Chapter 11

We had one of the mildest winters in a long time, or so all the elders kept saying. Only five months of snow and never more than two feet was ever accumulated. Cold was something different, you could not be out after dark due to the drop in temperature.

Where it was freezing cold during the day with the temperature varying from highs in the mid forties that dropped below neg 10 degrees Celsius after the sun went down. If it was snowing it got down into the negatives with the coldest temperature negative 14 degrees Celsius.

This was shown on the screen we used to look outside the main entrance as a warning to us what the temperature was like. Thank you spirits.

I developed a simple device every team could take with them to determine if it were time to get out of the cold. I used a testicle sac from a small pig filled halfway with water and tied off so it would not leak. If the water started to freeze it was too cold to be out any longer. Not the most effective method but if it was that cold out we had no business being out in that cold a temperature.

Most of the time before the sac started to freeze everyone got too cold and returned to the cave. Only once was a hunting party gutting their kills late in the afternoon, actually just a few hours before sunset. A storm suddenly blew in, clouds covered the sun, and the wind brought the temperature down below freezing very quick. They were almost finished with the last two animals when the sac started to slush up as it started to freeze.

They decided to just bring the last two animals whole back to the cave which was the smart thing to do. The temperature was negative 15 degrees and dropping when they arrived back at the cave.

Another thing that surprised me was nobody got sick, there were no flu or common cold type illnesses. I was wondering about that and hoped it was the normal thing or that the aliens had something to do with it.

Writing and math skills were worked on during the winter as everyone wanted to be able to read and write as well as count and do mathematic problems. I also introduced checkers, chess, and dominoes.

One morning the sun was shining extra bright and the snow was melting faster than it had been.

All the elders declared winter was over and a celebration was called for the start of the warm season.

We had use about 90% of our stored food, or rather about 85% of our meat and 80-85% of our gathered items. The grass in the barn area was looking very thin as well so we would need to gather hay, barley, oats, and alfalfa for the animals before next winter to ensure they had enough food, especially with the growing herd size.

We would have to gather at least half as much more this time for ourselves to ensure we had enough food just in case the next winter was harsher or longer.

The celebration started with a huge breakfast/brunch meal that combined breakfast and lunch in a buffet style setting.

The council got together to discuss what our order of business should be.

I suggested four or five scouting parties to search for both gathering locations and game/herd locations. Everyone agreed saying it would make more sense to scout all of this out instead of wasting a large groups time looking.

Equipment was checked and rechecked for the next day’s scouting teams. We decided on five teams of eight people each would take a mule with emergency supplies just in case winter decided to have one last snowstorm.

The idea was to move fast and cover as much area as possible and return before sunset since it would still be extremely cold at night. If needed a second day of scouting could be done.

We knew the area where gathering was plentiful and where game and herds were usually found. It would just be a matter of confirming that everything was where we expected it to be. Then we could plan for groups to move to the location and return without wasting a lot of time.

The pregnant women would be staying back with the homemakers even though their delivery time was about 10 weeks away give or take. They were barely showing but very healthy, I was hoping it would be easy deliveries. I had discovered by talking with the elder members that only 1 of 3 babies survived. I wanted to make it 100 percent survival and hoped the spirits would help to achieve that goal.

The Roc crash dove on our group without anyone knowing. Hell we were not looking up we were looking all around us on the ground were the dangerous predators were.

The shadow was the first indication of trouble. Sihemol and the mule she was riding never had a chance. She was our only unmated female or rather used to be.

The Roc had snatched the mule and her in its claws and I could see a whole talon pushed through Sihemol’s torso. I don’t believe she suffered at least I hope she didn’t. there was nothing anyone could do except watch the damn Roc fly away.

I said that my next task was to hunt down the Roc’s nest and kill it. Everyone looked at me like I was crazy at first, then realizing everything that I had done, smiled, and nodded their understanding.

Nobody had ever seen a Roc before and were seriously afraid that we might be in it’s hunting area now. Finally Reamla and Lahoomel asked me what I needed to hunt and kill this Roc.