Regenerations

By Will Decker

Book 4 in the HEALF Saga. Way back in book 1, Rod and Lote were seperated from her aging parents Hig and Leeta when the behemoth they were strapped to became spooked and charged wildly through the jungle, quickly leaving Rod and Lote far behind. This is their story as told through the eyes of Hig and Leeta. Follow along as they discover all the secrets, adventures, and trials that Healf holds in store for them. And long before they discover recycling and renewed life, they discover love, but not necessarily with each other.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Will Decker
• Release date: Feb 28, 2011
• ISBN: 9781458154828

Will Decker

Hello,There have been some dramatic changes going on in my life and because of them I am finding that I now have more available time. Yeah, that's a laugh. Now it seems like my days are even more hectic than they were before. Hence, I have decided instead of using the narrow sighted approach to marketing my books, I am going to use a much simpler approach. No longer will my books be available through Amazon markets, but instead, my plan is to make them all available through the Smashwords site as well as their affiliated markets for FREE. However, this will take time so if you have read any of my books and are looking to read more of them, bear with me, I promise you they are coming. I hope this works for my dedicated (few) readers. On a different topic, as you can see, most of my writing efforts have been serials.With that said, you will never find a Cliff Hanger amongst my works. All of the stories have beginnings and endings and can stand on their own. Their common thread might be the characters and in some cases, the planet, but all are Stand-Alone novels! I really despise Cliff Hangers with a passion. Can you tell?Thanks for taking the time to get to know me a little better, WillHope you have a great day.Sincerely, Will Decker

Book preview

HEALF

REGENERATIONS

Will Decker

Book 4 in the HEALF SCI-FI Series

Copyright 2004 by WILL DECKER

Smashwords Edition

WILL DECKER has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, graphic, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or otherwise, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased, or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law, or in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

REGENERATIONS is a work of fiction. The resemblance of any characters to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental. Names, characters, places, brands, media, situations, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

This eBook may not be re-sold or given away except with written permission from the author or as otherwise permitted through special promotions and programs.

A special thank you to everyone that has made this story possible. My beta reader, my proof reader, and to you the readers. I sincerely hope you enjoy this work of fiction.

Will

More Exciting Stories by Will Decker:

DRIVEN

UNREQUITED LOVE

FIRE BABY

HYBRID KILLERS

The ‘HEÄLF’ Collection:

MORTALITY REVISITED

CLONE WARS

DAY OF NIGHT

REGENERATIONS

HORSPAW

The ‘Mac" Collection:

THE WITNESS

TOXIC RAIN

BETRAYAL

RECORD KEEPER

DEATH IN THE DUNES

WIT-SEC FAIL

SIMPLY PERFECT BINDING 2ND Ed.

If you enjoyed this book, please take a moment to leave a review.

Authors starve or eat based on reviews. Thanking you from the pit of my stomach, WILL

Table of Contents:

1

2

3

4

5

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16

Intro to Horspaw

More

**1**

He is a very nice young man! Leeta stated emphatically.

He is no different from all the others! Hig argued, equally emphatic. He looks at our Loté with the same look in his eye as every other young buck; he wants but one thing!

That may be true, but I see something more in him, something deeper. She paused for a moment before adding, Are you forgetting that he is a pilot?

Was a pilot! he quickly retorted, feeling as if he might be gaining the upper hand in their dispute. How could I forget when you are constantly reminding me?

She is wise for her age; she will know when she has met the right man, whether he is a pilot or otherwise. Yet, if it turns out that she will mate with this man, his status as a pilot would make life very easy for us in our elderly years.

How can you talk that way! he hissed, incredulous that she could speak so openly of such a delicate subject, especially when it so candidly bordered on a future that was uncertain at best.

Is it not true? she heatedly fired back, her intensity maintaining a level with his. Look at him! He is strong, handsome, and very intelligent; a mother couldn’t wish for more from a prospective son-in-law! He would make our Loté very happy.

That may be so, but you will not speak of such matters to our daughter. If she develops feelings for this man, they will be because of something she feels from within, not because she feels pressured from without!

Fine! I will say nothing of my sentiments openly. But between you and me, you haven’t heard the end of this!

Listen, he suddenly hissed at her, the tone of his voice changing to reflect a sudden distraction from their conversation, while delivering a warning mixed with an awareness of their immediate surroundings.

