A medium sized male who looked like a small version of Perspicuous Dream sauntered over. They walked with slightly bowed legs and a kind of bouncy gait.
When they were alone with only Bent-spear nearby, Etelka in hushed voice spoke to Pool. Though Bent-spear was the only one near them, the others all watched from the edges of the small camp where they busied themselves with meaningless tasks to justify staying, moving small piles of sticks here and there and so forth. Both Etelka and Pool noticed this and Etelka slipped the nyereg off into its pouch, so they wouldn’t be understood.
“Are you okay, Pool? We have to get out of here. I’d like to learn more…perhaps, there are other more amenable Ngablakh out there, but I certainly don’t trust the Chief.”
Pool had been through a lot worse, he assured her, and he had.
They were left in a hollow between fallen logs with minimally sheltered area in the back, behind a small open fire pit. It was cold now, but there was a small pile of wood nearby. There was also one practical exit occupied by Bent-spear.
“Pool, give me what’s left of your jacket,” requested Etelka.
He looked at her with inquisitive eyes that she could just barely make out in the dim light, beneath the canopy and the shelter they had been given, but ultimately gave her the tattered and dirty garment. His shoulder holster was empty. He must have lost the pistol, she thought.
Sliding the nyereg back on to her finger—she really must keep them from finding her secret out—she spoke to Bent-spear. “We wish to dip this in some fat so that we can burn it for light, can you help us find some fat, or dip it yourself?”
Bent-spear turned out to be much more affected by the commands than his great leader. He left and in less than two minutes returned with Pool’s jacket dripping with hot animal fat.
“Thank you,” she said.
With the ring-saddle off, Etelka told Pool of her plan. They would wait until twilight or later….
“Bent-spear, are you there? Are you awake?” said Etelka in a quiet voice. She didn’t want Perspicuous Dream to be aroused.
He was awake.
“If I am not mistaken, there is a large heard of fat deer to the north, not far off, like all of my species, I can smell them clearly…yes, they are not far at all. Gather your tribe, your family and go hunt them before they escape. Their meat will feed you all for days, weeks even.” She wasn’t sure how much of a command that was, but after some looking about and sniffing the air of dusk, Bent-spear rose to his feet and loped off into the little village, telling everyone that there were deer to be had to the north.
“Pool! Quickly, take a couple of those branches there and come,” she said quietly but forcefully. The ring was back in its pouch.
The two humans slipped into the dark and circled the tiny village furtively until they had come to the south end, where the stream passed. Then they ran.
The first ten minutes of splashing their way south seemed to be going well. They they heard them.
Work in progress. Mistakes and misspellings are present. This is a very rough draft. Copyright 2021 Ion Fyr ionfyr.net
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Ion Fyr 