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