We are approaching to the entrance of the cave now. I can see more people working as we approach. Although the last night was the coldest of this winter, people are out with their tools working among the trees. A thin layer of hoarfrost covers the leaves. Trees are naked by now. While walking, I’m thinking that my boots are so heavy, that feels like are made of tree crusty. We are walking silently, looking straight ahead. By time to time I can see sights rising from the soil to us. Is obvious that they’ve noticed me and my dog and they already linked the image of me and Oldie with that chunk of paper that leaded them here. People who joined the migrating group later don’t know about the pariah and they have been ignoring us so far. I keep my hands inside of my coat’s pockets. This way I lose my self in the landscape. “I’m not important, look somewhere else” – is my attitude right now. Probably when I’ll enter the cave I’ll encounter the first contact with them.
The result of my test from last night… I consider it a success; this morning I offered to the pariah a cup of juice of cone pine and they refused it without thinking. That was an innocent way to find out about the effects of the herbs. We are at just two hundred steps from the cave and I can see from here a small yard divided in two: the first one holds a dog; second one holds two horses. I know that around here is quite wild and the animals wander without direction. Also, there is a kind of a small stockroom with just a wooden wall that holds a few animals that have been hunted or trapped like I was yesterday.
I still have headaches. Unluckily, I was unconscious after I’ve been trapped and I couldn’t take care of the wound. If I could take a metal object over the place where I was hit, probably I wouldn’t have this bump on my right side of the head. I care in my pockets a few metal objects like this simple and small steel plate. I use it to heat food if necessary, as a mirror by time to time and sometimes I just crash things on it. I try to keep a side in well condition; otherwise I couldn’t use it as a mirror. I like it because it can’t be broken if I’m involved in some physical action and I can’t be injured by it.
Thinking at that dog that is held in the yard… Is interesting that they are talking about their revelation of ‘a man with a dog’ as an element that they should run, but this dog suggest something different – the man that they avoid might be among them. Or maybe not; the dog could be of any of them. I can’t blame a dog for everything. While approaching the cave, I feel that I felt a little in their belief. Until now, I was the one who said that they are away from reality and now I’m beginning to think us them; just like they are looking at me and Oldie.
Here I am, entering the cave. I think that from inside they can see our silhouettes only. Oldie and the dog from the yard have involved in a barking fight. Actually Oldie is ignoring the other dog, but it looks annoyed of that barking and barks by time to time too as it was saying “calm down, little boy”. The pariah group walks right behind me. They know that they are not welcomed here and leave me to have the first word. I’m walking slower now. I leave that dog to attract attention to us, so someone, who should be representative to the migrating group, would come to us. I know that somewhere around here is their leader. He is waiting for us. As they are organized, I think that they already have communicated our arrival.
“Come and join me”, says a man that appeared from the shadows. He said that, while heading deeper in the cave. At about one hundred steps from the entrance is a campfire. Above it, the ceiling is quite high and has a natural window, so the smoke is harmless to the inhabitants. A few people are standing around the campfire without doing anything. Ashes from the fire floats all over the place as it wouldn’t be gravitation. The man that invited me to follow him walks in the front of me. Is thin, has long black hair and moves just like a shadow. I and the group of pariah are making noises that reflect within the cave, but he doesn’t make any sound.
We’ve gathered around the fire and made a short exchange of sights.
“Take a cup of tea with us stranger”, says the “shadow”, name that fits perfect to his aspect. It’s fast. They didn’t leave me to think too much before giving me the tea. I don’t know if they have acknowledged about its properties, but I have to be careful. On other hand, is the pariah group; they’ve been drinking this tea last night and they might say about that.
“In exchange I can offer you some cigarettes. For those who are smoking”, I’ve said and I took the tobacco from Oldie’s “pocket”. Oldie is sitting quiet on my right. I’ve handed tobacco to “Long hair”, from the pariah group and he spread out to the rest of the people around the fire. We’ve made our cigarettes silently and start discussing.
