Hue took the rock and turned it over, inspecting it. It was indeed the type they needed, and would make a good axe. “Yes,” he agreed. “Good.”
Bee was so pleased with this success that she jumped up and down, making little squeals of delight. Hue was reminded of Fae when she was that age, before their father had been killed. Soon enough Bee would be a woman, and would find someone to mate with. She wouldn't be his little sister any more. That, oddly, made him sad.
Bee ran back to rejoin Lee. Hue put the stone in his sack. This search was going well.
They continued on past mixed fields and trees. This was interesting terrain, with mountains rising right out of the forests, and many clear regions between.
Lee made an exclamation. Hue investigated. She had found a cave. It opened into the base of a steep slope. It was fairly wide at the edge, then narrowed into a dark tunnel. Hue had always been especially intrigued by caves. He approached it cautiously, sniffing the air. There was no odor of lion or hyena, and no manure. He peered into the tunnel. His eyes adjusted, and he saw that it wound deep into the ground, like a snake, and was cool inside. He made a sound, “Hoo!” and listened as its diminishing little echoes indicated the depth of the cave. He would have liked to explore it to its end, but he distrusted its darkness, and he had stones to find. So he reluctantly turned away, and resumed the search.
But he complimented Lee on her discovery. “Cave. Good.” She clapped her hands together, thrilled.
The trees shrank into shrubs as they approached the big mountain. The hills grew oddly bare, as if recently burned. Hue would have known they were near a fire mountain, even if he hadn't been able to see its steep angry peak ahead.
Suddenly both girls went silent. They were standing on a ridge, looking down at something beyond Hue's line of sight. “What?” he called.
“Stranger,” Lee replied.
Hue hurried to join them on the ridge, because strangers could be serious business. Normally they weren't hostile, but caution was essential.
It was a woman and a little boy. She was reasonably young and attractive, but the boy had an ugly red mark on his forehead, as if he had been recently injured. Yet he seemed healthy, so it must be a scar or a spirit mark. The woman was standing quite still, as wary of the girls as they were of her.
Hue knew what to do. “Fae!” he called, without moving.
In a moment Fae hurried up. “Trouble?” she asked.
“Stranger,” he said, gesturing. “Woman. Fae talk.”
Fae nodded. The woman would flee Hue, but might talk with another woman. It was the best way to handle contacts with strangers who might not be hostile. She made her way down the slope toward the strange woman, slowly. The boy, who looked to be about four years old, moved closer to his mother, who still did not move.
Fae stopped at a suitable distance, close enough to talk, not close enough to grab. She pointed to herself. “Fae.”
The woman made a similar gesture. “Sue.” Then she touched the boy's head. “Blaze.”
Fae looked at the boy. “Hurt?”
Sue shook her head. “No.” Then she made a gesture of something coming out of her body. “Blaze born scar.”
Fae nodded. Then she gestured to Hue on the ridge. “Hue.” She made as if to hug someone. “Hue Fae.” Then she pointed to her belly. “Baby no.”
Sue ventured more trust. “Sue lost. Stranger hurt. Flee. Home—” She made a gesture of bewilderment.
By this time Lil had caught up. Hue filled her in. “Stranger. Woman. Lost.”
Lil went down the slope toward Fae and Sue. Fae meanwhile explained: “Lil. Hue Lil. Son Jae.” And to Lil: “Sue. Son Blaze.”
“Lost,” Sue repeated. “Home?” Again she signaled confusion.
Lil looked at Fae, and the two nodded. They would try to help Sue find her home band. She was friendly, so should be helped, but they didn't want Hue to take her as another mate. Two mates, they felt, was enough for him. Of course he could overrule them.
But Hue had learned that women could be taciturn when crossed. He could discover urine or red ants in the food they brought him, and sex could become scarce. He could safely take another mate only with the concurrence of the existing mates. He would not seek to take the strange woman.
