Chapter 8

The village accompanied us on the first part of our journey Eastward, since they were moving to take advantage of the provender of the earlier spring to be found there. At one point a blind old bull of the gigantic deer charged our march, scattering the column to the winds. I held my ground to protect my sledge from wreckage, planting my stout boar spear firmly in the stoney soil, and aiming my point at the monstrous deer's head. The leverage of the neck overturned the creature, and my cachet rose greatly with my adopted people, who were quite reluctant to have me go. I was presented the roasted heart, a tough and gamey morsel, which I shared with the Alderman and Kodaco, to their gratification and surprise. It was so tough as to be nearly inedible, but I observed the Alderman and found the secret of it, he seized a bit in his teeth, and sliced it off with his jagged stone knife, at great risk to his nose and lips. I followed suit with my clasp knife, and had to swallow most of the bits mostly un-chewed.

Where the river bent to the north, we left them with many embraces and protestations of love and comradeship, I donating my boat to their use, although I was not certain they would keep it for long, being more accustomed to their hollowed logs.

We directed our way toward the far Mountains, purpled with distance, and the greening of spring was but faintly seen, Vegetable's Kingdom limited to scrub trees in the seasonal watercourses and brownish grasses, which did however provide a smooth and trouble free surface for my sledge to travel over. The Animals seemed limited to long eared rabbits, singing dogs, and ground squirrels who denned in vast towns, poking their heads up and raising a horrendous racket at our approach.

Kodaco managed to strike down several of the long eared rabbits, although it was hardly worth the effort since they mainly consisted of fur, bone, and sinew, with barely a bite or two of flesh, and that stringy and tough. Still, they did provide intestine, which was stretched and dried for sewing.

Dora let me know that the fur was better if obtained in the winter or fall, and that what I had taken for mange was merely moult. I suppose even God's little creatures needed to change their coats with the seasons. In time we managed to bring the mountains closer, and then found ourselves in their foothills. I was glad there were trails, as the folds and crevasses would have bewildered and trapped me otherwise. I by now knew how to distinguish an animal trail, which had no clear destination other than the easiest way past an obstacle, from a pathway of man, which started at one end and kept going to other destinations. There were subtle marks that acted as mile posts and road signs, to me merely a pile of stones or a bent tree, but which were as obvious as a Roman road to my guides.

We all slept together in a skin tent, and if Kodaco was annoyed or amused at the nightly noises between my wife Dora and myself he never allowed either to show on his passive countenance. We had one bold singing dog, larger than most and a russet colour follow us as we traveled, adopting us for the leavings of offal and bone, and worthless moulted skins. He didn't sing much, but did warn off other would be intruders, we heard him several occasions quarreling with other creatures, and once after such a skirmish, he sported a bloody ear. We adopted him as he did us, and now our number was four, although he kept well back. I appreciated his duties as sentinel as he ghosted about camp with stealthy pace, and counted on his alarum in case of need.

We had made good progress, and climbed into the greening Mountains.