The Thinking Rocks (5 page)

A murmur went through the clan as the
beating on the log resumed.  "They will choose mates, as is the
custom.  Any who wish to be considered must make a necklace and leave it
on a stake by her fire.  If the necklace is still on the stake after three
nights, it means she accepts.  If she does not favor the necklace, she
will break the necklace and scatter the parts on the ground," Koonai
stated.

He moved to one side and said,
"Let us now welcome both women to the clan."

The clan came to its feet and started
to chant "A HA, A HA, A HA."  The sounds of the chant swelled as
they began to stamp their feet in time to the beat on the log.  Sorou and
Ceola moved into the clan.  They separated and approached each member of
the clan individually. They put the palm of their right hand in the center of
the chest of the person being greeted and their left hand on their right
shoulder, and nodded their head twice.  Each member of the clan returned
the greeting.

Sorou had headed for Cano as quickly
as she could.  She wanted him to know who her choice for a mate was.
Before she could get to him, Loki stepped in front of her and smiled.  She
returned his smile and placed her hand on his chest in greeting.  He
returned the greeting but couldn't make eye contact with her as he was staring
at her chest.  He mumbled something and nodded his head.  Sorou moved
past him to Cano, a big smile on her face. Cano met her eyes and greeted her
"Welcome Sorou, you are beautiful tonight." She placed her hand on
his chest and could feel the wiry muscles beneath the skin.  As he raised
his hand to her chest, she shifted her position so that his hand brushed across
both of her breasts before resting in the valley they formed.  She let her
eyes drop for a moment before she made eye contact. As his head nodded, she
followed his movements. Then she said, "Thank you for the kindness. 
I wish there was some way I could show you how much that means to me.  I will
think about it and see if there is anything I can do for you." With a
small smile she let her hand slide down his chest to his stomach, and then she
turned and moved away.

Ceola had not missed the interchange
between Sorou and Cano.  She could feel an anger rising from deep
inside.  If Sorou was after a fight, she was going to get one. Cano was
going to be hers.  He will be my man, she thought.

Bana moved in front of Ceola and
paused before speaking.  "Ceola you are more beautiful each
day.  I am honored to have you as a member of my ---uh, I mean our clan. I
welcome you with my heart."  He placed her right hand over his heart
and then placed his right hand on her right breast.  "The life you
feel is yours for the taking. If you will have me, I will protect you and
provide for your needs."

Ceola was caught off balance. 
She was well liked in the clan and got along well with everyone.  When she
was younger, she had played around the campfires with Bana and enjoyed his
company.  He would be a good choice for a mate.  No, he would be an
excellent choice.  Someday she would be the mate of the chief of the
clan.  But, what of Cano?  Just by thinking this way, she felt
guilty.  Something attracted her to Cano.  His smile, or the way his
eyes looked, or maybe it was the way he moved.  Ceola gave Bana a smile
and leaned toward him, "My thanks to you, I will remember this night and
your offer.  However, I must go now." Slowly Bana removed his hand,
his eyes searching hers. Did she care enough for him to be his mate?  He
wasn't sure, but maybe, just maybe it might happen.

Ceola moved away and headed for
Cano.  She heard her name called and turned to greet Bana's father,
Hedra.  He stopped in front of her and placed his hands on her chest and
shoulder.  He was a head taller than she was.  She could feel the
power that radiated from his hands and into her.  Hedra's shoulders were
large, and he had powerful arms and hands.  His waist was narrow and his
legs were strong and well developed.  He had a long scar across his chest
where a dead bison had taught him a lesson.  His black hair fell almost to
his shoulders, and his short black beard was edged with gray.  He looked
into her eyes and said, “It is on nights like this that I am proud to lead this
clan.  I welcome you to the Clan of the Spear.  I wish you a warm
fire and many children."

Ceola nodded twice and thanked him,
"I am honored; I will do my best not to disappoint you."

“I'm sure you won't, I look forward
to seeing you with Bana at our fire," he said as he turned and left.

