An Understanding of Equals (Caveman Chronicles)

The Index -|-

Bre looked up from Kpleeb’s bloody and matted hair to gaze at the cavewoman who had arrived with such an immense show of force. Though the fighting had stopped, there were groans of pain and labored breathing from many of the warriors that lay on the packed ground. Turning, she saw that there were a fair number of pale warriors that certainly must have been dead. Several of the dead were bent and broken in unnatural ways and were covered with blood and chunks of dirt.

He warned us, she thought. Did she save us from the pale warriors, or just save Kpleeb from everyone else?

Kpleeb’s wife looked coldly down on Bre and Kpleeb. Her eyes flickered with a fiery temper, and Bre felt strong contempt roll off of her in waves. Her white hair was tied back into a yaktail and fastened with some kind of cord that Bre did not recognize. The cavewoman’s facial features were very pale – though not as white as the pale warriors – and the shape of her face was different than Bre was used to seeing. The most shocking to Bre was the obvious signs of pregnancy. She knew from experience that the baby must be due within the next moon cycle, maybe sooner. Regardless of her condition, Kpleeb’s wife had a demeanor that exuded strength and lacked any interest in playing games.

“I’m back, Kpleeb. Time to wake up.” The woman reached out with her foot and kicked Kpleeb lightly.

The lilt in the woman’s voice was strange, but Bre noticed that she spoke the same fluid language that Kpleeb spoke. They both used extra words throughout their phrases, and most of them were new to Bre. Over the past few handfuls of sun cycles, Bre had learned a few words from Kpleeb. It was clear to her now that the extra words were a means of providing distinction and detail that was lacking in the general communication of her own tribe. The difference fascinated Bre, and she intended to learn all that she could.

These two are different in some way; intelligent yet still caveman and cavewoman. I must gain their knowledge if I can.

Kpleeb stirred.

###

Kpleeb inhaled slowly and then began coughing violently. His ribs stung with a sharp pain. He opened his eyes, but the image before him was very blurry and bright, and he shut them immediately. He reached out a shaky hand and felt the side of his head. His fingers came away sticky, which explained why his brain felt as if it were trapped inside the drum of a mystic, tundra-shaman.

After a few moments of effort, he was able to shove aside the shooting twinges of pain and stop the wracking cough. Kpleeb breathed heavily and opened his eyes again gingerly. The light bloomed in a fuzzy halo that ebbed and flowed in his eyesight. After a few seconds he blinked a few times more and saw Thoka.

Oh, thank the great spirit tahr!

“Thoka!” Kpleeb mumbled. His jaw felt sluggish. He held his arms up toward her. Her belly had grown since the last time he saw her, and her face stared down at him severely. His extended arms were weak, and began to sag.

Thoka’s face was stony, but Kpleeb saw a crack in her expression. It was momentary, and it passed as she bent toward him.

“Get up, Kpleeb.” Her hand was outstretched.

He grasped her hand. She is so strong.

“We must talk,” Thoka said brusquely. She pointed toward one of the huts as if to command him.

Kpleeb turned his head, saw Bre kneeling next to him, and experienced a short moment of vertigo.

Bre stood and pointed toward the huts. “Talk.,” she said looking at Thoka.

Chief Kilow stepped up and echoed Bre’s intent.

“First, I’ll talk with Kpleeb,” said Thoka. “You wait here.” She pulled him to a standing position.

Kpleeb staggered toward the hut that Thoka had pointed out and leaned on her arm.

“How did you get here?” He asked. “I knew you would come find me.” He turned slightly and look at her face.

She is even more beautiful than I remembered.

Thoka stopped just past the shade of the low and narrow doorway. “Do you need to sit?” she asked.

Kpleeb grimaced at the various pains that broke through his fog. His ribs stung as did his arms, legs, and back. What hurt the most was his head, and he reached up gain to feel the wound.

“I’ll heal, Thoka. I can bathe in the river and then see what cuts must be attended to.”

“You certainly like spending time in the river, don’t you?” Thoka’s face was pinched as she spit her words. “Spending time with Bre.”

“What?! No, why?” Kpleeb could not believe what he was hearing.

