal barter that had just occurred. 'Two barters in one day, I like this barter thing,' Brac thought. The form of the barter wasn't exactly correct in Brac's rendition he said, 'Do you accept my barter terms' instead of saying 'Do you accept my terms of barter.' Brac was young and the error was unimportant, and similar minor errors were elsewhere.
"Durc, I greatly enjoyed doing the barter with Vinsen, and I enjoyed our friendship barter as well. With these things in mind, I now offer yet another barter."
"Brac, I feel generous today so what is it you wish to have and what is it you wish to give in return?
"What I wish to have is your belt knife, foot covers, throwing spear, lean-to leather and your sleeping fur. What I wish to give in return is absolutely nothing. My terms are that you produce these things as soon as we reach your hearth."
Durc was surprised at Brac's new barter and his terms. Knowing Brac's barter was in jest he responded, "Brac, I agree to barter on this. I also agree to your terms of barter. My terms of barter are that once you have my belt knife, foot covers, throwing spear, lean-to tent, and sleeping fur in hand, you must wash each item. "Then you must return them to me dry, fresh, and clean. My further terms of barter are that you gut and butcher every kill I achieve during the upcoming winter."
"Durc, I will agree to your terms but only if you perform each of my duties for me. These are my terms and If you agree, our barter is finished."
"Brac, I am fully pleased, and I agree to your terms of barter..."
Moments passed and Durc was the first one to snicker. Brac followed with his own snickering and the two men walked back to their homes pleased with the barter. 'Brac showed a good mind in getting out from under my terms.' Durc was pleased Brac had devised the barter and his response terms so quickly.
The morning sun rose and with it came Brac. "Good morning Durc!"
"...And good morning to you Brac. Would you like to share a morning meal with me? I have more than enough."
"Yes, I would enjoy that." The two chatted while eating and continued signing after the meal was done.
"Brac, let me tell you how to determine the best hand spot on your new throwing spears. After the blade is mounted and lashed to the spear shaft, you will need to mark the balance point of each spear. One fist forward of the balance point is the proper hand spot."
"Wouldn't the hand spot be at the same place on each of the three spears?"
"Brac, each spear will be slightly different."
"The spears are all the same length, so why would the hand spot be different?"
"Because each blade and every shaft are slightly different. Some blades are large, and some are small. Some are wide and some are skinny, and some are fat, and some are thin. Because of these things, the best hand spot will be in a slightly different place on each spear. Once the balance point is found, you should tie a wet sinew band at that point on the shaft."
"Durc, why should the sinew band need to be wet and what is the best way to hold and throw a spear?"
"When wet, the sinew dries causing it to shrink tightly to the spear and in doing so, it can't slip and change position on the shaft. Then you can quickly grab any of your spears and have confidence your throwing hand is in the proper place for each spear. As to the best way to throw a spear, I will tell you what I have found. If you just cradle the shaft between your thumb and pointer finger and let the bottom of the spear simply rest within the valley created between your thumb and adjacent two fingers and forward of the sinew marker.
In Doing this, you can get a clean release that can't be accomplished if you grip the spear with your entire hand. In throwing a spear, you should stand at an angle to your target and throw from the shoulder. This will give more force to the throw as your shoulder comes forward at the end of the throw." The process of building the spearmaker and 'bartering' their friendship formed a bond between the two young men that would never be broken. The barter would remain a private thing between the two men for the rest of their lives.
One of Durc's younger friends, 'Adamo,' had difficulty in using his right hand after being injured when he was seven summers in age. He was injured in the same rockslide as Vinsen. His fingers would no longer function in a normal way in that he could now only use the hand to grasp but not much else. Muscles had been torn and bones had been crushed but at least the pain had finally gone away. Durc was visiting Adamo after the injury had healed as much as it was going to.
He saw his young friend trying to feed himself from a bone platter and using his left hand to do it. Adamo was right-handed and as such he was now awkward and somewhat messy in managing to eat. No one ever commented on it, not even his friends, but Adamo didn't like being messy.
The boy was originally from the Clan of the Big River. His father, 'Torkos' had moved his hearth to the Clan of the Cave Bear when a call was put out for an experienced knapper summers ago. Being one of three knappers in the Clan of the Big River, Torkos answered the call at the urging of his Mog-ur. The Spirit Leader felt Ursus was best served if the needs at the Clan of the Cave Bear were met.
Durc now had an idea and it took the rest of the afternoon and evening to go from idea to tangible tools. In the morning he walked to the hearth where Adamo's family lived and spoke with Torkos, Adamo's father. "Would you allow Adamo to use two tools I have created? I believe he would be able to eat with little or no mess if the tools work for him as I think they will."
"Durc, I would see the tools before giving permission." After Durc demonstrated the two tools, he was permitted to present the tools to Adamo and show him the best way to use them. Durc was new to the tools himself and had and practiced the best way to hold and use each one. He had made two sets, one set for Adamo and one for himself. Adamo's mother and his little sister were out gathering greens and firewood when Durc presented the tools to Adamo and showed him how to best hold and use them. Torkos was amazed at how quickly his son was able to alter his eating habits. Within two fingers of time, the tools were in full use and being well managed.
