Mondo's Clan

Chapter 11: Lateen's Story

When the sickness hit the Clan I was one of the last to catch it I watched as some recovered and some died. When set on our recovery but the fever kept popping back up and more men and women had died. The Clan was near decimated, 5 men. 4 women and 6 children was all that were left. Tondar was fighting to keep the Clan going but every decision he made Grog questioned which caused unrest in the Tribe. After almost 4 years I finally had my strength back, Jonda, Tondar's brother never recovered his full strength and could not be allowed to go on a hunt alone. By now the younger ones that had been trained by the hunters now ranked as full Hunters. Food was getting the camp I headed in a general direction of Southwest we had agreed we would scout for three days and on the fourth we would return and report. On the 3rd day I had reached our old Summer camp, the fire burnt ground had given way to new growth. I searched the area and found old foot prints but nothing new. I decided I had gone far enough and would get a good nights sleep and start back early. I had killed a rabbit with my sling and I cleaned it as a family unit. Grog seemed to want to take over the leadership not realizing no one would follow him. Tondar as a family unit. Grog seemed to want to take over the leadership not realizing no one would follow him. Tondar realized this but with so few hunters he could not call grog out. What to do? What to do? I guess....what was that noise I began to turn and suddenly every thing went black. .... unhunh where am I what happened? I barely opened my eyes. I was being carried...my hands and feet were tied to a bamboo pole... and I was being carried by.... Oh No! lomen ! The one carrying my feet saw that I was awake. He spoke in guttural sounds and they stopped and lowered me to the ground. With a few swipes with a flint knife my feet were freed then my hands. After the bamboo pole was removed I was moved forward to another bamboo pole that had 3 men and a woman already had their hands and neck tied to that pole. I joined them. For days and weeks we were marched through the forest. opened my eyes. I was being carried...my hands and feet were tied to a bamboo pole... and I was being carried opened my eyes. I was being carried...my hands and feet were tied to a bamboo pole... and I was being carried by.... Oh No! lomen ! The one carrying my feet saw that I was awake. He spoke in guttural sounds and they stopped and lowered me to the ground. With a few swipes with a flint knife my feet were freed then my hands. After the bamboo pole was removed I was moved forward to another bamboo pole that had 3 men and a woman already had their hands and neck tied to that pole. I joined them. For days and weeks we were marched through the forest. by.... Oh No! lomen ! The one carrying my feet saw that I was awake. He spoke in guttural sounds and they stopped by.... Oh No! lomen ! The one carrying my feet saw that I was awake. He spoke in guttural sounds and they stopped and lowered me to the ground. With a few swipes with a flint knife my feet were freed then my hands. After the and lowered me to the ground. With a few swipes with a flint knife my feet were freed then my hands. After the bamboo pole was removed I was moved forward to another bamboo pole that had 3 men and a woman already had their hands and neck tied to that pole. I joined them. For days and weeks we were marched through the forest. bamboo pole was removed I was moved forward to another bamboo pole that had 3 men and a woman already had their hands and neck tied to that pole. I joined them. For days and weeks we were marched through the forest We were given fruit and berries to eat and a water skin twice a day. At night we would talk quietly. I learned that the lomen had raided their village and there were others than the three watching us. Tomorrow they will wait for the other groups to catch up. They are nervous about this area we will be entering, it seems they have lost a few the other groups to catch up. They are nervous about this area we will be entering, it seems they have lost a few men to the beast who walks with Tigers. What is that I ask. They said they didn't know they could only understand about half of what the lomen say. men to the beast who walks with Tigers. What is that I ask. They said they didn't know they could only understand men to the beast who walks with Tigers. What is that I ask. They said they didn't know they could only understand about half of what the lomen say The woman was the one who knew the most of their language. She said that many had been killed in this area and their prisoners whisked away. They would find their friends drug way into the forest and their throats would be torn out. Most were not found before the scavengers got to them and then they were a mess. But what of the torn out. Most were not found before the scavengers got to them and then they were a mess. But what of the beast I asked. And she said they don't know no one has ever seen it ...just once a footprint was found and it was huge. beast I asked. And she said they don't know no one has ever seen it ...just once a footprint was found and it was huge. I thought about the beast and all the prisoners that had disappeared. The biggest foot I had ever seen was Mondo's, but he had been dead for over 5 years. But Mondo... that is how he got his name; at birth his feet were bigger than a two year old. Mondo means Huge... naugh it couldn't be. But ... what if...