Circle the Earth

By Anne M. Holcomb

Three summers have passed since alien outsiders who call themselves the Annu invaded the valley home of the Circle of Kin, a Stone Age tribe. In an attempt to cure the plague destroying their people, the Annu used Scout, a teenage member of the Circle, in an experiment designed to create hybrid babies. Now, a war is brewing across two worlds. A group of Annu rebels are collaborating with humans to create a safe haven for the hybrid children, but the repressive Administration will do anything to destroy the rebels’ new way of life. Scout must join her Annu friend, Ori, to help the rebels, save the children, and find a dangerous artifact that will ensure their survival.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Anne M. Holcomb
• Release date: Oct 3, 2014
• ISBN: 9781311546616

Anne M. Holcomb

I live and work in beautiful Southwest Michigan. I am the author of the Two Circles series, which blends history, science fiction, and romance. When I'm not at work or writing, I enjoy craft beer, marathon and half-marathon running, camping, travel, and watching college football and basketball.

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Circle the Earth

By Anne M. Holcomb

Copyright 2014 Anne M. Holcomb

Find more books by Anne at Smashwords.com

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Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Interlude: Ori

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Interlude: Ori

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Interlude: Ori

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 1

I leaned against the cool, damp rock of the entrance to our cave, watching the smoke from my cooking fire drift across the valley. There was no wind and a gentle rain pattered the mountain treetops. I breathed deeply, savoring the smell of the water-soaked leaves. The soothing rainfall, the crackling of the fire, and the approaching evening put me in a thoughtful mood. I studied the smoke as it curled slowly into the air. It made strange, beautiful whorls and coils, slowly arcing up to join the gray clouds that overhung our valley.

A thick slab of venison rested on leaves next to the fire pit, alongside a wooden bowl of Mother Cool Water’s favorite orange fruit. I was ready to prepare the evening meal when Chip returned. Tonight marked the full moon. On these days my mate met to consult with Flint and Knapper about Circle life and the future of our tribe.

The Circle had grown significantly over the past two summers. Being settled in one place meant that our women were bearing children more frequently. Also, couples were being paired at younger ages, since fewer crafters and hunters were needed to sustain the group. I now shared my job as daytime caretaker and instructor of the children with two younger women, because there were just too many children for me to handle by myself.

Suddenly, I was snapped out of my reverie by the sound of footsteps on the slope and soft voices. Grasping the large tree root that grew next to our cave’s entrance, I swung out of the doorway to see Handy and Mother Cool Water heading toward me on the narrow mountain path. Their eyes lit up when they saw me, and I waved to welcome them in with my free hand. When I noticed they were both carrying burdens, I reached out to take the packages in their hands and set them by the fire. Handy passed me a deerskin bag, and Mother Cool Water handed me a large bundle of green onions. I raised them to my nose and inhaled deeply as my two visitors grasped the convenient root and hoisted themselves into the shelter I shared with Chip.

Scout, I feel like it’s been so long, Mother Cool Water gushed, her almond-shaped eyes bright and welcoming, the fine lines on her face crinkling as she looked me up and down.

I feel the same way! I said, giving her a hug. Handy looked around the shelter with his hands on his hips. His beard was as full and bushy as ever, but now it glinted with strands of gray.

How long has it been since we went on a trek together, little deer? He smiled. I laughed.

I don’t get a chance to explore very much anymore, Handy! You know that. You don’t either! Handy’s unique talent for building meant he was kept busy every day overseeing the construction of shelters and fences that would house our Circle’s growing families, store our food, and protect us from predators. He no longer had to build them all himself: like me, Handy also watched over a few young assistants.

The three of us dropped down to sit together next to the fire. The evening was beginning to grow chilly, so Handy quickly began adding logs to the blaze. I looked down at myself as I crossed my legs and got comfortable. Even though I chased after the Circle’s children every day, I looked much different than I had when we had arrived in the valley. I no longer needed to run long distances, and access to good food every day had softened my bony frame. I had truly grown into a woman of the Circle over the past two summers. My hips and thighs now had the curves that were so revered among our people—the symbols of fertility and potential for the future. My face, arms and chest had filled out too, and my hair had grown into waving shoulder-length locks in place of the short twists I used to wear.

Unconsciously, my hand moved to my belly, which was still completely flat, the only part of me that remained unchanged. Although Chip and I had been paired for quite a long time now, I had not become pregnant, even though all my childhood friends had.

As if she had read my mind, or seen my slight gesture, Mother Cool Water scrutinized me with her observant stare. She was the authority in our Circle on all things health-related, including pregnancy, birth, sickness and even death. Though we called her Mother, she had no living children of her own. Two had died in childbirth, and the third in early infancy. Her life experience, combined with her talent for identifying and growing plants, made her our most experienced midwife and healer.

