Chapter 3 THE SPLIT #15

The female Lorda, looks up at Goff who stands up strong facing the other young males. Usually at Lorda's young age, the older females would protect the young females like Lorda from  aroused males that would like to take shot at a unprotected female. As Goff has not made his first kill , he is not among Booka's warriors and young males do not dare  try to mate with one of their claimed females. But Goff did not have that protection which Lorda was aware and wanted to go back to the protection of the older females but Goff grabs her hand and holds on to her.

Goff stands there with Lorda who is shivering with fear.The other young males, sensing an opportunity, move closer to the pair and one young male, Sling, grabs hold of Lorda's arm. Lorda struggles as Sling tries to drag her away Lorda screams for Goff who is growling at the other young males that are closing in. Goff,turns and sees Sling dragging off Lorda, charges toward Sling who lets go of Lorda to face Goff.

As Goff and Sling struggle, other young males, seeing Lorda unprotected, surround her and begin groping and grabbing. Lorda screams and Goff, who is on the back of Sling, choking him from behind. Goff feels the life going out of Sling but Lorda's screams make him drop Sling and charge to Lorda's defense. The young males back off Lorda when Goff approaches but he is jumped from behind by the recovered Sling. Some of the young males help Sling in the fight while others go after Lorda who screams with all the energy she has left in her.

Just then Sophia, in a rage ,grabs Sling and claws at his eyes.who turns and grabs Sophia by the throat but a grunt from Booka, who has calmly watched the drama,reminds Sling of the high rank Sophia has within the clan and the clever Sling does not want to anger Booka yet.

to be continued

Chapter 3, The Split. #14

Booka walks toward the clan and the  crippled male, that Goff threw to the ground,  motions toward Goff and the young female he helped. He had broken an old law of the clan, only Booka and his warriors were allowed and capable of having a female for themselves. Booka realized he must take some action or he would be perceived as weak. Booka hesitated, Goff would make a good warrior someday and maybe even lead the clan, if needed.

The female, on the other hand was weak, her children would be weak, so instead of killing her ,Booka decided to banish her from the clan. Booka made a motion for her to leave but she refused and sat stubbornly, waiting for the death blow from Booka. He raised his hand ax but Goff stood defiantly blocking Booka. This disturbed Booka, he did not want to kill Goff but yet there must be some punishment to teach Goff and any other young ones that think they deserve a female, without making a kill on the hunt first.

So, thought Booka, this little upstart thinks he can handle a female, then I will give her to him. He pushes the female over to Goff, indicating that she was his and the entire clan stomped their feet and hollered. No one in the clan could remember this having been done before now. Never was a male, as young as Goff, strong enough to keep a female without a older stronger warrior taking her away. Booka thought, let see if you are truly worthy, not only will he have to fight off the other males but provide for her as well.

to be continued

Chapter 3: The Split, #13

With the 2 deer nearby, Booka signals and his best warriors crawl toward the water stealthly to get the jump on the deer. As they come closer, they can smell the deer drinking. Drooling and stifling the growling sounds in their throats, they creep closer. The warriors encircle the deer ready to spring the trap. When the 2 deer approach, Booka and his warriors rush out of their hiding places and club at the 2 deer's feet. One of the deer goes down and the warriors move in and club it to death. Booka and his warriors chase after the deer that got away but was wounded and limping.

Without Booka and his warriors present to organize the feeding, the remaining part of the clan, including Goff, commence ripping out pieces of meat as the whole clan jumps into the fray. They push each other out of the way to get in a better position to get some meat. The younger and older disabled, stay on the outside trying to grab any flesh that may have been inadvertently flung to the back. If a young one grabs a piece of meat, an older stronger member would steal it right out of it's mouth. With blood and guts flying everywhere, the ones closer to the kill swallow their meat and run to the water to wash it down. this gives a chance for the weaker ones to move closer to the kill.

Goff , rips his way to the front, grabbing as many small pieces he can get, even out of the mouths of others before they can even take a bite. A young female next to him, who has been pushed around by the mob, grabs a piece of meat that had fallen right in front of her. Just as she is ready to bite down , Goff rips it out of her mouth. The young female cries out and lays down in a fetal position. As Goff wolfs down this small piece of meat, he looks down at the female. he has noticed her before and if he would have noticed her when he stole the meat from her, he would not have done so.

