The Trek: Darwin's World, Book II (The Darwin's World Series 2) (11 page)

Matt and Piotr took turns bathing and soon headed back to Lilia’s camp for breakfast. The tea Lilia had mentioned was…interesting. Not tasty, but no doubt healthy.

At least it was hot. It could have used more honey. About a half-gallon of the stuff! Even Lilia had a failure now and then.

Matt and Piotr drank their tea and went off to relieve Lee and Marc.

“Matt, I still think a scouting trip is a good idea. I’m going to take Marc and head west as soon as people have recovered from yesterday. What do you think?”

“Good idea, Lee. How long do you expect to be gone?”

“I’m planning on a week. We’ll start out a little south of west and try to hold that course for two days. After that, head north for a day. Plan on returning east and when we strike the stream, follow it downstream to the Riverbend Camp.”

“You’ll be crossing the plains for much of the trip, Lee. Think you’ll have a problem?”

“I hope not. If it looks too dangerous, we’ll change direction or quit and come back. If there are obstacles we can’t cross, rivers or canyons or whatever, we’ll come back and let you know. You might want to take the tribe in a different direction if that happens. We’re well past the mine, so I don’t think that’s a concern now. All we’ve got to worry about is what’s ahead of us. We could go more south or north if that looks best.”

“Maybe, Lee. I might scout our back trail while you’re exploring ahead of us. Pavel’s back there somewhere and I want to be sure he’s really gone for good. He might be waiting around to raid us for all we know. He won’t know that the last of his followers have been adopted into Robert’s group and mine.

“Piotr’s a good man…I’m glad he stayed instead of following Pavel. He pitches in and does his share of the work and more.”

“I agree. We might need to work on his weapons skills, maybe make him a heavier bow and a better spear when there’s time. He’s a good worker and he did his share during the hunt, but we don’t know yet if he’s a warrior.”

“Right. I’ll take him with me and maybe I can get an idea of his woods skill. We’ll just be gone a day or two at the most. I need to replenish my arrows before we do that, though. Take me a day, maybe. I’ll be ready to go by the time you leave.”

“Two people gone back to the east, two of us off to the west, Matt. Does that leave enough security for Riverbend Camp and the drying camp?”

“I think so. Lilia’s here and she’s got Sandra and Millie to help. Nothing’s going to approach the fires, so that should be enough security. I’ll talk to Robert before we leave, but most of the people back at Riverbend are armed and they’ve had time to learn how to use their weapons. Laz is there too, and he’ll have Philippe to help him. I think I’ll leave Laz in charge, and he can see Robert for more help if he needs it. Piotr and I will only be gone a day or two. It should be OK.”

One of the women who’d been tending the drying fires was waiting when Matt went back.

“Matt, can I talk to you?”

“Sure. You’re Marja, right? You used to camp with Pavel?”

“Yes. Robert took us in. That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. I’ve been working with Lilia or Colin since Pavel left and I would rather camp with you if that’s acceptable.”

Matt looked curiously at her.

“Did you have problems with someone in Robert’s group?”

“No, but I was more comfortable when Piotr was around. And since I‘m working with Lilia anyway, I thought it would be better to camp with you. If that’s all right.”

“I don’t see any problem, Marja. Let me talk to Lilia and Robert first, but I’ll get back to you as soon as I can. For now, you’re already here working with Lilia and we’ll get the question of who you’re camping with resolved before we head west.”

Marja nodded and went back to work.

#

Matt found Lilia later and brought up the subject.

“Marja wants to camp with us. I don’t have a problem with it, but I wanted your OK before I talk to Robert. What do you think?”

“Matt, I don’t see any problem. If Robert says OK, she can move as soon as we get back to Riverbend Camp.”

“I’ll talk to Robert, then. I’m going to take Piotr and head over there now. Lee can stay here, but I need to make new arrows and my tools and supplies are in camp. I could send Laz and Philippe to help Lee if you need them.”

“We’ve got enough people here, Matt. I’ve got Sandra and Millie too, and we haven’t had problems with predators sniffing around. I expect to be done here in a day anyway, two at the most, as the meat dries. It’ll be a lot easier to transport after it’s dry, not as heavy and it won’t take up as much space. We’ve been sleeping on the fresh skins. They’re pretty smelly, but better than the ground. I’ll take a few back to camp and we can try tanning them at Riverbend. I don’t know if we’ll have enough time…you can’t hurry the tanning process…so if Robert wants to head west before it’s done, we’ll just have to leave the skins. It will depend on how many carts he has.”

