"The huntresses are already back. We took too long." K'ile spat this like an accusation at K'li, even though the delay was probably more credit to the Yohko and Luha pulling at his attention. But would K'ile blame himself for letting himself get distracted by them? Not with K'lie around and so convenient to complain at. K'ile tossed the lids on the clay vessels full of cooked meat, then threw a lid at K'li. "You get the salted meat. Come on, K'li Tia."
K'ile hefted one of the vessel's in each arm, lifting them high on his shoulders and turning to exit the tent. As he stepped out, the red light of the bonfire caught in his blue eyes. He stopped as he caught the scent of fresh kills, fresh fire, and huntresses whose bodies were full of fire and adrenaline. If tradition held, more than one huntresses would be hungry for the Nunh after a hunt, and moreso after a challenge.
The joke was that to survive the challenge was easy. Surviving the rest of the night was another thing.
The scent and the firelight reminded K'ile of nights years-past, watching the late K'thalen Nunh toy with lesser challengers before a raucous crowed of hundreds of Hipparion. He recalled feasts that lasted for two days straight, when two Nunh took two challenges on two evenings. He recalled great dances that had lit entire nights, five fire dancers moving in alternating circles for hours on end.
K'ile didn't wait. The throbbing headache of his concussion still pulsed behind his ears, but he barely felt it as he trotted forward and shouted to the gathered huntresses. "Hey! Someone drag K'yohko out here! If he wants to call himself Nunh he's going to have to earn it tonight!" The red firelight flicked off K'ile's sweat as though he himself were aflame, the darker dirt of their new home sticking to him like smoke in the sky.
Heads glanced up from him from the hunt's kills. These were the beasts that K'luha and he had spotted when they were scouting out this land for the tribe. It seemed so strange now, that what they had discussed then had actually happened. The entire tribe had come, and the bounty was just as great as they'd hoped it would be then. Maybe K'luha was right when they'd spoken earlier. Maybe now was the time to multiply and fill the tribe with kids.
"There's more in the meat tent!" K'ile shouted, hefting the clay vessels in his arms. He didn't have to say more than that. A handful of huntresses stepped away from the fire and the carcasses to get the dozen other vessels that K'ile and K'li had filled with food. K'ile set the vessels off to the side of the fire, leaving a wide swath of space available close to the fire where he and K'yohko would fight.
Once the meat was on the ground, he waved to the Elders to get their attention. He saw them adorned in the ritual garb of the challenge, something he hadn't seen in years. There was a different mood about them. K'deiki stood with a strength that she'd lacked even when he'd seen her an hour earlier last night.
K'ile barely noticed this before he turned away and shouted out over the sound of the crackling fire. "K'luha! Hey, where are you?"
K'ile hefted one of the vessel's in each arm, lifting them high on his shoulders and turning to exit the tent. As he stepped out, the red light of the bonfire caught in his blue eyes. He stopped as he caught the scent of fresh kills, fresh fire, and huntresses whose bodies were full of fire and adrenaline. If tradition held, more than one huntresses would be hungry for the Nunh after a hunt, and moreso after a challenge.
The joke was that to survive the challenge was easy. Surviving the rest of the night was another thing.
The scent and the firelight reminded K'ile of nights years-past, watching the late K'thalen Nunh toy with lesser challengers before a raucous crowed of hundreds of Hipparion. He recalled feasts that lasted for two days straight, when two Nunh took two challenges on two evenings. He recalled great dances that had lit entire nights, five fire dancers moving in alternating circles for hours on end.
K'ile didn't wait. The throbbing headache of his concussion still pulsed behind his ears, but he barely felt it as he trotted forward and shouted to the gathered huntresses. "Hey! Someone drag K'yohko out here! If he wants to call himself Nunh he's going to have to earn it tonight!" The red firelight flicked off K'ile's sweat as though he himself were aflame, the darker dirt of their new home sticking to him like smoke in the sky.
Heads glanced up from him from the hunt's kills. These were the beasts that K'luha and he had spotted when they were scouting out this land for the tribe. It seemed so strange now, that what they had discussed then had actually happened. The entire tribe had come, and the bounty was just as great as they'd hoped it would be then. Maybe K'luha was right when they'd spoken earlier. Maybe now was the time to multiply and fill the tribe with kids.
"There's more in the meat tent!" K'ile shouted, hefting the clay vessels in his arms. He didn't have to say more than that. A handful of huntresses stepped away from the fire and the carcasses to get the dozen other vessels that K'ile and K'li had filled with food. K'ile set the vessels off to the side of the fire, leaving a wide swath of space available close to the fire where he and K'yohko would fight.
Once the meat was on the ground, he waved to the Elders to get their attention. He saw them adorned in the ritual garb of the challenge, something he hadn't seen in years. There was a different mood about them. K'deiki stood with a strength that she'd lacked even when he'd seen her an hour earlier last night.
K'ile barely noticed this before he turned away and shouted out over the sound of the crackling fire. "K'luha! Hey, where are you?"
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