Break of Dawne: Excerpt #2
Waruk
I prepare my supplies for the day’s hunt. Dry rations, a goat bladder full of water, a rough wooden bow, and my galviron greataxe. One of our scouts spotted a large snarlbeast north of the camp, near the mountain peak. We’ll be eating snarlbeast stew for dinner!
Sharina hands me a coarse patch of fabric with something roughly sewn into the center. It’s barely legible, but I make out the letters O-B-A. Oba. Daddy.
“It’s a luck charm, oba! Eeba says you’re the best hunter in the Crag, so you don’t need it, but I thought it couldn’t hurt to take a little luck with you.”
“This is…” hideous “nice, but I don’t think it will help me much today. Today I need a strong arm and quick wits.”
“I made it for you. Eeba showed me how.” Her eyes beam up at me.
I know I should tell her that this trinket is pointless, but I can’t bring myself to break her little heart. Is this what the chief means when he tells me I’m not yet strong enough to lead the clan? To lead, he said, one must set aside personal emotions and make the best decision for the survival of the whole. That is a lesson for another day. Today, my Sharina can believe in luck.
“Thank you, Sharina.” I tuck the fabric into my satchel. I do appreciate the kind gesture, but if the tribe is to survive, we must focus on more practical matters, like staying warm and well fed. Sharina will learn in time. I smile at her before leaving, grabbing my war drum on the way out.
I tap the drum with a steady rhythm, giving the signal that the hunting party is about to depart. Five clansmen approach with weapons in hand. Where is the sixth? Ah, the missing member is the newest addition to our party. “M’kennox! The snarlbeast won’t wait for us and neither will we wait for you. This village depends on you. Will you answer the call?”
A thin clansman stumbles through the curtain-covered entrance of a nearby hut. “I’m ready, Waruk. I was just double checking my pack. Wouldn’t want to be caught without provisions if the hunt takes longer than expected.”
“This snarlbeast will feed our people for a week. And you’d put that at risk over a few hours’ rations? I need hunters, M’kennox, not sluggards. If you’re concerned about rations, you can stay and prepare dinner with the women.”
“Yes, Waruk. It won’t happen again.” M’kennox lowers his head and joins the other hunters.
I resume tapping the drum, but this time I begin the hunting call, a coordinated series of shouts and cheers signaling the beginning of the hunt. With a final howl, I lead the party out of the Crag and up the trail toward the peak. We will not stop running until we reach our destination.
To Be Continued…
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