Tevun-Krus #49 - Best of 2K17

A New Life - @ChristopherArmstron8 - StonePunk

A New Life

A StonePunk Story by ChristopherArmstron8

After a year away one would think that things had changed in the village of the Greuht Bluh. Even after a week of being here among my adoptive family, it felt like things had never changed. Part of me wanted to be disappointed that nothing had changed, yet I knew that my return had had an emotional effect on the tribe. Every chance she got, Wauhvh wrapped me in a hug showing how much she had missed me the last year. Ecko had already gone hunting with me twice, pitting his sling against my bow. All of our catch we split fairly, I taking most of the hides to be scraped while allowing him the feathers for his sisters and mother along with a larger portion of the meat.

These hides hung on a rack made of young spruce trees that Ecko had proudly cut down with his new axe. Every chance he got Ecko took advantage of the resilient stone. Much of the lumber that was the frame of my home he had cut refusing to allow me to use my own axe of the same stone. Who was I to argue with the boy, now more of a man, who was a brother to me?

Unlike before when I had lived on the eastern edge of the clan, I now had the home closet to the Greuht Bluh. Dividing my time between cleaning and preparing hides that from the animals Ecko and I killed, and fishing off the small boat I had, rare was it that I was not listening to the crash of waves. Though the clan enjoyed the sea and all its bounties, none of them spent as much time as I did by it. This was fine by me as while I loved my adoptive family, being alone at times had its benefits.

Setting down the flint scraper that I had been using to clean a hare's hide, I looked out towards the sea. Perhaps tomorrow I would go hunting for a seal, not a sea lion as I had done shortly before I had left the tribe. Sea lions were heavy creatures and preferred to spend their time lazing on the rocks near shore. Due to their arrangement such rock clusters made the ocean unpredictable and dangerous. I had no desire to cause myself anymore harm or damage the boat that I treasured. 

Before I could think more on the subject, I heard a burst of commotion coming from the village. Unsure of what it could be, I setting down my scraper and checking that my flint knife and jade war ax were secure on my belt, I trudged across the sand. Having spent a year traversing new lands and forcing myself to overcome various obstacles, I had become accustomed to the limp in my leg, caused by an encounter with a Saber Cat. My movement had improved slightly, but it still took me longer than I liked getting to the source of the noise.

Staying in the back of the crowd as I was still recently arrived and would only get involved if necessary, I listened as one of the persons involved shouted, "Yuh huhve nuh rhiuhht..."

Surprisingly it was my brother who replied, "Breehzh ehzz myuh suhhl muhett. Yuh cuhnut tuhke herh buhck. Bracken huhz nuh rhiuhht tuh herh."

Realizing that the conversation was about me, I moved from my place in the crowd, to a spot farther away. Settling down on the ground on the side of one of the village homes, out of sight of the crowd, I listened to the argument continue.

"Breehzh huhvezz thuh rhiuhht tuh beh...."

"Fuhthuhr! Bracken guhve meh tuh Jasper," Breehzh interupted.

Surprised that she was there, I considered leaving before the group brought me into the fight. Jasper made the decision for me as he shouted, "Myuh bruhther ehzz wheuhk. Ih huhve Breehzh uhnd thuhtt ehz thuhtt."

Standing up I walked around the structure and from the back of the crowd cried out, "Yehz yuh douh."

Wheeling on my good leg, I hurried away from the group. Ignoring the calls, "Cuhme buhck," I returned to my hides. Working with the scraper to remove pieces of fat and tissue from the hide allowed me to relax after my outburst. Breehzh was Jasper's despite the fact that I had originally  been her intended soul mate. There was nothing that I could do about it without challenging Jasper to a fight and killing him, as was the way to settle such disputes.