Prolog
Sees More was a very "average" male member of the Tribe.
Like everyone else, he wanted to be more than that, but he was average in height, weight, speed, and intelligence. He was not charismatic--although he was more handsome than most of the males.
He was named "Sees More" on his 12th birthday not for his vision, but because his parents and mentors noticed that he was very focused.
While most other children were easily bored, and wanted to "move on" to other subjects or topics, Sees More tended to obsess over some question or subject, long after his fellows had moved past it.
While this caused him to be ridiculed by most of the other children, his elders saw that "Acorn", (as he was then named), sometimes had insights and found answers to questions beyond his years.
Thus, on his 12th birthday, he was named "Sees More".
Sees More, like every boy, wanted to be a leader, and the strongest, fastest; the best hunter or warrior.
He worked hard and competed fiercely, but was never able to be much above average at anything.
This changed over his 15th and 16th years, when his obsessive nature and intense focus changed the future of the Tribe forever:
Sees More always studied the other boys (his competition), looking for mistakes he could avoid, or techniques he could emulate.
Spear-throwing was the easiest field.
Sees More learned to pivot his hips and twist into throws from some boys, and quickly became one of the better spear-throwers.
But he wanted to be more than that. Three of the four boys who could throw a spear the farthest were tall.
Sees More noticed that they all released their spears at the highest point of their casts. That made sense, as the higher release-point helped the spear fly farther.
But the 4th boy was barely taller than Sees More himself!
Sees More studied this boy (who happened to be his best friend) intensely, trying to figure out why he could throw a spear that far.
It was a feat of acrobatics of which Sees More knew he was incapable. The boy would charge foreward, leap into the air as he twisted, and release the spear at just the right instant.
This was rare. The taller boys...
What if, Sees More wondered, he had a longer arm, so that he could release his spear at a higher point?
He decided to try it (secretly, of course). This part was obvious: He needed to find the right stick, and carve a "cup" in it's end to hold the end of his spear.
Then, he could use that stick to elevate the spear, and release it at a higher point than any of the others could.
Not understanding why, Sees More also intuited that he could impart more power to the throw as well.
His first few experiments were failures. Sees More was not a great wood-carver, and had trouble determining the right shape of the cup...but after a time, he was lauching spears farther and faster than any of the other boys.
He was, of course, eager to impress everyone with his invention, but first showed it to his best friend, who he trusted, and who was very intelligent and creative in his own right (his name was Spinner).
Spinner was very impressed, and the two of them instantly thought up many improvements.
Before Sees More came into his 17th year, Spinner and he each carried spear throwers and four lighter, shorter spears, instead of just the one big spear.
The two of them struck a bull elk 3 times from twice the range any of the other hunters could have, ending the hunt early.
Sees More was lauded for this invention. It made the tribe much stronger and safer.
The Tribe was sometimes stalked by wolves. They never attacked the group, but would try to take a child or even a woman who strayed from it's protection.
And while they knew and were freindly with most of the other groups they encountered as they migrated (indeed young men or women would move from one tribe to another, and there was trade), some groups were hostile.
Much like the wolves, they would try to take females or even children, along with anything else they could steal.
Most were stalkers, like the wolves, but the Tribe had been warned of more than one larger group, which had openly attacked and conquered other Tribes.
The Chief was wise, and all the people were trained to fight. All the boys were trained as warriors, who would stalk, chase, and attack an enemy if it was neccessary.
Sees More's spear-thrower and lighter (throwing) spears were hidden from other peoples, so that if the Tribe encountered one of the conquering tribes, the enemy could be surprised from long range, and routed.
The plan was, of course, to kill all the fighting males, and insure that the threat couldn't return.
Sees More and Spinner found mates, and Spinner became Chief when the old one's time came, and the people deemed Spinner a wiser choice than his sons.
One of these sons resented this, as he felt the strongest should "rule", and he felt he was the strongest.
The younger son was to match his brother in time, but was good freinds with Spinner, and even agreed with the consensus: "Log-Pusher is a great fighter, but our father is much wiser...as are you, my freind."
It hadn't helped Log-Pusher that he had abused his younger sibling (Finds Tracks), or that Finds Tracks was much more like their honored father than he was.
Sees More and Spinner each sired children, of course. There were no rules regarding mating in the tribe, beyond those which a protective father or mother or elder brother or determined girl might impose.