He goes to the bones and fights for another piece of meat and brings it to her and motions for her to take it. She looks up in surprise but grabs the meat, eating it quickly as her eyes dart about. An older crippled warrior tries to take the meat from her but Goff throws him to the ground. The older male, one of Booka's best warriors before he was crippled in a hunt, rises to his feet and shrieks to Goff. He moves to slow to be of any threat to Goff but vigorously stamps his one good foot as he shrieks and howls.

Suddenly, the clan stops in mid motion, as Booka and his warriors return, carrying the other deer that almost got away. The crippled male, that Goff threw to the ground, runs to Booka and points toward Goff and the female, in a frantic manner.

to be continued

Chapter 3, The Split, #12

The clan followed the herd which moved continuously, occasionally stopping for a couple of days while they consume all vegetation in the area and move on again.This was a faster pace then the clan was used to and no one could remember when the herd traveled such long distances without a prolonged stop occasionally. The clan has thinned out as the old and lame could not keep up this pace.

The herd travels over a desert and steers toward a mountainous area and picks up speed The clan hungry and thirsty follow up the trail left by the herd as it goes over the crest of the hill and thunders on. Booka and his warriors climb to the top of the mountain and just as they get there, a smell of lush green fills their nostrils and as they ascend to the top , they look down at a huge landscape of forests ,rivers and different herds then the one they have been chasing, grazing in the huge grassland.

When the rest of the clan caught up to Booka's warriors and looked out at what must have seemed heavenly to them, they hooted and hollered in joy. seeing some deer grazing not far from them. Booka commanded the clan to hide, while the warriors went on the attack.

Goff knew, that as hungry and thirsty the clan was, meant he would only get scraps, not enough to end that gnawing feeling in his stomach. The deer grazed down at the bottom of the valley, with lush vegetation fueled by a stream coming down from the mountain. upon sight of the water, some of the clan, the thirst in their throat feeling like sandpaper, rush out but a growl from Booka sets them back into formation.

Goff thought, why has Booka halted us when water is right there?  He didn't care, he would jump at first and feel that cool water down his throat. Out he jumps toward the water and a few, out of instinct, jump out with him. Suddenly a young male, running along side of Goff, is smashed to the ground by Booka's hand club. Goff immediately slides to a stop.

Booka, with his club stained with blood, looks down at Goff, ready to kill him as he has killed many before for such insubordination. He hesitates, not wanting to kill one of his sons that may share his secret. Instead he smashes Goff with his fist who rolls over bloody but still alive

to be continued

Chapter 3., The Split. #11

The years past and Booka's has ruled  ruthlessly but wisely He could see problems developing before they would occur, which gave him an advantage over the rest of the clan and any brave warrior that thought he could overthrow Booka's authority. Under his guidance, the clan grew larger, which increased the need for more successful hunts as starvation, as always, was just a day away.

Soofa gave birth to Goff, her youngest, and whose  father is Booka. As Goff grows older, Booka notices something in him that is not common in the rest of the clan. Goff can see what others cannot, except for Booka and sometimes with Soofa. He can see what is not taught, he can see the future.

When Goff was young, barely old enough to climb the branches, the warriors were going on a hunting trip led by Booka. Before the trip,Booka walked among the clan, picking the younger males to go along and observe the hunt, so they could learn. Goff was one of the youngest but Booka picked him. Goff was different from the rest of his progeny .They never communicated directly, just making eye contact with each other was a form of communication they had with each other that was not shared with the rest of the clan.

Out on his first hunt , Goff came over a ridge starving and thirsty. At this point a strange thought came to him. If he died on this hunt as he had seen many die before, would that be the end of him? The thought distressed him. What happens to me/? What happens to me when my body is torn apart by scavengers, what happens to me? To not be, the thought kept his mind off his hunger.

Suddenly, the clan is aroused, their mouths salivating at the sight of a stray cow up ahead. Their reaction brings Goff out of his imagination and back to reality.If they could kill it, that would be enough to feed the whole clan for a couple of days.

