It had only been a day since I had ended up here. One long day. My strange arrival had been accompanied by so much trouble. At first I had come with no memory, although for some unknown reason I had been functioning very well. Then I encountered the first signs of human life and had to kill, but I felt nothing but a mild sense of pride. I was not as upset about my situation as I should have been and I did not care because I had to adapt in order to survive.
It was not all so bad, now I had three beautiful women with whom I had gotten on very well in this short time and planned to have many children with them. To be one big and happy family.
My wives quickly got to work and soon everything of value was removed from the corpse. The cloak was very well washed and cleaned, and the body was properly disposed of. But I had to step into the role of patriarch and that was why I was here. Our food supplies were empty.
I wasn't sure if I was in the real Stone Age because for some reason I was sure that the first humans were more equal than their descendants. I wasn't sure if prehistoric women hunted with men. I was the only man in my little tribe, which meant I had to go hunting.
On my first hunt, to be exact. The ground around was cold, damp, smelling of leaves, dampness, and my prey.
There was no need for words. I knew the deer was still out there somewhere. I walked slowly, barefoot, his knees slightly bent, like a shadow among shadows. My body was ready for action—he yearned for her. I spear was short but sharp, with a well-honed stone.
The tracks were fresh.
Soaked in mud, the deer's broad legs, deep but straight. One front print was shallower—his left leg. He was wounded. I could see very well.
I stopped at a birch tree that had just been stripped of its bark. The deer was rubbing its antlers, leaving messages. Territory. It was a call, or perhaps a warning. I didn't care.
I moved lower, down the stream. There the water had erased the tracks, but it couldn't hide the scent. I crouched down and watched.
I saw a silhouette through the web of branches.
The deer stood at the edge of the clearing, its wounded leg barely supporting its full weight. It was hard to breathe. The fatigue was visible in its eyes.
I propped himself up on one shoulder, clutched his spear. Then i just waited.
Three heartbeats passed.
I crouched still, like a speck of earth, his eyes fixed on the target. I calculated where the spear would go. Still, i waited. The wind had changed direction and was now blowing downstream. Perfect for me.
The deer lifted its head, nostrils flared. It smelled. The air carried something to him that was not wood, earth, water. But it was too late.
I stood up quietly, rising from the bushes, and threw my body forward in one long stride. One swing and I released the spear, not violently, but precisely. It flew low, barely above the grass. I watched it fly.
The sound of the blow was dull, like a stone striking soft flesh. The stag jumped, but not high. Its legs gave way as it tried to leap. It managed only a cry before it collapsed on its side, its antlers hitting the stone. It was still trembling. It was still breathing. Its eyes were looking straight at me.
I approached quickly, but not in a hurry. I took a small flint knife from my belt and knelt by its body. The stag was large, still strong, but half its life had already escaped it. I brought the knife to its chest and finished it off with one movement.
It was already noon when I arrived at my cave. The deer was hanging on my back, my eyes were half-closed, the blood had already hardened in my fur. My body was tired, but not broken. My legs carried me steadily, step by step, all the way to the entrance of the cave, from which the smoke of a new fire slowly rose through the cracks in the rock.
Egra noticed me first, the first of them. And before he could say anything, she called the others with a cry that echoed through the cave.
Two women came from the depths of the cave, and now there were three of them. I remembered again they is my wifes. Each was different in body, but the same in the way they looked when they saw the deer.
There were no words. There was no applause or praise. Just a look. Just movement.
I laid the deer in the middle of the cave and then sat down on the ground.
Esse knelt first, pulling the bone knife from its loop on his shoulder. She traced the lines of the deer's body in one precise cut along the line from sternum to pelvis. There was no hesitation. Her hands were steady.
Isa, the youngest, reached for a bowl hollowed out of a thick stump. She carefully collected the blood, knowing she could do something with it. There was no disgust in her eyes, only cold concentration.
Egra, the loudest and she most dominant, was already cleaning the hide, not cutting it, but stripping it from the deer's body, keeping it intact. We will dry the skin and make clothes and blankets from it. Every part of the deer will be used.
Smoke billowed from the hearth in the center of the cave. After a while, as the meat began to crackle in the heat, the smell spread throughout the cave. I closed my eyes and began to lick around the mouth.
The meat was cut into strips, some meat was dried over a fire, others were sprinkled with small berries.
When everything was ready, Egra brought me the first piece of ribs, still hot, wrapped in a large leaf. She said nothing to me with words, just a gentle look. I took it and nodded.
Soon each of my wives took her share and lunch was in full swing. I took another piece and ate it slowly, savoring the taste. The flavor was good despite the fact that we had no seasoning to add to the meat. I will save some of the meat for later, but I will be hunting again soon.
The hunt was not that bad or difficult, but I remembered that this deer was wounded and at a disadvantage. I had to prepare for the future. I needed better tools.
I was pulled out of my thoughts by my wives who stood up and approached me. They approached me and just let go of their cloaks, revealing all their beauty.
"You are our man," Egra she replied seductively. "We have been alone for a long time."