The Thinking Rocks (16 page)

Cano said, “I am not challenging you.
I don’t like the decision that you have made.  To send my brother away
alone is to tell him to go die. I will not be a party to sending him to his
death. It is not his fault that he was injured, but that injury is a death
sentence if he is cast out of the clan. On the last hunt, we lost Menla and my
mother. Now you have made a decision that has not only cost you Gennos but also
another hunter.”

Hedra then asked, “Who do you speak
of?”

Cano did not answer Hedra, but turned
to his brother and said, “Come Brother, we must pack.”

While they walked back to their
hearth Gennos said, “This is silly brother.  I will be able to live by
myself.  Besides, your life is here with Ceola.  You and her are to
mate. That is the life that you should have.”

“I can still have that life, but not
here. I will ask her to come with us.  I can hunt for all of us.” 
Cano hesitated and then added, “Do you think I would abandon my big brother
after he saved my life?”

“I didn’t save your life; I was just
going to swat Bana upside his head with the flat part of your Canohawk.” Then
he paused for a moment and then said, “It still seems like a good idea.” He paused
again, smiled and then said, “Well maybe later.”

Cano returned the smile, “You start
packing, and I’m going to see Ceola.”

When he reached her hearth, he saw
that her eyes were red from crying. “I’m sorry about your Father, I would have
been here sooner, but I’ve had a bit of trouble.  I want you to know that
I will miss him too.” He reached out and took her hands.  “I tried to save
him from the saber tooth, but it was to fast for me. I tried, I really tried,
but it was no use. I liked your father; he was a good man.”

She put her arms around his neck and
hugged him. “I will miss him so. I have no one now. My mother is gone and now
my father, I only have the children.”

Cano pulled back from her, “That isn’t
true, you have me. That is why I have come here. You heard of the fight with
Bana?”

She nodded yes.

Cano continued, “That is why I have
come. Hedra has decided that Gennos is to be banished from the clan for raising
a weapon against a fellow clan member.  He has to leave by sunset.”

“How does that affect you?” she
asked.

“My brother saved my life by raising
that weapon.  He is my family. Where he goes, we go. That is why I am
here. I want you, Dola, and little Opla to come with us. We will start our own
clan.” He stood there smiling expectantly at her.

She stared at him silently for a few
moments before answering, “I know that you are a good hunter, but can you hunt
to feed us all? What happens if you can’t do it? Do we all die because your
brother broke a rule? I love you and want you for a mate, but I can’t give up
the lives of my little brother and sister for you.  Can’t you stay? Gennos
is smart; maybe he will be all right by himself.”

Cano was shocked; this wasn’t what he
expected. He was being forced to choose between the woman he loved and his
brother, his own blood. After hearing her last comments, he wasn’t sure this
was the Ceola he loved.  “I can’t believe I’m hearing you say these words.
I can no more betray my brother than I could betray you.  Say that you
will be my mate, and come with us when we leave the camp on this day.  The
last thing I will say is from my heart. You are my love. Please come with us. A
new life waits for us.” He brushed the hair from her face and touched her
cheek.

“What I hear you saying is that you
can not give up your family because it is your duty to take care of them. But
that is what you are expecting me to do. We both know that when times are hard,
it is the young that die first.  I love you more than I love life. Yet you
ask me to possibly sacrifice my brother and sister so that you may save your
brother.”  She stood there with tears streaming down her face.

What was it to be? He could not turn
away from his blood, just as she could not turn away from her blood.  She
would be happy to be with him, but could they survive with only a single hunter
to feed them all? Could she trade her brother and sister for a mate? Her
shoulders shook with the tears she was shedding.  Not long ago she was
happy, she had a family and would soon mate. Now her father was gone and soon
her love would leave her. Should she or could she give up her brother and
sister for her happiness? I don’t know, she thought, I just don’t know.

Cano had been standing quietly
watching her cry. He had said all he could say. If she loved him, if she
trusted him she would come. If she doubted him, then she would think of herself
first and stay with the clan.  Sadly, he turned away and returned to his
hearth to pack.