They were aware of his decision even as he made it. Women were uncannily sharp, that way. Even the stranger woman understood. She looked relieved. Had he demanded sex from her, none of them would have stopped him, but none of them would have liked the decision. Sex was normally reserved for more significant commitments, unless a person's usual mates were not around when the inclination came.
Now he descended the slope, flanked by the two girls. Sue made a ritual obeisance, bending down and presenting her rear to him, for he was a dominant male. He simply said, “No,” freeing her of the obligation, completing the ritual. Sex was also a special social commitment, as people who shared sex did not fight. The offer and turndown were lesser commitments, suggesting an amicable temporary association. “Truce.” That wasn't strictly applicable, because there was no question of combat here, but it was the way those of different bands agreed not to fight for a time.
“Truce,” Sue agreed, relaxing.
Hue questioned Sue about the identity of her band. “Erl,” she said, naming its dominant male.
Erl. He was all right. Joe's band had met Erl's band once on the range during a hunt, and agreed to go to opposite sides of the range so as not to interfere with each other's pursuits. Each band had honored the agreement, and each remembered that the other was being true. Hue had a notion where that band was foraging, not far from here. He could look for good stones as readily in that direction as any other. He pointed the way, and they began to move.
Little Blaze, reassured, was soon running ahead with Bee and Lee, who liked having a “little brother” to watch out for. Blaze, it soon was evident, was fascinated by fire. He kept looking toward the giant mountain cone that was smoking, as if wishing to go there and climb its slope. Hue knew the feeling; he was quite curious about that mountain himself. It was the biggest of its type he had seen. But it was never possible to know when such a mountain might get angrier than usual and spew out fire and dangerous burning rocks.
Indeed, the very thought of that chance seemed to alert the mountain, for it rumbled. Hue had been near such a mountain once before when it did that. He had gotten well away in a hurry—and nothing more had come of it. But if he hadn't done so, what might the mountain have done? It was only natural to assume that mountains, like creatures, had their concerns, and some did not like intruders in their territories. But after that there was nothing, so Hue wasn't concerned.
The children found something. It was another fine stone. They were more plentiful near the fire mountain, which was why Hue had come here to search. This one had even fractured of its own accord, so that it had one fine flat face. It was almost good enough for an axe as it was, though of course Vik would improve it. Hue added it to his bag. Stone hunting with these children was turning out to be good; they scampered into nooks he would not have bothered with, and found things for him.
There was a cry from ahead. This time it was little Blaze. He came running back to his mother, frightened. What had he seen?
Lee came back, clarifying it: “Stranger. Man woman.”
Trouble, perhaps. Hue called back the children and strode ahead. This must be the stranger who had threatened Sue. If it was a man from his own band, he would explain, and there would be no more threat, because Sue was now under his protection. But if it was a foreign band—
The figures came into view. Hue stiffened. “Bub!” he cried, not at all pleased.
“Hue,” the other man retorted. He spread his arms to indicate the region. “Bub land. Flee.”
He was claiming this territory, and demanding that Hue go. But Hue knew that no band possessed this region. Bub was looking for axe stones, just as Hue was, and had no proprietary rights. So Hue challenged this. “No
.”
Sis appeared. She seemed never to be far from her brother, who was perhaps also her mate. She recognized Hue and grimaced. “Kill,” she said. She always seemed to have a grudge against Hue, though he had once saved her from injury or death. It was too bad, in a way, because she was a well-formed woman he might otherwise have had an interest in.
Bub drew his axe and advanced. He held the weapon by its rounded base, with the chipped point forward. He could do real damage with that.
But Hue brought out the half-chipped stone. He hefted it, turning it sideways in his wrong hand. Bub saw that and laughed.
Then Hue threw the stone. It flew toward Bub's head. Sis cried out with alarm. Bub jumped to the side, avoiding it. But he had been caught by surprise, and had almost been struck. The ragged edge would have injured him, perhaps severely. Hue might use the wrong hand, but his aim was sure.
