Chapter 5

They had abandoned the canoe two days before and struck a trail towards a curious mountain. They had hidden the canoe with the expectation of returning at some point to retrace their path back to the tribes. Keeping his doubts of their return to himself, Taima had woven branches over the top of the canoe.

They had smoked fish for their trek inland and each night Taima had set snares for small creatures along the faint runs and game trails. The mountain called, and they went as quickly as prudence would allow.

The terrain rolled gently and the trees were thinning. Grasses, as high as their thighs in some places, began to dominate the landscape. Flocks of ground dwelling birds flew from their hidden nests when Taima and Manahay drew too close. Once in a while, Taima would chance an arrow if the covey was very close. They heard howling in the far distance and once in awhile the yowl of a feline predator, but none seemed to draw too near.

They reached the mountain that rose alone from the plains. Compared to the mountains of their birthplaces, it was more of a hill than a mountain. The sides were rounded and covered with dirt and grasses. No trees grew, even on the eastern side which was protected from the incessant western breeze.

They climbed. While the grasses had deep roots which gave them handholds, they couldn't find rocks or buried boulders to give them purchase. They pulled themselves up bit by bit, grunting with the strain of packs and weapons on their backs. The sun beat down on them and the insects had no mercy on their exposed skin.

Rolling onto the top, Taima reached down to pull Manahay up the last little bit. Her face was red with exertion. Taima saw that they were lying on a large flat top; the hill had no peak. Here and there, the bones of dead prey, victims of the winged predators, rested between the measly tuffs of grass. The plants of the plain didn't grow on top of the mountain.

Manahay began to stand up but Taima pulled her back to her knees. "You don't know who or what may be watching from the other side. Stay low."

Crouching they began to explore the hilltop, each moving in opposite directions. Taima made a small cry when he pulled a blue shard the size of one digit of his finger from the dirt. The material wasn't natural nor was the color. Even the deepest blue of the sky didn't match the blueness of the shard.

When they met back in the middle, Taima showed Manahay his find. She rolled it in hand for a moment and then sat down. Ignoring him, she fell to a spell of deep thought, leaving Taima to entertain himself. He crept to the western edge and stared out over the vast plain. He spent a long time looking out towards the horizon.