Booka and his best warriors hide up wind of the cow. He signals Goff and the other young warriors, to go down wind and chase the cow toward Booka and his warriors. Goff and the other young warriors are shivering with fear, although just a cow, it is big and could kill. Booka leaves one of his best warriors with the young warriors to guide them. He signals for them to jump out after the cow. Goff and the young warriors jump out and the cow snorts and turns toward them, which makes some of the young warriors turn and run out of fear.

The cow sensing their fear , charges them at full speed. This leaves Goff and Booka's warrior exposed. The cow rips into Booka's warrior as Goff tries to distract the cow, but to no avail. Booka, seeing the debacle, charged out with his warriors but the cow fleas unharmed.

Booka, in a rage, executes on the spot, the young males that had deserted. All that energy spent without nourishment, drained any reserved they had in their lean hard bodies. but Booka was proud of his youngest son, who stood bravely while others fled.

to be continued

The Reign of Booka, Chapter 2, #10

The hunting party enters the clan compound dragging the bull, as the clan circles the feast with their mouths drooling in anticipation. Before the clan can tear into the bull, Booka's warriors hold them back as Booka enters, carrying Soofa in his arms. Booka puts Soofa down ,who is now able to stand on her own, and rips off a piece from the bull and hands it to Soofa, who immediately wolfs it down.

The clan lurches forward but Soofa holds her hand up, but the clan ignores her and pushes forward.  Booka growls at the clan to wait until told to feast. Soofa goes and gets her aged mother and Booka's mother and brings them over to the bull and slices off a piece for both of them.. No one in the clan objects to this because they  sense that now Booka is their true leader and they must obey. After Booka, Soofa and their mothers had eaten their fill, the warriors tare into the bull followed by the rest of the clan.

After a couple of days and much feasting and mating , the entire clan has had their fill. Soofa wakes up and notices the lack of noise coming from the herd. She walks out of the compound and sees an open and scorched land that was consumed of all vegetation by the herd, which has moved on at night in search of other vegetation to consume.

Soofa wakes Booka to see that the herd has finally gone on the march and now he must get the clan ready to follow. Up and ready quickly ,as the clan members know, they must keep up or be left behind to either starve or be eaten by the many predators.

The clan moves out with Booka at front with his warriors flanking on both sides to protect the pregnant, young and old in the middle, and with Soofa and her warriors protecting the rear.

to be continued

The Reign Of Booka , Chapter 2 #9

Booka jumps out from the bush and howls to get the bull's  attention. The bull turns away from Soofa and charges toward Booka, which it perceives as the greatest threat. As the bull turns away from her, Soofa, seeing Booka risk his life to save her, throws her body in front of the bull's back legs like a cross block. The bull stumbles which gives Booka the opportunity to jump on the bull's back. The bull bucks hard to try to throw Booka off it's back. Booka holds tight to the bull's horns and inches up to be able to reach around the bull's horns and bring his hand ax down hard on the unprotected area between the bull's eyes. The blow brings the bull down and now the rest of the warriors move in to finish the bull off and drag it away before predators nearby cannot steal their kill.

Booka, instead of going with his warriors and the kill, walks over to where Soofa lays battered and bruised but alive. Booka picks up Soofa in his arms and begins to lick her wounds. A bond is formed between these two, who risked their lives to save the other. Booka had never felt this way toward anyone not even his mother and to lick the wounds of another warrior would be impossible for him but with this female he felt something strange but enjoyable.

Going back to the clan, the warriors entered first carrying the dead bull followed by Booka carrying Sophia.

to be continued

The Reign of Booka, Chapter 2, #8

Booka climbed down from the hill and motions to Soofa to take the females and lure a bull away from the herd. He sends 2 of his warriors with them to teach them what was required. Soofa and her warriors slowly crawl towards the herd as not to be seen until the right time. They are followed by Booka and his warriors.

Soofa and the other female warriors are brave fighters. It was their duty to protect the young and lame in the clan from predators when the hunting party was away. But this is a new experience, never before were they this close to the herd. The snorting and stamping of hooves by thousands of animals is deafening and shook the ground.