As Cano turned away, she felt sick.
Her stomach had been acting up for the last couple of days. She moved off to
the side of her shelter and vomited. Just what I need she thought, this is no
time to get sick.  It seemed worse in the morning, usually by afternoon
she felt fine.

That day just before sunset, Cano and
Gennos were ready to leave. Cano looked across the campsite toward Ceola’s
hearth. She had a fire going and her back was to him. So he thought, 'She has
made her choice.'  He started to turn away when he felt his brother’s hand
on his arm. He turned and looked silently at him.

“Why don’t you go to her, I can do
this by myself.  There is no need for you to waste your life as mine has
been wasted.  Go to her and live a full life.”

Cano spoke in a low voice, “If you
believe that I could live a happy life by watching you walk from this camp by
yourself, then you are not the brother I know.  I love her more than
anything in this world, but it was her choice. Come, my brother it is time for
an adventure.”

They each had a small pack with food
and water. Cano carried a spear in each hand and his Canohawk at his side on a
thong. Gennos carried only one spear to help him walk and a Canohawk at his
waist.  They moved past the members of the clan that watched silently as
they left the camp. They walked with their heads held high, eyes straight
ahead. They walked with the sunset at their backs.  A small pack that Cano
carried seemed to move by its self. A small white furry head poked out of the
flap.

No one present knew a milestone in
Man's journey was being passed. On this day, a new relationship started between
man and beast, it would last thousands of years. All an observer could see were
two men and a puppy leaving camp at sunset. Nevertheless, it was the dawn of a
new Era.

The Trek

After leaving the
campground of the Clan of the Spear, the two young men traveled as far as they
could before dark.  They found a good campsite in a stand of tall trees,
but it was without water.  Cano gathered wood for the fire and Gennos
prepared some of the food that they had brought along.  The white-faced
wolf was tied to a sapling with a strip of rawhide.  She was enjoying a
scrap of meaty mammoth hide beneath a small bush.

When they had finished
eating and were bedded down, they lay looking up at the starry sky through the
tree branches.  Neither spoke for a long time, they were both lost in
their own thoughts.

Gennos spoke first,
"You know you should have stayed.”

Cano did not answer
right away, "You know why I could not stay.  I feel betrayed, not by
you, but by her.  I offered her everything I could if she would come with
us.  I thought she loved me as I love her.  She said that she cared
for me, but she had to think of her brother and sister.  She said someone
had to take care of them, that it was her responsibility.  That may be so,
but I could take care of all of them." Pausing, he took a deep breath and
then sighed before continuing.  "I hope the pain I feel will go away.
But I don’t know if it ever will, I don’t want to think about it, but I can’t
help myself."  He hesitated again, as he relived their last moments
together.  "I think that the deepest pain is that she didn’t believe
in me.  I can understand her concern for her family.  She cares for
her family, as I care for mine.  What I can’t understand is her not
believing I could take care of all of us.  It was her choice; she said she
loved me.  Yet the first time a test of her love came, she failed
it."

Gennos listened quietly,
knowing that his brother needed to think out their present situation.  By
speaking the words, he was able to put things in their proper order.  He
knew how much this break with Ceola had hurt him.  He knew that after
tonight he would speak little of her, but he also knew that the love he had for
her would be slow to die.  The pain he felt now was a wound that would
eventually heal, and the only remembrance of it would be a scar. And the scar
would have a name, Ceola.

Gennos decided to change
the course of Cano's thinking by changing the subject. "Brother,"
Gennos asked, "Where do you think we should go when the sun rises?"

Cano was deep in thought
and startled by Gennos's voice and said, "What?"

"I said, do you have any idea where we're going?"

Cano rolled over on his
side so that he could see his brother better. "Why yes, I know exactly
where we're going.  Would you like me to explain it to you?"

Gennos said, "I would really like to
know.  After all, here we are in the woods with little food and even less
water.  AH Way, I forgot we have the protection of a white-faced
wolf."  He added, "Please tell me where we're going."