What? she hesitantly demanded. I hear nothing. After a brief pause, in which she heard nothing out of the ordinary, she continued, Do not think that you can change the subject by distracting me. Loté and that young man cannot hear us up here, sitting astride this huge behemoth.

Although she wasn’t completely convinced that he had actually heard anything, she kept her voice subdued.

Instead of replying with another sharp retort, he held his fingers to his mouth, quickly dispelling all remaining doubts of his seriousness. They had been riding on the back of the behemoth for several hours; ever since the pilot, and topic of their debate, Captain Rodick, had displayed an immense amount of courage by approaching the animal and discovering that it wasn’t dangerous, only lonely for human contact.

Now, suddenly, the animal was acting peculiar; like Hig, it also sensed impending danger. In just the last few minutes, the creature began showing signs of nervousness. Even through the heavy layer of skin and course hair, he could feel the growing tension in the animal’s tremendous musculature. In addition, despite the old beast’s advancing age, up until just recently the ride had been smooth and rhythmic. Now, each step could be felt with a bone-jarring rigidity and stiffness.

Tightening his grip on the unsophisticated harness that Loté, their young and beautiful daughter, had fashioned for him and Leeta in order to secure them to the creature’s back, he softly whispered to her to remain quiet. She now believed that her husband and mate of many years sensed something real, something dangerous. Despite the paralysis that she’d had to endure for the majority of her life in her lower body, she too felt the mounting tension in the behemoth’s gate.

Just as he turned to signal to his daughter that he sensed danger ahead, an ear-shattering screech tore through the still air! Too late, as the ugly beasts descended upon them from the jungle canopy high above their heads, he realized the danger to his daughter and the young pilot on the jungle floor behind them.

The air was filled with the cries of scavenger beasts, native inhabitants of Heälf. Although they normally didn’t attack humans, preferring instead to comb the eastern horizon where the dead and dying eventually came to rest, this band was the exception. They were hungry, and hunger can drive almost any creature to take extreme measures, even when it didn’t fit their normal behavior pattern.

As Hig quickly discovered, the height afforded them on the back of the huge behemoth provided little protection from the creature’s attack. Unlike most animals of prey, the scavengers attacking them lived in the jungle canopy, and thus dropped from tremendous heights to land on their victims. With long, sharp, talon-like claws on their hands and feet that were capable of shredding even the hide of a behemoth, a single rake down the front would easily disembowel a man. Moreover, their nine-foot height and proportionate limbs gave them the advantage in a hand-to-hand fight, even if the man was armed with a knife.

Fortunately, they rarely if ever attacked humans. They were far more apt to skirt a tribe’s campsite by a considerable distance in order to avoid contact. Yet, they wouldn’t hesitate to kill and eat the infirm humans they encountered in their continual search for food. It was irrelevant to them that the humans had been abandoned by their respective tribes; they were just following their nature.

With a tenacity and flexibility that belied his aged looks, Hig positioned himself over Leeta’s frail form. Using his feet and one hand to secure himself to the behemoth’s back, he gripped his knife with his free hand; he would die before he would let the beasts get to his mate. A long time ago, he had been unable to protect her, and the consequences were her paralysis; he swore that he would never let that happen again!

Even as the first beast landed on the behemoth’s broad head, the talons on its feet curling into the thick hide for support, the behemoth let out a cry of pain and drove its head into the thick trunk of a tree, crushing the beast in a spray of blood and gore.

With a tremendous lurch, the behemoth bolted forward, almost throwing Hig from its back. Although he would have been surprised if the harness had not held, he still felt a brief moment of pride at his daughter’s fine display of workmanship.

To his great dismay, in the crashing moment of chaos, the knife that he treasured so dearly had slipped from his grasp, as he struggled madly just to hold on. Aside from a flagon of water and a small pack, they had very little in the way of supplies, while the behemoth charged madly forward through the jungle, carrying them ever farther from the fight, as well as their daughter.

Even as he considered their situation, his thoughts were dominated by those of concern for Loté, and how she was fairing against the scavenging beasts. Even with the young pilot at her side, they were facing overwhelming numbers of the horrendous creatures.

Just as the behemoth appeared to be slowing, there was a loud explosion in the jungle behind them. With blood running from the pair of wounds on the behemoth’s massive forehead, the loud noise spurred the creature on, driving it forward at even greater speed. With the smell and taste of its own blood being sucked into its mouth, the creature grew wild with fear. Until it ran itself to death, or calmed enough to stop, Leeta and Hig could do nothing but hang on. In a matter of seconds, their lives had become one with the behemoth’s!