Rape meant exile, if the perpetator survived long enough. A female was expected to care for her child.
There were no rules binding the father, but a known father who ignored his child was resented. Families helped raise the child (and pressure the father), but there were no rules.
Sees More's first born girl died within a week (this was common). Spinner's first born (son) survived. Then, Sees More's daughter survived, and Spinner's next child was a miscarriage.
The Tribe migrated, as they always had. It grew only slightly, until...
A wolf took a baby.
The babe was swaddled in a bearskin fur, and the unusually bold wolf darted inside the camp to take and carry the child off.
It was late afternoon, and the alarm was raised even before the wolf siezed the bundle in it's jaws.
Still, none could react quickly enough to interfere before the wolf and it's sqwalling prize was gone into the high grass.
But 3 men (with spears) were already in pursuit, as all warriors were encouraged to be armed at all times, and these armed men to walk and remain outside the main camp.
They were well-trained, and, though unable to stop the wolf, were racing after it as it entered the tall grass with the crying baby in it's jaws.
One of those 3 was Sees More, and another was Finds Tracks.
No human can run with a wolf, but this wolf had part of the bearskin swaddling dangling down to interfere with it's forelegs, and could breathe only through it's nose.
The baby's cries were heard by it's pursuers, and Finds Tracks was tall enough to see it's path through the grasses.
The pursuers shouted occasionally to guide those who would follow, and settled into a pace which would allow them to persist, rather than exhaust them.
They had seen the wolf and it's bundle. It couldn't run at full speed, or breathe through it's mouth. They had a chance to force it to drop the baby, if they could endure long enough, and if the wolf ran into an open space, they might be able to hit it with a spear.
The baby's screaming became fainter as the three men breathed, sweated, and ran steadily and evenly...then it began to increase in volume, and they knew they were winning this desperate race.
They heard snarling, and knew the baby had been dropped, before they entered a clearing to confront the wolf, at bay, confronting them before the stone face of a boulder.
The bouder was behind a long-dead tree-trunk which had long since fallen to create a sort of hollow at the base of a hillside.
The three heaving, sweating warriors instinctively separated to half-encircle the snarling wolf.
Sees More couldn't understand why the wolf hadn't fled, but had to focus now, and, in a practiced, thoughtless move, drew a spear and married it to his thrower, as did his companions.
The wolf didn't understand or react to the smooth movements. Sees More felt sorry for it, as it waited to meet the one who would charge at it first.
Quietly, he said "when I tell you. Now."
All three spears hit the wolf, and after some brief struggle, it died.
Why was it alone? Why had it stood and fought?
Then, Sees More heard it: The mueling of a baby...and the whining of five pups.
"We'll eat good tonight!" the third rescuer proclaimed, upon hearing the pups cries.
Sees More smiled back at him, but shook his head. "But not these. Bring them to her, and let them have her milk. Then hang her up and bleed her. We'll see if they can lap up her blood later.
If they can, they are ours."
"But why? More mouths to feed, and wolves are wolves--they'll turn on us once they see how weak we are."
Sees more shook his head again, still smiling. "Look what we did to their mother. We can hit them with sticks, or even throw stones at them. They aren't as smart as we are, but they're smart enough to know who feeds them, and who is kind to them, and who can beat them when they want to fight.
"You'll see. They are like us--just not as smart. They have better noses and ears than we do, and they're born hunters. Imagine the benefits."
"And", Finds Tracks (holding the baby) interjected, "they're beautiful!"
"Anyway," Sees More sighed, "if I'm wrong, we can always eat them later."
The Tribe was sometimes stalked by wolves. They never attacked the group, but would try to take a child or even a woman who strayed from it's protection.
And while they knew and were freindly with most of the other groups they encountered as they migrated (indeed young men or women would move from one tribe to another, and there was trade), some groups were hostile.
Much like the wolves, they would try to take females or even children, along with anything else they could steal.
Most were stalkers, like the wolves, but the Tribe had been warned of more than one larger group, which had openly attacked and conquered other Tribes.
The Chief was wise, and all the people were trained to fight. All the boys were trained as warriors, who would stalk, chase, and attack an enemy if it was neccessary.
Sees More's spear-thrower and lighter (throwing) spears were hidden from other peoples, so that if the Tribe encountered one of the conquering tribes, the enemy could be surprised from long range, and routed.
