CHAPTER 7: "GO FASTER"
"Durcan, let's make a really small version of our moving thing from just a one finger thick branch for the axle and make each roller a small finger wide and four fingers tall. Being so much smaller, we can make changes to the moving thing quickly and with a lot less effort than doing it in full size. I think the width of the surface that stuff will be carried on should be a little bit less than the length of the axle thing so the rollers can't rub on the outer edges of the carry bed." Ava had used her walking stick to draw a kind of image of her idea. Durcan also had a walking stick but had never used it to express thoughts.
"Ava, is 'sur-face' one word or two?"
"It's a single word and it doesn't matter, right now I'm asking what you think about making a small version of the thing. Is 'surface' too big a word for you?"
"It's not a big word, but I prefer to use 'top and bottom' or 'front, back, and edge.' I like your idea and I'm impressed; you didn't even need to use your smart-stick!" Durcan liked the thought of making a small version of his idea and hoped his tease would hit home.
"Durcan, if you were truly smart, you would know it's stupid to think a stick can be intelligent."
Durcan struggled for a comeback and felt it best to capitulate. "Okay, you win. I now realize I need to break my 'stupid-stick' and either burn it or throw it into the next lake we come to."
"Either way will work but a cooking fire would at least give your 'stupid-stick' a reason to have lived. Burning it will be much better for the stick and you'll show yourself to be a man of compassion as opposed to a half-wit and drowning it. I know it will be hard, but think about these things. You'll be a much better man if you do."
Ava had the last word and loved it.
Durcan had to agree with Ava's logic and fully realized she was someone special. She was a woman with drive, a sharp mind, and showed self-confidence in her speech and actions. This was a woman unlike any other he had ever met. Morning came and the two set about building a small version of the moving thing.
Ideas and suggestions went back and forth, and they spent the entire morning making alterations and testing them to improve its anticipated utility. Things could be carried on a framework and Durcan's original idea of 'moving things' soon changed to 'carrying things.' The two were looking at the small prototype and Ava's mind had her standing motionless in deep thought. Suddenly she became truly excited, "Durcan! I have a really good idea!"
"What is your idea and why is it so good?" He had also been in deep thought and was not sharing in Ava's excitement. She grabbed her smart-stick and began drawing another diagram in the dirt. He looked at the diagram as Ava explained what she was drawing. The moment of cognition in Durcan's mind caused his eyes to get big and his demeanor quickly matched Ava's, now they were both excited.
She had drawn left and right handhold branches and connected them at the base using a thick branch running from one handhold to the other handhold and tied to the carrier frame. Right ahead of the actual handholds, she drew an even thicker horizontal branch. The additional branch added some rigidity and strength to the thing and whoever was using the 'carry thing' could either push on the front horizontal branch or could use the two handholds to pull it.
The two went to work on altering the small prototype and quickly tested her idea. A few changes were made, and the testing proved her idea to be a good one. "Ava, I think your idea will likely help hunters, sick people, injured people, and even packhorses."
"Let's do it! " the two said in unison. Later on, Durcan had to explain packhorses.
Durcan called to Jaradal and told him all about the carry thing and Ava showed the hunter the small test thing while Durcan explained. "Jaradal, I could use your help in finding a straight four finger thick limb for the full-size axle, would you mind helping me?"
Before Jaradal could answer, Ava interjected, "And I will find the thick branches needed for the carry-bed while you two are making the axle fit the rollers we already have." With Ayla's statement, Jaradal didn't have a chance to answer Durcan's question. He simply reached into his carry pouch and pulled out his hand axe. Durcan did the same thing and the two men began a search for just the right branch for creating a full-sized axle. Since the rollers had been cut and flattened already, and the holes for the axle had been cut as well, the three were able to build a full-size carry thing by early evening. Durcan, Ava, and Jaradal had created the very first carry thing.
