The Trek: Darwin's World, Book II (The Darwin's World Series 2) by Jack L Knapp

the fawn,” she said ruefully.
    “Just let me stir up the fire. We can cook part of your fawn. I’m hungry enough to eat the whole thing! But you called me Matt. Do I know you?”
    “Oh, Matt. I’m Lilia. You don’t remember me? Or Lee? Sandra and Millie and Cindy? Laszlo? You worked with Laszlo, Laz, a lot. Laz and René helped you cut wood and build things.”
    “I don’t remember. The first thing I remember is crawling out of the river. I was cold, I remember shivering and being wet. Since then, I’ve been making weapons and just staying alive. I should have been doing other things, shouldn’t I?”
    “Matt, you’re alive. That’s all that matters. As for weapons, I’ve got your spear. I picked up your bow and arrows too, they’re almost a day’s travel behind me. But we can go back and get them.”
    “My spear? Can I see it?”
    Lilia handed over the spear and Matt hefted it appraisingly. There was a deep scratch just behind the point where the blade joined the heavy shaft.
    “I think...I remember this. There was a bear. I remember a bear.”
    “That’s right, there was a bear. We killed it, all of us, you, me, Lee, Sandra and Millie, all of us.”
    “Lee…I remember Lee. He had a broken arm. The bear broke his arm.”
    “Yes. He almost died, but he recovered. He’s been helping you.”
    “Helping me? Helping me do what?”
    “Matt, you were…you are…the trek leader. You are in charge of the tribe when we’re moving. Lee takes care of security, he’s got several helpers to do that. He has scouts too, and I’m sure he’ll be in charge of the hunting parties when we start sending them out.”
    “We’re a tribe? How long…how long has it been? How long have I been here?”
    Lilia thought for a moment.
    “Matt, it’s been almost a week. We thought you were dead. Pavel said you drowned. He said you slipped and fell into the river, but I didn’t believe him. He had two of his men with him when he got to camp, and I thought they’d killed you. I thought maybe they’d ambushed you, but they said you’d fallen into the river and I didn’t believe them.”
    Matt reached up reflexively and rubbed at the bump.
    “Maybe I hit my head when I slipped.”
    “No. I found a bloodstain well back from the river. That probably came from your head. Was it worse when you left the river?”
    Matt nodded. “There was blood on my face too.”
    “Scalp wounds, cuts to the forehead where that one is, they bleed a lot. Pavel must have hit you with something before his men dragged you down to the river. I saw drag marks where they threw you in.”
    Matt thought about Lilia’s statement. His fingers gripped the spear.
    “I think I’ll want to ask Pavel about that, saying I fell into the river. I want to see where they threw me in. You’re sure?”
    “I saw the tracks. Your bow and arrows are still there, hanging in a tree to keep the animals from chewing on them. I can show you the tracks and the bloodstain when we get there.”
    Matt looked around at his small camp. Well, he’d been thinking it was time to leave the river. He would need to pick up his fishing line and carry the chipped stones with him, the ones he’d been working on. They’d be useful.
    He had known his name because of the dream, and now he knew a lot more, though some of the memories were still just bits and pieces.
    “We can cook some of the venison if that’s OK with you. I’ll put out the fire after that and we can go. Bow and arrows?”
    “Yes, and a quiver for the arrows too. I made the quiver. You made the bow and arrows, mine too. You made your spear and you also made a spear for me, but it’s back at camp. I left it with Lee.”
    “Lee’s with the tribe? I wonder if Pavel’s back there too?”
    “I’m sure he is. He’s got a small group, five men counting himself, and two women.”
    “I think we should get my bow and arrows and go to the camp. I have a few questions to ask Pavel.”
    #
    Lee found Robert leaning