John and Argent by cmsix

Chapter 67

We went to the table and sat down, waiting for the food to come to us. It didn't take long and when she brought my plate Shelalliea was more solicitous than normal. Apparently Geera had clued my other mates in to my agitated state. I had hoped it wasn't too obvious but I could hardly expect to be slapped in the face with this kind of major development and keep my worries from showing.

The women in my life did their best to make me feel better with a big lunch. I declined coffee and had a mug of beer and I noticed that some of my leaders were casting sidelong glances my way. I couldn't help it, I felt like having a beer and in fact felt like having about twenty. There was no time for that though, I had a lot of things to get started on and Danlo had just given me some more news. Seems things had happened in the horse/mammoth cave too. He'd told me that a lot of new things were there this morning and he didn't know what most of them were. I told him I'd visit him right after I looked at the new rifles Racaato had told me about.

After lunch was finished I went to the practice cave with Racaato and he showed me the new rifles. They were like the one that I had come with except for the scope. The flexible part on the end was a rubber eyepiece and it was there now because these were different scopes. They were a little larger than my original and they had night vision capabilities but could function during the day also. This would surely cure the problem I'd had during my night patrol around the camp while we'd been on our way back from the mammoth hunt and I assumed that Argent's people had made sure they would serve well in normal conditions too.

I explained things to Racaato as we were examining the new equipment and then I left for the horse cave to see Danlo.

There were several new things here. Most obvious were three new vehicles. They were sleighs with wide runners for traveling over snow instead of tires and wheels. Two of them were the same size as the largest wagons and one was buckboard sized. Argent had just pulled these out of his ass because I hadn't even thought about sleighs. I really didn't want to do any traveling if there was enough snow on the ground to use them. I guessed we could hitch them up for a pleasure ride or use them in case some emergency came up.

There was also some harness for Big Mother. Danlo had already figured out how it worked or how some of it worked anyway and it was a good thing he had. I didn't know diddly about mammoth harness. He told me that there was even a miniature set for Darta and finally I got a smile and a pleasant thought, my first for the day. I tried to picture Deimeta leading Darta around, harnessed and pulling a little log. I almost laughed.

I was wondering when this new stuff had arrived and I asked Danlo about it. He told me that he didn't know for sure, he had just noticed it this morning.

On the way back to my cave I went in to have a look at the sawmill. There were new things here but not that many. I did see some type of scanning station was in place now. Apparently it was added because the ship would no longer be able to scan for harmful inclusions in timber since the ship was no longer here. A little area had also been set up with tools and equipment to sharpen the saws. That was a very good thing since the aliens wouldn't be around to take care of that detail for us. I left and went back to my cave, deciding that it was time for some coffee after all.

Jaada came to me with a mug of coffee as I sat down. She bent over to give me a kiss and I pulled her into my lap and held her for a few minutes. I've often heard that sometimes a woman just liked to be held. I have some news for women; sometimes a man just wants to hold one of them. I don't know why but having her in my arms made me feel better and when I thought about the new life that was growing in her it strengthened my resolve to see us through what ever came next.

I needed something to perk me up; to be honest I knew that I was feeling sorry for myself. Sure, Argent had saved me from the cancer that was going to kill me. His cryptic remarks about earth indicated that he had saved me from whatever happened that would have killed me before the cancer had a chance to. I wondered what could have gone on there but I couldn't get up much interest since I was worrying about what was going to happen here.

I felt sure that we could get along just fine without Argent for as long as his absence lasted but that didn't stop me from worrying about what would happen when he got back. I still didn't have the faintest idea why they had wanted to do all of this in the first place and I think it is pretty normal for humans to be curious about what is making a difference in their lives.

Knowing that I needed to kick my own ass into motion and doing it were separated by a wide margin and somehow I didn't have the get go to get going. I just wanted to sit here, hold Jaada, and drink coffee.

Maybe women could get enough of being held quicker than men could get enough of holding them. Jaada got up and went back to the kitchen to cook I guess. Maybe she just had enough of sitting in the dark cloud of my mental funk. Shit, I was wallowing in self-pity without saying a word and really without a good reason. I hadn't lost a thing yet and in fact Argent had been generous with his going away presents. I had to get up and do something.

I headed for the practice cave. I didn't really need any practice that I knew of but I decided to try out the new riflescopes. As I entered the cave I saw that it was only dimly lit and from the reports I knew that someone was firing. I waited at the entrance for them to finish.

When the firing stopped the lights came up and I could see that it had been Racaato burning powder. I walked over to the bench he was using.