The full-sized but rickety contraption was made up of arm-bone thick branches lashed to the four-finger thick axle with vines; there was not enough time for Ava's wet sinew to be cut, boiled, mounted, and dried, so the rollers were 'tied' to the axle by using multiple windings of vines to emulate thick leather straps. True to design and testing on the small carry thing, the left and right 'hand branches' were extra-long and served as handholds to pull or push the new carry thing along.
The carry framework had multiple leg-length branches for the carry bed and four larger perimeter branches around the bed. Using vines to tie the elements together, it wasn't a really solid platform, but was sufficient for testing as a full-size carry thing. The best part was the building of the carry thing didn't slow the trek to base camp. They built it and tested it on the twelfth day of the maximum fourteen-day search, the base camp was only a day's walk from where they were.
"Durcan, I think our carry thing would work well for your lean-to tent, its support poles, all our sleeping furs, bone plates, and eating tools as well." These were things that slowed down their walking because they were awkward to carry and were quite heavy by the end of the day.
"Ava, the thing we built doesn't have a name. I would be pleased if you would give it a name."
"I have already been thinking about a name and I think I have settled on one, 'cart' is what it should be called. By putting our things on the cart, we won't be carting them around on our bodies. The things slowed our walking and using the cart, the weight and awkwardness of carrying them is greatly lessened."
"Ava, 'cart' isn't a word is it?"
"It was in my tribe, and I declare it as such for all other tribes as well."
Durcan quickly thought about Ava's declaration and decided The Great Earth Mother could readily add 'cart' to her language. It was either that or listen to never ending comments by Ava; he had opted wisely.
"Durcan, I would like to see how well the long handholds on the cart work. Would you mind showing us?" Jaradal asked.
"Yes, I would be pleased to do that." Durcan stepped into position, lifted the handholds, and gave a strong pull to start the cart rolling forward. Ava walked alongside the empty cart as it began to roll and a few paces later she stepped behind the cart as it was moving and jumped onto the cart's flat carry-bed. Durcan could feel the motion of Ava jumping on the cart and was surprised her weight didn't make the pulling that much harder.
Still pulling the cart, he looked over his shoulder and saw Ava standing and balanced on the scrawny bed of the cart as he pulled it. "Go faster!" Ava shouted.
Durcan smiled at Ava's obvious excitement." Ava, when do you want me to stop?"
Ava yelled; "You can stop when we reach your Zelandonii!"
Durcan realized she was experiencing joy in the ride and experiencing joy in this rough life is something to treasure. As he continued to pull the cart, the landscape began to present a bit of a downhill grade. Pulling the cart became easier as the downhill grade increased and in moments the cart was pushing Durcan's steps and forcing him to work to hold the cart back.
Turning the front of the cart to the right caused it to rapidly slow because of the change in incline. Ava jumped off the cart as it slowed and the unexpected change in weight combined with a lurch forward because of her jump caused Durcan to stumble and lose his grip on the handholds. The back of the cart was somewhat facing downhill and it began to roll that direction on its own and unfettered. After a moment of shock, Durcan, Ava, and Jaradal began to run after the wayward cart.
All three felt the pain of watching their creation crash into a stand of trees; the cart was destroyed. Jaradal felt bad about what happened but was laughing so hard his sorrow didn't show. Jaradal always tried to be unobtrusive and was already walking away from the crash site. "Ava, I think we may have a few small problems with our cart," Durcan said in a mischievous tone.
"Yes, I agree, there may be one or two little things we didn't think about." Both laughed at the understatements. Despite losing the cart to the stand of trees, Ava and Durcan enjoyed the shared laughter that followed. Their eyes met and silently acknowledged the shared moment.
"Ava, we can build another cart, but I think we should wait until we reach the Zelandonii before we do it. You could probably salvage the rollers, and if you do, you can put both of them in your pouch and bring them with you to the Zelandonii." Durcan's comment was crafted to tease.