Breathing hard and bouncing roughly to the rhythm of the behemoth’s footfalls, Hig began to wonder how much longer he could hold on. Even Leeta, secured to the behemoth’s back, was showing the strain of the ride, not to mention the worry and concern that she felt for her daughter and the pilot.

Minutes turned into hours, hours into eternity, and yet the creature didn’t stop. Hig found it hard to believe that such an old animal could have so much life left in it.

Before he realized it, the ride had turned into an unending blur, while his thoughts turned introspective. He found himself contemplating their decision to leave the tribe when they had. It was a decision based on pride and nothing more. Many of their fellow tribesmen had offered to help them in an effort to keep them from leaving. Even young braves, understanding that they would inherit the responsibility of an old man and a disabled old woman had pledged offers of marriage to Loté in an attempt to keep them within the tribe. And yet, because of his pride, he couldn’t accept their generosity. Now he questioned his actions. Was it fair to Loté and Leeta? What did he think Loté would do? Although he had asked her to stay with the tribe, he knew that she wouldn’t. Had his decision to leave affected her chance at happiness with a man and a familial tribe?

If they hadn’t found the pilot when they had, they never would have managed to stay as far ahead of the rising sun as they had. He blamed himself and his stupid pride for banishing his family from everything they knew and cherished, and condemning them to a slow, painful death! How could he have let himself be so selfish?

The beast beneath them was old, even for a behemoth, which can live for more than two human life spans, and yet it continues to fight so that it can live for yet another day. It is not selfish, it doesn’t throw them off so that it can move easier, and neither would their tribe. He had always been proud of his tribe and the comradery they’d enjoyed; what made him think that they would regret having to assist him and his family?

While his thoughts raced on, so did the behemoth, always moving westward. As the jungle flew by them in a green blur, he distractedly prayed for the beast to stop. At one point, he wished for his knife, thinking that he could kill it before it killed them. Yet, he knew that even if he still had his knife, and even if he could find it within himself to stab the beast, he wasn’t sure that he could find it within his heart to hurt the poor creature anymore than it already was. In fact, his feeble efforts might only draw the creature’s attention to him and Leeta, and their free ride might not end so amicably.

After a tortuous time of indecision, the futility of their situation sank in. Short of cutting Leeta loose and throwing themselves from the creature’s back, they were along for the ride. Although the behemoth was rapidly carrying them away from their daughter, it was carrying them westward, away from the rising sun. With each jarring footfall that crushed the vegetation beneath it, they drew closer to their old tribe. If they held on, and the beast didn’t die beneath them, or kill them when its heart finally gave up and it sent them crashing to the hard surface, they would continue forward and search for their tribe. If Loté and the pilot survive the scavengers, she will know where to find them. All they had to do was hold on, and outlive the behemoth!

At some point, exhaustion overcame him and he dozed off. When he woke, he immediately became aware that the behemoth had slowed to a trot. Anxiously, he looked toward his mate. With relief, he saw that she also slept. Although he couldn’t be sure, he guessed that he’d been sleeping for several hours.

Turning stiffly toward the east, he realized why he hadn’t fallen off the behemoth while he’d slept; his hand had cramped into a stiff claw that was white from the tension of his grip. Try as he might, he couldn’t force his fingers to release their hold from the braided-cord harness.

Staring back to the east, he realized also with a small amount of satisfaction that they had traveled many miles. Judging by the brightness on the horizon, he guesstimated that they must have covered nearly half the distance back to their tribe. He based his estimate on the tribe adhering to its normal routine, and not varying by waiting on search parties that they might have sent out in search of him and his family. Of course, he didn’t expect them to come after his family, and he would have fought them off if they had tried to bring them back by force. However, that was an unlikely scenario, considering how his tribe’s people valued their individual rights. They would never force anyone to do anything that they didn’t want to do, unless it infringed upon the rights of others.

Turning stiffly back to the west, all the while massaging his numb hand with the other, he further counted his blessings; the height of the behemoth allowed them the luxury of riding above the undergrowth, yet not so high that they had to worry about branches from the jungle canopy almost two hundred feet above them.