Ceola stood for a moment thinking
about what was happening.  It was clear she was being told that in the
chief's eyes her choice should be his son.  It would make her position
secure and mean that Sorou would get Cano. She felt a bitterness rising in her
throat. She didn't like the idea of losing to Sorou and she couldn't start to
think about Cano as a brother.  Ceola wanted him for herself.  The
time had come to see Cano.

It seemed to Ceola it had taken her
forever to work her way over to Cano. She couldn't remember whom she had
greeted, but it had taken time, and her anger had cooled.  As usual, his
smile made her heart skip a beat.  His chest felt cool to her touch and
she was sure he could hear her heart pounding. Ceola placed his right hand over
her heart, now he could feel it as well as hear it.  She felt as if she
could fall into his eyes.

He spoke first, "Welcome to the
clan. The flame of the fire fades before your beauty. I wish you the best the
Great Spirit has to give."

When she found her voice she said,
“Many thanks and I wish you the same." Ceola couldn't help herself and
added, "I saw you with Sorou, she is well?"

Cano paused before answering, what
are you supposed to say when the woman you yearn for has caught you with your
hand on another woman's chest?  He knew that he must say something or he
would be in deeper trouble than he was already. "She is well and said she
would like to be my friend.  Forget Sorou.  It is you, Ceola that I
care for. I want more than your friendship.  I don't know the words to say
to let you know how I feel.  I want you. I need you. I care for you more
than I can say.  I'm talking too much and am probably going to scare you
away.  Please forgive me."  He dropped his head and stood there;
afraid to hope she might feel the same toward him.

Ceola's heart jumped at his
words.  He wanted her and not Sorou, "Oh Cano, you make me so
happy.  I want you too.  Can I see you later tonight?  We can
talk and well… get things straight."  She blushed when she thought of
what she had said.  "Will you meet me later tonight at the big rock
by the river?"

Before Cano could answer, Moki had
resumed the beating of the log; it was the signal to return to the fire.

Cano grasped her hand and nodded, and
then he gave her a heart-stopping smile.  "Soon," he said as he
returned to his place.

Over to the side, but within hearing
distance, stood Loki.  He stood with his back turned, he nodded his head
on occasion as if he was in conversation with someone.  His real purpose
was to find out what was going on with Ceola and Cano.  Now he knew about
the rendezvous, the question to be answered was what to do with the
information. This situation had to be turned around.  If Ceola met Cano,
tonight it would affect his chances of getting close to her.  There had to
be a way to keep them apart and not get caught. He smiled to himself, quite a
challenge for a fool.

Koonai made a sweeping motion with his left hand
and Moki changed the tempo of the beat on the log.  “Tonight Bana feeds
the clan.  Bana, come forward and show us the hunt
."

Bana stood
and surveyed the clan, then nodded to his father and then stepped forward until
he was standing beside Koonai.  They stood in sharp contrast to one
another.  Bana was tall and strong; he stood with the glow of youth, and
with the knowledge that he would someday be chief of the clan. On the other
hand Koonai was slender, many years older, and of average weight and height,
but he had the ability and knowledge to change lives. His place and his power
were secure.

"On
this day's hunt I led, and Moki and Loki followed."  He motioned to
Moki to stop the beat and come forward.  Then he scanned the assembled
faces until he found Loki sitting off to the side of the fire and motioned him
forwarded with a nod of his head.

Loki came
forward with their three spears and a smile on his face.  He enjoyed the
attention he was getting.  He was not the best hunter in the clan, but he
was one of the best liked.  His skills appeared limited and if he wanted
notoriety, he would have to get it some other way.  He chose to appear a
fool.  If an action could gain him a smile, he would do it.  Tonight
he knew there would be many smiles for him.  Others in the clan might be
humiliated and not want to be laughed at. He had hunted, fought, and killed a
turkey. He moved forward until he was beside Bana and Moki. Loki smiled to
himself, it was nice to be noticed and underestimated.