"Durcan, you have misspoken. YOU could probably salvage the rollers, and if YOU do, YOU can put both of them in YOUR pouch and carry them to the Zelandonii. Now, I do agree with waiting until we reach the Zelandonii before we build another cart, but I think we should also wait until we can figure out a way to get one of your horses to do the pulling."
Durcan smiled and let loose with a chuckle. "Girl, I hope your ride was satisfying!" Ava didn't bother to respond to the 'girl' remark, she just turned her head, put her chin in the air, and gave an arrogant smile; she had bested Durcan.
Ava was still skeptical about people riding horses and using them for labor because she knew horses were wild just like lions, bears, and other dangerous creatures. 'Durcan told me he had a pet wolf that did his bidding, and he was telling the truth. I see no lies in what he is saying about people riding the backs of horses, so I'll just need to trust him... for now.' Such were Ava's thoughts.
At daybreak, Jaradal, Durcan, and Ava, began the trek to base camp and Bandoman. "Durcan, would you tell me more about your mother?"
"I would be happy to do that. After my mother was forced to leave her Clan, she found an orphaned filly and adopted the horse as one would adopt a child and she cared for the young horse. She even gave the animal a name, 'Whinny.' Over time, mother learned to ride the horse, just as Whinny learned to be ridden. The two learned from each other."
"How did your mother know the little horse was orphaned?"
"The filly's mother was killed when she fell into a pit trap my mother had dug. The pit trap was how she downed large animals. It was too bad the filly's dam was the first creature in the newest pit trap."
"I know what a horse is but what is a filly horse and what is a dam?"
"A 'filly' is a young female horse, and a 'dam' is what a horse's mother is called. Ignoring the pit trap as a weapon, the only other weapons mother had were a belt knife, one throwing spear, one thrusting spear, and a sling. The sling worked well for killing small animals where a spear or a belt knife were useless. Being able to start fires, she could cook what she killed, stay warm in the winter and ward off nighttime predators.
Not too long after finding Whinny, mother found a lioness that had died in a stampede of frightened deer. Mother could see the lioness was nursing and found her den. She was able to rescue a lone cub and she named the cub 'Baby,' The lion cub needed nursing so she fed the little guy broth. This wasn't mothers milk, but it served as an excellent substitute.
"The lion wasn't small for long. After the first year his mane was coming in and his roar was getting stronger. Baby stayed with mother for another summer, but he had an internal need to seek his own kind. He had gone into the near wild before mother and father met."
"Durcan, no horse would accept a lion as a friend. Horses would see a lion as a predator and a mortal danger."
"That's right, and initially, that was what happened. Whiny was anxious when mother brought the baby cub into the cave she had found. She told me that constantly being together, Whinny slowly accepted Baby's presence. No threats or attacks had taken place and Whinny's fear subsided. Baby was very young when he was found and thought of Whinny as an oddly strange big sister."
"Did your mother have any other animal friends?"
"Yes, she had one other animal friend. A lone wolf was going after one of mother's rabbit kills. The wolf was downed by two rocks from mother's sling and on confirming the wolf was dead, mother then found the wolf had swollen teats; she was nursing. Mother managed to find the wolf den and recovered a single pup.
"Bringing a live predator with her into Lion Camp caused a stir among the people. Acceptance of the cute little wolf pup was instant for some but much slower for others as wolves are well-known predators. Being cute and friendly was what initially won people over. Getting accustomed to the non-aggressive and obedient animal took longer for the older people. 'Wolf' was what mother named him. After wintering at Lion Camp, mother and father traveled four months to reach the Zelandonii. Both Wolf and Whinny came with them."
"Durcan, Wolf would have been a year and a half in age by the time your mother and father reached your Zelandonii homeland. Being so much larger than a pup by then, weren't your Zelandonii people fearful of him?"
