Just Another Day

Meanwhile, Katari was helping Vikeso sharpen spears and arrows for an upcoming hunt. There were scouting parties out searching for flocks of birds and herds of antelope and bison, and the hunters left behind were to prepare the weaponry that would be used.

"They don't let us use tools at home. It's all teeth and claws," Katari said as he carefully rubbed a thumb over a flint arrowhead. "Sometimes even with the ferocious boars if they're small enough."

"I would not want to take a bull down with my bare hands," Vikeso said. "They may appear to run like frightened rabbits, but if they stand and fight, you will lose."

"But you use arrows on the birds and rodents too, don't you?" Katari asked.

"Yes, and sometimes traps. If the grass is short enough, we may simply stalk them until they stop running and can be taken," Vikeso explained.

"I've had to do that with several deer. Sometimes I'd have to follow them for days before they finally were too tired to run anymore. Sometimes, I was almost too tired to take them home," Katari chuckled.

"Is it your job to provide for your small family on your journey?" Vikeso asked.

"I suppose so," Katari replied thoughtfully. "Shanku is a decent hunter, but her primary purpose is to lead us to new places and keep us safe."

"What of the other two?"

"Hilael was training to be an apothecary back home, so he is our healer, and I'm not really sure what use Ina is," Katari said with a bit of embarrasment. "She's the daughter of a scribe and a calligrapher, and not used to spending much time out in the wild."

"Even story-tellers have their uses," Vikeso shrugged. "Perhaps she can record your deeds and tell of them when you return. Bring home new recipes!"

"I'll request bison stew to be at the top of the list," Katari said with a grin.

"You'll request more than that when we return from the hunt," Vikeso blustered. "Our dams are the finest cooks on the hills. We'll make you fat before summer ends!"

"If we don't work it all off first!" Katari laughed.

Vikeso spent several days showing Katari how to create spears, knives, and tools, and teaching him how to use them properly. By the time the scouts returned, Katari was almost as skilled as the hunting party he would be travelling with. What piqued his curiosity was the ritual purification that was to be performed in the days leading up to the hunt.

"Come, little Sylvan," Vikeso beckoned to Katari as they left the village to go camp out by the river. "I will teach you the rules. The first is that you cannot have had a tryst in the past few days, and especially not before the hunt. Have you been chaste? You do sneak off with Shanku nearly every night."

"Good heavens, no, I have done no such thing!" Katari sputtered and blushed. "I don't even think of her like that. She's just an old hunting partner that I played with as a cub."

Vikeso raised an eyebrow suspiciously. "Are you sure?"

"Yes! Xretatir do not couple," Katari answered vehemently. "I don't want to question it or entertain the idea."

Vikeso tilted his head and raised his eyebrows as he stared ahead of them. "You two are an interesting pair. And what of the other doe with you?"

"She's outside my class, I wouldn't dream of bringing her family's wrath on mine," Katari shuddered.

"Very well, the next few days we must follow a strict regimen of honoring the spirits. I will teach you."

The hunting party gathered by the river for four days to honor each of the four spirits they wished blessings from. Shaman Onami lead the rituals and offerings, accompanied by his apprentice Bara and by Hilael, whom he felt would benefit from learning how to help Katari prepare before each of his hunts to provide for the Sylvans after they left the Heyen. The first was earth, since it was one of earth's creatures they were going to take. The second was air, since they would be hunting on the wing and didn't want to be blown into the ground. The third was water, to not become weak from thirst. The fourth was fire, to beg a cool temper from the beast that it would not be enraged and turn on them. They were fed many roots, cured strips of meat, and dark salads to bolster their strength. Katari was very excited and could hardly sleep the night before they were to go out. It felt good to be walking out through the long grasses to take strong game.

"Can your little crow wings keep up?" Aenoh teased playfully.

"This isn't my first hunt, wait until you see what this crow can do," Katari boasted.

"I was sad Dai could not join us in the air for bison hunts since he is such a good partner on the antelope hunts," Aenoh remarked wistfully. "May you do as well on the wing as he on a horse."

"Thank you," Katari said earnestly. "I hope so too."

It was almost a week's trek before they caught up with the bison herd. Katari took a spare moment to marvel at how large and thick-bodied the bison were, noting how the short, curly horns were reminiscent of the cruel tusks that would be on the boar he would someday have to face back home. After carefully stalking the herd and fanning out, the signal was finally given to start. The ambushers went out, yipping and flashing their wings to spook the herd toward where the hunters waited to dive down from the sky and skewer them with their lances.

One by one, the airborn hunters dived down, struck out at a fleeing bison's neck, and climbed back into the sky for another attempt. What Katari lacked in diving speed and endurance, he made up for in agility from years of hunting among trees and brush. If his target suddenly bolted to the side, he could flick a wing to follow it enough to land a blow before having to climb upwards again to avoid falling too low or getting knocked out of the air by an angry bull. A call echoed throughout the hunting party to cease, and each were able to land. Breathing heavy and tired, the divers rested while the ambushers came up to count how many had been taken.

"A good hunt! We have thirty," exclaimed one of the ambushers. One of the fastest scouts was sent back to call those tending the horses to come and collect their kills. Each of the fallen bison were thanked for their sacrifice and honored before the hunters began to butcher them.

"A valiant hunt, little crow!" Aenoh bragged on Katari. "Here, to restore your strength," Aenoh said and cut out the heart of the bison that Katari was working on. "Eat, eat, we have a long day and long return home."

"Well, at least we have that ritual in common," Katari chuckled and gratefully accepted the organ.

"You must come out to see us again after your journey has finished," Aenoh nodded. "Sylvans make good hunting partners."

"As do Prairies," Katari said with a broad grin.

The riders soon arrived with many spare horses and baskets in tow. Every last bit of their kills were taken apart and loaded up to be taken back to the village.