Chapter 12

Shanor.

I had not known why I had said what I did, I guess I had feeling for Entoch, I had before his family had left the village. At the time he had seemed a bit immature, but when he returned there was a new strength to him, he was nearing the time when he could be mated. I had reached it last winter when I had my first bleeding time, Now I was seriously thinking about what that meant, something I had not cared for before, now however with Laura's addition to the village and taking on Entoch, I could see that he would accept my role as something other then what was tradition in our village.

Hell he was already letting me take the lead, moving along the water, he even said I had better eyes for spotting things in the distance, he wandered several paces behind me. Both of us had been silent since I had made that comment, I did not want to press my luck, I would let him think over what I had meant. We both had our bows out and ready.

We settled down when night started to fall, laying out our sleeping furs next to each other, we started a small fire, laying out or weapons for easy access next to our furs. After we ate a small meal of dried food we had brought with us we, laid watching the stars.

"Entoch, have you thought about where Laura comes from?"

he was silent for a moment.

"I had not thought of it, I assumed the spirits had sent her to me"

I frowned.

"Yes but where was she before that? You said you saw fire come from the sky and heard a boom, and now before this probe came we heard another boom? Do you think she came from the stars?"

He was silent some more.

"Shanor I had never consider that, we could ask her when she is better?"

I sat there thinking some more.

"It must be a wonderful place where she comes from, I mean if everyone can do what she does? And the women, they must all be as strong as she is?"

Entoch was silent again.

"Well then imagine how much stronger the men must be!"

I frowned and looked at him, only to seem him smiling at me, he was teasing me.

"HEY"

He laughed.

"Shanor I have always noticed how you are often better at the things the boys are supposed to be good at, I know you are strong."

I smiled at him nodding, looking back at the stars.

"You know Shanor I would never want you to be anything less then what you want to be"

I looked at the stars my eyes tearing up.

"I know Enotch, that is why we are such good friends"

I felt his hand grab mine, squeezing it gently.

"And we shall teach our children that they can do what ever it is they wish to do, even if it is to hunt or to stay at the village and gather"

I looked at him in surprise, our furs was next to each other, I rolled over to give him a hug, before I knew it we both fell asleep like that.

I woke up tangled with Entoch, I separated from him, moving over to rekindle the fire that had died out, I prepared us a small meal then gently woke him. He smiled up at me.

"Time to restart our adventure?"

I smiled at him and nodded, we sat together eating in silence. When we had ate our fill we packed our things and set off for the day. As we walked I spotted tracks in the ground, going in the direction we where heading, I knelt to examine them.

"Tracks Entoch!"

He stopped and examined them.

"Shanor, an Adult, he or she was injured, see how they stumble every few feet?"

I nodded, Entoch was always a better tracker then I had been.

"I noticed them yesterday but thought they maybe going another way then us, I lost them before we took up camp, and now you have found them"

I frowned at him wondering why he had not told me.

"we should probably hurry"

I nodded, we quickened our pace, it was not long before I saw something far off, I kept silent about it until I was sure I stopped having determined it was smoke on the horizon, I held up my hand and Entoch ran to my side.

"What is it?"

I pointed in the distance.

"Do you see it Entoch?"

HE put his hand over his eyes blocking the sun.

"It looks like smoke from a camp fire?"

I shook my head.

"No there is a line of smoke, like when the brush catches fire"