Primitive Instinct: The Journey Home

The next day, I loaded the sled with materials as Roar watched from the side of his bed, with a huge grin on his face.

“What?” I asked him as I put meat for me and Diesel to have for lunch into my pack.

“I am proud of you, Fern,” he said. “You are doing well. You’ve managed to open trade with the Quasim. That’s not a small thing.”

“And it all started with a bath,” I giggled, making him smile.

“And you managed to be the first to anger the Eeng this cycle,” he chuckled. “The chief was quite proud when he came early this morning.”

“Glad I left to check my traps,” I rolled my eyes. “How upset is he?”

“He cautions going to the places we all share for a while, but he is not upset,” he answered. “I also did not tell him about you trading with the Quasim. We are not remaining with the clan, so it means nothing for him to know.”

“Do I need to be careful of someone following me?” I asked.

“Not yet, but eventually, perhaps,” he nodded. “If trade remains open after today. Take the extra bag of mammoth hair as well. They might find it more useful than the plant fibers they use.”

I nodded and grabbed the heavy bag of hair as he used the crutch to stand and walk with me outside.

“You remember what I said about what to trade for?” he asked as I checked to make sure the items on the sled were tied down well once again.

“I remember,” I nodded.

“Be careful,” he said, and I smiled as Diesel and I left for the Quasim camp.

It took several hours to get there but once I showed up, I was greeted by Li’hal’las, grinning widely, though she still seemed wary of Diesel.

“So much,” she squealed in glee as she peeked at the full sled before leading me farther into the camp. “It was quite lucky we met, even if I would prefer not to have done so in that fashion.”

I chuckled and petted Diesel’s head when we stopped, and he laid down and yawned.

“Did you know Diesel’vor’maan speaks?” Li’hal’las whispered to me, eyeing the dog cautiously. “In a manner. Very crudely.”

“Yes, I’m aware,” I laughed. “I don’t hear it, but Roar’kaol’tok does. It’s how I was able to learn the language. Not everyone understands him, though. Roar'kaol'tok understands him well enough, and I think the male that tends our lanka does, some.”

“It is good to see you have returned,” her father said as people gathered around the sled with eager and cautious looks on their faces. “And with far more than I expected.”

“I wasn’t sure of how much of what you would need, so I brought most of it,” I told him.

“Speak to my clan and they will bring what they have,” he nodded.

“I look for dried foods and herbs, wood or fuel for our fire pit and smoking tent, and information,” I spoke loudly and clearly.

“Information about what?” the chief asked.

“Roar’kaol’tok and I are hoping to find a new clan this cycle. We would like to know if you are aware of any that would be open to having... well, me,” I said.

“I will think on this,” he nodded thoughtfully as the people left to see if they had anything I needed or to try and give me something I hadn’t asked for.

I sat beside the sled and Diesel snoozed, completely ignoring everything. Quasim came up to show me what they had and look at what I had. Lunch passed and the trading dwindled before I packed everything back onto the sled, an old man with gray hair watching curiously.

“See something you’d like?” I asked him and he scratched his chin.

“Your sled... It glides over the snow easier, doesn’t it?” he asked, and I nodded.

“Diesel wasn’t strong enough to pull a sled that pulled back when I first came here,” I told him.

“And the weight of it?”

“Light,” I answered. “I used woven saplings to make the bed of the sled. The hardest part was putting the holes through the antlers to tie them to the frame.”

“May I?” he pointed to it, and I shrugged, taking Diesel off the front and letting the old man pick up the leads and pull on them, moving the heavy sled a few inches. “Very nice. Could you make more like this? The same size?”

“I’m too busy to make many, but I know another that would consider it. I will speak to him when I return to my own camp. I’m not sure when I’ll be able to come back. I don’t see well when the moon starts to go dim.”

“It takes time to makes sleds,” he nodded. “I would like twelve, to see how the clan likes them before asking for more.”

“I’ll let him know,” I nodded, and I slapped paws with him before putting Diesel back in his place.

“Fern’rath’fik. I have something of the other clans,” the chief said. “We do not interact with many that are not Quasim, but there are some clans that have many different Mapok in them. Perhaps one of these would be accepting of you.”

“Where do I find them?” I asked.

“They would be the last to come here, as they travel a very long way,” he said thoughtfully. “I have not seen these mixed clans myself, only heard of them.”

“That’s enough,” I nodded, and he looked around the clan, bustling with activity.

“We have many needs for hides and leather,” he said after a moment. “Perhaps, when you go on your next hunts, it will be as bountiful so we can trade more. My clan has much more to offer that we don’t give to strangers easily.”

“Hopefully, that will be the case. I look forward to more trade,” I nodded.

We parted ways and I looked at the sled, still heavy but with different goods and smiled at myself. I might not be doing as well as Roar could do, but I was doing a damn good job of keeping us from starving or freezing on my own. It was a great feeling and one I hadn’t had since I was a little girl surviving with Uncle Rudy to teach me as we went.

When we got to the tent, Roar was standing outside already and looked relieved when he saw us, then grinned widely at the state of the sled.

“It looks like you did well,” he stated when I let Diesel free and started bringing in the new goods.

“I did fair,” I nodded, smiling back at him. “Look! A mixture to put on our wood to make it burn longer!”

“I’ve heard of this, but it’s not easy to come by,” he said, taking the stone jar and opening it to look inside. “It smells pleasant, though.”

“They add herbs to keep it from stinking,” I giggled, going back to get more.

Once everything was inside, I went inside and hugged Roar’s middle tightly.

“I think I have something for Hool’gra’nat, too!” I said and bounced excitedly by the door, ready to go tell the older male about the job. “They liked my sled and wanted to try them. I can’t make that many and still have time to hunt for us.”

“He will welcome the work,” Roar nodded, grinning. “But you must wait to tell him, Fern. It’s past the final meal and he’s likely sleeping already.”

“Damn,” I pouted, making him laugh.

“You’re kind of funny when you’re excited. You’re so small, it makes you look softer than I know you to be,” he said, shaking his head. “Come eat, then rest while you tell me about your trip today.”

I liked sitting with Roar at the end of the days and I was sure he was using my stories as a way to live vicariously, since he wasn’t yet allowed to go far for another few weeks. I could tell it was bothering him, but he did his best not to let it show when I came back.

“You’ve done very well, Fern,” he smiled when I finished talking. “And I, too, have heard of those mixed clans. I would like to visit them, though if they are some of the last to arrive, I’m afraid the trip will be overnight. I don’t like the idea of leaving you here that long, even with Diesel.”

“Do you think someone here would try to harm me?” I frowned.

“Hool’gra’nat hears a lot of things, Fern. He was here not so long ago and has seen what you’ve done on your own,” he said. “He has respect for you and knows that I would not take well to someone hurting my family. He tells me of his concerns.”

“Oh,” I said softly, looking at the floor.

“It won’t last forever. We’ll find a different clan,” he told me. “Until then, it might be best if you and I stay together as much as possible and always be alert when you go out to hunt without me.”

“I’ll be careful,” I nodded.

“I’m sorry this is how things are. I didn’t expect the clan to be so hostile,” he sighed. “I suspected they would be unaccepting or indifferent, but not to speak so openly about harming you.”

“You couldn’t have known, Roar,” I told him. “I’m sorry it’s led to you wanting to leave them, though.”

“In this, I agree with Hool’gra’nat. It was long overdue,” he said simply. “We should rest. I would like to not waste time and seek out these other clans tomorrow while there is still some light for you and Diesel to see.”