Bana
spoke with a powerful voice, "We left camp before the sun started to climb
into the sky.  It was dark when we arrived at the place by the stream
where we thought the turkeys would feed."  As he spoke, all three of
them began walking single file around the fire. Each was carrying one of the
spears that Loki had brought with him. They walked quietly as they would when
moving through the forest.  Their steps were almost a dance; they moved
like shadows. Their heels always touched the ground before their toes, they
moved with the rolling grace of the hunter.  If Bana stopped the others stopped
as one, it was as if there was only one creature with six arm and six legs.
"We came to the hiding place."  He motioned with his spear and
Moki seemed to melt into the ground.  Loki had floated over to the edge of
the firelight and he too dissolved into the shadows.  Bana’s voice was
softer now and those at the back of the gathering had to listen carefully to
hear his words. "When I was sure that all was as it should be, I also went
into hiding.  We knew that the signal for the attack on the turkeys was
the call of the dove.  When the turkeys had passed our hiding place and we
were ready, I would signal Loki with the call of the dove and then repeat
it.  When he heard my calls, he would answer with a call and then
attack."  He rose slightly from his position on the ground and spoke
even more softly then before. "It is important to know that turkeys cannot
smell you.  However, they can see even the smallest movement. You must be
as still as a stone, as still as death." With this he sank to the ground and
remained motionless for many minutes. The first set of dove calls floated
softly away, but not before it had stopped the breathing of everyone in the
clan.  The second set of calls was met with hesitation and then an
answering call from Loki's position.  Seconds later Loki leapt to his feet
with a shriek that could have awakened the dead.  A collective gasp and
ripple of movement went through the clan.

Loki
rushed forward screaming and then hooked his right foot behind his left knee
and went crashing to the ground. He thrashed around on the ground as though he
was tangled in vines.  In the mean time, both Bana and Moki had leapt to
their feet and where demonstrating with swift movements of their spears, how
they had killed the turkeys. A murmur of approval went through the clan for
their speed and efficiency.  The crowd’s attention was drawn back to
Loki's threshing and then with his battle with the invisible tom turkey, which
brought laughter from the crowd.  As the battle ended, Loki was trying to
cover his head, face and groin at the same time. The clan roared.  Loki,
at last, free of the demon that had attacked him, seemed to lose his balance
and waving both arms, fell over backwards to the delight of the clan.  He
flopped around for a few moments and then stopped and looked into the crowd
with a shocked look on his face.  The crowd grew quiet and waited for the
finale.  He sat up and wiggled his bottom and then looked down and
pretended to pick up a dead turkey by the neck.  The clan loved it; they
cheered for him as he raised his invisible trophy above his head and walked
around offering it for inspection.

As
Koonai came forward, the clan again became quiet.  He smiled,
"Tonight we have seen and learned of the hunt that has brought food to our
fires.  What have we learned?  That a hunt should be planned and it
must have a leader." He nodded to Bana.  "This was done; Bana is
a great hunter and is learning to lead.  We also learned not to give
up."  He nodded this time toward Loki.  "Even when things
go wrong we can still learn from them."

Most
of the clan were looking toward Loki and smiling.  Koonai’s next words
wiped away their smiles.  "Today Loki was lucky, but he could be
dead."  He let the words sink into the clan before he
continued.  "If the game had been a saber-toothed cat or bear, he
would not be here. By the grace of the Great Spirit, he lives.  However,
it could have turned out differently.  We must learn from our mistakes. 
It is good to learn from our mistakes, but it is better to learn from others'
mistakes.  For this we should thank Loki.  Nevertheless, we should
not do as he did.  I know this to be true. You know this is true and so
does Loki.  We may smile at his actions here at the fire, but not in the
forest."  Koonai looked at each of the faces in the clan, especially
the older children.  Then he turned and faced the fire.

After
a few moments he spun around and raised his spear high in the air, "We
have other lessons to learn tonight before we eat." He scanned the faces
before him until he located Cano. “Come forward and tell us of the snake,
Cano."