Tank Borne

Part 21: place for the winter

Turned out the cave was an old spider nest that was abandoned and rats that were about half the size of the spiders but the same size as Liana had taken over. There size wasn't much but their numbers were a lot! Around fourth rats Synsyn had exterminated from the cave. Not all adults obviously but Synsyn made sure to use their hides from the biggest and softest. He skinned everyone that was worthy and had a nice pelt. When he grabbed one of the silver rats that was hissing at him and trying to bite him he noticed how soft it's fur was and warm it was to the touch. Some of the rats were grey while others were black and white blotched and then a few were brown and had black bridling (stripes).

He made drying racks for the hides and took the unwanted bodies over to a pit a ways away from the camp and the cave and left them. He felt had but it wasn't to be wasted. Now he could surprise Liana with the cave but first he wanted to use the hides inside to make a bed and floor for her. The cave is as deep inside and was tall enough that wherever Syn went inside he wouldn't have to crouch. Though the mouth of the cave was wide and he was figuring how to close it from predators.

Maybe Liana would have an idea, he thought as he looked to hunt down another male horse in front of him. It wasn't the main stallion like his first but this male was with a few others and Synsyn noticed while he was in the tall grass watching them that the mail stud wouldn't let them near his mares. The mares has teats in the back of their belly by their flank and had dull horns that were more like a hammer while the males had sharpened theirs into a blade.

Synsyn looked to the bachelor males and found two sparing with each other trying to show off to some females while another was grazing. The grazing one was heading away from the rest without paying attention and Synsyn locked into him. He staying low in the grass while he crawled over and grabbed his whip. It worked well for fighting an enemy but he wanted to see how it'd work for hunting, plus the horn on the male was perfect for another blade but not really as big as the last horn.

The stallion munched on some grass as he watched the others fight and show off. Behind him he didn't notice Synsyn coming in closer for the kill. Before the stallion knew it Synsyn had swung his whip and the stallion's head was cut clean off. The body of the horse didn't even respond immediately and stood on its own until the blood that sprayed out seemed to deflate it and after a few seconds of standing without a head the body fell on its side.
It didn't even twitch. It was like the animal fell asleep while the head still had a comfortable and dazed look in its face. Synsyn looked at it and felt pride at his stealth. The stallions friends didn't even notice one of them was missing until the scent of blood was in the air and Synsyn had already carved the meat and took the horn. The herd left and so did Synsyn.

A home and good near by. Water from the streams and vegetation. Synsyn was thinking while looking around.

He took the meat over to camp and set some on lines of string made from spider silk to dry after he salted them.

Meat drying, Synsyn started a fire and made a mental note to get more wood for the night. But first he needed to help his ooman friend up and out of bed. No doubt she had to use the bathroom and was hungry.

                                         ~.~.~

Liana was feeling better and was sitting in the hot spring soaking while Synsyn gathered wood for the rest of the day and night. It was chilly and warming up in the hot water helped her a lot but she was worried about staying outside. She could see the clouds and was wondering what they where going to do about the coming rain.

Winter here must be coming soon. Leaves have been dying and fruit has been harder to find. She noticed to herself. Liana got out and dressed herself and then feeling dizzy and tired she rested against a tree waiting for Synsyn to help her back.

What she didn't know was it didn't take long for Syn to gather wood but instead he took a gamble and left for the cave and placed the dried hides inside the cave and brought the wood with him. It wasn't too far and he knew how Liana liked to sit and stew in the water for over an hour. When he got back Liana had fallen asleep leaning on the tree with some dried fruit in her hand. He chuckled to himself at how vulnerable he was and cute she looked with the dried food falling from her hand and twitching she did in her sleep. He picked her up carefully and leaned her head on his chest to support her. He smelled her wound on her head and was satisfied at how it was healing. A nice soft scab was there and hair already started to grow back around the area. He had to cut some of the hair around the wound to stitch it like she had stitched her side when Parker shot her. At least that was healed now.

Synsyn took her to her seat by the fire and laid her down on the horse hide he dried. He left her leaning on a log where they sat to eat and had her wrapped up. He took down her hammock and rolled it back into her pack. He packed up everything and tied it together and placed it in a makeshift hiking pack for himself made of string and wood to support everything on his back. Then he picked up a dazed and sleepy Liana and headed for the cave before it could rain. He left the coals to die in their own in the rain. He could smell the moisture and he heard the sounds of thunder in the distance.

An hour later he made it at the peak where the heavy climbing started. Liana woke up and looked around then asked where they were.

"I wanted to surprise you. I found a home and need to climb to get up to it." He pointed at the cave with his chin and Liana looked up and saw nothing but a cliff.

"I only see a rock cliff." She said then looked back at Synsyn and noticed the camping gear and dried meat sack he was carrying. She asked then, "hey! How are you going to carry that up there with me?"

He chuckled and leapt yo from cliff face to cliff face making her squeal and flinch at every jump. He stopped again and she said, "okay okay can we stop the jumping thing?! You're scaring me jumping on the cliffs like this."

Syn looked at her and laughed saying, "that's fine because we are here."

Liana stopped whining and looked at the cave. Synsyn had it all cleaned out and had furs for a carpet and another pile of furs over straw as a bed. Liana smiled and had Synsyn put her down. He placed her sitting up and leaning again the wall of the cave where the bed was. He placed her in bed and covered back up with the blue horse hide then took his pack off and shook himself.

Liana looked around then said to Synsyn, "you know if I could say so I'd say you're going to make a great boyfriend to some Youtja chick."

He turned and looked at her cocking his head to the side.

"What is boyfriend?"

Liana chuckled and said, "a boyfriend is more than just a friend. Someone you date or go out with as a possible mate I guess you could say."

He looked at her and said something that she wasn't expecting. "I hope I am not just a friend then."