ridge! I believe the one with the head wound is in need of assistance. Tell me how I can help!"
The brown, scaly creatures turned to Grakus, and a heated discussion ensued. After several minutes of dialogue that I could not quite hear, Grakus silenced the others.
Grakus spoke. "You have harmed us enough, Don Grange! I do not know where you hail from, and we are not familiar with your people or with how you speak our language. We feel it best that you return to wherever you came from. We will take care of the gellats."
I sat down on the rock where I stood. "OK, I will go. But before I leave, can you direct me to where I might find food? I have not eaten recently, and I am unfamiliar with what can be had as food in this area."
Grakus turned back to the others for another discussion before turning back. "Don Grange, you will wait there until we have the gellats harnessed. We will then provide you with food, after which you will be on your way!"
I nodded as I held up my hand. "Agreed!"
The harnessing of the gellats took nearly an hour. After the initial displays of hostility, the once-fearsome beasts now seemed content at being led along by the large leather straps. I jumped down to the flat ground as Grakus and the others reached my position.
Grakus spoke as he handed me a leather bag. "You will find dried fish and berries from the fall harvest in the pouch. Leave it along this pathway, and I shall return to recover it another day."
I replied, "The gellat with the head wound—will it be OK?"
Grakus shook his head. "We will have much healing to do to bring her back; during that time, she will not provide milk for our people. You have placed us in a difficult situation, Don Grange. A harsh winter may be very hard on our people."
I placed the pouch over my shoulder. "Are there other gellats out there that I could help you round up? And what is the name of your people? I am Human."
Grakus looked back up the mountain trail. "We will have a hard spring, as those rocks in the passage will have to be moved before the gellats can return to their high grazing fields. Again, you have caused us harm, Don Grange. Please go."
I pointed back to the pass. "I can clear those rocks out of there. I will do that right now if you would like."
Grakus returned a skeptical stare. "You are but one being, Don Grange. How would you move such by yourself?"
I slowly raised my hand towards the pass. "Follow me and I will show you."
Grakus looked back at the other hunters as they led the gellats up the next hill. "Proceed, Don Grange, Human. Our people are the Meggaks. All of the peoples of Molov are Meggaks. Where do you Humans hail from, Don Grange?"
I replied, "Well, that is a big, long story that I will not be able to tell. Perhaps one day I will have the time. For now, let’s just say that we, I, come from a long way away."
Grakus followed me over the hill to the blocked passage. He stood in awe as I lifted the boulders I had pushed into the ravine one by one. In twenty minutes, I had completed the work that would have taken his village much of their spring.
Grakus looked up at the densely clouded sky. "A storm is coming, Don Grange. Do you have shelter?"
I patted the pouch on my side. "The only thing I currently have is this pouch. And it belongs to a Meggak."
Grakus looked back towards his village. "Come with me, Don Grange. I have a felius grubworm house that remains unused until spring. I can offer you that until this storm has passed. It is unheated, but it will protect you from the harsh snows that will be coming. When the storm has passed, you will be on your way."
I smiled as I replied, "Thank you for your kindness, Grakus. If there is any other way I can help, you only need to ask."
Grakus shook his head. "The other villagers would not agree with my decision here today, Don Grange. I will have to ask that you stay silent and out of sight of my people. Our children would be easily frightened by such a hideous creature as
The brown, scaly creatures turned to Grakus, and a heated discussion ensued. After several minutes of dialogue that I could not quite hear, Grakus silenced the others.
Grakus spoke. "You have harmed us enough, Don Grange! I do not know where you hail from, and we are not familiar with your people or with how you speak our language. We feel it best that you return to wherever you came from. We will take care of the gellats."
I sat down on the rock where I stood. "OK, I will go. But before I leave, can you direct me to where I might find food? I have not eaten recently, and I am unfamiliar with what can be had as food in this area."
Grakus turned back to the others for another discussion before turning back. "Don Grange, you will wait there until we have the gellats harnessed. We will then provide you with food, after which you will be on your way!"
I nodded as I held up my hand. "Agreed!"
The harnessing of the gellats took nearly an hour. After the initial displays of hostility, the once-fearsome beasts now seemed content at being led along by the large leather straps. I jumped down to the flat ground as Grakus and the others reached my position.
Grakus spoke as he handed me a leather bag. "You will find dried fish and berries from the fall harvest in the pouch. Leave it along this pathway, and I shall return to recover it another day."
I replied, "The gellat with the head wound—will it be OK?"
Grakus shook his head. "We will have much healing to do to bring her back; during that time, she will not provide milk for our people. You have placed us in a difficult situation, Don Grange. A harsh winter may be very hard on our people."
I placed the pouch over my shoulder. "Are there other gellats out there that I could help you round up? And what is the name of your people? I am Human."
Grakus looked back up the mountain trail. "We will have a hard spring, as those rocks in the passage will have to be moved before the gellats can return to their high grazing fields. Again, you have caused us harm, Don Grange. Please go."
I pointed back to the pass. "I can clear those rocks out of there. I will do that right now if you would like."
Grakus returned a skeptical stare. "You are but one being, Don Grange. How would you move such by yourself?"
I slowly raised my hand towards the pass. "Follow me and I will show you."
Grakus looked back at the other hunters as they led the gellats up the next hill. "Proceed, Don Grange, Human. Our people are the Meggaks. All of the peoples of Molov are Meggaks. Where do you Humans hail from, Don Grange?"
I replied, "Well, that is a big, long story that I will not be able to tell. Perhaps one day I will have the time. For now, let’s just say that we, I, come from a long way away."
Grakus followed me over the hill to the blocked passage. He stood in awe as I lifted the boulders I had pushed into the ravine one by one. In twenty minutes, I had completed the work that would have taken his village much of their spring.
Grakus looked up at the densely clouded sky. "A storm is coming, Don Grange. Do you have shelter?"
I patted the pouch on my side. "The only thing I currently have is this pouch. And it belongs to a Meggak."
Grakus looked back towards his village. "Come with me, Don Grange. I have a felius grubworm house that remains unused until spring. I can offer you that until this storm has passed. It is unheated, but it will protect you from the harsh snows that will be coming. When the storm has passed, you will be on your way."
I smiled as I replied, "Thank you for your kindness, Grakus. If there is any other way I can help, you only need to ask."
Grakus shook his head. "The other villagers would not agree with my decision here today, Don Grange. I will have to ask that you stay silent and out of sight of my people. Our children would be easily frightened by such a hideous creature as
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