"Yes, many people were concerned and said so. Mother and father had to show them that Wolf was not mean, wild, or dangerous; he was a friend. Wolf was still a puppy at Lion Camp, so his introduction was easier there than it was later on at the many Zelandonii caves. If it weren't for my father, they may not have accepted Wolf. My father and his parents were well respected members of the Zelandonii, and he was able to show them they and their children would be safe. It was much like how Jaradal and I showed that you would be safe.
"Having Whinny and Wolf with them was a curiosity at first. Father tells me that when mother mounted Whinny it was fun to watch the people's eyes get big. My people quickly saw the advantages of riding a horse and felt they could hunt while on horseback. Horses were fast and strong and allowed for better scouting because of their height.
"The Zelandonii now use horses as beasts of burden as well as for riding. Having seen mother ride Whinny on hunts and for fun, our people accepted horses and they became a normal part of Zelandonii life."
"Durcan, did Wolf become a normal part of Zelandonii life?"
"Yes, he did gain wide acceptance, especially after he protected three six-summer playmates from two hungry wolves."
"I can see how something like that would have gone a long way in getting any tribe of people to show acceptance. Okay Durcan, now tell me how you got Blackie."
"Summers later my sister and I came across wolf tracks while we were hunting ptarmigan together. That made us a bit nervous, but not so much so that we wanted to give up our hunt. During our hunt for ptarmigan nests, we had an encounter with a she-wolf protecting the area surrounding her den.
"We had ridden down-river and then up a tributary and left our horses at the edge of an open meadow. Our two sleeping furs were left near the horses and they remained close to the scent of our bedding. I went out on foot and did my usual perimeter check for nests. Ptarmigan usually build their nests at the edge of meadows and finding nests with eggs was our goal. I was trying to get any Ptarmigan in the area to take wing so Jonalya could down the birds.
Only moments apart, two ptarmigan flew from separate nests and came down just as fast as they went up thanks to Jonayla's spearthrower darts. Seeing where the birds flew from, I checked the nearest nest for eggs then I started toward the second nest but had to stop short when I came upon a she-wolf between me and the nest. The she-wolf was crouching low in the grass and was growling at me. Apparently, she was hunting ptarmigan eggs just as we were, and now the situation turned into what the wolf had determined to be a fight for food. I began to back away, but the wolf thought my actions to be movements in preparation for an attack.
I reached down for my belt knife as the wolf advanced with deliberate steps. The predator then hunkered down in preparation for her own planned attack. In just a heartbeat, the shaft of a bird dart was sprouting from the wolf's right eye and the beast flipped over as if hitting a stone wall. The wolf was only four steps and a lunge away from me but now she was dead. Relieved the danger was over I looked directly at my sister and complimented her on her skill with a spearthrower and dart.
Since we were hunting for ptarmigan and their eggs, we only had bird darts with us. Jonayla was certain she had killed the wolf and knelt beside the lifeless animal, she looked down at the dead wolf and shouted, 'Durcan, she's got pups.' It was obvious the wolf was nursing. My sister and I knew we needed to find the pups if we could. Allowing helpless young to die from starvation is not right even if the young are predators. It seemed a bit late in the summer for wolves to start a family, but evidently not too late. Jonayla and I were seriously hoping we wouldn't meet the she-wolf's mate.
We went back to our horses and removed our two carry pouches anticipating we could use them for holding any pups we might find. Using the tracking skills mother taught us, we found the wolf's den. When we found it, Jonayla elected me to be the one to crawl in and bring out any pups while she kept a lookout for the wolf's mate. I received a couple of nips as I pulled out the first two pups and then I crawled back in for the third pup. The first two were gray males, the last pup was a blackish female and, as would be expected, all three pups were very frightened.
Showing up in camp with two ptarmigans and a few eggs was ordinary. What wasn't ordinary was also showing up with three whining wolf pups. Mother was the first to realize what Jonayla and I had in our carry baskets and quickly went over to calm Whiney. Long before Wolf died, mother's horse had accepted Wolf as a friend, but the scent of three new wolves was another matter.
