front of the Aldans’ cave, as well as the icy cold creek from Cold Springs both ran into this same big river. In fact, all the tribes Pell had ever heard of lived on various tributaries of this same large river.
Chewing on some of Pell’s jerky, with Gia leaning on Pell’s shoulder, they stared peacefully out across the slow-moving waters. Pell turned to look back at the big meadow behind them. It had some bison, aurochs, deer and pigs grazing on it. He kept an eye on the herbivores. Pell worried about predators, but didn’t look for the predators themselves. Rather he watched the activity of the big plant eaters—they’d be spooked if a predator came near.
As he turned back to the front, Gia reached up and caught a hand behind his neck. She pulled him down for a kiss, as usual leaving him feeling somewhat breathless. He traced a hand down her flank, hoping she’d be willing to do more than just kiss, even though he feared such activities might distract him from the possibility of predators.
Gia pulled back, a sparkle in her eyes and she teasingly caught her lip between her teeth. “Now, you know I want to wait until summer. Don’t make it harder for me!” She looked around, apparently for a distraction. “Let’s see if there are any fish.” She scrambled around to lay flat on the rock, her head hanging out over the water.
What about how hard it is on me! Pell wondered, glancing back up at the meadow to check again for any disturbances amongst the herbivores. Reassured, he turned and slid out beside Gia. Looking down into the water he said, “Do you see any?”
“Umhmm,” she said quietly and pointed.
Pell saw a couple of large fish gently undulating in the slow-moving water. It looked to him like they were swimming to stay in the shadow of the boulder. He’d never paid much attention to fish before, but thought they looked interesting.
Gia said, “One of the tribes near our old cave ate fish. I’ve had some and it’s pretty good. Do you think one of your snares could catch a fish?”
Pell drew his head back a little bit, startled at the question. “It doesn’t look like they have a head for the noose to catch on. And, aren’t they supposed to be slippery?” He took a bite of his jerky.
“Mmm-hmm, they’re really slippery.”
“How does that tribe hunt them?” Pell asked, looking back over his shoulder to check the meadow again. He saw Ginja trotting up and felt relieved. With her behind them he didn’t think any predators would be able to sneak up on them.
“With spears.”
Pell put the stick of jerky he’d been gnawing on between his teeth and pulled up his spear, “Shall I try?” As he spoke, the jerky he’d been holding between his teeth slipped out, landing in the water. With a movement so quick Pell hardly realized what had happened, one of the fish shot to the surface, gobbled the jerky, and dropped back down to its original location.
Gia giggled, “It looks like you’re feeding the fish, instead of them feeding you.”
“Well, I’ll just have to get my revenge,” Pell said as he lifted the spear.
Gia put a hand on his arm, “Spearing fish is really hard. I heard their hunters talking about it one night at their campfire. You have to aim either above or below the fish, I can’t remember which. They said, ‘the fish isn’t really where you see it, it’s a little bit below.’ Or, ‘above…’” Gia frowned, “I’m not sure which way they said it was.”
Pell plunged his spear into the water, aiming just above the fish. With a flash of their tails, they disappeared. Pell wondered whether he missed because he wasn’t very accurate with a spear—though he’d felt like this time the spear went right where he’d intended—or whether, like Gia had said, he’d missed because the fish wasn’t where he saw it.
Nonetheless, he once again resolved to practice his throwing. When he’d been visiting the Aldans, he’d never had any time alone. He didn’t want
Chewing on some of Pell’s jerky, with Gia leaning on Pell’s shoulder, they stared peacefully out across the slow-moving waters. Pell turned to look back at the big meadow behind them. It had some bison, aurochs, deer and pigs grazing on it. He kept an eye on the herbivores. Pell worried about predators, but didn’t look for the predators themselves. Rather he watched the activity of the big plant eaters—they’d be spooked if a predator came near.
As he turned back to the front, Gia reached up and caught a hand behind his neck. She pulled him down for a kiss, as usual leaving him feeling somewhat breathless. He traced a hand down her flank, hoping she’d be willing to do more than just kiss, even though he feared such activities might distract him from the possibility of predators.
Gia pulled back, a sparkle in her eyes and she teasingly caught her lip between her teeth. “Now, you know I want to wait until summer. Don’t make it harder for me!” She looked around, apparently for a distraction. “Let’s see if there are any fish.” She scrambled around to lay flat on the rock, her head hanging out over the water.
What about how hard it is on me! Pell wondered, glancing back up at the meadow to check again for any disturbances amongst the herbivores. Reassured, he turned and slid out beside Gia. Looking down into the water he said, “Do you see any?”
“Umhmm,” she said quietly and pointed.
Pell saw a couple of large fish gently undulating in the slow-moving water. It looked to him like they were swimming to stay in the shadow of the boulder. He’d never paid much attention to fish before, but thought they looked interesting.
Gia said, “One of the tribes near our old cave ate fish. I’ve had some and it’s pretty good. Do you think one of your snares could catch a fish?”
Pell drew his head back a little bit, startled at the question. “It doesn’t look like they have a head for the noose to catch on. And, aren’t they supposed to be slippery?” He took a bite of his jerky.
“Mmm-hmm, they’re really slippery.”
“How does that tribe hunt them?” Pell asked, looking back over his shoulder to check the meadow again. He saw Ginja trotting up and felt relieved. With her behind them he didn’t think any predators would be able to sneak up on them.
“With spears.”
Pell put the stick of jerky he’d been gnawing on between his teeth and pulled up his spear, “Shall I try?” As he spoke, the jerky he’d been holding between his teeth slipped out, landing in the water. With a movement so quick Pell hardly realized what had happened, one of the fish shot to the surface, gobbled the jerky, and dropped back down to its original location.
Gia giggled, “It looks like you’re feeding the fish, instead of them feeding you.”
“Well, I’ll just have to get my revenge,” Pell said as he lifted the spear.
Gia put a hand on his arm, “Spearing fish is really hard. I heard their hunters talking about it one night at their campfire. You have to aim either above or below the fish, I can’t remember which. They said, ‘the fish isn’t really where you see it, it’s a little bit below.’ Or, ‘above…’” Gia frowned, “I’m not sure which way they said it was.”
Pell plunged his spear into the water, aiming just above the fish. With a flash of their tails, they disappeared. Pell wondered whether he missed because he wasn’t very accurate with a spear—though he’d felt like this time the spear went right where he’d intended—or whether, like Gia had said, he’d missed because the fish wasn’t where he saw it.
Nonetheless, he once again resolved to practice his throwing. When he’d been visiting the Aldans, he’d never had any time alone. He didn’t want
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