When the herd is content, they would be spread out over a large area and much easier to isolate and kill a stray. Packed together as they are now requires Soofa's group to approach up close to the herd and try to draw one away from the protection of the tightly packed herd. This risk of being stampeded to death strikes fear in the hearts of the inexperienced female warriors that had never, till now, participated in a hunt.

Sophia and her crew run toward a bull that is closest to them and screech at it to get the beast's attention. The bull turns toward them and charges as they run back to where Booka and his warriors wait to make the kill.

Booka stands ready to jump on the back of the charging bull when one of the females falls right in front of the bull which stops and begins to gore the fallen warrior. Soofa goes back to try to distract the bull and give her warrior an opportunity to escape the wrath of the bull. But the bull ignores her and digs his horn deep into her and flings the now dead corpse in the air.

Soofa screams for Booka as now the bull turns toward her and charges. Booka could wait until the bull runs past him but that meant that Sophia would be killed by the bull or he could come out of hiding which would make the bull change coarse and charge him. This meant that he would have just one chance to smash the bull's head from the front with one good shot. Booka instinctively knows that if his first shot did not bring down the bull, he would be trampled to death.

to be continued

The Reign of Booka, Chapter 2 #7 continued

Out on the hunt, Booka climbs to the top of a hill to observe the herd. It is tightly packed and agitated which means that it is ready to go on the move.Most of the vegetation in this area has been consumed by the herd and now they must move on to another grazing area.When the herd is tightly packed, it is very difficult and dangerous to corner a stray because nearby bulls will attack any animal that is not part of the herd . The clan has followed this particular herd as long as anyone can remember. It has been the main source of food for countless generations and if it moves the clan must follow along with other predators that prey on the herd and slower clan members that cannot keep up  and fall behind.

When the herd is on the move it puts great stress  on the clan but it is also a time of great abundance.  The weak and lame from the herd that cannot keep pace are easy kills for the clan. In the past the herd would follow the scent of grazing ground which could be days if not weeks on the move crossing rivers and climbing mountains followed by the clan and other predators that live off the herd.

Overlooking the herd, Booka had just two choices, he could wait a day or two for the herd to move out but this meant immediate starvation and death for the weak and lame ,or he could bring back a stray now so the whole clan will have eaten and be at full strength, for the chase. Booka decides to send out the females to draw one of the herd away so he and his warriors can attack it.

He calls to Soofa.    to be continued

The Reign Of Booka, continued #6

Booka walks to Soofa, she turns looking at Booka. Both feel a recognition , as they look deep into each other's eyes, that neither has ever felt before this moment Booka and Soofa are confused and look away from each other.They look back, then look away, then they look back and embrace like lost lovers that have found each other. This agitates his mother, who makes several attempts over the next couple of days to harass and chase Soofa away from Booka. But Soofa stood by Booka's side and fought off his mother and any other females brave enough to nuzzle up to Booka, who is impressed by Soofa's' resistance to his mother.

The young warriors, up to now ,restricted from contact with the young females, by Poppo and his warriors, but now free of Poppo's oppression.They move toward the young females and a orgy of sex explodes among the formally segregated but now free young of the tribe, that lasts through the night.

At the same time the pig's bones and tusks are ground down to powder and fed with water to the weak and lame, which alleviates some of their starvation.

Now with the pig gone and the clan getting hungry again, they look to Booka for food. He must now gather his warriors to go out on the hunt but at half strength because of the loss of Poppo and his warriors.

Booka and his warriors go out on the hunt but several attempts to surround a stray bull fail because there is not enough hunters and the prey always escapes.

Back at the camp, the clan scream and throw dirt on the empty handed hunters. Booka knows that continued failure will lead to chaos and maybe starvation and death for himself and the rest of the clan.

The next day as Booka and his warriors began to set out on the hunt again,  But this time Soofa and a handful of other females take their hand axes and follow Booka .Soofa takes it upon herself to command the young females and place them in strategic positions as she has witnessed the hunt many times and instinctively knows what to do.

to be continued

The Reign of Booka: Chapter 2 #5

Booka, carrying the pig, approaches the encampment. The sentries, guarding the encampment from predators, see the approaching hunting party and run down to greet them and maybe get a mouthful before the whole clan can get to the hog.

