Читать книгу Just a Little Later With Eevo and Sim - Henry Shykoff - Страница 9

After waiting about two hands of days, Shim felt that her ankle was well enough to continue her trip. They set out, following the stream that ran out of the pond near the cave until it joined a small river, which in turn joined a larger one. Dedu recognized the river. This was the way they had come, some three hands of moons ago, on their first trip to find Seer, Shim's father.

By mid-afternoon they reached the wetlands. Before them loomed a large cliff, and in this cliff face were many cave openings set at various levels. These openings were joined one to the other by narrow paths. Fairly low on the cliffside were a number of large caves, the largest of which was the Flint Works Cave. This is where Seer lived and worked. Despite the size of the clan, all was peaceful.

"This clan is even bigger than your description of it," said Sim, awestruck as he looked up at the tier upon tier of caves.

With the arrival of Shim and her family, that peace of the place was shattered. Confusion broke out among the first people to see the wolves.

"Wolves are coming!" someone shouted. The cry of alarm was taken up by others. Quickly a group of armed men arrived. Dedu and Shim were also shouting, trying to prevent the spearing of Neeth and Grosh. Fortunately, one of the hunters recognized Dedu as a hunting companion, and tried to halt the attack. Unfortunately, his words were not heard in the confusion that followed. Some hunters at the rear surged forward. One of them was shouting, "Kill the wolves!" He pulled back his arm and was about to spear Grosh. Only Sim's and Eevo's spears stopped him. The situation was tense. These men, all of them good hunters, had organized themselves to protect their homes from any danger. To them, wolves were an enemy to be destroyed.

What might have happened next is not known since the hunt leader arrived precisely at this time. Right away he knew Dedu. He ordered his men to stop. What was going on? Someone could be hurt.

"Call Seer," Shim shouted. But before Seer could get there, Mee, pushing her way through the forest of adult legs, ran up to Neeth and hugged her around the neck. Grosh came up and sat down beside her. Mee turned on the hunters and said, "Leave my Wonderful Friend alone! Don't hurt Watchful either." Looking right at the hunt leader she said, "Wonderful Friend found me and killed the bad animal."

At first the Hunt Leader looked astonished, then he let out a great laugh. "Put up your spears," he said to the armed group. "These wolves are friends to people." Turning to the tracker standing beside him, he exclaimed, "That explains it! The wolf was her guardian. Now it becomes clear. No wonder that wolf was there so long. She was watching Mee and waiting for the two young people. She has talked so much about 'Wonderful Friend,' I thought she meant the young man."

Just then Seer arrived. He stared in surprise, then walked over to the group, unaware of what had happened. "You're back!" He greeted Shim and Dedu warmly, then turned toward Eevo and Sim. He looked at them, a smile on his face. "I'm delighted. You've brought the children as you promised. You two, I know are Eevo and Sim. You, Eevo, I would recognize anywhere. You look just like your mother did when I lost her many years ago." He approached Sim to make him feel welcome. "I feel I know you from what Shim and Dedu have told me. You are just the person I've been waiting for."

Suddenly, he caught sight of the two wolves sitting quietly by Eevo's feet. He looked at them with interest. "Now could you introduce me to your two other friends? It seems that you've done something I always thought possible. I just never have a chance to try. Did you find then when they were very small?"

"Yes," replied Eevo. "Their mother was injured by hyenas. Sim fought and killed the one that had wounded her. She was badly hurt and died three days later. We took the cubs back to our cave. They were only one or two moons old. We fed them eggs and a little meat. Since then we've lived together. Now they're part of our family."

She went up to Seer and said, "May I?" Eevo took his hand and led him to Grosh who smelled the hand and then pushed her head against Seer's leg. Seer was next introduced to Neeth in exactly the same way, in full view of all the people who just a short time ago were trying to kill the wolves. For many, this new development was hard to accept, but they respected Seer, the elder in their clan.

Now that peace had been restored, Seer led his family into the Flint Works Cave, where he now spent most of his time. Once inside, Seer asked, "Did you have any trouble crossing the sands? I'm glad that you didn't come about three hands of days earlier. We had a terrible windstorm. No one out on the sands could have survived it."

"We were caught in it," Dedu said. "We were already crossing the sands when it started." He went on to tell about Shim's ankle and their being separated, right up to Sim and Eevo finding Mee with the wolf. Sim described taking the child to her mother, but not entering the hunt camp because of the wolves. "We spent another two hands of days waiting for Shim's foot to improve. Today we made our way here."

"But what did you do for water during and after the storm?" asked Seer. "I just don't know how you survived."

"We had a good supply of water," Shim continued the story. She brought out the bags, the ones Sim had suggested be made. Seer looked at them and then at Sim. He looked at the spear that Sim was carrying and the axe that hung over Dedu's shoulder.

"Did Sim also make these?" he asked. "Tell me all about it."

The story of what had happened while Dedu and Shim had been away visiting Seer was recounted. As the story unfolded, Seer became ever more impressed.

"It is given to some people to find one or, if very fortunate, perhaps two truths," he said, "but you two between you have uncovered so many. I thought that I would teach you, Sim, but it is I who will have to learn. I can help you especially in working with flint. I can give you some of what I have learned, from others and from my experience — things that age has taught me. Other than that I can only say that you, the two of you, have changed the ways that people will live.

"Eevo, your discovery of how a fire can be created is probably the most important discovery ever made. As for the wolves, I have dreamed about something like that, people and clever animals becoming one family. That partnership may be as important as fire."