With their hut finished, Thurn and Marla could now focus on getting enough stored for winter. While Thurn had built the hut, Marla had been spending most of her time gathering seeds, nuts, and any fruits that could last the winter. She helped Thurn when needed but out side of making some supplies like rope, or lining the floor of the hut with stone to reflect the heat from their fire back, there wasn’t a lot that she had to do for the hut. One thing she did was create a food cache that was close enough to the hut that no matter how bad the snow got it would still be accessible. She worked on filling it with as much food as she could. After the aurochs hunt, she set to work smoking and preserving the meat so it would last all winter. By the time that the meat was preserved and placed in the cache, it was mostly full. When Thurn came back with a deer, the meat from it filled the cache the rest of the way.
The couple figured that was enough to last them the winter. It was a good thing too because the summer was drawing to an end and fall wasn’t far. Now whatever Thurn hunted or Marla gathered they would use and eat now. It was a nice change of pace from all of the fish they had eaten through the summer. As autumn came and summer waned small game like rabbits and squirrels was plentiful. Due to this the couple stayed busy preserving the hides to use for clothing and what ever else they needed. The thickening fur on the rabbits getting ready for winter made for excellent foot and hand coverings. Plus having an abundance of hide to use would give them something to do when they were trapped inside for days on end come winter.
Autumn soon gave way to winter and before long the first snow started to fall. It came down in large wet flakes. Shortly the ground was covered in a blanket of white. Thankfully it didn’t last long and within a couple of days the sun had melted it all. The couple enjoyed the outdoors as much as they could because they knew that soon the snow would fall and stay there until spring. After a few more weeks of nice weather winter came. Winter was cold and the winds bitter but their hut was well insulated and kept them warm. The fire kept the cold out and thick hides laid over an even thicker pile of dried grass made for a comfortable bed. The couple fell into a lazy time through the winter for they had plenty of food and not a lot needed done. Winter quickly passed in this manner.
When spring finally came the snow started to melt. As the snow melted the river rose. When the river rose, the valley started to flood, but due to foresight and knowing the valley well the hill that they chose for their hut stayed well above the waters. It did make it easier to go fishing though. After spending a winter eating dried meats the fresh fish was a welcome addition to their diets. Along with the sun the tribe came back to spend the spring in the valley. Thurn and Marla were glad to see their children again. Their oldest Gurn and his wife Doa were now expecting their first child. The thought of grandchildren made the old couple joyful.
As spring progressed so did Doa’s pregnancy. Gurn and Doa decided to spend the summer and winter in the valley with Thurn and Marla. It would be easier on Doa to not have to move camp while pregnant. And with her being due in late summer it would be much easier to just winter in the valley than trying to catch up in time to make winter camp. Her parents were getting older too so they decided to stay as well.
Instead of building more huts the families decided to build a long house instead. They would build it the same way just make it big enough for all three families. They would also turn Thurn and Marla’s hut into food storage. The two older men decided that they would work on the long house and Gurn would hunt and work on filling the food stores. Soon spring became summer and the long house was completed. Once it was done Thurn, Gurn, and Gun’s father-in-law Lojak decided to go on a hunt to celebrate. The men set off early in the morning in hopes of finding some large game in the area.
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The morning was advancing and the men still hadn’t seen much in the way of large game when through the trees they spotted a flash of brown moving towards them at a high rate of speed. They readied their spears in hopes that it was an elk or stag. Instead, it turned out to be a sabre toothed cat. When it got close to the men instead of turning and running away it charged right at Thurn. Thurn jumped out of the way but the cat grabbed his leg as he did so. The cat then proceeded to keep running trying to take its prize with it. Before it could get to far both Gurn and Lojak were able to throw their spears into the side of the beast. Thurn had dropped his speat but he still had his flint knife with him. He removed it from its sheath and he proceeded to thrust it deep into the cat’s snout. The cat immediately dropped him and growled in pain. The beast then turned back around to attack Thurn again to make him pay for what he did. Before the cat could pounce Gurn and Lojak caught up to the pair. Lojak had Thurns spear and Gurn drew his hatchet. When the cat went to pounce Lojak thrust at its open mouth. The spear sank deep into the throat of the cat stunning it. When it landed Gurn went to work in its head with his hatchet. Before the cat had a chance to react, he had cracked its skull and jabbed his hatchet deep into its brain. The cat let out a final twitch and then fell still.
Now that the danger had passed Gurn and Lojak went to tend to Thurn. Thurn was lying on the ground barely conscious with a mangled leg. The men quickly set to wrapping his leg to stop the bleeding. When the bleeding was stopped they saw that his leg was twisted and broken. Lojak grabbed his leg and set it before Thurn could know what was happening. Once it was set Gurn cut some small saplings and made splints. Instead of trying to move Thurn now the other two men decided to make camp there. They set to finding wood and once they had a fire going Gurn went to get water. They boiled the water and used it to clean the scraps of hide they had then they set to cleaning Thurn’s leg. Once it was cleaned, they wrapped it tightly in a buckskin and set to making food. They cut into the cat and put a large roast over the fire.
Once the roast was done they set to eating it. By this time Thurn was awake and he ate so he could keep his strength. The rest of the day passed calmly but come dusk the wolves came out. The wolves could smell the blood from Thurn and the dead cat. They were soon right outside the camp. Fortunately, the men had planned for this. They had enough wood to keep a large fire and they would keep a watch through the night. They built their camp far enough away form the dead tiger so the wolves could get to it and leave them alone. All through the night the wolves could be heard and their eyes seen just outside the light of the fire. None of the men slept that night. Eventually the sun came up and the wolves went away.
Once the sun was up and the men though the wolves gone they set to making a litter and getting back to the longhouse. Before they left Gurn went to what was left of the dead cat to see what he could salvage. All of the meat was picked clean with only craps of hide left on the bones, and most of the bones were cracked so the wolves could get the marrow. Gurn saw that the two large fangs that gave the cat its name were still intact so he removed both for a trophy. Then he went back and grabbed his side of the litter and they dragged Thurn back home. The trip home was uneventful and they soon had Thurn in the long house. Marla stayed by his side treated his wounds with what plants she had. She gave him plants to ease his pain and created a thick paste to put in his bandages to help stop infection.
As Thurn healed the other two men and the three women went to work making sure they had enough food and fire wood to make it through the winter. As the summer progressed the stores filled up and Thurn continued healing. Right at the end of winter Doa had her baby, a beautiful baby boy they named Thurnak after both of their fathers. Mother and baby were both healthy. Since Thurn still wasn’t ready to go on long hunts as after just a short amount of walking his leg started throbbing, he helped Doa with the baby.
Eventually the stores were full and Thurn was able to walk for about a mile before having issues with his leg. Thurnak was growing and they were ready for winter. Soon the first snows fell.
