Wait! I Wrote That?

Story Nineteen: The Bridge Between Tribes

Song: "Here I Am" - Bryan Adams

Genre (s): Historical Fiction/Adventure

Written When? Freshmen Year of College

Chapter 1

Khochu

24,716 B.C.E.

        "Vika! Vika is having another baby!" The young man's voice swamped through the camp, like a herd of bison stampeding across a snow-covered landscape. He rushed by each tent and banged his fist against the elk skin fabric. "Up! Up! Our ancestors are sending down another member for our tribe!" Dressed in a fur-covered coat, he pulled his hood over his head and tightly gripped his spear in his hands.

The time was early morning, and the Sun was rising on the horizon. The tribe's village was located between two tall mountains. Surrounding it were caves of all shapes and sizes, as well as glaciers. The first snow just fell, so a fluffy, white blanket covered the land.

At the sound of the young man's announcement, humans opened their tents and stepped outside to the beautiful but wintry landscape.

Children grabbed their mothers' arms and let them drag them to the deepest, darkest corner of the camp. A fair number of the tribe was already there when they reached a single tent. Except, that tent was not as exhilarating as the others. It had multiple rips and tears. Harsh coughing came from deep within it, which meant the young woman giving birth was sickly.

The man who made the announcement pushed his way through the crowd so he could see the scene better. His long, brown bangs flopped down over his broad forehead, and he nervously sucked on them. Vika and her mate Sasha had always been so sickly that none of their eight previous children survived past the age of one. Some died as young as a week old.

The young man saw Vika. A beautiful twenty-one-year-old, she lay on a fur blanket and clutched her mate's strong hand for comfort.

Sasha, who had a muscular build and a beard but pale, sickly skin, whispered encouragements to her.

The witch doctor, a woman named Aloy, and her assistant collaborated to retrieve the infant from the ancestors. The chief, Chief Yerik, was also in the tent, as well as the shaman, Nora.

Nora held a stone filled with water in her hands. It was her duty to bestow a blessing on the newborn.

Outside the tent, hunters stood with their spears at the ready, keeping a watchful eye out for predators. The last thing they wanted was for a Smilodon to come charging into the camp and make off with the baby. Hyenas were worse. They did not wait to kill their prey before eating them.

Vika's screams echoed throughout the camp, but eventually, they died. She calmed down and smiled when Aloy held a baby out to her.

Her assistant wrapped the blood-covered child in a blanket and listened as it cried up a storm. Crying was a good sign. It meant the baby could breathe.

As Aloy handed the baby to the young woman, she told her, "It's a boy."

A boy! Vika and Sasha's first boy! The remaining eight children had all been girls. As a result, Vika and Sasha were isolated from the rest of the tribe. All families were required to have at least one boy so he could learn to hunt. If they didn't have one or if the family was sick, then they weren't treated as well as the other tribe members.