Cano smiled and answered, "And you
are supposed to be the smart one in the family.  I thought that you would
have figured out by now where we are going.  Now listen carefully and I
will tell you.  When I'm finished you may ask questions." He paused
and then continued, "We are going away." With this, he touched his
chest with his right hand, palm down, and made a smooth motion away from his
chest with his hand.

Gennos looked at him for
several moments before replying. "This is your plan?  Away, that's
it?  Maybe I should have let Bana put you out of your misery.  After
hearing your plan I am sure you are correct about one thing.  I am the
smart one in this family.  I think we should change your plan to include
an important detail which you left
out."      
                       
Cano was beginning to feel better. "Oh smart one, what detail did I leave
out?"

Gennos gave him a
mocking smile. "You think we should go away.  I think we should go
away--- that way."  Pointing in the direction that they had been
traveling.

Cano picked up a stick
and threw it at his brother.  Gennos dodged the stick, but before he could
return it, they were interrupted. They heard a growl coming from the small wolf
that seemed much too big to be coming from the little bundle of fur.

Both men silently
reached for their weapons, Cano looked over at the small wolf. It was looking
off into the darkness, its ruff was up and a snarl curled past his tiny mouth.
Cano took hold of his Canohawk, rolled away from the fire, and stood.

Gennos lay aside his
weapon and piled more fuel on the fire.

The wolf moved to the
end of her restraint.  Suddenly, her ruff went down and she began to wag
her tail.  She began barking and jerking at her restraint.

Cano looked in the
direction the wolf was looking and saw movement in the brush.  He moved
into a better position so they could defend themselves against this unknown
danger.  That is when he heard something unexpected.

"Cano…Cano…Can I
come into the camp?" It was Dola.

Neither brother spoke as
the small figure approached the fire.

Gennos was the first to
reply. "Dola what are you doing here?  You know how dangerous it is
in the woods at night.  Why are you here?"

Dola moved into the
firelight and stood looking at the brothers. "I had to come, I have no
place to stay," he said in frighten voice.

Cano was excited,
"Has Ceola come with you?" He said as he hopefully scanned the dark
woods.

"No," said
Dola, "I come alone."

Gennos moved closer to
the boy and asked again, "Why are you here?  You know it is not wise
to be this far from camp at night.  Tell me why you came here when it is
so dangerous."

He looked into Gennos's
eyes as he answered, "I had to come.  Bana doesn't like me.  He
has been around Ceola a lot, but when he sees me, I can see I'm in
trouble."  He paused before continuing and looked at Cano, "I
have argued with Ceola, I told her she should have gone along with you,
Cano.  She became angry and said I didn't understand, because I'm so
young."  He hesitated, as he looked from one brother to the other,
"I know I have much to learn, but she loves you and should be at your
side, but she said our place is with the clan."  He stopped and tried
to gather his thoughts. "Bana doesn't like me.  I called him a liar
and he called me a child and told me to go play with my dolls.  He said I
was like a little girl.  Later, when he was fighting with Gennos and you,
I bit him and he hit me.  I couldn't stay there.  He would make
things hard for me.  I'm still little and some day he will lead the
clad.  I had to leave now.  This way I have a chance; I can travel
and learn from friends."  He looked down at the little wolf straining
at the end of its restraint.  Dola's face lit up as he looked at the
little white face. "Besides, you need someone to take care of the
wolf."

Gennos had been
listening intently. He could understand why the boy had left the clan. 
The problem was should they try to take him back or just continue on their
way.  The clan would search for the boy.  If they found him, and
returned him to the clan, what type of life would he have?  Probably not a
good life.  Bana was not one to forgive and forget.  If we take him
along, the clan would be angry that we have taken him. However, he could help
around camp, and he could take care of the wolf.  He would grow and become
a hunter and they could use his help.  Another thing to consider was they
were no longer members of the clan. They had to rely on themselves to
survive.  Even though he was young, he wanted to join them in their search
for a home.  Gennos looked over at Cano, "What are your thoughts my
brother?"