Even as he considered these things, Leeta’s eyes fluttered open. She immediately sensed that the creature had slowed, and she smiled up at her mate. Almost as if the creature sensed her waking, it blew loudly through its nose, a thick spray of mucous and blood momentarily fogging the air around them; the behemoth was dying; yet, it didn’t stop.

As the pink mist settled over Hig and Leeta, her smile faded. Because the beast had served them well, and continued to serve them even as it breathed its last breaths, they felt an attachment to it.

You must stop the poor creature, begged Leeta suddenly.

Looking back hopelessly at Leeta, he weakly argued, There is nothing that I can do for it, woman.

With a fire coming to life in her eyes, she suddenly argued with him, Take my wrap and throw it over its eyes. Maybe if it can’t see, it will stop!

Even if I were able to stop it now, I’m afraid it’s too late, there is nothing we can do for the poor creature. You saw the blood in its blow.

We will never know if we don’t try! she screamed vehemently at him.

Pulling her wrap from around her thin, frail body, he carefully balanced himself out over the beast’s massive forehead. Fortunately, the behemoth had slowed to a gentle stroll, its heavy footfalls broken by the soft vegetation growing thickly over the hard crust of the surface below. As Hig held the soft leather wrap out before him, he could see that in order to cover the behemoth’s sight, he would have to center the wrap precisely, or one eye would remain uncovered, allowing the creature to see.

Balancing precariously over the creature’s head, he flapped Leeta’s wrap out and down. It landed with a wet, sticky sound, effectively blinding the massive beast.

Without warning, the behemoth pulled up short, sending Hig sailing from his uncertain perch. Although he would land hard, possibly incurring fatal injuries in the process, the wrap remained adhered to the creature’s blood and mucous covered face; it wouldn’t trample him beneath its broad feet.

Before he realized fully what had happened to him, he was lying on his back atop a large mound of vegetation. Though the wind had been knocked from him, he recovered remarkably fast for such a frail old man; he amazed even himself!

Moving slowly for fear that something might be broken, he rolled over to his side and looked back at the beast standing above him. It was covered with a gray lather and trembling violently, its breath whistling loudly in and out.

As he moved to rise, it suddenly dawned on him that the beast could die at any moment. If Leeta were still secured to its back when that happened, she might be crushed beneath the creature’s massive carcass!

Throwing caution to the wind, he hurried to the side of the beast and yelled up to Leeta. Leeta, I am going to untie the harness and lower you down the side.

Even as he spoke, the behemoth gave an involuntary lurch, only catching itself at the last moment and managing to remain upright. Afraid to move under the creature, he hurried around the front, noticing the pool of blood collecting beneath the poor animal’s mouth. When he got to the far side of the beast, he frantically swiped at the heavy covering of gray foam in search of the knot securing the harness.

Upon finding the knot, he was further discouraged by the fact that the leather-braided cord was saturated with sweat. With no knife to cut the cord, he worked futilely at the tightened knot, aware that the beast was liable to collapse at any moment, possibly crushing him and Leeta together beneath it.

In his haste, he broke a fingernail off, the salty lather mixing with his own blood and causing the exposed flesh to burn and sting. Yet, he couldn’t stop, the feeling of impending doom growing ever larger in his mind, whether real or imagined.

Suddenly, the beast sidestepped, almost falling on top of him. The danger wasn’t imagined. Though he instinctively jumped away, the undergrowth restricted his movement; had the beast fallen, he would have been crushed.

With renewed vigor, he tackled the knot. Yet, it refused to come undone. With sweat streaming down his forehead and into his eyes, he looked up at the daunting height of the creature. Since he was unable to undo Loté’s knot, his only other alternative was to climb back upon the behemoth and untie Leeta. Although he saw no other alternative to his dilemma, he wasn’t sure whether he was capable of climbing up the sweat-slicked side of the behemoth with only the sweat-saturated cord to assist him. And even then, if he managed to reach Leeta and untie her, how would he lower her safely to the jungle floor without dropping her?

Feeling small and insignificant against a world full of behemoths and overwhelming problems, Hig slowly slumped to his knees. He had come to the end of his rope, and he didn’t know what to do. He almost wished the behemoth would topple over on him, putting him out of his misery. Once again, he felt as though he’d let his family down. Fleetingly, he wondered if the young pilot would know what to do if he were up against the same set of circumstances.

No sooner had the thought crossed his mind, and then he realized that of one thing he was certain, the young pilot wouldn’t be sitting on the ground feeling sorry for himself and defeated. Despite the insurmountable problems he faced, Captain Rodick wouldn’t give up, and neither would he!

