Freedom and the Collective

Medicine Woman had died, and Little Mother and her generation were the Leaders of the Settlement. There had been raids, beginning two years after the founding, and a number of the people had been killed, despite the warning and attacks of the dogs, the defenses, tunnels, and martial training of the people. The Raiders were not nearly as many as the Slavers the Wolf People had wiped out, but still outnumbered the real warriors by over four to one. They had their own dogs, and spear-throwers. The pastures and fields couldn't be walled in. Their defenders were few, and most died protecting the tenders and farmers as they fled, along with many of the dogs. The raiders paid for the animals they drove off and harvests they stole in blood. The guardians carried shields and reinforced boiled leather armor, as well as superior melee weapons, and were superior warriors. Even the dogs wore spiked collars to protect their throats from their counterparts, and fought more viciously than the outs...

  Medicine Woman was the defacto leader of Little Mother's new tribe. She was a venerated elder, Little Mother's mother, Discovers Things' adoptive aunt and adoptive mother...although the people ignored most of this: Medicine Woman was who she was, and all accepted her leadership instinctively. Most of the Wolf People remained with the tribe, but one in five stayed with Little Mother. Few of these were as young as Quiet Menace and Little Mother.  Most were much older, and virtually all of the elderly and physically impaired stayed in the new settlement, as Medicine Woman had predicted: "The old and impaired will stay, but so will some of their children. The wisest and least selfish will stay with us, but all will be committed, and diligent. We will have the wisest, if not the strongest." More children would be born alive. More mothers would survive the births. The elders would live longer, and remain productive. While some couldn't hunt or scout, most could fi...

  A half year later, the Wolf People came near the place where Little Mother (and a few others) had cleared patches of soil, planted seeds, tubers, etc, and covered the soil around them with surface mulch (including the fur the dogs had shed) to prevent competing plants from taking root around them. All of the people already knew about this, and already I Hear was telling all who would listen that this was a direct insult to the gods, who oversaw all things for the good of all. The Wolf People were divided between those who followed I Hear and those who did not, and compromise seemed impossible, as much of what I Hear preached made actual sense, even to reasonable people. A storm was brewing, and both sides knew it. Chief I Say had avoided taking sides. Most of the Elders opposed I Hear and supported Little Mother, but not all. When the tribe reached their familiar south-to-north encampment, a group of people from both sides, including I Hear and I Say, traveled a half day to the l...

  The Wolf People continued their annual migrations without any major incident. Some small bands of outcasts or renegades sought to "raid" them in stealth, but the dogs tracked them down quickly. These were not killed unless they fought, but were brought back to the Tribe and Council, along with their women and children (if any) for judgement. More often than not, it was determined that the miscreants were fools, and/or misguided. Not only Log Pusher, but many others, felt that the fighting age males should be executed. After all, with ample hunting and edible plants, why would any small group steal from another? In most cases, the adult males were executed . But every time, women and children wailed in agony over the loss of their loved ones. I Say listened to Spinner and the other leaders, and tried hard to be just and fair, but (as Spinner had), found his responsibilities a great burden. It so often seemed that there was no "right" decision; that invariably there...

The Others were different from every other tribe. While skin tones, statures, features etc varied from one tribe to another, the Others were more different than any other tribe. Having known and interracted with the Others, the Wolf People tended to ignore the much slighter differences between themselves and other tribes. The Others tended to be shorter and wider than all other tribes. Their heads were longer from front to back, but lower from crown to brow. Their brows overhung their eyes. They were much stronger than all other people. The Wolf People had traded smoked fish, all manner of wooden tools and carvings, woven baskets, materials for weaving, etc for bone-carved tools, flammable oils, and thicker, warmer hides than they could find elsewere. One campfire story said that the Others and the Tribe's anscestors had fought at first, and that the Others had won, but that the Chief at that time had sent a brave warrior forth unarmed, bearing gifts, and signalling peace to the Ot...

"This girl has ever been the mentor and teacher of younger or slower children, as well as caring for infants...as you all know.", Medicine Woman proclaimed to the Tribe (to smiles, and some laughter). "So we name her, 'Little Mother'!" She embraced her daughter, as the audience made respectful sounds of approval. Little Mother glowed, and saw the love and satisfaction in Sees More's eyes-- "The gods approve this naming!", I Hear announced. Little Mother, like many others, was shocked by this unprecedented intrusion on a simple naming ceremony. Sees More glared and stepped towards the young man, and Medicine Woman snapped back: "Your ‘gods’ are the same fictions the Enemy invented to justify the atrocoties they committed! They don’t exist!” I Hear stepped back, and showed his upraised palms, placating, but remained calm. Smiling, he said “The gods have told me, some would not believe, for they have granted us free will. I am chosen to speak...