Post by lilik on Aug 26, 2008 14:04:50 GMT -5
Chapter 1
"Lylo...". The young seven year old mammoth calf sighed as his twenty year old brother said his name, "I'm just over on the outskirts, I'm not running away or anything" he complained; and in fact the young one was only just outside the line of other mammoth's in the herd, having moved out to investigate something in the snow, but anywhere but the middle, boxed in be the adults just wouldn't do for Miko!
Grumbling without actually being audible, Lylo walked back over to within the fold of the herd once more. His slightly younger, twin, sister Lilik smiled at him as he walked back over near her, trying to cheer her brother up. Lylo sighed, "He gets to take over as leader of the herd since he's mom's oldest and your not old enough to take on the Matriarch role, and suddenly he thinks he can boss us around!".
Lilik laughed, "He just wants to make sure nothing happens" she defended. Lylo just rolled his eyes. He wasn't a disrespectful boy or anything, just adventurous and had recently been caught and steered back from said adventure, so he had to grumble as any young boy would.
Miko, the twins twenty year old brother, smiled back, catching the conversation. It was almost ironic, but Lyko was right, he was only leading the herd because his mother had been the Matriarch and after both her and their father's death, the matriarch's oldest son was the only member the herd could put in her place. Yet he was almost only holding the position for until the matriarch’s only daughter, little Lilik, was old enough to become the next Matriarch.
Any member of proper age and lineage could rule, but mammoth herds just always seemed to be put most to right when a Matriarch was in charge...
So the youngest was the true heir, Miko chuckled to himself, well there was an interesting fact. It also held precedent, even if he ever found a mate and they had calves, the day Lilik became of age she would take the Matriarch position unless she felt like voluntarily passing it on. Yet all this was at the very least ten whole years away since Lilik was seven.
This pondering was suddenly halted by a noise off to the right. Miko slowed, and the females of the herd immediately kept track on where the young were even as the herd continued on past, at only a bit slower of a pace. They were mammoths, one of the biggest animals around, even sabertooths would pause before taking on the whole herd, they were safe from mainly everything but...
"Hunters!" one of the females screeched in warning and Miko's gaze went immediately to where she was indicating, a bush where a spear protruded. The spear was followed by the humans. Three stepped out, but Miko knew there were more.
The herd was fully stopped now, boxing in the young, keeping a gaze on the humans. Pushing any nervousness he had down, Miko stepped out to walk around the herd and over to face the humans. He was leader, it was his duty to be first defense. Raising his trunk he bellowed, trying to startle the humans back and perhaps make them give up altogether.
The leader of this hunting party smirked to himself, "Not very old if I had to judge, yet quite some bravery" he commented, "Wouldn't you agree Denahi?" he smiled back at his second in command in this hunt. Denahi rolled his eyes, "Not to take you on, that spears barely raised" he quipped back to his friend.
"How about we focus before said brave mammoth kills us, huh?!" someone else commented to the two up front. Denahi and the hunting leader, agreed and turned their attention to Miko once more. "He is already out and therefore probably easier for us to push to the others, might be easiest just to aim for him" Denahi agreed with a shrug.
"Just what I was thinking" the hunting leader said as he suddenly let loose his spear and jabbed Miko up on the left shoulder. It looked like a stray shot, but wasn't as the mammoth turned with a pained bellow and did begin to move off towards the bush where the others of the hunting party waited for the right moment. He didn't keep going that way though, and turned once more to charge towards the humans who had struck at him.
"Woah!" just barely did Denahi leap aside to avoid the massive feet. as the mammoth charged straight for him. The hunter leader let loose a spear just to back the mammoth off now as he next rushed forward to help Denahi to his feet.
"I don't get it, he's sticking with the herd better than I've ever seen a bull do" he said even as himself and the small party with him kept their eyes on Miko and the nervously stomping herd behind him.
"Yeah" Denahi seemed to all but whisper as he kept his gaze on Miko and thought through what they should do now. The baiting method wasn't effective. And in their thinking time, the herd was beginning to stir, forming for their own attack on these hunters attacking them.
Two females up front darted out distracting Denahi and the others. As the young men leapt aside, avoiding them, the second group of hunters in the bushes noticed the former plan was off and now rushed forward to aid as the whole herd (besides those keeping the young boxed in) were on the move.
Yet as this second group rushed forward, half to aid Denahi and the others, and half to attempt a separation of any mammoth who looked like a good candidate, this defensive line was broken and soon young Lilik and Lylo found themselves facing hunters at close proximity.
The hunters were barely paying attention to them, but the young calves didn't know that and in a fit of panic as one got inches from her in the pursuit of another herd member, Lilik let loose a squeak like bellow of fear and bolted straight forward, barely noticing her direction. She charged straight past Denahi and the others of the first hunters group and continued on.
Denahi turned and followed the calf's path with his gaze and suddenly realized something. "It's heading for the camp!". Denahi and the others hadn’t moved off too far from their camp site in this hunt and in her blind stamped of fear, Lilik was headed straight for it and seemed intent on closing the distance.