“Spare parts too, Lilia. Wheels haven’t lasted very long. Axles are going to wear out fast too.”

“Rawhide will be useful, Matt. We can reinforce the axles with splints held on by rawhide laces. We didn’t get a lot of fat from the bison, it’s too early in the year for them to be putting on fat. I’ll talk to Colin and if he thinks we can spare it, we might try wrapping the axle spindles with fresh hide. There’s a little bit of remaining fat that might help.”

Matt nodded. He found Piotr at a fire, broiling a piece of fresh meat. Selecting a piece for himself, Matt joined him. As the meat cooked, Matt brought up Marja’s name.

“Marja wants to join us, Piotr. What do you think?”

“Good idea, Matt. She’s got friends in Robert’s camp, but there are a couple of women she avoids. I think she’ll be better with us. I’ll see she gets settled in.”

“All right, Piotr. We’ll eat and head for Riverbend Camp. I’m going to be working on arrows. How are you fixed for weapons?”

“My spear’s good. I would like to have one of the steel pointed ones, but there aren’t any extras. The obsidian point I’m using works well enough. I could use a bow with a heavier draw too, but that’s it. I didn’t have a good blank when I made the one I’m using now.”

“I’ll take at look at what’s left in camp. There might be a better blank for a bow. You can make your own if I get you the wood?”

“I can. My tools aren’t very good, but if you don’t mind me using yours, I could work faster.”

“Not a problem. My tools are available to anyone in my camp, and Robert’s got his own. Just be careful with them, OK?

Piotr nodded. A few minutes later the two left Lilia’s drying camp.

#

Two days later, Lee and Marc packed dried meat for a week and headed west-southwest. Matt and Piotr went northeast an hour later.

Piotr carried his new bow and a quiver filled with arrows. The bow was about the same draw weight as Lee’s, both of them only slightly less powerful than the one carried by Matt.

Marja had arrived back at Riverbend and, with Robert’s ready assent, moved her bedding near to where Lilia had hers. The women were working on improving their temporary shelters as Matt and Piotr headed out.

“If we see Pavel, Piotr, I plan to pin him to the nearest tree. Same with Gregor and Vlad. You know they tried to kill me, don’t you? Lilia too.”

Piotr nodded. “I heard a rumor. I won’t have any problem, Matt. I’d just as soon not see them, but if it comes to a fight I know whose side I’m on.”

“I can’t ask more than that, Piotr. Not easy when someone you’ve been camping with turns on you. But we’ve all been members of the one tribe, and Pavel didn’t let that stop him. Envy; it does funny things to people. Anyway, maybe they took off. If they aren’t a danger to us, it’s good riddance as far as I’m concerned.”

Chapter 10

“Woods skills are as important as being able to work with your hands, Piotr. We’ll need builders and craftsmen where we’re going, but first we have to get there.”

“I understand, Matt. I have learned many other things, I can learn this too.”

Matt nodded. “Why don’t you take the lead, then. Head east-southeast and we’ll swing north this afternoon. I don’t expect to get back to Riverbend Camp before tomorrow afternoon at the earliest. Just keep in mind that we don’t have any friends back here. Anyone you see is likely an enemy, so travel quiet and keep your eyes peeled.”

Piotr nodded and led off. Matt watched him critically as he adjusted to leading the way through unknown country.

Two hours later they paused atop a small hill. The two drank from their water gourds and rested while looking over the country ahead of them.

“Couple of ideas, Piotr. Let’s take a look at where we’re going. Then you can tell me which route from here is likely to be easiest for us to travel.”

Piotr finished drinking and carefully fitted the plug into his water gourd before examining the land ahead.

“There’s a lot of heavy timber a little south of us. It looks like part of a pattern, part of that forest off to the south and east. It might mean there’s a body of water there. I think we should probably stay north of there, swing past the heavy growth and stay near the edge of those smaller trees. They’ll provide concealment, and if we run into lions or wolves the trees are big enough to climb out of their reach.