When they see it is Booka and the young warriors carrying the pig, they are confused. Never in their young lives have they seen anyone else but Poppo bring them food. The mostly female sentries run back to the encampment.

As Booka enters the camp, seeing the new leader, the clan trembles for fear of the unknown. Who would Booka embrace and who would he kill outright? Booka's mother, Bebe runs to him and licks his wounds from the fight with Poppo.  Booka cuts a piece of meat for her and then tosses what is left of the pig for the rest of the clan.

The rest of the starving clan rush to the pig and fight, bite and push each other to get enough to survive as the old and injured are pushed away from the food. Booka and his warriors stand back and watch as they have already had their fill.

Booka notices a young female Soofa, scrambling to get a piece and fighting like a warrior. After grabbing a piece of meat, she did a strange thing. She took the piece of meat that she had to fight so hard for and gives it to an old starving female that was pushed away from the feast. Booka noticed this and it confused him.

Many of the young females move toward Booka ,trying to get his attention but Bebe growls at them to keep away.

Booka turns toward Soofa.

to be continued

The Upstart: continued #4

Booka wants to bring back,what is left of the pig , to the tribe. He knows that if he brings back enough food to relieve,at least, some of their hunger, he would be regarded as one who feeds them and he would be treated most favorable by his mother,Bebe, and the rest of the tribe..

Poppo's warriors, sensing that they will lose prominence within the tribe, stomp their feet and make threatening gestures toward Booka and his young warriors  ,who slowly retreat . Booka ,sensing the hesitation, drags the pig with him. Poppo's warriors  gather themselves together and work themselves into a frenzy , getting their courage up to attack Booka and the young warriors and then they will bring the pig back to the clan.

Booka knows that he and his young warriors would be no match for Poppo's warriors when they generate their full attack. The young warriors are distressed, feeling that their death is imminent.They want to leave the pig for Poppo's warriors and flee back to the clan. An idea comes to BOOKA, set a trap for them. He throws the pig down into a deep ravine hopping Poppo's warriors will to go down Into it.  Booka and the young warriors retreat to a safe place but able to watch the pig in the ravine. 

The sound of Poppo's warriors are heard coming through the brush. As they come by the ravine, they  smell the pig and rush down into the ravine. Booka and the young warriors move stealthily toward the top of the ravine and from a superior position , see Poppo's warriors preoccupied, tearing pieces of meat from the pig. At a signal from BOOKA, they throw heavy rocks down on them crushing limbs and leaving them maimed. When enough of Poppo's warriors are wounded, Booka and the young warriors charge down the ravine  and finished them off. 

BOOKA, now in full command,  stops his young warriors from ripping in the pig. He knows that now it is he who will bring back food for the clan.

End of Chapter 1 ,to be continued #4

Upstart : continued # 3

All the warriors gather around the hog, drooling, but wait for Poppo to take the first bite.  Nobody picks before Poppo. As Poppo starts digging in for a choice piece of meat,  Booka, still frustrated from being cheated out of the kill,  kicks dirt on Poppo's meat.

Poppo is tired and his knee hurts badly but is aware that all the warriors wait for him to punish this insult. Poppo rushes at Booka but he is bluffing and it shows. Booka, sensing that Poppo is not at full strength stands his ground. He has seen Poppo attack and kill many young males that dared to challenge him. Yet, Booka knows Poppo is weaker now, old and ready to be taken.

Poppo hesitates,his bluff has been called.He has seen that Booka is strong and brave but now Poppo must kill this mutineer, there is no other choice, this insubordination, in front of the other warriors, cannot go unpunished.

Poppo springs at Booka, sinking his fangs into his neck. Booka manages to twist out of Poppo's grasp before his bite could sink deeper and breaks away. With blood coming from his neck, Booka rushes at Poppo and manages to get his forearm around Poppo's throat. Poppo twists his body to escape as he has done hundreds of times in the past with similar attacks, but again his knee gives away and he loses balance ,which enables Booka to bite deep into Poppo's throat and  Poppo falls dead. Booka rises up and with blood dripping from his mouth and the wound in his neck, pounds his chest in victory.