“She certainly like parading around in front of you… naked too.” Thoka huffed. “I’m back now and you’ll have to keep your eyes to yourself.”

Kpleeb raised his hands as if to ward off her accusations. “All of the cavewomen wear only a loincloth here just like they did when I grew up on the canyon river. Kilow, all the rest. Why are you worried about Bre? Kpleeb started to feel ranty. “It’s not as if she is the best-looking cavewoman around. Have you seen Molk’s girl, Hilok?” He trailed off as he realized his mistake.

“Yes, Hilok is buxom – and tall,” said Thoka, “but you spent a lot of time with Bre… and you seemed to enjoy it.” Thoka waved an index finger in Kpleeb’s face like a snake waiting to strike.

He scoffed loudly. “Oh, please! She was assigned by Chief Kilow to watch me. She is training to be the next chief. Anyway, there are a few dozen women walking around here, bathing, and doing whatever else cavewomen do every day.” Kpleeb softened his voice. “I know that it may not have looked okay from a distance, but I was and still am your caveman. I’m loyal. What did you want to talk about anyways, just this?”

Thoka’s eyes burned at him for a quick moment and then she dropped her gaze. After a moment she slowly looked up at him again.

“I forgive you…” she paused. “I have much to tell you- and to show you. And the baby, she comes soon.”

Kpleeb reached out a hand and cupped Thoka’s clean, white cheek. “I forgive you too, and yes, there is much to share. We must talk before we speak to Chief Kilow and Bre.“ Kpleeb looked out into the village circle and saw that Bre and the chief had followed and were standing a dozen paces away from the hut.

“I need to bathe and assess these wounds. Let’s go to the river to talk where we cannot be heard.”

Thoka looked at the waiting cavewomen and nodded. “Your healing is most important.” She turned, wrapped her arm around him, and began to lead him outside.

Chief Kilow stepped forward, but Thoka spoke before she could open her mouth. “We will talk after my husband is bathed and his wounds are tended to.

The chief nodded. “I bring salve.” She turned away quickly. Bre paused as if unsure and then trotted after Kilow.

“We don’t have much time,” Kpleeb said with a wince as he walked slowly. “We must work with this tribe. They have knowledge of this place, and they have warriors and gatherers. We can teach them and they can be our tribe.”

Thoka nodded thoughtfully. “Do you want to find our home?”

“I told them that we were with the wet canyon tribe.”

Thoka’s looked sideways at him. “Why?”

“I don’t know where we are. What if the river canyon or the wet mountains are close and it causes problems for us here?” Kpleeb looked up at the very distant white peak across the river.

“That is not the wet mountains. Trust me,” said Thoka. “I don’t know where we are either, but it’s not something we should worry about.” She stepped into the water at the edge of the river. “Listen, I have to tell you about what I have learned.”

Kpleeb knelt down gingerly and began to splash water onto his head. The chill hurt at first and accentuated his burgeoning headache. He shivered but continued because he knew that he needed to clean up and heal.

Thoka’s spoke again when he started to clean the rest of his body. “I used my time finding ways to rescue you. It seemed like a long time, but I now know that we can dominate this tribe and any other that we find. They can serve us, Kpleeb.”

Kpleeb grunted. “How can we dominate them? With your invisible forces?”

“Yes. I am strong and very, very smart. With your skills and mine together… well there is no limit to how far we can go.” She turned and watched Kilow and Bre approaching from a distance. “We can work with them, if that’s what you want to call it, but in the end, we need helpers.”

“To live?”

“No, we need helpers so that we can find the entities that kidnapped from our homes and locked us in those caves.” She looked down at Kpleeb and put her hand on her swollen belly. “And they changed us. They must pay for what they’ve done.”

Kpleeb was quiet as he washed. Bre and Chief Kilow arrived and stood looking at Thoka. Thoka stared back at them as if she could read their future.

There was a long moment with only the muted babbling of the river echoing their thoughts.

Kpleeb looked up at Thoka and then at Chief Kilow and Bre. It seemed to him as a test of wills played out in an arena of stubbornness.

Curse the gods who brought us here. Thoka is right. We must bring vengeance onto their lands.