Wandering through the woods

"No, stay away from it!" I still hear the tribe's eldest scream. But I had only been born about 15 moons before, so I didn't listen. I touched the baby polar rhinoferocious's fur. It was so soft!
And it's mother was angry. It ran towards me, its head lowered to hit me with its horn. Some women behind me screamed, men shouted, a baby began to cry.
'That's it' I though. 'The story's over now. You've gone to far.'
But evidentally, i hadn't. A silver stripe shot out of the grass, glittering like an arrow in the evening sun.
It pushed me aside and sprung on the rhinoferocious's bacj. It had been a hard push, I could feel my body starting to hurt. But I was safe. For the moment.

It was several moons later. I was now a young cave woman, able to light fires, able to fish, and able to hunt.
I had become quite a good hunter, I just hated to need being rescued.
But the thing I loved most was just wandering through the woods.
My tribe happened to stare at me.
Women couldn't understand I didn't want to cook and look after the kids.
Men couldn't understand I didn't want to go hunting or to work on new gear.
The eldest couldn't understand at all.
Kids would have understood, because they loved kidding around and gaining experience by discovering their surrounding.
But that wasn't what I was after.
I didn't feel complete sitting in my hut or hunting with the others.
I didn't feel complete looking after the kids or cooking.
It was as if a part of me was missing. And I felt closer to myself wandering through the woods on my own.
I didn't even know what I was looking for.
All I felt was energy.

Sometimes I needed to be alone because an old wound started pounding. It was a tiny scar in the shape of an arrow on my back that had appeared after I had crashed down at the rhinoferocious's attack.
When the wound started to hurt I was drawn into the woods by an invisible hand.
On some days, it started in the middle of the night, then again in the morning or afternoon. i didn't know why. But I followed the voice inside.

And then came this very day.
It was about sunset.
But I couldn't sleep. The scar on my back was swollen and hurt. More than ever.
I bit my lip not to scream and wake the others, and ran out of my hut.
The moon was still shining above me, seeming to lead me the way. Right into the forest.
Right into the arms of a man from another tribe. Our rivals. They had robbed us ever since. And I was alone, nobody there to help me.
Stupidly, I had left my gear at jome, but I could see a wooden spear in the man's hand. Yet what I feared most was the mean smile on his face.
"So good to meet you alone," he whispered and grabbed my face.
I wasn't safe any more. Was I about to die?

Suddenly there was a crackling noise in the woods behind the man. And in the pale moonlight I could see a silver stripe running towards my almost murderer. He screamed and ran off after being hit.
And in front of me, there lay a gray wolf heavily breathing, a huge wound on his back.
Shaped like an arrow.

I broke down next to the wolf and started crying. I was happy because I finally knew the answer to the quest why I had been drawn into the forest by the wound. I was happy because I finally knew who had saved me moons ago. But I was sad that he seemed to die in front of my eyes. I was sad I couldn't help him.
That was when he started moving. He lifted his head, licked my face and stared into my eyes. i could see myself in them.
And I heard him say, 'Your tears have saved my life. Thank you, soulmate.'

I am sitting in front of my hut staring at the large full moon. A deep soulish howl breaks through the night.
I finally feel complete.

Josi R.
July 30, 2008