Observed but not Heard

The thing Lucille can’t have any understanding of is that Awuuwuopopa, the female that was barking orders was the leader of the hunting party as well as the tribe. Not just that, but most higher ranking tribe members were killed in that earlier attack. With no one leading the Shaman takes the mantle of trying to quell the other tribespeople. The male pulls a few people into the canopy structure and goes about ritualistic methods.  Lucille tries to really focus in but can’t see anything under the structure. Instead she focuses on Apawayo which she now calls Fast Cat from the speed of her surviving the encounter last time.

Fast cat sits on her own. It seems like she’s not very integrated into the community. She’s also dealing with witnessing the death of everyone she had left with this morning. An elder-female comes to her and  places her arm around Fast Cat. Fast cat cries into her shoulder and the elder holds her. Another elder-female comes and wraps bandages around the wounds of Fast Cat. She winces in pain as they communicate. Lucille’s silhouette in the treeline drops in a somber tone.

Battle of the Bush

The shaman gathers the new no-hairs of his choosing as well as the rest of the community. They sit around the fire as he speaks. Continuing on with the rituals he starts singing as he’s interrupted by a loud sudden snap from deeper in the woods. A rush of the same bigger-hairiers from earlier engage in an ambush. This is a final push to claim more favorable territory and eliminate resource competitors. Some of the no-hairs try and mount a defense grabbing knives, spears, axes and maces; they're no match for the larger, more prepared bigger-hairiers. Other no hairs scramble into the forest only to run into bigger harriers in hiding. The rustle and cries and screams create utter commotion as Lucille grabs her head in anguish. 

Pedicidal Predation

A bigger-hairier male chases the young, catching one dispatching them and continuing the chase. Both Lucille and Fast cat attuned to the wails of frightened youth in the jungle. Lucille can’t help but think of her younger twin brothers in such a predicament. That was the first time she’d held a newborn, that was the first time she’d met a young younger than herself.. Lucille witnesses new life in Fast Cat. Weakened but still duty bound and protector of those who can’t protect themselves., Fast Cat grabs a mammoth bone and strikes a bigger-hairier in the back as it shatters. The male releases his current hold of the young and turns his attention to Fast Cat who takes the shattered bone and thrust it into his neck. He shuffles a few staggered steps then collapses dropping his knife.

Heat of Combat

Fast Cat looks around only to lock eyes with the bigger-hairier that threw the spear at her earlier who is now walking her down. Fast cat trips as the bigger-hairier gets ready to launch an attack only to be brain damaged by a rock from a sling. The bigger-hairier collapses knocking over a torch post as it ignites a local compost bin. She crawls towards Fast Cat who bumps into the bone stab male she killed before, finding his deer jawbone knife. Her palm grasps the molar’s calcium wrapped in sinew and plunges it into the female bigger-hairier over and over before seeing the aftermath.

Scorched Earth

The rudimentary tribal village is beginning to engulf in flames as embers rise and wind blows them burning both structure and foliage. Before Fast Cat are the shaman and medicine woman, slain. An axe sat in the back of the elder who comforted her and arrows littered the woman that healed her, The children were strewn throughout and the smoke was pushing in. As the cries of the bigger-hairiers victory rang out and the death curtles of the last of the no-hairs died down a clear victor had been drawn. Fast Cat scrambles into the woods with her heart breaking as she knows she cannot save her people. At the same time Lucille’s face with the glow of the burn reflecting on her skin. In rightful mind Lucille thinks of her family or her troop and rushes back to warn them.

Alerting Alarm

The 25 trees feel like 250 as the flames start to climb  the moss covered rock face. It had been a bit of a dry season with the water level of the creek being lower than average. Lucille felt the sweltering heat of the air and smoke behind her as she raced from tree to tree. The wind had picked up and it was like the inferno had gained sentience and started chasing her. The moisture in her coat was flung behind her with every bound she took as the steam rose off of her body. She finally got to the creek and without effort launched herself over the slow meandering water. She landed on the ground and rolled preparing to continue running but she paused and looked back

Saving Grace

The umber smoke rose into the sky blanketing both stars and horizon. Trees cracked and crackled but when it seemed like the flames could only grow bigger a sudden change occurred. Lucille lifts her arm and has a breeze from gentle to gust blows her coat in the direction of the flame. The wind has changed direction. Luckily for Lucille the blaze is pushing away from her troops' territory. Getting back to the tree where her parents had nested with the twins is two trees over from where she had built her nest. Starting the easy climb the smallest drizzle can be felt in the space beneath the trees.

Morning

Fur damp but face dry Lucille turns over in her nest as the sun diffusing rain clouds temper most of the earth’s light source. Her troop is quiet mostly always unless needing to vocalize unlike the no hairs and the bigger harriers. Finally on the ground the ongoing shower is suddenly halted. She looks up  to see her father Fred who's covering her from the rain. Their foreheads meet as they say good morning to each other. He quickly grooms the top of her hair before pushing her to her mother. She fumbles out into the rain looking back at him before walking up to Kathryn. Her mother has her two brothers attached to her abdomen. One is feeding and the other looks back to grab at his sister’s finger. When he holds her index all she can think about is them being chased by the neanderthal male who was killing the no hair young. Lucille pulls back as he lets go. There’s smoked trout and fruit for the first meal.

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Two: Saga