Lately, she had been coming up with ideas for our food supply. Mother Cool Water was trying to convince the Circle’s leaders—Flint, Chip and Chip’s fellow assistant, Knapper—to save seeds from the fruits and plants we ate and to bury them in the ground each spring. She saved all the small pits from her favorite orange fruits, imagining that someday she would be able to create an orchard from them. I preferred to save the pits for Chip—his deft hands could carve them into intricate beads for jewelry. I wore several of them around my neck, and they clacked together on their strand of leather as I pulled a large, flat rock toward the fire. Once it warmed completely, I could begin preparing dinner—stewing the orange fruits in water and honey, then searing the venison.

Scout, your shelter is so quiet, Mother Cool Water remarked.

Well, Chip is conferring tonight with Flint and Knapper. You both know they get together during every full moon night to talk about plans for the Circle.

Handy grinned. She means, when will we hear the sound of little feet on this stone?

I tried not to notice the concern that was showing in Mother Cool Water’s eyes.

Haven’t you had any signs of pregnancy yet, Scout?

I shook my head, slightly irritated that she was being so forward about it. Not yet, but Chip and I keep hoping it will happen very soon.

I’m sure it’s not for lack of trying! Handy snorted. Mother Cool Water gave him a sharp look.

I kept my eyes focused on the onions I was shredding with my hands, struggling to keep a grin from spreading across my blushing face. Handy wasn’t wrong—we were trying a lot. Every evening I looked forward to my mate’s tender touch when he returned from his work, the traces of rock dust his strong hands left on my arms as he embraced me. It might just be the two of us inside our small shelter, but when Chip was here, our home was full of warmth.

I remembered that there was a question I had been wanting to ask Mother Cool Water for a long time, so I leapt at my chance to change the subject.

Mother, what do you know about the mushrooms that the men have been using in their spirit ceremonies? I was desperately curious to know how the spirit ceremony worked, but Chip told me that Flint had made him and Knapper swear never to share the details of the ceremony, or the ancestors wouldn’t come to speak to them anymore.

I wasn’t entirely sure I was impressed with the messages the leaders received from the ancestors. Each time the three men came back from the ceremony cave, they seemed to have another job for the men of the Circle to do, and another reason to keep the Circle’s women sequestered inside their shelters each day. At this point, it felt as if the mothers and the fathers were separated from each other for most of the day.

Before Flint had taken Eldest Grandmother’s place as leader of the Circle, things had been different. I never would have gone this long without seeing Handy’s face, or even Mother Cool Water. Everyone used to work together for the good of all, whether it was through hunting, building, cooking, or making clothing. Each person had their own talents to contribute to make the Circle complete, and used their skills whenever it was appropriate. I had to wonder if there were times, now, when those talents and skills were being wasted, and if the relationships between people in our Circle might be suffering from this new way of living. I felt more alone now than I ever had before, even though I spent most of my days in the company of the children. How must my friends feel, the young Mothers who now passed the time alone?

I wondered if Eldest Grandmother, or the Grandmother who had led our Circle before her, ever had anything to say to the men during the mushroom ceremony. I still remembered the strange message Eldest Grandmother had given me so long ago before she said farewell—to look out for the women of our Circle.

Every day, it felt more and more like we were prisoners, growing farther apart from each other. Mother Cool Water didn’t have children, and she had so many new and different ideas about what to do for our Circle. Others like her were seen as eccentrics who had their heads in the clouds, looking for the future of the Circle in the wrong direction. Things would probably be a lot worse for Mother Cool Water—and for Handy, too—as childless people, if they had not been gifted with talents that were so essential to the tribe.

Mother Cool Water sat back and considered for a while before she spoke. I continued to shred the onions for dinner. Handy shrugged.

I did help them build a rack that they have been using to dry the mushrooms outside the ceremony cave. It’s not any different than the ones we’ve used to dry Mother’s orange fruits on.

Did you get to see what the mushrooms looked like, Handy? I asked. I was so curious about their role in the ceremony.

Mother Cool Water shook her head. It’s probably best not to ask too many questions about the ceremony, Scout. I asked Flint about the mushrooms once before, and he got really angry with me.

Handy gave me a mischievous look. I may have seen them once or twice…

Come on, Handy! Tell me! I urged him. He sighed and suddenly seemed eager to poke the fire and rearrange the logs. Sparks snapped and flared in the quickly darkening sky.

You wouldn’t be able to miss them. They don’t look like any other mushrooms I’ve ever seen. They’re red on top with white spots, and a white stalk. I’ve only seen them right after the rain comes.

"A red mushroom?" I interrupted.

