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Toruk Makto

"Retreat! Everyone, retreat!" I knew the words would be heard more if I used our language, so I kept shouting it until someone blew the defeat horn. 

All the Omaticayan warriors met at the rapid river where the waterfall flows down a cliff. The edge of it flooded with beaten, bleeding warriors. All of them were taller than me, yet all of them were looking at me since I was the one who called off the fight. The wounded and unconscious were being pulled in a big leaf, like a stretcher. The family of the warriors were hugging them and crying, exchanging greetings and mumbling praises of thanks. I saw Lo'ak, Kiri and Tuk run to hug Mom, who was looking frantically around for Dad. All I wanted was to go back and get him, but I knew I could not. 

"Where is Olo'eyktan?" Someone was asking, a new mother, holding her baby close. 

Mom looked at me expectantly. 

"He's gone." I said loudly, so everyone could hear me. At the chilling announcement, the clan stopped talking and I now had their undivided attention. "My father is...not here. Yet. He's coming." I only said that for my mother's sake, but I knew she'd ask questions later. 

I heard trees falling and more destruction coming from the forest. We had little time. "We must move on from here, for now. We have to find a safe place to stay until we can come back and reclaim our home." I speak. "And quickly." 

"What is to come of hometree?" A small child asked. 

"The sky-people haven't gotten there yet, which is why we need to hurry, so we can kill them before they do."

"Who will lead us, then?" Tuk asked. She came up to me and wrapped her arms around my leg. I hated the feeling of being put on the spot. I placed my hand on her head and sighed, "For the time being, I will." 

I wasn't oblivious to the sound of people murmuring and whispering their opinions. I hadn't noticed them before, but even the Recoms were standing among the crowd. Viper's snicker was cut short by my mother's hissing, "All of you!" she snarled, "Has my son not proved himself worthy of leading?" 

I wished she hadn't said that. 

"No, he has not. He will lead us until my husband returns." 

That I did. Dad used to tell us about how the wolves of earth traveled--the leader in the back, making sure everyone is safe and keeping up, while the strong are in the middle to fight away any enemies, and then the old, weak or sick at the front, setting the pace for the pack so nobody is left behind. That's exactly how I arranged the clan. 

Tuk decided to sit on my shoulders as we traveled. She was tired; she kept sagging forward until eventually I carried her in my arms, her butt on my hip and her head resting in the crook of my neck. She began to snore lightly as the eclipse rose in the starry sky. 

I didn't know exactly where we were going. I guess if I saw a spot I liked, we'd stay there. We walked all night and my bones felt like jelly well into the orange glow of dawn, where I finally laid eyes on a wide clearing behind a couple very large trees that gave it an overlapping canopy, I heard a river nearby, too. 

"There, right there!" I shouted, pointing to the glade, causing Tuk to rouse. "That's where we'll stay." 

                                                                                        ~~~

It took multiple hours to set up camp and treat the wounded with what materials we had. Mo'at, Mom, Kiri and Linayin moved from one person to the next, children, mothers with growing babies inside them. I refused to be treated until everyone had been checked, examined, and healed. The sprained bones and stinging cuts on me could wait.