The other warriors hesitate, not expecting this upstart, this barely full grown entity, could overcome Poppo. Booka, feeling a rush of power, goes to the pig and rips out a choice piece of meat from the thigh. The other warriors make a dash for the meat but Booka growls and they stop, waiting for their new leader to give them permission.

The Upstart: continued #2

Poppo and his warriors enter the encampment, followed by Booka and the young warriors.. The females , young, old and sick howl in agony. Their mouths watered when they thought the hunt would lead to a kill and their hunger, which they feel in the pit of their stomachs, would be satisfied. But again they must suffer. The mothers frantically gather up their young in fear that a starving warrior would attempt to snatch a young and eat it.

Poppo and his warriors give a warning growl as many, in the tribe , spit at him and throw dirt as he passes. Which is the custom,.if the hunters come back empty handed.  Trailing them are Booka and the other young warriors, who receive the same treatment. Booka does not walk in shame as the other warriors because he knows the truth.  He could have killed the deer .

Booka goes to his mother, who had always protected him as he grew. He reaches out to her for comfort  but she slaps him away. An empty handed hunter is of no use.

Before sunrise the tribe gathers themselves to go on the move. They have to follow the herd   or die from hunger.

Under the rising sun the tribe sets out after the herd. Suddenly, a wild boar wonders into view on a ridge. The warriors immediately spring into action,. now they are a hunting party. They spread out to surround the pig. Each member of the party knows his task.

The younger warriors are to  sneak around the opposite side of the ridge and jump out from there. If all goes right, the pig will run the other way and into the hand axes of Poppo and his older warriors. Booka and the young hunters, move quietly through the bushes, as they have been taught as soon as they could walk.

The young of the tribe have to learn fast or die from starvation as food was not shared with the weak. There is no mercy for those that can not hunt. The old and injured that lag behind on a move are easy prey for predators that follow the tribe, looking for an easy meal.

Booka leads his group and  sees the hog grazing in the grass. It is lean but full grown with plenty of meat. Booka and his group spring out of the bushes and the pig screaming from freight , runs downhill toward Poppo, and his group, followed close behind by Booka. As the pig comes closer, Poppo jumps out and swings his club at the pigs back leg.

The pig goes down and struggles to get back on his feet. Poppo,  moves in to finish the pig off when his knee buckles and he falls. The pig, now on all fours, limps away.  Booka ,following close behind, hits the other leg and it goes down again. Before the pig can regain it's footing, Booka moves in and hits the pig hard on the head.

A loud crack echoes off the hillside as the pig goes down quivering but immobile. Booka moves in for the kill but Poppo snarls at him and brushes him aside and kills the pig himself. As Poppo stands over the kill ,pounding his chest in victory. Booka feels an impulse to attack Poppo but restrains himself for he has seen Poppo kill many that had dared to oppose him.

to be continued

Chapter 1: The Upstart # 1

The tribe is hungry and game is scarce. They have been chasing the herd for 4 days with no success. Finally a  deer is cornered  but the warriors,led by Poppo the leader of the tribe are too slow and the prey escapes. Poppo, the leader of the tribe, has had pain in his knees and hips He has been the lead warrior of the tribe for many years but time and past injuries have begun to overtake him, slowing him down in the chase. Poppo ,tries to keep hidden that he can not move with his old speed and agility. He knows that one of the younger warriors would challenge him for the lead, as he had done to the tribe's former leader who Poppo killed  and took over the tribe. Poppo is determined not to suffer the same fate, he does not want to give up the privileges that goes with being the leader, the choices cuts of meat and the best of the females.

Booka, one of the younger warriors, is growing impatient. He knows he could have jumped on the back of the deer and clubbed it with the stone that he has chiseled to a point . It would have been his first kill which would have given him high esteem within the tribe, but Poppo  pushed him aside ..Unfortunately Poppo is too slow and stumbles ,permitting the deer to escape. The tribe sees what would have eased their hunger, scream and stomp their feet, as they saw, what they thought was a sure meal, sprint away. Booka is hungry, his mother is hungry. His father is Poppo.


To be continued