With renewed determination, he rose to his feet and reached out for the knot that had previously defeated his best efforts. As he grabbed hold of it, though, he suddenly noticed that the beast was no longer trembling. Upon further inspection of the animal, he also noted that the unsightly flow of blood and mucous that had previously been flowing freely from its nostrils and mouth had almost ceased, the previously steady flow having abated dramatically. Could he dare hope that the beast was getting its wind back, and that it might even recover from its extreme over-exertion?

Leeta! My Leeta, do you feel it? he cried out joyously to her.

Her voice barely more than a whisper, she called back to him, Yes, Hig. I can feel it. The worst is over, the beast will live!

Moving around to the front of the behemoth, he looked around for a branch long enough to reach the leather wrap still covering its eyes. After finding and securing a young sapling, he gently pushed up the center of the wrap until its eyes shone brightly back at him. The creature’s breathing and respiration were far from normal, and so he stood at the ready, should the beast suddenly bolt forward.

As he looked back into the creature’s eyes, however, he knew his caution was for naught; staring back at him were two doleful eyes, equally glad to see him.

By pushing and pulling the leather wrap with the end of the sapling, he managed with some effort to jar it free of the dried mucous and blood. Holding the wrap under his arm, he stepped back and used the universal signal for the creature to kneel so that he could mount it. Much to his surprise, it responded, and gently lowered itself to its kneepads, the fronts of which were thick with green vegetation from its frantic run through the jungle foliage.

With the beast’s head on a level with his own, he hurriedly studied the wounds inflicted by the scavengers. To his immense delight, he discovered that the gashes were superficial, even though they had penetrated clear into the nasal passages of the great beast. The blood that had previously flowed from the creature’s mouth and nose was simply draining inward from its wounds, and not from the poor creature’s lungs.

Unable to contain his excitement, he balled the wrap in his fists and started rubbing its face vigorously, removing the dried phlegm and blood from around its mouth and eyes.

As he wiped and stroked the behemoth’s face, he had to wonder if something in the beast’s past had caused him to be sensitive to the smell of blood. He didn’t believe that it was because the creature had been abused by its former captors, or it would never have allowed them to get near it in the first place. Instead, he felt that others, possibly even human slaves, had been tortured in its vicinity, thus creating an abhorrence and repulsion to the scent of blood. The more he considered it, the more he convinced himself that he was right.

Moving around to the creature’s side, he worked his stiff fingers beneath the drying cord and slowly pulled himself up beside Leeta. It’s all right, he said softly, reassuringly.

We need to drink and so does the behemoth, she replied, a smile creasing the wrinkles on her face.

Instead of answering her, he bent over and gave her a hug. Although their newfound feelings of relief were overwhelming, they were now confronted with an entirely new set of problems. The first of which was to discover what had become of their daughter!

Straightening, he reached over and untied the water flagon. Before taking a drink himself, he held it to her lips. Only when she’d drank her fill did he sip off enough to barely wet his lips; he would drink his fill only after they found a pond with which to replenish their meager supply and not before.

Slipping off the side of the beast, he went around to its front and poured most of the remaining water into its mouth. He held back enough for Leeta to have one more drink, though he felt confident that they would discover water before that was necessary.

Putting the stopper back in the flagon, he remounted the beast and proceeded to survey the remainder of their possessions and supplies. Seeing the look of concern on her husband’s face, Leeta said, We have more than we have a right to, we will be just fine.

Meeting her gaze, he could only nod, his voice being suddenly choked up with shame. For the second time since meeting the young pilot, he found himself feeling inadequate and undeserving of such a fine woman. Although her body had been broken by a wild beast, and she had grown old and feeble, she was still more woman than most could ever hope to be. She had a sharp mind, a caring soul, and an intuition that never failed; he was a very fortunate man to have her for his mate!

With a click of his tongue, and a gentle swat above the creature’s head with the sapling, being careful to avoid the still tender wounds, the behemoth rose begrudgingly to its feet. Its breathing had returned to normal, and it appeared to appreciate the water that Hig had given it. Although Hig had never ridden a behemoth prior to this one, the signals he used to control it seemed only natural.

In addition, he wasn’t interested in making it do anymore than move forward, and lower them when he needed to get down. If there were any other commands that it understood and might respond to, Hig didn’t know them, nor did he care.

