C. T. Suddeth

Halfway there, something yelled, YOWL.

Lord of the Caves Part 8

Oh-see-rah stepped in front of his brother. “Where did that come from?”

YOWL! Closer this time. So close Oh-see-rah’s ears rang.

“To the right,” whispered Hah-nah-pah.

“Take my torch,” Oh-see-rah handed him the torch and drew his spear thrower out, quickly lighting a wood-tipped spear.

YOWL! Much closer. Too close.

“Dagger-cat,” Hah-nah-pah whispered.

“The Terrible-Thunderers drove off its game.” Oh-see-rah slapped his spear into the spear thrower. Saber-toothed tigers could see and smell in the night—it knew they were alone and were ripe for picking.

YOWL! Almost on top of them.

Oh-see-rah hurled the flaming spear at the sab-er-toothed tiger and fell back. The spear shot just under one of the long fangs before vanishing in the dark.

“Run!” yelled Oh-see-rah as he jumped to his feet.

YOWL! The saber-toothed-tiger swatted its front paw at Oh-See-rah, just missing his knee.

“I’m going to light another spear,” Oh-see-rah whispered.

Hah-nah-pah held a torch out and Oh-see-rah lit the seap as the saber-toothed tiger stalked them, its head close to the ground and hind legs high, its tail straight up.

Either Oh-see-rah’s spear ran true this time or he was about to be eaten. He slapped the fiery spear in just as the beast leapt. He hurled the spear and fell, his back hitting the ground as he bit his tongue from the impact.

The spear landed in its mane, flames hopping onto the long mane. With no time to get to his feet, Oh-see-rah scooted backwards in the grass, hoping it didn’t land on him.

SCREECH! It wriggled and writhed, snapping at the flames but unable to reach them. One of its paws brushed Oh-see-rah’s bare leg.

Oh-see-rah shot to his feet and staggered backward. The cat turned and bounded into the night, soon vanishing.

“Are you all right?” Hah-nah-pah asked.

Oh-see-rah chuckled. “I may have wet myself.”

Hah-nah-pah handed him a torch. “We’re not far from my cave.”

Soon they were back at Ha-nah-pah’s cave. He told his mate about the new cave though skipping mention of the saber-toothed tiger.  

“I would like that.” She picked up her baby and grabbed the hand of her other offspring. The two men carried as much as they could.

“We can make a second trip,” Oh-see-rah said.

The trip in the night was mercifully tame, and they dropped their piles right behind the sleeping furs of Oh-see-rah’s family. While the two women made living arrangements, the two men hurried back to the other cave.  

“Both families living together will be much safer,” Oh-see-rah said while thinking of the pair of T-Rexes.

“And more hands means it will be easier for food and fires and having company,” Hah-nah-pah replied.

At the other cave, they quickly gathered up the rest of the belongings. Though Oh-see-rah didn’t expect the T-Rexes to terrorize the night, he was wary of their treachery. A T-Rex never forgot an injury and could recognize a man who had dared challenge them. They would seek revenge, hopefully in daylight.

A torch was moving in the night, heading their direction.

Oh-see-rah did not need more trouble. “Hey!”

“Oh-see-rah? It’s Ah-koh-rah.”

Oh-see-rah smiled and halted. Ah-koh-rah’s cave was close by, and they had played together as boys, throwing wooden spears at a cave wall. The three met, their torches making a dent in the blackness.

“Oh-see-rah, I just came from your cave,” said Ah-koh-rah. “Can my family live in the cave, too?”

TO BE CONTINUED

Copyright 2021 Charles Suddeth