Yes, bright red when they’re new, then they fade as they dry.

Mother Cool Water shook her head. I’m not sure I like where this conversation is going…

Mother, do you know where I might be able to find mushrooms like that? I asked, ignoring the warning in her voice. Mother Cool Water knew everything about plants and trees. I would be surprised if she had not seen the red mushrooms at least once before.

Mother Cool Water hesitated before she answered.

I’m not aware of a specific place where those mushrooms might grow, Scout, but typically I have seen other types of mushrooms growing around the roots of evergreen trees, like the ones right below your shelter there. She gestured to the trees on the slope below the cave opening. And Handy is right, they will usually appear after the rain comes.

Hmm, interesting… I murmured to myself. Haven’t you ever wondered which ancestors appear to the men when they’re conducting the ceremony? Do you think they speak with Eldest Grandmother?

Mother Cool Water looked shocked when I shared this thought aloud, but Handy appeared intrigued. At that moment, we heard the crunch of gravel outside the shelter, and Chip’s face came into view in the firelight. His eyes widened in surprise.

Scout! I didn’t know we were going to have guests! He looked puzzled for a moment before he smiled to welcome the unexpected visitors.

Mother Cool Water, Chip greeted her as he swung himself into the shelter, leaning down to place a kiss on her cheek. And Handy! what a nice surprise! He gave Handy a brotherly nudge on the shoulder.

They brought us gifts, too, I said, gesturing to the onions in my hands.

Handy, I just realized I haven’t even taken a look at what you brought us. Chip, do you want to look in there? I gestured toward the deerskin bag next to the food waiting to be cooked. Chip looked curious, and bent down to retrieve it. Something rattled inside the bag, and Chip shook a handful of large nuts into his hand.

What a find! Chip exclaimed. We had seen a couple trees that bore such nuts, but they only dropped from the trees in autumn.

Handy smiled with pride. I roasted them back in autumn, so that they would stay dry through the winter.

Thank you, Handy! This is a real treat, I said, extending my fingertips to the flat cooking rock to see if it was warm enough to begin dinner.

It was hot to the touch, so I lifted the wooden bowl and placed it close to the fire. The bottom of the bowl had been slightly charred many times, so it would not burn. After the fruit mixture heated, I’d begin cooking the venison steak, then combine the two. It would be a flavorful dinner for our guests.

Chip moved to the side of the cave and washed the dust off his hands at the water skin that we hung near the fire pit. Handy, Mother Cool Water, and I passed the time discussing the birth of Mother Bountiful’s third baby while he washed up, but I really wanted to ask Chip about the conference he’d just had with Flint and Knapper. What did they discuss when they met by the full moon, and how could the rest of us have a voice in their decisions? I knew Chip would always be loyal to me, but he was also committed to his role as one of the three leaders of the Circle.

Once steam started to rise from the wooden bowl, I placed the venison on the cooking rock. We all inhaled the aroma once it began to sizzle and roast.

Chip sat down next to me and put his arm around my shoulders, drawing me in close for a kiss. I couldn’t resist running my hands through his short-cropped hair, so soft under my fingers. I smiled at him as we drew apart.

Handy cleared his throat loudly. Should we leave? I tossed an onion bit at him.

In the end, I didn’t have to ask Chip about his conference with the other leaders. Handy brought it up, just after I had divided the venison and we had all gotten a few bites in.

So, Chip. What did you all talk about in the full moon meeting today? Any new ideas for the Circle?

Chip smiled. Well, we mostly discussed some ideas for protecting our people and resources from animal predators. You remember how those two big cats got in one of the shelters on the valley floor…when was that? Last summer?

I remember. Those were some terrible injuries, Mother Cool Water murmured, shaking her head and looking pale. Two of the victims were able to recover, though one lost the use of his legs and had to be cared for just like a child. The other two were beyond any help she could offer.

We were discussing ways that we could move more of our shelters up on the mountain faces, so that we could see predators approaching below and be able to use our spears, if necessary, Chip explained.

Handy looked intrigued. There aren’t any more caves available, but I know of some depressions in the mountainside that could be made into shelters. They wouldn’t fit large families, though. We could try to see what is farther up the mountain, toward the peak. But, anyone who lives way up there needs to be willing and able to climb.

Chip nodded. He picked out some of the stewed orange fruit from the bowl and chewed it with relish.

I took a deep breath. Chip, how does the ceremony help you all figure out these decisions? Is it based on what the ancestors tell you during the ceremony?

Chip looked at me curiously. "Scout, you know I have sworn to not discuss what happens in the ceremony. But I can tell you that Flint is always the one who speaks with the ancestors. Knapper and I cannot hear what they say. Our role is to assist: Knapper