They were moving westward, despite the fact that their daughter and the pilot were somewhere behind them to the east. After several hours of riding in silence, Hig’s eyes caught the dull reflection of moonglow off a pristine surface. Rather than try to guide the animal to the water, he waited until they were perpendicular to it before stopping the beast and ordering it to its knees.

While leaving Leeta secured to the creature’s back, he took the now empty flagon and hurried to the pond, a little under one hundred feet away. With the refilled flagon in his right hand, and the freshly washed wrap in the other, he turned back toward the trail and the behemoth that patiently waited there with his woman on its back.

Suddenly, something across the pond caught his eye. In a jungle comprised only of varying shades of greens, grays, blacks, and an occasional glint of silvery moonglow through the canopy above them, any color stood out. Through the dense green undergrowth, his eyes led him to another color, the color brown. However, it wasn’t a dark, chocolaty brown; something that might be nothing more than a dead and decaying clump of foliage. Instead, what caught his eye was a light, tawny hue, as different to the general background as if it had been bright orange.

As he strained his eyes, the vision faded. Or had it moved? Looking down at the soft brown leather wrap in his left hand, he quickly determined that they were not alone! Yet, he couldn’t just call out and alert whoever might be out there of his presence; that wouldn’t be very prudent. He had been around enough in his life to know that not all people were kind or friendly, or even indifferent. There were too many roving bands of rogues and bandits. Most were comprised of people that wouldn’t hesitate to kill you for what few possessions you might be carrying. Not to mention that without a weapon, he was defenseless!

Hurriedly, he made his way back to the beast. Though he knew the creature was thirsty, he wasn’t sure he should take the time to give it water. He decided to wait and ask Leeta for her advice. If she wanted him to give the water to the behemoth and then go back for more, then that is what he would do. As he had done more times than he could remember, he would trust to her intuition.

Much to his shame, she scolded him for not giving the water to the poor animal. It is not this poor creature’s fault that there are other men here that might not be friendly! she whispered fervently. Now go, give the poor beast some water. After pausing for a moment, she quickly added with a smile, Do you think anyone would dare mess with you when you control a creature such as this?

How foolish of him, he chastised himself as he poured the entire contents of the flagon into the behemoth’s mouth. No one in his or her right mind would dare confront a man that could exert such control as he!

With the now empty flagon, he strutted back to the pond to refill it, having left the wrap with Leeta. Reaching the water’s edge, he anxiously refilled the flagon, and then, putting on a brave front, casually strolled back to the trail, only barely able to refrain himself from breaking into a run. He was a man of small stature, and although no one in his tribe had ever derided him for being a coward, he had never been known for being a hero, either. For the first time in his life, he felt something strong and brave growing within his heart, a feeling that he could only attribute to his relationship with the behemoth. He almost felt invincible, and the swagger became real, not just put on.

He was almost back to the behemoth, when he saw the first of the men approach. They were coming back down the trail, and their attention was focused on the beast; they were still unaware of him approaching their unprotected flank.

The beast had noticed them, also, and it let out a long, mournful cry. They stopped, less than forty feet from where it knelt in the center of the trail; forty feet from where he also suddenly crouched down and concealed himself in the undergrowth, all prior feelings of bravado having evaporated at the sight of the men and the bare steel weapons they carried in their hands.

One of the men raised an obsidian spear and shouted at the behemoth, it only returned his gaze in silence. Their confidence bolstered by the creature’s lack of action, they slowly started advancing toward it.

Hig, unable to sit still and watch the events unfold before him, rose to his feet and called out, Don’t get too close to him, he doesn’t like strangers!

As one, the men froze in their tracks, not sure if they should take their eyes from the beast and find the source of the voice, or keep their eyes on the creature.

The man in the lead with the spear was the first to determine that the creature wasn’t moving, and thus didn’t pose them any immediate threat. Turning toward Hig, he asked, Who claims to know the behemoth that blocks our trail?

Almost belligerently, Hig said, Only an idiot travels eastward. Are you telling me that you’re an idiot, or did I mistake your words?

Even as he spoke, more people were coming into view. Not all were men, or even women; some amongst them were children! These were not rogues or bandits, but a tribe that must have been leaving the pond as Leeta and he arrived.

Someone chuckled. Another could be overheard repeating Hig’s words that he was an idiot. Hig recognized these people, though he’d never met them before. They were no different from his former tribe. The man with the black-tipped spear thought he was their leader, while the others thought he was nothing more than pompous and a fool; every tribe had at least one such individual.

