Nane' of The Tribe
Sitting beside the gently flowing stream, he contemplated the mysterious glowing sheet of light that had accompanied him for as long as he could remember.
"Just... what is this thing? Why won't it do something?" he asked, yet the sheet of light remained the same.
"Can you talk?" he murmured. "Well, as if that would make it respond, at least I've tried to treat you like a person, you know."
As he scanned his surroundings, he noticed several ropes stretched across the water with small cloths hanging from them. Moving upstream, he wondered aloud, "Are those... diapers?" his eyes widened. Realization hit him, and a wave of feelings washed over him. "They've been reusing diapers all this time?!"
His thoughts were abruptly interrupted by a loud boom echoing from the village, followed by a thick plume of smoke rising into the sky. Alarmed, he sprang to his feet and dashed back towards the village, driven by a mix of curiosity and concern.
-----
The caregivers were going about their daily tasks. One of them, having retrieved the ball for the children, was returning to the nursery when she noticed that the kid who requested the ball was missing. She searched every corner of the nursery but couldn't find him. Panic set in, and she frantically asked the other caregivers if they had seen him, but no one had.
The elderly woman who would often visit the nursery, approached nearby and noticed the panicked caregiver.
"Why are you outside, are you looking for something?"
"Oh nane', one of the kid is gone. I've tried searching around the nursery but he's nowhere to be found," the caregiver replied, her voice trembling.
"Which kid?"
"The early talker. It's my fault, I left the door open when I go outside, he must be curious and followed me."
"Ah..." said the old woman, nodding, as if she had guessed who the child in was.
The old woman found the situation intriguing and muttered to herself, "Just you wait little gremlin, huhuhu..."
She then calmed the caregiver and instructed her to inform the other caregivers about the situation and to gather several other to follow her. They were also to collect wet twigs with leaves intact. They are heading to the smithy.
Arriving at the smithy, the old woman could hear the rhythmic clanging of metal and feel the intense heat emanating from the forge. She approached an old man, who was supervising his apprentices.
"May I borrow some fuel?"
The old blacksmith, his curiosity piqued, inquired, "Well, well, if its not our Great Shaman. What's it for?"
"Well, something cunning and mischievous has escaped my watch, and I need the fuel to lure it back," the shaman replied.
The blacksmith's expression shifted to one of keen interest. "Ah, I see. Very well," he said. "Take as much as you need."
He then decided to accompany her, eager to see what she planned to do. He then told the apprentices to continue working and carefully keep the temperature of the forge stable.
"...Otherwise, you'll be the one hammered. Understood?"
"
Together, they headed to a field where the tribe usually gathered for significant events, such as the First Hunt of the tribe's young warriors. Seeing the shaman and blacksmith together bringing along ceremonial materials, many tribe members, including children and young warriors, followed them, curious about what was happening.
The shaman began her preparations, her skin glowing with an ethereal light. She took a deep breath, exuding an intimidating aura that stunned everyone present. The gathered charcoals floated up, forming a tightly bundled round shape.The shaman clasped her hands, and the bundle compressed even tighter, becoming incredibly dense.
She instructed the young caregiver to set the twigs on fire, and soon, thick smoke began to rise. When the smoke reached a certain height, she told everyone to step back. Raising her hands, she swung them down forcefully, and the bundle of coals exploded with a deafening boom that could be heard across the several villages.
The one-year-old fugitive, running through the underbrush and over twigs, stumbled occasionally as he navigated the rough terrain. Balancing his tiny body was a challenge, unlike the ease with which he once navigated harsh landscapes as a soldier. Moreover, the sun had reached the peak of the horizon which means it's past the meal time.
"Ughh, this sucks," he grunted, as his little tummy made a gurgling sound.
Reaching the gathering crowd, he watched in awe as people communicated through gestures and called out each other's names. He had missed civilized interaction after his long isolation in the nursery. A little girl spotted him near the bushes and shouted, "Wawa!"
The shaman, upon hearing the word 'baby' turned towards where the little girl is pointing. She then saw a cute little tot dazed in awe and instructed the caregiver to catch him carefully, "Quick and don't let him notice your presence."
The caregiver grinned and sneaked with utmost caution, and picked him up disrupting his moment of wonder.
"Hahah, gotcha little bear," said the caregiver with a wide smile.
The caregiver handed him over to the shaman, who held him up with a laugh. "You have nowhere to run now, huhuhu."
The crowd was surprised, murmuring among themselves.
"Why is there a baby outside?"
"Shouldn't he be in the nursery?"
"If one's going outside where's the other, why not let them all out?"
The source of the attention, however, boldly shouted at the shaman, "Unhand me old woman!"
The crowd was surprised, and muttered among themselves, "No one talks to nane' like that," never having seen anyone speak to the great shaman in such a manner. But all of a sudden everyone shuddered as they felt the shaman exuding intimidating aura, however, the targeted person did not get affected.
The shaman chuckled. "So, it doesn't work on you, huh?", she asked while watching the child struggle in her grasp.
"This might be the best moment of my life," her voice trembled with emotion.
The old blacksmith commented, "We got a bold one this time. I sure hope he'll be strong enough to keep the attitude."
The crowd then laughed at the old man's remark, the children flex their still developing muscles. Everyone was enveloped in happiness while enjoying the moment together, celebrating the upcoming first hunt, and witnessing the bravery of one of the youngest members of their tribe.