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Chapter 6: Strangers

  The Hunters returned that evening with a bison and three deer - and something far more exciting. They had with them three Birth-givers from another tribe. These women looked quite different from the Birth-givers in Youngest's tribe. They were taller and slimmer, and had fairer hair.

  Everyone gathered round to stare at them. The village chief, Strong Man, bustled out of his hut importantly to take charge of the situation.

  "Stop staring!" he commanded. "Let's show some welcome to these Birth-givers and hear their story."

  At once Mother and some of the other women disappeared and came back with plates of berries and pots of water to drink.

  The three newcomers squatted down and ate and drank gratefully. Strong Man squatted beside them and began to ask them questions. At first the Birth-givers looked confused as Strong Man spoke. Strong Man tried various words to ask where they had come from. Suddenly one of the newcomers, the oldest one, smiled and began to speak. She understood what he was saying at last. She spoke a slightly different language but she managed to explain that she was a mother and these were her daughters. With tears in her eyes she told how her own tribe had been wiped out by the Battle-Axe warriors. When they heard this, all the Hunters began muttering and talking to each other. They had heard about these fiercesome warriors before who came from a faraway land and killed everyone in their path. That was stupidity itself since there were so few people around anyway. There were enough enemies already with all the wild beasts to battle against - people didn't need to fight each other too.

  The old Birth-giver continued to talk. She explained that the attack had happened a while ago, when the cuckoo's song could still be heard. Since then she and her daughters had travelled through the forests, living off berries and nuts and finding shelter where they could. Today, when they had heard the Hunter's voices, they had hidden in terror thinking, they were the Battle Axe warriors come to kill them. Only when they had seen the Hunters and so realised that they were different people had they shown themselves. They were so hungry and weary they knew they would not last much longer alone. She hoped the chief would allow them to join his tribe. In return they would work hard and her daughters would make fine wives for two Hunters.

  Strong Man beckoned Father and Healer Man over to him. These were the two Hunters whom he valued and respected the most. They drew away to one side. They talked quietly amongst themselves, occasionally nodding towards the three new Birth-givers.

  While they were conferring, some of the village Birth-givers crept forward to look more closely at the strangers, and in particular at their unusual clothes. They wore skins like themselves, but their skins were joined together somehow, rather than just draped around and tied on with pieces of leather. These clothes looked warm and well fitting. Mother fingered the old woman's clothing, marvelling at it. The old woman felt her touch, and turned and smiled.

  "Tomorrow," she said in her strange accent, "if we are allowed to stay, I will teach you and your friends how to sew skins together, shall I?"

  "Yes, please," Mother smiled back. The woman nodded to her.

  Just then Strong Man, Father and Healer Man came back to the others. Strong Man held out his hands to the three Birth-givers.

  "We welcome you to our tribe. Now we will feast together to celebrate the goodness of the Mother Goddess who has brought you to us. Our village needs more Birth-givers and we shall take care of you as your own tribe would have done," he announced.

  The old woman burst into tears with relief. Someone clapped their hands, and soon all the villagers were clapping. Youngest didn't quite understand what was happening but he knew that everyone was happy that these Birth-givers had come. Everyone gathered around a large fire, and there was music and feasting until late into the night.

  The old woman and her daughters went to Basket Maker's shelter. Basket Maker's husband had been killed the year before by a lion while out hunting and she had been alone since then. She was glad to have company again. Father told Mother that the two daughters had already been claimed by two Hunters who wanted wives. The Chief would hold the joining ceremony at the next new moon.