“I’m a trader”, I’ve said,”I’ve been caught by the winter from behind a few days ago. Deeper in the mountains, the winter is ruling by now. I’ve left in a small shelter that I’ve managed to build, all my goods. The shelter is at about two days from here.” After a break, long enough to take a smoke from my cigarette, I’ve continued.” I had to choose between my goods and my safe. I knew about this cave. Actually I’ve been born and raised not too far from here. This is my first return in years. I’m glad that I’ve found you here.” I was lying very well. The “shadow” doesn’t seem impressed although.
I have to clear my mind because I have to start drink the tea. What I want them to believe? No idea, I will think just like a trader: where are my goods, what goods they have to trade and stuff like these. Now is their turn to speak.
“What about you. You moved here, or you are just passing by?” I’ve asked.
The “shadow” exhaled and pointed his hand to Oldie:” Your dog is too old for adventures like yours. “.
This attitude makes me feel uncomfortable. He leads the discussion in the way that makes me feel that I will talk when he wants and about what he wants. The pariahs have seen the scene and they’ve acted like they’ve already heard my story.
“I thought we had an agreement”, says the “shadow”, looking at my fellows. After a few seconds that were left silent intentionally before his next sentence, he continued:” What have you said about us so far?”
The three pariahs looked one to another and finally the long beard one says:” We’ve met not far from here. He was coming from the east and joined us yesterday…”
“They’ve told me that they are heading to the cave and as I was so hungry, I’ve joined their campfire”. I’ve interrupted “Long beard” in time. Pariahs don’t know about the effects of the tea and they might say or think something that I don’t want.
“We expect someone here”, says the shadow,” we don’t know too much for the moment about this person, but we will find out very soon more.”
He started to tell me things about how they are preparing for the winter. By time to time to time I was loosing his storytelling for studying the people that are passing by. They are living in a silent environment; they communicate just for helping their domestic work. Still, they throw a sight over me by time to time, and I think that that is normal.
“Most of us are sure that this trip have united us and made us conscious about our selves. We’ve left lots of unfinished businesses at home, but it worth so far. As we’ve got numerous, we’ve became more related with the environment. Sometimes I believe that the nature itself is part of our consciousness. While we’ve strengthen the relationship between us, we’ve needed to organize our community in order to survive, and that strengthen the relationship with the nature.” concluded the shadow.
“How do you manage with the food? I mean, the winter is at the door and there are lots of people to feed.” I’ve asked. For the first time I’ve seen a half of smile on “shadow’s” face.
“Some of us know to hunt, some of us worked within special military units from southern and they are trained for situations like our. So you see, we are prepared for long expeditions; surviving is not an issue; we are ready even for expansion, but this is out of discussion”. After throwing a few woods in the fire, he continued:
“As for the food…Inside the cave we can raise mushrooms. It grows very fast. Around here you can find enough animals to hunt, there is the river too and other resources, like pine cone juice, wild fruits that felt on the rocks and are dried by now…” He stopped as we’ve all noticed Long Beard being agitated.
“The pine cone juice… Is it healthy?” asked Long Beard.
“For those who believe that is healthy only.” I’ve said. I think I’ve impressed the ‘shadow’. He starred at me silently for a couple of minutes. I thought I’ve said something wrong.
“You can spend the night in the cave” told me the ‘shadow’ “and you three also”. The pariahs were satisfied about this permission.
The ‘shadow’ and his friends left us, me and the pariah, to eat. As the night has come, I could see the stars through the ceiling of the cave. Tomorrow I will find my answers for the expedition. I have a lot of things in my mind now. What do they know about the herbs? The ‘shadow’ is their leader, that is obvious, but he is not leading alone. What the pariahs didn’t tell me? What do they expect tomorrow from me? Am I the one who are they waiting for? I have a lot of questions. I better go to sleep and wake up early with a clearly mind.
SIDENOTE
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Years later after a war, people wonders what was the spark that fired up that war. We can't expect to change something with the answer to this question, but I guess it doesn't matter if the wars are started or not, as long as each person needs a war to solve a problem. The sad part is that some people are not ready for the war, or even worse, they've already had their war. The worst scenario is the scenario when a native leader leads other people after his life experience, needs and purposes; the other people have to adapt their plans to their leader. There is no reason to change something. At the beginning of the ages, the man was hunting, that is still in our blood, is like air to us. So why we would need an eternal peace ?!
