Chapter 5: Frost and Fish

“Keep your thumbs clear of the saw!” Antares instructs, while Alunya studiously drags the copper sawblade up and down through the ice.

It’s a few weeks after the solstice, now, and after an intermittent spell of clear weather following the first snowstorm a few weeks earlier, another cold front had moved in from the southwest and ensured the land remained blanketed in snow, as well as freezing the surface of the river. This was the main river not far from the village, much deeper and wider than the little stream the two had swam in last fall.

“Like this?” Alunya asks, hesitantly, trying to hold the saw like his big brother had shown him while cutting out a circular disk of ice from the top of the river. It was hard work, especially since they were just kids, but with some effort eventually Alunya connects the cut back to where he had started, leaving a jagged, vaguely polygonal chunk of ice- it was not very thick, and Reia had forbidden they go out onto the surface of the ice as a result, but that at least made it easier to cut.

“There, good job! Now we just need to wait for a fish to swim by. The cold water makes them slow and sluggish, so they’re easier to hit.” Antares instructs, tossing Alunya a spear before laying down near his own hole in the ice. Although Reia had told him not to go onto the water, he is still lightweight enough that he reasons it would be fine.

Antares shows Alunya how to hold and thrust with the spear, and then they lay down and wait, Alunya imitating Antares as he prowls over the icy sheets. It is slow going, as Alunya blinks staring down into the dark, frigid waters.

Alunya clenches his jaw, doing his best to remain focused through the long wait. The cold slowly seeps through his clothes, and laying still there is making the boy progressively more and more tired, such that when a fish finally does come by the gap in the ice, Alunya had practically nodded off and didn’t respond fast enough to even attempt a strike before the quarry vanished again.

Alunya shakes his head in frustration and blinks his eyes, trying to rouse himself back to full consciousness. C’mon, you wanna learn how to fish, don’t you? Alunya hefts his spear again and narrows his eyes, trying once again to keep focused. Eventually another fish does swim through and Alunya strikes, but it’s like the spear warps as it enters the water and diverts below the fish. Alunya gawks in dismay. What? But I was right on!

“The water shifts your view of the fish, it’s deeper than it looks.” Antares advises. “Here, let me show you-” He creeps over to where Alunya is—A safer spot than Antares’ hole, perched on a rock next to the fishing hole. Antares guides Alunya’s hands, and prods at the river bed. “See? Look how far down we have to reach to find the bottom.” It is deep indeed, and as Antares pointed out Alunya can see the shaft of the spear does indeed look like it’s at a different angle than where it entered.

“Woah...” Alunya murmurs, entranced. Ari is so smart!

Antares cocks his head to the side, so that he can speak in Alunya’s ear directly while still guiding his arms. “You want me to show you?” Antares asks, and Alunya nods emphatically.

The two of them take up position on either side of the little water hole, and the next time a fish swims by, Antares strikes. From Alunya’s perspective it looks like he is aiming below his target, but instead it strikes the fish in the fin. The fire-hardened spear point isn’t very good at keeping the fish though, and although it was a solid thrust the fish manages to slip off the spearpoint and flutter away in a mist of blood.

“Darn!” Antares complains, scratching his head and sitting back. Woah, he hit it on the first try! Big brother is so talented! Alunya claps, enthralled.

“Yay! My turn!” Alunya picks up his spear again and creeps over near the edge of the ice.

Antares shrugs. “Yeah, I guess that’s enough of a show.” He says sheepishly. Alunya frowns. Why is he upset? He hit it right on, it was just bad luck.