“Two or three more hours in this direction and I think we’ll be ready to swing north. You’re more interested in looking over the area northeast of Riverbend Camp, right?”

“Right. Your idea suits me, so that’s what we’ll do. If Pavel’s still around, he’ll have gone to the northeast. The mine’s in that direction, probably at least a week’s travel even with only three of them. They’ll be able to travel faster than the tribe did, what with dragging the travois and stopping when the women and kids got tired.

“Still, Pavel’s bunch would need to hunt. They couldn’t just keep moving. That means they might still be hanging around back here, hoping to raid the tribe for food.”

Piotr nodded, and after a minute spent resting and looking around the countryside he indicated he was ready to continue.

“See any animals out there, Piotr?”

“There’s a fairly large herd of bison south and a little west of us, near that forest area. There’s something a lot bigger behind them too. Mammoths, maybe sloths. I didn’t see any predators, but they’ve got to be there too.”

“They’re there. Lions for sure, probably wolves too. Saber-tooth cats don’t appear to be as numerous as I expected, based on what archaeologists found on my previous timeline. Maybe there were more of them farther west. That’s where the biggest source of fossils was located, sunk in tar pits. Still, there are likely to be a few around because Lee and I killed one. It was some kind of saber-tooth, even if the teeth weren’t as long as I expected.

“There’ll be bears too, but they won’t follow the herds. They’ll eat whatever they find, and if a lion kills something the bear is perfectly happy to take it away from him. Until then, bears will eat grass and berries. They’re omnivores. That means they could be anywhere, and if we’re going to have problems from animals back here, I suspect they will come from bears.

“The true predators may not bother us unless we blunder into them. They’re used to hunting the plains game and two humans are not much meat for a pride of lions. We’re certainly not enough to tempt them away from the herds, not enough for a pack of wolves, either. The predators pick off the very young, the old, the injured or sick animals. There are a lot of those around a herd, so they won’t leave the bison to hunt us. Winter’s different. Meat’s in short supply then, so the predators will take what they can get. But there’s plenty of game now. Healthy predators won’t be interested in us.”

Piotr nodded. “There are a few deer near the treeline ahead of us. There were more a little while ago, but maybe they’ve started to bed down. Is there anything we need to watch out for when we get close to them?”

“Keep an eye on the trees. Cougars, maybe a jaguar, they’re around, but they’ll avoid the lions and dire wolves. I doubt they’ll attack us either. Still, I don’t feel like rasslin’ a cat today, so keep a lookout.

“Maybe stay a little farther away from brush and briars when you’re walking. I could hear the swishing noise as you brushed past. Other than that, you’re doing fine. I’m ready when you are.”

Piotr settled the small pack he was wearing and led off. Matt followed him down the hillside and the two were soon heading for where the deer had been grazing.

#

Lee and Marc found an abandoned village two days travel southwest of Riverbend Camp.

A dozen huts surrounded a central area with a fire-pit that had been used for several years, judging by the ashes scattered around. Well-worn trails led to the north and southwest.

Someone had tried to develop farming. A few scrubby plants remained, but weeds choked the small garden. Several of the plants had died, probably from lack of water.

The inhabitants had decorated their dwellings. A few flowering plants still survived near doorways, but there were no blooms as yet, only buds. The two prowled around the deserted square and finally met after a few minutes.

“How long, you think?”

“Nobody’s lived here for a year, maybe longer. The ash dumps have been rained on and I doubt they would survive weathering more than two or three years. I think the people left at least a year ago, but not more than three.”

“Sounds right to me, Marc. One of those huts belonged to a flint worker. There are chips around the outside and he had a stool, maybe a table to work from. I found marks where the legs sat, but the stool and table are gone. The people packed up and left or they got raided.”

Marc nodded. “Could be either. But why would they leave? They had shelter and had started planting. They knew something about farming. They put a lot of work into this place just to go off and leave it.”

“Maybe the game moved on and they started running low on food. It takes time for a garden to begin producing. My mother had one, and she collected most of the harvest from the first two years to use as seed. She finally began getting enough for us to eat, as well as surplus seed for the next year, the third season after she started. I’m guessing that the farming effort here hadn’t been going on for more than a year, two at the most. They’d have needed to keep hunting and foraging until the plants began producing enough to live on.”