Hue strode forward, bringing out his second stone. It was clear that his aim would be even better when he got closer, and that Bub would have less chance to avoid the missile. The members of Hue's own band had soon learned that there was nothing funny about his wrong-sided throwing.
Bub reconsidered. He backed away, still holding his weapon, but not throwing it. If he threw it, he would have none, while he didn't know how many Hue had. He never fought when uncertain of victory. Hue continued to advance, holding the stone.
Bub circled behind a curved slope and disappeared. Hue followed, alert for any trick. But as he rounded the curve, he saw that Bub was now far away, leaving the region to Hue.
Hue went to recover his first stone. It was undamaged. It was imperfect for throwing, but had it been finished and balanced, he could have thrown it more accurately. Vik knew how to make them good for throwing, and all of the members of his band could bring down animals with their axes, if they got close enough. That was why Hue had not been afraid of the larger man. Bub would never have gotten the chance to strike with his axe; he would have been injured or killed by the stone before he got close enough. For Hue had used only the imperfect stones; he had held his good one in reserve.
The others came up. “Stranger hurt,” Sue said, pointing where Bub had gone.
So that was the one who had frightened her, and made her run so that she had gotten lost. Bub had probably wanted to add her to his collection, after killing her son. No wonder she had fled with Blaze. Women could get very upset when their children were threatened.
They moved on. Blaze, going toward the big mountain until his mother called him back, found another nice stone. He brought it to Hue with a smile, an offering, and Hue accepted it. They were getting along well.
Then the mountain rumbled again, louder and harder. The ground shook. This was more serious. They needed to find Sue's tribe soon, and get away from here. Hue had three good stones, and those would keep Vik busy for some time, because chipping them correctly was no easy job.
But this time the mountain did not relent. It rumbled again, and smoke came from it—not from the top, but from the side. It was acting as if it were angry enough to do something. It was best to get away from it.
The way ahead was unclear. Hu did not want to risk getting lost in unfamiliar terrain. It was better to go back the way they had come, with the route clear.
Sue and Blaze came with them, knowing the problem and not wanting to be left alone. They could find their band after getting safely away from the nasty mountain.
But the mountain did not want to let them go. It rumbled almost continuously. Then it roared. There were undertones in that sound that perhaps only Hue could hear, but the menace was clear to them all.
They paused in their flight to look back at it. But all they could see was a boiling pile of smoke. Within that smoke the mountain was roaring with deafening volume, not yet satisfied.
They needed no further warning. They fled from it as fast as they could run.
The sky darkened as the smoke spread out. A terrible smell came. The ground shuddered so violently it was hard for them to keep their footing. Gravel slid down a nearby slope.
Hue realized that they weren't going to get away from the mountain. It was reaching out too fast. Already things were falling around them, glowing rocks and choking dust. If any of those rocks hit them—
“Cave!” Fae cried. “Hide!”
Good idea. “Cave,” Hue agreed. It was on their way and not far distant.
They ran for it. More glowing things rained down. The leaves of trees began to smoke and burn as the rocks struck them. So did patches of grass in the glades.
They saw the cave. It faced away from the mountain, and Hue was glad of that. They ran into it, taking shelter from the falling fires. There was room for all of them.
Then two more figures ran in. Bub and Sis!
Hue grabbed his axe, ready to defend their place of safety. He would not have the advantage in such close quarters, but he couldn't let Bub and his savage sister just take over. Bub, seeing that as he reached the cave, put his hand on his own axe. So did Sis, who had a small but sharp stone, the kind used to cut meat from bone.
Blaze, recognizing him, cried and shrank toward his mother. Bee and Lee crowded back toward the tunnel with Lil, who held her baby tightly. But Fae stepped close beside Hue, snarling, holding another flesh-cutting stone. She hated Bub, who had once tried to abduct her, and meant to help Hue fight. This was unusual behavior in a woman, but not unknown. Considering that Sis often helped her brother fight, this was just as well. Hue would surely lose if both Bub and Sis attacked him.