When we reached home my sister said, 'Isn't it wonderful Mother! We have three pups, one for Durcan, one for me and one for you. You get first choice.' I was concerned at my sister's statement as I had already made my choice, the blackish female was the pup I wanted. Having black patches, she looked different compared to other wolves and the pup seemed to like me. Mother said, 'Thank you both for your generosity, but I'm not ready for a new wolf companion right now.' It was obvious she was still mourning Wolf's death."
"Durcan, tell me more about the wolf pups!" Ava loved a good story.
"My people saw wolves as predators and to find a friendly wolf was an oxymoron. As I said, most of the Zelandonii accepted Wolf, and those that didn't accept him tolerated him since he was never aggressive. As far as Blackie goes, once trained in the manners needed to live among humans, she was accepted just as Wolf was.
The same held true with 'Star,' my sister's pet wolf, and 'Hunter,' the wolf pup Jonayla gave to first Zelandoni-south. The pups grew up with human pack leaders providing food and companionship. As such, the wolves naturally wanted to protect their pack leaders and other humans as they became part of their pack. Once taught to herd animals towards our hunters even the most doubtful recognized a tamed wolf could be useful."
"Durcan, you and your sister each took a pup, and a Zelandoni from the South took the third pup, but what is an oxymoron?"
"It is understandable you are unfamiliar with the word 'oxymoron.' Most people outside of the Zelandonii are unfamiliar with it as it is a word my father and mother created several summers ago. It means something that doesn't make sense, like if I told you I swam in a lake and didn't even get wet. Another example would be if I said you can breathe all you want just so long as you don't inhale."
Grasping the meaning of 'oxymoron' Ava saw an opportunity to tease. "Durcan, I like you."
"I like you as well Ava."
"No Durcan, what I said was an oxymoron."
Durcan quickly responded. "What I said was an oxymoron too." Ava and Durcan shared a mutual smile. What was said wasn't necessarily an oxymoron but still, in both cases, it served a purpose.
"So did your mother ever get a new pet wolf?"
"Yes, she did, and as I said before, she chose 'Sky' as his name."
"What happened when the Zelandonii people saw the lion?" Ava asked.
"Baby never reached the Zelandonii. He felt the call of the wild well before reaching our people. He went away and developed a true lion pride. Mother would see him on occasion, and I think those occasions were because Baby saw mother as HIS mother and wanted her attention. On their trek to the Zelandonii, Mother and Father reached the Mamutoi people at Lion Camp in late summer. Baby had apparently been in the area of Lion Camp and smelled mother's presence. He showed up at Lion Camp and the tribe's hunters would have killed Baby if mother hadn't stopped them.
Walking directly to Baby, mother greeted him with hugs and the scratching he loved. He was there only a finger of time and he let mother ride on his back. He raced around a meadow with mother on his back then he left. Many people of the Mamutoi tribe saw mother ride the lion and will give eager voice to what happened. Now, I've talked a lot and if you want I will tell you more about mother when we eat tonight's meal. Right now, I need a rest!" Ava smiled at Durcan and understood.
The cart had been destroyed the previous day and as solace, Ava wanted something other than travel cakes for today's twilight meal. "Durcan, I'll go find and gather some greens to cook while you and Jaradal find some wood and start us a fire to cook with." Starting a fresh fire was something Ava had never been able to do.
"Ava, you and I can both gather greens and then go wash them in the stream while Jaradal finds some wood and brush and kindles a cooking fire. I'm gonna start the fire once Jaradal has it kindled, then we can roast the two rabbits I downed earlier today. Spiced rabbit and greens should taste very good after what went on today."
"Durcan, you are forgetting the time it takes to start a fresh fire, and what does 'gonna' mean?"
"It means 'going to,' and it is easier to say than 'going to,' and I'm not forgetting the time it takes to start a fresh fire. You see, I can start a fresh fire in the time it takes to blink your eyes." Durcan figured Ava knew nothing of firestones.
