C. T. Suddeth

Lord of the Caves Part 7

Oh-see-rah dropped to his knees and grabbed his spear thrower. Slapping a spear in, he peered into the night. “Come closer, and you will taste of my spear!”

“Oh-see-rah? Is that you?” His brother’s voice. Hah-nah-pah was a winter younger.

Oh-see-rah dropped his spear thrower and stood. “Where’s your torch?”

Hah-nah-pah chuckled. “I smothered it. I didn’t know who was fishing in the middle of the night.”

Oh-see-rah told him about the pair of T-Rexes.

Hah-nah-pah lit his torch with Oh-see-rah’s. “At dusk I spoke with the others. We believe the Mountain Folk lured the pair of Terrible Thunderers to our wooded dale. They have a nest at the end of the creek, just before it empties into the river.”

Expecting the T-Rexes, Oh-see-rah glanced over his shoulder. “Why lure them here?”

“We Dell Folk have fine caves. High in the mountains, it is cold, and the caves are hard to find, as is food. They often burrow into the earth and eat all manner of crawling beasties.”

“Let us do something about the Terrible Thunderers first.” Oh-see-rah waved his torch. “Fire terrifies them.”

Hah-nah-pah aimed his torch at the mountains. “We shall drive the Terrible Thunerers off and then make the Mountain Folk sorry they ever crawled out of their little spider holes.”

Oh-see-rah held his dripping hands out. “I couldn’t hunt at dusk, so I need to fish.”

Hah-nah-Pah shoved his torch into the ground. “Let me help.”

They noodled until the bag would hold no more fish.

“That’s enough,” said Oh-see-rah.

Hah-nah-pah scooped up both torches. “I’ll help you.”

“Thank you.” Oh-see-rah was glad to have help. The bag of whiskered fish was indeed heavy.

They walked in silence, no point in drawing attention—saber-toothed tigers and dire wolves and cave bears relished a moonless night—they all had a keen sense of smell and good ears that made up for blindness.

They came to the cave. While Oh-see-rah told his woman, Ee-sha-nah, about the fishing, Hah-nah-pah explored the back of the cave.

Hah-nah-pah circled, letting his torch shine on the cave walls. “Do you realize how huge this cave is?”

Everyone stared, even the little ones.

Oh-see-rah hadn’t thought about that part of the cave in a long time. “This is cave is big enough for half the dell.”

“Yes,” said Hah-nah-pah. “Will you allow me and my family to live here?”

“Of course. We can protect each other.” Oh-see-rah hadn’t asked his mate. “Ee-shee-na, do you agree?”

“Yes!”

“Thank you,” said Hah-nah-Pah. “I shall bring my family over right away.”

“Let me help you.” Oh-see-rah thought of the T-Rexes. “But we still have a problem with the pair of Terrible Thunderers.”

“Men! Let me show you how to do it.” Eee-shee-nah grabbed two cold torches and stuck them in the fire. “Follow me.”

With her leading, both men followed her. She marched toward the cave’s mouth with a torch in each hand, sooty smoke streaming out. Oh-see-rah did not know what she had in mind as she circled around the paling stakes.

Several paces from the stakes, she halted and plunged the end of both torches into the earth. “Now go bring your brother’s family over. No Terrible Thunderer will walk over two flames.”

Oh-see-rah hugged her. “Great thinking.”

“Men!” She hugged him back. “Hurry back.”

Torches in hand, the two men rushed into the night.

Halfway there, something yelled, YOWL.

TO BE CONTINUED

Copyright 2021 Charles Suddeth