One: Saga

Prologue

Kathryn, a first time mother, is swarmed by elder midwives as Fred, a first time father and Kathryn’s lifemate, crouches nervously beside her feeding her papaver bulbs. He picks a few small insects out of her hair as she looks at him. There’s a joyous warmth in each’s eyes as a midwife places a hand on her abdomen. Her breathing becomes labored as she prepares to meet her own young. A forceful face followed by exhaustion then curiosity as the crying flailing limbs are passed to her.  The erratic chaos turns into a still calm as she feels the warmth of her mother’s body and the beat of her mother’s heart. The individuals present marvel over the beauty that is the newborn and then her eyes finally open.

Private Showing

Born right at the transition period of the 100,000 year war between predominant sapien species, the young female named Lucille, has snuck away from her aunt’s view to watch a hunting party of the slightly smaller no-hairs from the cover of the trees. Exhausted and tired the rhino runs into the clearing and takes a defensive stand. It seems manic and erratic until the swarm of two-legged bodies emerge from the brush. The no-hairs surround it and one gets too close tossing the wider male. Lucille focuses on the features of the no-hairs. She looks at a male closer thinking it’s rather thin. 

Focus on features of Neolithic Man 

It had a bit of aopawhupa fur on its back and more that covered the top of its legs. The bit of  black hair on top of its head slightly tickled its ears and blocked parts of its eyes. Its skin was weird with the color of dry soil or an older termite mound. It was a bit stocky, not the shortest but a shorter male and stuttered like an ant. It was scrawny. The under jaw had a small bit of fur that covered it and kinda strapped to its ears. Its chest was completely exposed, flat and gaunt with small amounts of its own fur layering its visible ribs; Lucille thought they must be starving. One thing she noted was that they took too many steps and their arms were too short. Hanging at around the hips and not between the knees and ankles.  The one she was looking at was a male who carried one of their sticks.  She thought it silly about how they bent over to grab stuff. It must be hunted when it bent down to pick it up after dropping it, completely losing focus on its surroundings. Oapuiy ho apowha

Lucille then focuses on the female. She hears her yelling and thinks of the loud wolves constant yapping to claim their territory, She will be named after them

Focus on features of Neolithic Woman

Awuuwuopopa is clearly leading her group. She stands tall and yells and points around the horned aopwhupa upawehuhwa. She kept the stick close to her developed chest that featured little fur and would brandish it in a swing to push back the aopwhupa  Something Lucille saw on her and then noticed on the male when she looked back was hair under where their arms met their bodies. She had a covering on her head. It seemed to resemble the same animal she was named after. Under that was her long mangled fur. Awwuwuopopa’s head hair was longer than the male’s and it had special bindings and twists in it. There were also uowuwpepohhi and opihi that dangled in the dreads. It covered more of her face than eyes and yet she still saw and guided the attack. Also carrying fur on her back that didn’t belong to her legs also wrapped in a weird nest of plant fibers. Her structure was more muscular but still lanky with pelvis bone visible through the skin. What was also odd about them was the top of the back of their legs. They all had the same extra padding where they sit. While trotting Lucille saw her lower leg had engrained markings in her skin. The marks were different but on many of them and unlike the first male many were shiny only losing the sheen when caught in clouds of dust and carrying the smell of olive and owhuwa. 

Successful hunt

Wolf then stabs the Rhino’s back leg as it quickly turns around to thrash at her where another no-hair jabs nearer towards the lung. The rhino charges at another male who’s swinging his spear to create a barrier before another female stabs a final blow. Lucille associates all the no-hairs with ideas and gives them something to remember them by, showing each no-hair being named after their part of the hunt. One reminds Lucille of a troop friend she has and she names the no-hair after her. Lucille starts to try to 

No-Hair Names

Epuheh-Reminds her of her friend, Ethel, Awuuwuopopa-Is yappy, Awhapeiy-Small stature, Whupopiwha-Was hit by the rhino’s side but didn’t budge, Hare-With ears to match, Stick-tall and skinny, Dirt-was covered in it, Hand-picked up her allies when they fell, Apawayo-The last to arrive to the rhino as the final blow is struck

The humans are carving the rhino and pulling hides to bring back to camp. The grass moves behind them and Lucille thinks it’s a Smilodon as more and more sources of movement appear as she almost lets out an alarm call.  But the bigger-hairiers emerge and she sees one of their females let out a war cry.

Battle of Beast Belly

The heads of the smaller no-hairs snap to see her as two large male bigger-hairiers emerge. One clubs a female no-hair breaking her hip and she screams. A male no-hair stabs his abdomen as he collapses. The no-hair pulls out the spear plunging it into his throat before a bigger-hairier male clubs the spear stabber’s head. Lucille’s eyes widen at the violence she’s witnessing. The other three bigger-hairiers crawl out of the grass. One kills the screaming woman with the broken hip as their group proceeds to kill 5 of the 7 other hunter no-hairs.

Interruption

Then the worst thing happens. Martha lets out a call for Lucille. Everyone is frozen in fear and confusion.  The bigger-hairiers are looking towards where Lucille was perched but only see the forest as the last two no-hairs run for the brush, towards the noise. The leading bigger-harrier pulls a spear from the rhino taking two steps back before launching it and having it pin the running female no-hair to a tree. Her fellow no-hair turns to help her but by the time she turns around the pinned one has died and with a face of fear she, the lone survivor, runs through the forest.