"What're you up to Racaato?"

"I was trying the new scope with the lights turned down. When you told me what the rubber eyepiece and the new scopes were for I asked Phil about them and he explained it more fully. He said that they could function as low light scopes or as night vision or else just as a normal scope. He also told me how to adjust the lighting in here to simulate the different types of use. I was just trying out the low light function," he told me.

"I think I want to give it a try too. How far off was the sight since they are newly installed scopes?"

"They were no better than when I began sighting my rifle the first time. I think you said it was called bore sighted. They are fairly well on target at fifty feet and then start dropping off the paper quickly. Mine was also hitting a little left of the point of aim," he said.

"It is just as well that I take my time to sight mine back in now then. It is stupid to have a good rifle that doesn't put the bullet where you think it will."

I got my rifle out of the locker, took a couple of hundred rounds of ammunition and sat at the next shooting bench from Racaato. I asked if we could fire with the full lights for a while and he agreed. My scope wasn't as far off as he'd said his had been but it was off and I spent about thirty minutes getting it where I wanted it.

Once I thought I was on we tried a few rounds with the lights down and I was surprised at how easy it was to pick up the target. Later we put the lights off completely and it was considerably more difficult. Of course being inside a cave, it was a hell of a lot darker than it would ever be outside, even if there were no moon. The sight picture was still usable though and I found that bullet placement was the same no matter what the lighting was. I was pleased with the new scopes and Racaato said he was too.

We took a look at the.50 rifles then to make sure that nothing had changed with them and it hadn't. I didn't foresee any use for the.50s in a low light situation but that didn't mean their wouldn't be one and depending on how Argent talked when he came back I was going to ask for some new scopes for the.50s if asking was still in style.

The firing had perked up my spirits a little and I felt better when I left the practice cave. When I got back into mine I got another boost. I saw Failiela, it was the first time I remembered seeing her in weeks.

"My little princess, where have you been? Have you grown tired of me?"

"No, we have just been so busy and you have too. I have come to look for you a few times but when I was free you were always off doing something or saving somebody. I'm glad to see you," she said and came over to give me a kiss.

"Have you met Deimeta?" I asked when I let her loose.

"Yes, she is the one I really came to see. She has told me about Darta and I want to go to the horse caves to see her," she said.

"I will help you look for Deimeta and maybe we can go together."

We looked in the bedroom but no Deimeta. Xailieta was there nursing Baatiea and Beetiea and she told us that she thought that Deimeta was playing with Malooto. We then went to Danlo's cave and found her.

"Failiela, Daddy, are you looking for me?" Deimeta asked when she saw us.

"Yes, we thought you might take us down to see Darta. Maybe Malooto can come too," I said.

"I don't think that Malooto wants to go to the mammoth cave. He is a little frightened by Big Mother and all the little ones. He is about to take a nap anyway. We can go there now if you want," she said.

We left Malooto with Tulaara, his mother, and headed for the mammoths. When we arrived Danlo was hitching Big Mother to one of the wagons and we watched as he finished and then led her out of the cave, pulling it.

"Why are you leading her Danlo?" I asked him.

"There is nothing to put the reins to. There is no type of bridle for her and I couldn't think of how to put one on her," he told me.

"I can't either, maybe if she lets you ride on her later you can control her from there."

"Maybe, I'm sure that she will go where I want her to if I can let her know which way that is. I will think of something," he said.

We left him at it and went across the river to the gate leading into the blind canyons. All the small mammoths were there and Darta came up to the gate as soon as she saw Deimeta. We opened the gate and let her out then closed it again.

Darta came to Deimeta and gave her a good sniffing then she turned her attention to Failiela almost at once. It frightened her at first but Deimeta explained that Darta just wanted to know what she smelled like so she would recognize her next time. After that Failiela stood still and let Darta sniff away.

I stepped back a few paces and just watched as Deimeta, Failiela and Darta got to know each other. Darta seemed happy to meet someone new but it was apparent that she considered Deimeta her human. They were still right at the gate and suddenly Failiela squeaked and I saw that a small trunk had reached over the fence and was sniffing her.

"That surprised me, what do you think it wants?" Failiela asked.

"I think you have been chosen to be its friend. Do you want a mammoth of your own?" I asked.

She looked at me as her eyes went wide open and asked, "Do you mean that I could have one of my own?"

"Of course you may have one if you want it, all you have to do is be kind to it and care for it. You will have to make it your friend though, like Deimeta has made Darta her friend."