Finally, after much humiliation, the man turned and stalked back up the trail to the west. Another man slowly stepped forward, taking his place in the lead, casually spoke up. We have no quarrel with a man that can control such a cantankerous beast as that, he said, nodding toward the behemoth. Instead, if I may, I would like to extend an invitation to eat with our tribe. The hunting has been good, and we would be honored to hear your tales.

We would be more honored to be your guests, Hig quickly replied, stepping forward into view.

The man that spoke looked past and around Hig before saying, You speak as though you are not alone. If I tell you that we mean you no harm, will you tell your friend to reveal himself?

Quickly, Hig apologized. I'm sorry if I misled you, I didn’t mean to. My mate lies upon the behemoth’s back. She is frail and unable to come down of her own accord. Although he wanted to add that he didn’t have a knife, or the ability to free her, he decided that it would be more prudent to wait until he could see and assess their entire camp. If he determined then that they meant them no harm, he would ask their assistance.

If you would care to follow us, I will lead you to our camp. We are but a short distance from the trail.

With that said, he turned and retreated back the way they had come. Since there was no longer any threat, the men and women conversed while the children screamed and yelled, many of them running dangerously close to the behemoth. Although the children were only trying to show their bravery, Hig felt nervous by their actions, since he didn’t know how the creature would respond to them.

However, much to Hig’s relief, the creature completely ignored the children, even sidestepping at one point to avoid crushing one overly adventurous child’s foot.

With Leeta still secured to the behemoth’s back, Hig walked in front, the creature following as if tethered to him. When they came into the clearing that his hosts had made for a temporary respite from the rigors of the trail, Hig ordered the beast down, and then asked if the children would bring it water. They were excited and honored to be given such a monumental task.

As was customary in most tribes, the children were allowed to play and frolic before being tended to by the adults. What was not customary was the inclusion of such a distraction such as the behemoth. After their brief pleasure with the massive beast, while the adults were busy preparing the daily meal, the children were quickly fed and put to bed. Only after the children were tended to, would the elders come over and make their introductions.

Familiar with such customs, Hig waited patiently at the side of the behemoth, within easy listening distance of Leeta. Since she was secured to the behemoth and unable to see what was going on around her, Hig described the layout of the camp, in addition to details of the more interesting occupants that came to investigate the creature up close.

The camp’s elders are approaching, he said softly, keeping her apprised. I will ask for their assistance in getting you down.

The leader was the same young man that he’d spoken with on the trail. As he drew near, ahead of the others, he apologized for having kept their esteemed guests waiting.

That is quite all right. I am familiar with your customs, they are very similar to our own, he said agreeably. Then, as was custom in his former tribe, he introduced himself and Leeta first, so that he would no longer be a stranger to their hosts. My name is Hig, and atop the behemoth is my mate, Leeta.

He paused, waiting for their hosts to speak next. Although he knew they were anxious to learn of Leeta’s and his circumstances, and how it came to pass that they were brought to their camp atop a massive beast such as the behemoth, they would not directly ask. To do so, would be considered rude and inhospitable. They could only hope that he or Leeta would volunteer their story of their own accord. Which, although Hig intended to make them wait, he had every intention of doing, especially since it was his further intention to join up with them for a while, at least until Loté and the young pilot had an opportunity to catch up with them.

We are pleased to meet you, Hig, and Leeta, he added, looking willfully up at the back of the behemoth. I am known as Braun, leader of this proud tribe that you see before you."

It was not customary for the leader to introduce anyone that was lower in rank than him, that would be left for the individual members of the council to do when they felt the time was right, if ever. If the leader of the tribe had a mate, he would introduce her, along with any children he might have. They would be considered his equal.

Please, do not think this rude of me, started Hig. But I am surprised that a man as young as you is leader of such a large tribe.

There is no offense taken, he replied with a smile. It is only through an unfortunate circumstance that I have attained such a high position. My father was killed by a beast in the jungle, and the tribe has not felt a need to find a new leader yet. He paused for a moment before shyly adding, I guess I should take it as an honor that they feel they can procrastinate this way.

Hig was immediately taken with his self-abasing manner. Although Leeta was taken with the young pilot, he secretly wished that his daughter could meet this young man, as he was sure they would make a great couple, in addition to many strong and brave children.