The plan was, of course, to kill all the fighting males, and insure that the threat couldn't return.
Sees More and Spinner found mates, and Spinner became Chief when the old one's time came, and the people deemed Spinner a wiser choice than his sons.
One of these sons resented this, as he felt the strongest should "rule", and he felt he was the strongest.
The younger son was to match his brother in time, but was good freinds with Spinner, and even agreed with the consensus: "Log-Pusher is a great fighter, but our father is much wiser...as are you, my freind."
It hadn't helped Log-Pusher that he had abused his younger sibling (Finds Tracks), or that Finds Tracks was much more like their honored father than he was.
Sees More and Spinner each sired children, of course. There were no rules regarding mating in the tribe, beyond those which a protective father or mother or elder brother or determined girl might impose.
Rape meant exile, if the perpetator survived long enough. A female was expected to care for her child.
There were no rules binding the father, but a known father who ignored his child was resented. Families helped raise the child (and pressure the father), but there were no rules.
Sees More's first born girl died within a week (this was common). Spinner's first born (son) survived. Then, Sees More's daughter survived, and Spinner's next child was a miscarriage.
The Tribe migrated, as they always had. It grew only slightly, until...
A wolf took a baby.
The babe was swaddled in a bearskin fur, and the unusually bold wolf darted inside the camp to take and carry the child off.
It was late afternoon, and the alarm was raised even before the wolf siezed the bundle in it's jaws.
Still, none could react quickly enough to interfere before the wolf and it's sqwalling prize was gone into the high grass.
But 3 men (with spears) were already in pursuit, as all warriors were encouraged to be armed at all times, and these armed men to walk and remain outside the main camp.
They were well-trained, and, though unable to stop the wolf, were racing after it as it entered the tall grass with the crying baby in it's jaws.
One of those 3 was Sees More, and another was Finds Tracks.
No human can run with a wolf, but this wolf had part of the bearskin swaddling dangling down to interfere with it's forelegs, and could breathe only through it's nose.
The baby's cries were heard by it's pursuers, and Finds Tracks was tall enough to see it's path through the grasses.
The pursuers shouted occasionally to guide those who would follow, and settled into a pace which would allow them to persist, rather than exhaust them.
They had seen the wolf and it's bundle. It couldn't run at full speed, or breathe through it's mouth. They had a chance to force it to drop the baby, if they could endure long enough, and if the wolf ran into an open space, they might be able to hit it with a spear.
The baby's screaming became fainter as the three men breathed, sweated, and ran steadily and evenly...then it began to increase in volume, and they knew they were winning this desperate race.
They heard snarling, and knew the baby had been dropped, before they entered a clearing to confront the wolf, at bay, confronting them before the stone face of a boulder.
The bouder was behind a long-dead tree-trunk which had long since fallen to create a sort of hollow at the base of a hillside.
The three heaving, sweating warriors instinctively separated to half-encircle the snarling wolf.
Sees More couldn't understand why the wolf hadn't fled, but had to focus now, and, in a practiced, thoughtless move, drew a spear and married it to his thrower, as did his companions.
The wolf didn't understand or react to the smooth movements. Sees More felt sorry for it, as it waited to meet the one who would charge at it first.
Quietly, he said "when I tell you. Now."
All three spears hit the wolf, and after some brief struggle, it died.
Why was it alone? Why had it stood and fought?
Then, Sees More heard it: The mueling of a baby...and the whining of five pups.
"We'll eat good tonight!" the third rescuer proclaimed, upon hearing the pups cries.
Sees More smiled back at him, but shook his head. "But not these. Bring them to her, and let them have her milk. Then hang her up and bleed her. We'll see if they can lap up her blood later.
If they can, they are ours."
"But why? More mouths to feed, and wolves are wolves--they'll turn on us once they see how weak we are."
Sees more shook his head again, still smiling. "Look what we did to their mother. We can hit them with sticks, or even throw stones at them. They aren't as smart as we are, but they're smart enough to know who feeds them, and who is kind to them, and who can beat them when they want to fight.
"You'll see. They are like us--just not as smart. They have better noses and ears than we do, and they're born hunters. Imagine the benefits."
"And", Finds Tracks (holding the baby) interjected, "they're beautiful!"
"Anyway," Sees More sighed, "if I'm wrong, we can always eat them later."
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