Page 21 of His to Worship
I maintain a brisk pace, my muscles tensed and ready. The cave is many, many hands of paces away and only the last eye will likely be left in the sky by the time I reach it. All the while, I must also do my best to avoid any potential predators that may lurk in the shadows.
As I jog, my mind wanders to Sedona and I am hit in the chest with the fierce adoration I feel for her. Part of me had not believed the elders when they regaled us with stories of mate bonds and connections from ages old. It has been many generations since one of us experienced a mated pair, and to think the Great Mother has broken this bad luck with me. And what a great job she has done.
Sedona is everything I could have asked for and more. She is strong and resilient—she survived a night alone without any fire or food, a feat that in this weather is particularly admirable. Moreover, she is fiercely caring, offering her companion the clothes off her back and more food without thought or hesitation. I admire her spirit, her determination to survive against all odds. She is unlike anyone I have ever met, and I am more and more grateful every day that fate brought us together.
But now, as I race toward the distant mountains, I cannot shake the unease that gnaws at my insides. I do not like the idea of leaving Sedona alone, vulnerable to whatever dangers may lurk in the darkness. Yet, I have done all I can to ensure her safety—I have built a roaring fire to stave off predators and left her with food and protection. Plus, she has the company of the other female, whose name I did not bother to remember.
I feel that if it should come down to it, the other will be able to step in and defend my female. Where my mate is fierce in spirit, the other seems strong in body. Sedona is all soft curves, whereas the other one was built and muscular, like a much smaller, female-version of our warriors.
Many generations ago, there were tales of tribes made of vicious females. Like the others, they have since died off in the Great Snow, but I have to believe my Sedona’s comrade would have fit in well with them. Though she reeked of fear, her movements were swift and assured, as if she would put up a valiant fight should I do the wrong thing. I feel confident that between my mate’s fierce will and the other girl’s strength, they will be fine. Still, my pace never lessens, and I push through the ache in my muscles.
It takes much time, many bounds up and down the curved natural paths of the mountain, but I finally arrive at the hunters’ cave. My senses immediately alert me to the presence of another. The faint scent of smoke and the subtle rustle of movement tell me that I am not alone. I curse to myself, Of course it is being used. Stupid male. Frowning and irritated as I should have anticipated this, I pause in my tracks. Four of our hunters, including myself, are out. That means that any one of the other three—bossy Peviik, surly Ruuq, or childish Enikk—could be in that cave. None of them would be my first choice.
Each of them would present their own set of challenges. Peviik would likely demand we return to the chief. He has always been a rule follower, even growing up together as kits. Ruuq would likely glare more than help, or he would return to the tribe alone, and then everyone would know something unusual had happened. And Enikk…despite the fact that I trained him in the ways of the hunter, and despite the fact that he has been of age for several dark seasons, he still has the mind of a child. He would be excited, too excited, and a hindrance to the haste with which I move. Regardless of the choices, I silently hope that it is Enikk. He is the lesser of evils. I pause at the entrance, my muscles tense and ready for whatever confrontation may lie ahead.
“Oy,” I call out, my voice echoing off the cavern walls as I enter. “Clansman?”
There is a moment of tense silence before a familiar voice responds. “Kuvier? What are you doing here?”
It is indeed Enikk, his tone tinged with curiosity and suspicion. “I have come to gather supplies,” I reply evenly. He nods his acquiescence and we slip into silence.
I avoid his gaze, focusing instead on the supplies stored along the walls. As I move about, he watches me closely and I as my pile grows, Enikk’s curiosity is piqued.
“That is quite a lot of supplies you are taking, Kuvier. Are you planning an expedition I am not aware of?”
I continue to avoid his eyes, my hands moving quickly to collect the items. “It is nothing of concern, Enikk. Just ensuring I am well-prepared.”
His suspicion grows, and he steps closer, a playful smirk on his face. “You know, Kuvier, it is unlike you to take so much without explanation.”
He is correct. It would be odd for any hunter. Already, the provisions I have gathered in my leather pack are enough for either several blinks of an eye…or several people. And I have grabbed another pack from the stores to collect more still.
“Peace. Let us sit in it.”
Enikk makes a sound in the back of his throat before he grins widely. “Are you hiding something from me? Or…from the atan?”
This pulls me up short. I narrow my eyes at him as I assess the situation. The veiled threat in that question is not lost on me. I do not believe Enikk would actually tell the atan, but I am hesitant to allow the opportunity for him to do so.
Finally, I relent, my voice low and firm. “The supplies are for others, Enikk. But I will say no more about it, so do not waste your breath.”
Enikk’s eyes widen in surprise, and he steps back, his playful demeanor replaced by genuine curiosity. “Others? Who have you found, Kuvier? You must tell me.”
I shake my head, determined to keep Sedona to myself. Until I have marked her as my own, I will not be confident that my atan, or another, will not try to take her from me. How often have I brought a prized kill home, intending it to be for my mother, only for it to be snatched from me for ‘the good of the clan?’ How often have the choicest parts of the meat been given to others when it rightfully should have gone to me? I will not risk this happening with my Sedona, and I will become even more of an outcast when I tear apart any who should try to take her from me. No, I must keep her and the other females a secret until she is claimed by me as I am by her.
“It is not your concern, Enikk. I will say no more about this and I suggest you pay heed and push me no further. I ask only that you keep this to yourself.”
He studies me for a moment, then nods slowly. “Very well, Kuvier. I will keep your secret. But be careful. You of all know that secrets are not well received by the clan.”
I grunt in response, and silence descends as I finish gathering all of the supplies I will need. Quickly finishing my task, I have two packs securely strapped to my front and back and a spear in one hand. I will use it as a walking stick for my journey back. I anticipate that I will be hunting for the females soon, and though this haphazard weapon crafted by another is nothing like my perfectly carved one back at the sky cave, it will do me well to have two spears handy just in case. With the supplies secured, I turn to leave, my mind already back with Sedona.
“My thanks for your silence, clansman. May the Great Mother see you.”
Enikk echoes my salutation, and I feel his eyes on me as I leave the cave entrance, but I do not turn around. I have bigger things on my mind; it has already been too long since I last saw my mate, and already I see the sky growing dimmer.
The journey back to my mate and her strange eggs will be a long one. While I was inside, the small flurries have turned to large flakes that fall from the sky, and I know I must move with additional haste, ignoring the burning in my legs and the clapping of frozen hunks of meat against my back. I have packed enough provisions to last through the storm, if it is short, even if the other females hatch. But I will plan to lay additional traps around the camp, as well as a few in the closer parts of the mountain. With any luck, a stray oftii or a small xiixii will stumble into them. I do not know how long we will be in the valley. I suppose that depends on how long until my female allows me to mark her. So long as the storm does not grow worse, there is no indication that this is among the long storms that always appear just before the dark season begins.
So far, it seems that this will be a passing snowfall.
It is not long after leaving the cave that I hear a rustle in the bushes, and I instinctively reach for my small knife, ready to defend myself against whatever threat may be lurking in the shadows. The bushes move once again and I quickly drop my pack. Bracing myself with a knife in one hand and the spear in the other, I am prepared for a zuhvit to emerge from the shadows. To my surprise, it is Enikk who emerges, his hands raised in a gesture of peace with a grin on his face. I notice he has two packs slung across him similar to my own.