"For the first time since his injury, I can see Adamo is feeling comfortable in eating without being messy. Such has been a challenge for him since his injury, and being born with a very good mind, he has a desire to master challenges. Durc, as Adamo's father I am grateful for what you have done, and I wish to honor you by telling our people that you are a 'Clansman of the Others.' You have a heritage of both worlds and you should be proud of what you have done." What Torkos didn't know was that his word creation, 'Clansman,' would turn out to be a mark of pride and would be so throughout the ages.
"Do you have a name for your tools?" Torkos signed.
"I call this one a 'fork' because it is somewhat like forks along a pathway, but I have no name for the other one," Durc signed. I was using moonlight to finish the tool so I thought I could just change the word signing of 'moon' to 'spoon.' Doing so, the signed words would be different, but Adamo can call the tools whatever he wants."
"Durc, this is great! Your tools do help me eat without making a mess of my hands and face. I owe you a debt." Adamo was signing as best he could with a damaged hand and although it was rough, his signing was still understandable. Speaking from his heart and showing gratitude, he signed to Durc, "I will call it a 'spoon' as you suggest, and I think others will want a spoon and fork after they see mine."
"That is what I think as well. Would you like to see the spoon and fork I made for myself?"
"You made a set for yourself?"
"Why not? I am kind of messy at times as well, we can eat together!" As Adamo had foretold and as Durc suspected might happen, the other Clan boys wanted their own spoon and fork and began crafting their own set after seeing Adamo's tools. Adamo ate without making a mess and without getting his hands greasy as was usual when holding a piece of meat so it could be eaten. The tools didn't look hard to make but full Clan boys don't have Durc's manual dexterity.
"Durc, the spoons and forks the other boys have made for themselves appear to work but they don't nearly meet the quality of the fork and spoon you made for me and the set you made for yourself. I want to show gratitude for what you have done but I don't think I can fully express myself. I will always remember this gift and honor you for it." Adamo was sincere in what he was signing and now wanted to help others in some way just as Durc had done for him.
At one point in his younger life Adamo was scared of being killed or taken by evil spirits. Being young, his mind had trouble separating things that were real from things that were not real. He was scared of snakes and he was scared of the dark as well. Many boys had similar fears so Adamo knew he was normal and just like his friends. His father had an idea, "Adamo, lets you and I make your vision of an evil spirit out of pasted leaves and sticks and two white rocks for eyes."
After the 'spirit' was made, Torkos and Adamo then painted a scary face on the creature. "Adamo, take your creature outside on any night you wish. See if you can surprise and scare your mother and I."
A full moon and a cool night with a breeze came seven moons later and Adamo knew the 'evil spirit' he and his father had made would cast a scary shadow on the cave wall. The shadow would be created by the cave's warming fire. All was ready and Adamo made a loud growling noise to wake his mother and father.
"EEEK!" Adamo's mother screamed. "Torkos, there is a spirit creature after us... look at the shadow on our cave wall."
"Ursus, help us! Save us from the spirit creature!" signed Torkos. He had realized what was going on as did his mate. The acting the two adults had done was embellished for effect and worked well with the young boy.
"Wait mother... what you saw was not real! It was just me trying to scare you. The 'spirit' you saw was one father and I made out of pasted leaves and sticks. It was the firelight casting the shadow you saw. I'm sorry I scared you so badly, I just wanted to scare you a little bit."
"Well, you certainly scared me," his mother signed.
"Yes, Adamo, even I was scared until you showed yourself. It surprised me and I even helped you make the pasted spirit. I am glad evil spirits aren't real." Torkos and his mate cast knowing smiles at each other. He had told her about the pasted spirit and had colluded to help their son.
"Adamo, I forgive you for scaring me. Torkos, I am not even near being ready to forgive you..." Adamo thought about the things that scared him, and after deep thought, realized his fears weren't warranted; he had never been harmed.
"Father, would you take a walk with me?"
"It's dark right now; can't it wait until the sun comes up?"
"No, I don't want to wait. I want to show you I am no longer scared of darkness and evil spirits."
"If that is why you want to go for a walk, I will go with you and I think your mother will come with us too." Looking to his mate she smiled and nodded in agreement. Walking in the dark, both parents were proud of Adamo and told him so. They were both surprised when Adamo replied with a mature statement.
"I'm going to forget about spirit creatures and being buried alive. Those things are something that will never happen to me and I don't want to waste my time with stuff that will never happen. Now I want to help other boys who are scared of things." Adamo was growing up and becoming a man.
Because of Adamo, Durc had now created and introduced the Clan to the spoon and fork. Over the summers, carving a wooden spoon and fork became a mark of pride and was considered a precursor to passing from a child to a young man. Smaller versions of a hunter's belt knife already existed and were soon being used at everyday meals in concert with the spoon and fork.
It seemed Durc was always trying to help others, his mother had set an example.