Suddenly, from atop the behemoth, Leeta called out, begging them to get her down. Embarrassed and suddenly blushing for having forgotten her, Hig quickly regained his composure and asked Braun if there were some young men that would help him remove her.

Without hesitating, Braun stepped past Hig and easily pulled himself up the creature’s side. Standing over Leeta, he slipped his knife free and quickly sliced through the bindings that held her. With a smile showing straight white teeth, he looked down at her and asked, Would you mind joining me for a bite to eat. Our food is nothing special, but I assure you, it will be well prepared.

Smiling back up at him with her toothless grin, she calmly replied, I would be honored, Braun.

Lifting her so that she cradled across his arms, he stooped back over and picked up the leather wrap. Then, with her gripped firmly in his arms, he lowered himself to his haunches and slid over the behemoth’s side, landing catlike on the soft vegetation below.

Handing her to Hig, he was quick to apologize. I hope that wasn’t too rough for you, my lady, Leeta. Then, meeting Hig’s gaze, added, If you would be so kind to follow me, our women have prepared us a wonderful meal. As I explained to your beautiful mate, it is nothing special, but it will be prepared exquisitely.

Hig fell in behind Braun, as the rest of the council members fell in behind him. Leeta was smiling broadly, thoroughly pleased with the young leader’s attention, as well as his compliments. Hig secretly wondered if she wasn’t secretly wishing that their daughter were here, also, and not just because they were worried for her.

A long smooth plank was set up near the center of the clearing, next to the cook fires. It was set at a height that made it comfortable to eat from while sitting cross-legged on the ground before it. As the leader took his customary position at the end pointing westward, he indicated for Hig to set Leeta beside him. He would see to her needs with the assistance of the women. Hig, meanwhile, was to sit next to him, on the north side of the plank. This was also customary in his former tribe. If Braun had a mate, she would sit on the south side of the plank, next to him.

After gently setting Leeta on the ground, a woman approached with a bundle of furs. While Braun raised Leeta into a sitting position, the woman placed the furs behind her in such a manner that her upper torso was comfortably supported. No one had ever treated her with such deference before, and she couldn’t stop herself from smiling her toothless smile at everyone.

As the woman that had brought the furs retreated from the table, two more approached carrying platters of fried meat and boiled rootstocks. Both dishes were exquisitely seasoned with a variety of herbs and spices that grew abundantly in the jungle, yet were seldom used. Even before Hig had an opportunity to taste the food, his mouth was watering and his stomach was growling in anticipation.

Reverting to customs, Hig elegantly said, You are a most gracious host to share such delicious food with unknown and unworthy travelers. Since we have nothing with which to repay you in kind, may the gods be with you always on your journeys, and see that no harm ever befalls you or your people.

After a moment’s hesitation, in which an awkward silence ensued, Braun finally spoke. There is something you can do for us that would be more than recompense for this humble food.

You have just to name it, and if it is within my power, I will be more than glad to, offered Hig, suddenly nervous and apprehensive over the price they might have to pay for the tribe’s hospitality.

Although he had assumed that their customs were similar to his own, he hadn’t considered the numerous nuances that could be extremely different. In his former tribe, for instance, it would have been strictly forbidden for the host to ask anything of his guests. Yet, in Braun’s tribe, as he was about to learn, that was not the case.

Continuing, Braun said, If it would not be too much trouble, we would be very interested to hear any news that you might have from beyond our camp’s perimeter.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Hig quickly responded that he would be more than delighted to share what little news Leeta and he could. However, he humbly apologized, I’m afraid that we know very little, ourselves. For some time now, we have been living close to the eastern horizon.

Because he felt a certain kinship with the youthful Braun and his people, he determined that he could trust them, and decided to bare his soul. Speaking softly, he said, Since we left our tribe, we have had very little in the way of human contact. Then, he suddenly realized that what he’d said was not entirely correct, and quickly amended, Little, that is, except for a pilot that crashed in the jungle near us. His co-pilot died in the wreckage, but we pulled the pilot to safety. When we last saw him, he was with our daughter, Loté.

He paused for a moment while everyone sat entranced, eagerly waiting to hear more. Aside from tales of hunting, birthings, and misfortunes within the tribe, news, and or stories, were extremely rare. Whatever Leeta or he had to say would be discussed and rehashed among them for a long time to come; none would interrupt him or question him until he finished.

"We left them