Eight

Collection of Pages part 1; A lovers Sacrifice

We stalk our prey as hunters ever-lurking in the shadow of the trees and brush. Our bounty will provide food for the seasons ahead and as part of our clan's laws, we return that which we claim. For every kill, we strip what we need and bury the rest offering a prayer for a successful hunt. We repeat this till we claim five deer and five rabbits to return to our tribe but this hunt isn't the same. We find something strange in our hunting grounds, we follow it like wolves assessing its vital weaknesses. It walks like a man and wields a large club yet it doesn't stomp or shake the ground with its towering size. Soon we realize it's heading straight to our camp so as the head of our hunters I must make a choice. We could win easily with the advantage of surprise on our side but we don't know how this creature will react. Removing a piece of deer meat from a wrapped parcel I hurl it in the opposite direction which catches its attention and we take the opportunity to return home quickly. Our people are joyous at a successful hunt but we bring grim news and I must deliver it to our elders while our crafters get to work on the hide collected.

I bow my head low in greeting but do not let much time pass before I explain our situation. The elders listen to every detail of our examination of the strange creature. I then tell them of my judgment regarding this creature if we could win. At first, I believed so but the more I think the less likely that is the reality. I tell them we may lose many hunters if we attack this creature without further understanding. The head of our crafters speaks wisely and raises a question to me ' Can we communicate with it

?' The question is possible but carries the same weight as our other options. Ultimately as head of their hunters, they refer to my judgment fully. So I take the rest of the day to decide on our course moving forward. That night I sit down with my wife but she sees my face knows I don't bring good news. But I tell her everything regarding our options and the creature. She knows the risk being a hunter brings but this will most likely claim many lives. That night after dinner she finally spoke about everything.

" She told me that everything must return to the earth. This is your choice to make but know I cannot bare this burden of loss should you be claimed by the earth. And if our child is born without his father as a mother I will feel I have failed my duty to him. I am not the strong one here my love. So if you must go take my amulet with you and may our gods protect you. And if they don't then I beg you find a way home to me for I will not say goodbye this night."

That night I held her in my arms as she slept my heart was breaking at her words. I must protect our home and clan. But I swear to the gods, I will crawl through death to see you again my love. In the morning I made my decision and I gathered our best with a heavy heart I lead them into uncertainty. They are brave and believe in my judgment but I feel guilty for risking so many lives dangerously, my wife doesn't break in front of anyone. She's strong in the face of so much pain and she smiles with a wave sending me off next to the other wives and family. May the gods grant my wish for I will not leave this world without seeing her one more time. We race through the forest back to the place we found the creature once before to begin tracking it. Two of our beat trackers have already found a pattern to follow and we begin our hunt here.

We stalk through the shadows and brush staying low as we follow our trackers to our prey. It takes us some time to come upon the creature but we find it once more, sitting and enjoying a meal. I order my hunters into position to surround the creature I have decided to make a desperate attempt at communication. It will be just me making the sacrifice if it does not work out, so I wait for my hunters to get in position then I approach the creature. Keeping my distance and my weapons low I let my voice call out to it, I ask if it understands me. But it stands and turns to face me offering a grunt and a foot stomp, this means no clearly. But something is off this creature is not the one I saw that day no this one is older with armor. Before my thoughts could find their conclusion another set of stomps are heard behind the creature and it is the younger one I spotted that day this situation is worse and we are not prepared for it. They begin to approach me with clubs raise but my hunters are steady waiting for my orders I move to keep distance and call out again to them but no avail.

Our clan must know of this threat so I do the one thing as a leader that lifts my guilt. I let forth a roar loud and defiantly which signals my hunters to return home. They will report this and I will cut one down this day, so may the gods grant me strength. With my bow and reflexes, I move through the battlefield between two large creatures as they awing and swipe at me. It becomes harder and harder to dodge and shoot my bow but I press on till a swipe catches me off guard. I managed to raise my bow to brace myself for the impact which sends me spiraling across the ground. With a cracked bow I am now left with my knife so I draw my blade and prepare once more for the fight. It takes a long time to bring one down but I lost my knife inside its single eye, my body aches, and my bones are broken or cracked. Barehanded I'm left against the older armored one it continues its aggression towards me. As the fight drags on my body no longer wishes to move so I force it through the pain I feel, I make it to my cracked bow, and just as I take aim and release the swipe of his club crashes into my left shoulder. The arrow lodges itself between the opening of its helmet piercing the eye which caused a fatal blow to crush my left shoulder allowing me to escape imminent death.

As I collapse to the ground I feel my body giving in to its damage I feel my life fading. But I swore I would crawl through death to see her again so with my last bit of strength I begin crawling. My body protests and begs me to rest but I cannot till I have come home one last time. The elders often speak of the voice in nature before I never heard it, but as the trees begin to blow more intensely like a storm is rising. I hear a faint whisper it's calling me, but I push on ignoring it as I crawl forward. My vision fails me but I know I made it home my hearing is fading but I hear her cries and feel her hands as she holds me.

" I cannot see my love but I have returned....I was not strong enough forgive me."

"It's okay you were strong enough to come home and grant me this goodbye, my love. So please rest with the spirits of the forest and return to the earth. I shall see you again no matter how much I must search we will meet again."