Engraved - The Hunted Warrior

Chapter 2.2 Journey Home

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When Alam woke up the next morning Tajar was preparing a few rabbits for breakfast. Urlock had permitted a fire to cook them.

"Have I slept in?" asked Alam.

"Not compared with some," smiled Tajar, indicating a camp full of sleeping people. "Some of us are used to waking up early."

"You must have been up very early to have caught those already," said Alam pointing to the rabbits.

"No. I laid the traps out last night. There are so many rabbits in this area I knew I was bound to catch something."

"How is your head?" asked Alam.

"Much better today," Tajar replied. "I still have a splitting headache but the dizziness is gone."

The smell of cooking woke up the camp. Three rabbits between them all was only a few mouthfuls each, but it was a welcome addition to the travel loaves that they had. There was plenty of delicious looking food sitting in the carts but it belonged to the clan. It would be very rude for the raiding party to eat it before the clan had a chance to decide how to divide it.

Before the raiding party mounted the carts and horses Alam found an old piece of fabric from among the loot. He made a sling out of it so the box could travel across his back. Before slinging it on he showed it to Tajar.

"Chief has given me the box to look after."

"That is a gift indeed! Too bad you can't open it or do anything remotely useful with it," he teased.

"It must open somehow."

"Maybe."

"Look at the carving detail. Have you ever seen anything so exquisite?"

"That young woman from Sufere Clan we met last year at the Meet was pretty exquisite," sighed Tajar. "I can still picture her when I close my eyes."

***

The day's journey started out like any journey across The Great Plains. Occasional conversation, occasional singing, and a lot of silence. Something about the vastness of the land, and the vastness of the sky, encouraged quiet contemplation.

Mid afternoon Tajar sat upright.

"Stop the cart!" he insisted.

He jumped off and examined the ground that the cart had just covered.

"Chief Urlock!" he called out.

"What is it?" Urlock called back.

"Dargu," Tajar said pointing at the ground. "It looks like a group of them were here only a few days ago."

Alam looked where Tajar was pointing. All he could see was slightly flattened grass.

Urlock rode back with Serik, the clan's scoutmaster.

"Are you sure?" Urlock asked. "We are outside their hunting range."

Tajar bent down and picked up an arrow head.

"Yes I am sure, chief."

"How many do you think?"

"More than five. Less than twenty," Serik answered scanning the ground. Tajar knew his place enough to be silent and let his teacher take over.