Failiela looked absolutely thrilled at the prospect and I went to the gate and opened it. We had no trouble getting the curious one to come out and join us and it was soon sniffing all over Failiela and Deimeta. After a while I guess it decided that Deimeta was spoken for and it paid most of its attention to Failiela.

"I think it likes her fine Daddy, what do you think?"

"I think that Failiela now has a mammoth of her own to care for. You must pick a name for it Failiela."

"I will have to think it over, I have never named anything before," she said as she stroked the young male mammoth.

"Is it a boy or a girl?" she asked.

"It is a boy mammoth."

"Then I must give it a boy's name, I will ask mother to help me think of one," she said.

Danlo had turned Big Mother around and come back by now. He saw Failiela playing with the young mammoth.

"It will be good if she chooses a mammoth. They all seem to want company and while Big Mother does not mind if the come around me sometimes she seems jealous if I pay too much attention to them," he said.

"That is a little funny but I guess they have their ways. Who knew that they would have ways about people though? Maybe we should ask others if they want to care for a young mammoth."

"I don't think it would do any harm. They will all need someone to train them, a little bit at least. If they just do as they please it might be troublesome later," Danlo said.

"It probably will get to be that way when they get larger. Are any of the other wranglers interested in them?"

"Not really, Talvo helps me with them most of the time when I need some help but he likes the horses much better," Danlo said.

"I will ask my mates if they are interested in working with any of them?"

I went back to the cave then and Deimeta promised that she would help Failiela and that they would come back before time for supper. My spirits were perked up considerably now and I actually felt fine as I walked back into the cave.

I felt even better when I saw that all my mates were in or near the kitchen. Most of them were directly involved in cooking something and that is always a good sign. The rest were helping where they could.

"Would any of you like to make friend with a mammoth and care for it?" I asked them without preamble.

I could see that all my Neanderthal mates thought I had a loose screw for even asking but there was interest from Merita, Ameliea, Roweea and Maia. Finally they got up the nerve to say so but then Maia asked.

"What do we have to do to care for them?"

"I don't really know yet but Deimeta seems to be able to do it so far and if it is difficult the wranglers will help you with them. I would probably like to help some too. I have to tell you though that they seem to want to stay with just one person. They aren't shy about approaching others but do tend to latch onto only one."

"It sounds like it would be fun to me, when will we start?" Ameliea asked.

"I think that we should wait until tomorrow and then go to the mammoths early in the morning, just after breakfast. That will give us time to sort them out without having to rush."

"It sounds like fun to me too. I wonder if we can teach them to get along with the wolves later?" Maia asked.

"I don't see why not, wolves are not normally a threat to mammoths. In fact I don't think that any thing is a natural threat to a mature mammoth though I know that sometimes the young ones are killed by predators but I don't think that happens very often."

"I wondered what we were going to do with them and I think they are so very cute. I'm sure that I will love caring for one and I know that we can make the wolves behave with them if the mammoths don't mind them too much. The wolves behave better than some children I have seen," Merita said.

"I just know that I will love to play with them and that I will probably spoil mine," Roweea said.

"Well we can start on it tomorrow. I'm sure that Deimeta will be thrilled to have some more company with them."

The others started in teasing them then about not trying to bring the mammoths in to eat at the table and with other good-natured fun poking. I tried to stay out of it and sat at the table. Shelalliea saw me and looked a question at me with her eyes, wondering if I wanted a coffee or a beer. I was tempted to ask for beer but decided on coffee. Drinking beer during the day didn't seem like a good habit to get into and I wasn't really as down as I had been earlier. She brought me a mug of coffee, a big kiss and a lovely ass to fondle for a few seconds.

Supper was good and I was feeling better about things now so I got to enjoy it. Georgo and Dotallto still seemed a little somber but when I asked them if they still wanted to go with me in the morning they perked up a little and we talked with some of the others about it.

"I think that you should let some of us go with you," Geera said.

"You are probably right but what makes you think so?"

"There are just as many women at that camp as there are men and even though you don't get to talk to them they still have a part in the decision, I'm sure of that. Dieta and I can go with you to talk to the women," she said.

"Would you like to come too Ladeliea?" Georgo asked her.

"I think I would. It will not hurt for one of shaman's mates to talk with the women too," she said.

Taking the women along did make sense to me now that they had brought it up. Even though men usually ended up with the final say on things in this age I knew that they would have to consider what their women had to say to them. We would see tomorrow. With the new developments I wasn't really sure if I still wanted to add more members to our camp but I knew that no matter what, the people would be better off in my old cave. I just hoped that we didn't need to start looking for new caves for ourselves soon.