“No!” Sis cried, surprisingly. “Fight no.”
Both men looked at her, startled. So did Fae.
“Cave Hue,” she said. “Bub Sis no.”
She was correct. Hue and his party had taken this cave first. But since when had Bub and Sis ever honored such conventions? They had never cared much about anything except power and opportunity.
Bub looked out onto the landscape. Fire stones were falling more thickly, denting the ground and making the grass burn. There was no retreat that way. He would rather fight.
Then Hue saw that Bee and Lee had found sticks and come to stand behind Fae. They were small, but not as small as they once had been, and they knew how to club small animals. They could indeed help enough to enable Hue to prevail. Sis, more devious than her brother, had seen that the outcome of this fight was in doubt.
“Truce,” Sis said, saying a word she seldom did.
But Hue knew better than to trust either of them. “No.”
She considered just a moment. Then she tried another ploy. “Sex.”
Both Hue and Bub looked at her, dismayed. Enemies did not engage in sex, unless it was rape, and there would be a fight to the death here before there could be any rape.
Sis put down her stone. “Hue Sis sex,” she said. “Truce.” She took a step toward Hue, her arms spread, hands open. She smiled, suggesting that she would enjoy it. Was it possible that her seeming grudge had masked desire? So that her brother wouldn't suspect her of disloyalty? No, more likely she was simply trying to deceive Hue about her feeling, to make him agree to it.
Bub looked at her, appalled. “No.”
Fae echoed the sentiment. “Sex no.” The last thing she wanted was such a connection between her mate and her enemy.
“Fight,” Bub said, though without force.
Sis gazed back at him without flinching. “Bub Fae sex.”
Now Hue was appalled. “Fight,” he said, agreeing with Bub.
But Fae was coming to understand what Sis was proposing. Those who had sex together did not fight. Even enemies could make a truce by sharing sex. They would not fight until another day. Not even an untrustworthy person would violate that, because it went deeper than agreements. It was the way it was. Sis was offering a way for them to share this cave without fighting.
Still Hue and Bub demurred, not wishing such a truce. They had been enemies too long. They did not want to be even temporary, tacit friends.
Sis took a
nother step toward Hue. She was very close, and the woman smell of her was strong. He found himself tempted. He had always hated her for her bad ways, yet always also been intrigued by her healthy body. He couldn't help reacting.
She took one more step, now almost touching him. She reached up to take his hand, the one with the axe. She brought it down and set the stone against her throat. She let go. He could cut her and kill her with one stroke. She had offered her life.
And of course he couldn't take it. Slowly he moved his hand, taking the knife away, dropping it to the ground.
Bub, seeing him disarmed, started to come forward. But Fae moved faster, dropping her own stone, intercepting him. Bub had always been interested in her, but she had never wanted him. Now she was offering. He hesitated, then dropped his axe. He knew this was the only likely way he would ever have her, and her acquiescence was better than rape.
“Sis want,” she said, drawing Hue down to the ground with her. He realized with a shock that she was doing this not merely as a way to establish a useful truce, but because she desired him personally. He had not known she felt that way, but the smell of her suggested it was true. She had the heat of unfeigned passion.
Then it was sex, the two couples side by side, banging into each other, not caring. Hue's long-suppressed passion for Sis burst forth, and was met by her similar passion. He had never had sex like this! Their prior animosity actually enhanced it. If the grudge had been real at all; now it seemed more likely that Sis really had appreciated the favor he had done her long ago.
It was soon done. Hue looked up as they lay embraced, and saw the children looking down, interested in the details. Even little Blaze.
Embarrassed, Hue disengaged and got to his feet. Sis followed, not concealing her satisfaction.
Bub and Fae were also getting up. Fae showed no sign of satisfaction. She had done what she had to do. But it was clear that Bub was pleased. He didn't care whether she liked it, only that she cooperate. That much she had done.