Death on the Trek Read Online Free Page A

the Great Ice that destroyed everything in its path. They were still in the area where the icy blast could be felt when the breath of Mother Sky came from that direction, so many creatures had fled, not just the Hamapa.
    She looked up at Mother Sky, gazing down on them with so many twinkling eyes. Enga found the Guiding Bear. At least it was still with them. It had served them well on long distance hunts and on visits to other tribes in the past, but now she did not know where they were going, so maybe it would not always be seen and could not help them.
    They were following the trail of the vanished small horses, but who knew where that trail would lead? Enga knew that Hama did not know where they would end up.

Chapter 4
    Very early, before Sister Sun appeared, when Mother Sky was taking on the barest of light-hued tints, Hama sent out a picture of the tribe trudging on. Jeek sat up, rubbing his eyes. When he had gotten all the grit out, he reached behind him and rubbed the sore spot on his back from the lump he had slept upon. Closing his eyes again, he brought up the thought of the wipiti he had shared his whole life with his birth-brother, Teek Bearclaw, and his mother, Zhoo of Still Waters, the Healer of the tribe. Their father, Mahk Long Eye, had died many seasons ago.
    But that wipiti did not now stand. A new one would stand in the new village. It was that thought that got him up and going.
    Everyone arose and packed up the sleeping furs. They grabbed a few quick bites, filled their water gourds, and started off.
    The second day was very much like the first. They encountered no more streams. They smelled no more game. Sister Sun wrapped herself in thick cloud garments and Mother Sky blew cold breath across the barren land. Why was her breath so cold at this time? Jeek shivered. It should be getting warmer.
    Hama overheard his thoughts and answered, We must travel far to get to a place where Mother Sky will be kinder with her breath, where Sister Sun will want to show her face.
    It wasn’t long, only a journey the length of one hand for Sister Sun, before Mother Sky started shedding frigid tears, soaking everyone and everything that they wore. The animal hides would protect the things wrapped in them, but the skin of Brother Earth got softer and softer until each foot was coated in heavy mud.
    Jeek, go to that rise. He looked in the direction that the thought-speak had come from. Hama nodded at him and pointed to a small high place not far away. See if there is any shelter in sight.
    Eager to help, Jeek handed his pack to his birth-brother, Teek Bearclaw, and ran like the quickest gust from Mother Sky to the knoll. He scrambled to the top and surveyed the land. Endless rolling plains stretched out before him. He turned in every direction and, at last, spotted something different. They were not trees. They were people. Two tall males, loping across the ground toward them. Jeek waved his arms to hail them and they waved back.
    He sent the picture back to Hama, adding the thought that maybe they would know this land and would be able to tell the Hamapa where to go. He did not get a return thought, but felt a stir of caution.
    Stay there until they are more near to you, she thought-spoke to him. But come back with speed and join us before they reach you.
    To Jeek, the two looked like Hamapa, sturdy people with strong limbs. They drew closer and he studied them. One had hair the color of fire, like many Hamapa, braided with leather strips. The other, a bit more tall, had hair the color of dark mud, done in a top knot with, he thought as he squinted, a bone through it, much like Tog Flint Shaper, whose hair was held by a bone Enga Dancing Flower had carved for him.
    They wore fur capes similar to the ones the Hamapa wore. Jeek hoped they were enough like them that all could understand each other. If they were a different kind of people, it would be difficult to communicate, since thought-speak would not get through to