She wasn't a threat, but any stampeding mammoth could cause damage in the camp site and Dehahi knew at the very least the tribe needed a warning of her coming. "I got it!"" he exclaimed, rushing after the mammoth calf and hoping he could outrun it…
"Lylo...". The young seven year old mammoth calf sighed as his twenty year old brother said his name, "I'm just over on the outskirts, I'm not running away or anything" he complained; and in fact the young one was only just outside the line of other mammoth's in the herd, having moved out to investigate something in the snow, but anywhere but the middle, boxed in be the adults just wouldn't do for Miko!
Grumbling without actually being audible, Lylo walked back over to within the fold of the herd once more. His slightly younger, twin, sister Lilik smiled at him as he walked back over near her, trying to cheer her brother up. Lylo sighed, "He gets to take over as leader of the herd since he's mom's oldest and your not old enough to take on the Matriarch role, and suddenly he thinks he can boss us around!".
Lilik laughed, "He just wants to make sure nothing happens" she defended. Lylo just rolled his eyes. He wasn't a disrespectful boy or anything, just adventurous and had recently been caught and steered back from said adventure, so he had to grumble as any young boy would.
Miko, the twins twenty year old brother, smiled back, catching the conversation. It was almost ironic, but Lyko was right, he was only leading the herd because his mother had been the Matriarch and after both her and their father's death, the matriarch's oldest son was the only member the herd could put in her place. Yet he was almost only holding the position for until the matriarch’s only daughter, little Lilik, was old enough to become the next Matriarch.
Any member of proper age and lineage could rule, but mammoth herds just always seemed to be put most to right when a Matriarch was in charge...
So the youngest was the true heir, Miko chuckled to himself, well there was an interesting fact. It also held precedent, even if he ever found a mate and they had calves, the day Lilik became of age she would take the Matriarch position unless she felt like voluntarily passing it on. Yet all this was at the very least ten whole years away since Lilik was seven.
This pondering was suddenly halted by a noise off to the right. Miko slowed, and the females of the herd immediately kept track on where the young were even as the herd continued on past, at only a bit slower of a pace. They were mammoths, one of the biggest animals around, even sabertooths would pause before taking on the whole herd, they were safe from mainly everything but...
"Hunters!" one of the females screeched in warning and Miko's gaze went immediately to where she was indicating, a bush where a spear protruded. The spear was followed by the humans. Three stepped out, but Miko knew there were more.
The herd was fully stopped now, boxing in the young, keeping a gaze on the humans. Pushing any nervousness he had down, Miko stepped out to walk around the herd and over to face the humans. He was leader, it was his duty to be first defense. Raising his trunk he bellowed, trying to startle the humans back and perhaps make them give up altogether.
The leader of this hunting party smirked to himself, "Not very old if I had to judge, yet quite some bravery" he commented, "Wouldn't you agree Denahi?" he smiled back at his second in command in this hunt. Denahi rolled his eyes, "Not to take you on, that spears barely raised" he quipped back to his friend.
"How about we focus before said brave mammoth kills us, huh?!" someone else commented to the two up front. Denahi and the hunting leader, agreed and turned their attention to Miko once more. "He is already out and therefore probably easier for us to push to the others, might be easiest just to aim for him" Denahi agreed with a shrug.
"Just what I was thinking" the hunting leader said as he suddenly let loose his spear and jabbed Miko up on the left shoulder. It looked like a stray shot, but wasn't as the mammoth turned with a pained bellow and did begin to move off towards the bush where the others of the hunting party waited for the right moment. He didn't keep going that way though, and turned once more to charge towards the humans who had struck at him.
"Woah!" just barely did Denahi leap aside to avoid the massive feet. as the mammoth charged straight for him. The hunter leader let loose a spear just to back the mammoth off now as he next rushed forward to help Denahi to his feet.
"I don't get it, he's sticking with the herd better than I've ever seen a bull do" he said even as himself and the small party with him kept their eyes on Miko and the nervously stomping herd behind him.
"Yeah" Denahi seemed to all but whisper as he kept his gaze on Miko and thought through what they should do now. The baiting method wasn't effective. And in their thinking time, the herd was beginning to stir, forming for their own attack on these hunters attacking them.
Two females up front darted out distracting Denahi and the others. As the young men leapt aside, avoiding them, the second group of hunters in the bushes noticed the former plan was off and now rushed forward to aid as the whole herd (besides those keeping the young boxed in) were on the move.
Yet as this second group rushed forward, half to aid Denahi and the others, and half to attempt a separation of any mammoth who looked like a good candidate, this defensive line was broken and soon young Lilik and Lylo found themselves facing hunters at close proximity.
The hunters were barely paying attention to them, but the young calves didn't know that and in a fit of panic as one got inches from her in the pursuit of another herd member, Lilik let loose a squeak like bellow of fear and bolted straight forward, barely noticing her direction. She charged straight past Denahi and the others of the first hunters group and continued on.
Denahi turned and followed the calf's path with his gaze and suddenly realized something. "It's heading for the camp!". Denahi and the others hadn’t moved off too far from their camp site in this hunt and in her blind stamped of fear, Lilik was headed straight for it and seemed intent on closing the distance.
She wasn't a threat, but any stampeding mammoth could cause damage in the camp site and Dehahi knew at the very least the tribe needed a warning of her coming. "I got it!"" he exclaimed, rushing after the mammoth calf and hoping he could outrun it…