"What are you talking about? It will take at least four to five fingers of time to start a fire, and no one can start a fire in a blink of an eye unless the blink lasts the same amount of time. Also, I have never heard of any animal called a 'spiced' so I figure it is much like you saying you can start a fire in the blink of an eye."
"Ava, I learned how to start a fire when I was six summers old."
"I have never been able to start a fresh fire, and it takes a burning stick or ember to start a fire quickly. Rubbing two sticks together takes forever. You don't have a burning stick or ember in your carry pouch, do you?" Ava chuckled at the idea.
"Of course not, I just use a couple of rocks to start fires."
"Rocks Durcan? ROCKS? I figured magic would be involved in this somewhere. Trickery doesn't start a fire burning or a 'spiced' to appear and magic is just trickery."
"I didn't say anything about magic, or an animal called a 'spiced.' I have spices in my carry pouch, and I will use them on the rabbits and greens.
"I also told you I just use a couple of rocks to start a fresh fire." Durcan's mind was working out a plan. "Check my carry pouch and you will find a black rock and a gray flint rock. Now imagine starting a hundred fires using the two rocks. That is about how many fires I have started with them and I'll bet you a kiss I can do it."
Ava knew Auroch crap when she heard it, and that was what Durcan was spouting despite his body language showing truth. Opening Durcan's carry pouch, she quickly found the rocks he had described. Inspecting both rocks closely, she found nothing out of the ordinary. She also knew flint was used for knives and spearheads and she knew the black rock was a common rock you can find almost anywhere.
"All right Durcan, I found your rocks but no 'spice' were in your carry pouch. Again, if you can truly start a fire with your rocks, I'll give you the kiss you want even though kissing you would be as repugnant as cleaning a baby's bottom." 'Durcan has bet for a kiss and he has no real chance of winning so I will best him again.' Ava was reveling in the thought but didn't know what a spice creature looked like which was why she said no spice were in the pouch. She figured a spice must be a very small creature.
"Ava, there are no burning sticks or embers around, and as I said, I don't need either one of them anyway. By the way, prepare yourself to do a repugnant thing. Do we have a bet?" Durcan was liking this…'kiss required,' he thought.
"Yes, Oh Great One," She was throwing his own earlier comment right back at him. She would have fun teasing him as he worked up a sweat in the process of starting a fresh fire. Ava was liking this…'I'm gonna win this bet,' she thought. Her next thought was that she had inadvertently used 'gonna' in her thought.
It didn't take Jaradal long to gather the brush, dead leaves, twigs, and sticks needed for a fire. Durcan and Ava decided to go out again for larger branches from fallen trees. Dead branches roughly the size of a man's fist in diameter worked best for a roasting fire. The situation around the bet seemed humorously strange and the two were feeding on each other's smugness.
Durcan would give Ava a broad smile and she, knowing he would lose, would give a broad smile right back. She even giggled a few times. Durcan snickered a few times himself. Both were eager to see the other squirm.
"Okay Ava, Jaradal has kindled a fire, now I'll start the kindled wood to burn. By the way, I like my kisses long and sweet."
"You know you're gonna lose this bet, don't you?" Ava was already taking delight in her win.
"Long and sweet Ava, long and sweet," Durcan replied. "Please hand me my two rocks, sweetie." 'This is gonna be good,' he thought to himself.
'Sweetie? Sweetie! You wish big man,' Ava thought. She knew the term 'sweetie,' it was her pet name for her younger sister. The banter she and Durcan had developed was one thing. Him calling her inappropriate names was another.
"By the way big man, we haven't discussed what I get when you lose. Before you say anything more, what I want is a man servant for one full moon. You do the cooking and do what I say. Durcan, do you still want to do this?"
"Yes Ava, I do, just remember, long and sweet." Durcan was surprised Ava said 'moon' instead of 'day.' Being in the Clan for five years, habit had caused her to speak in Clan terms. This was understandable considering the many years she had been within the Clan.
