[50024 Years Ago/ Late Afternoon/ The Lake]
The sun was low, and the ripples in the Lake were casting off sparkles of orange and red. The tribe was now preparing a feast to thank the gods for the gift of the Lake, and only Heba and Mike were left in the water.
"You have taken to swimming," Mike said.
"Yes, it's much more fun than I thought," Heba said.
"And you aren't afraid anymore?"
"Not at all." Heba leaned back to see the few stars visible in the eastern sky. "I feel like I could spend the whole night out here."
"Well, maybe you can, but I'm getting cold."
Heba splashed Mike with a foot. "Just a little longer?" she said.
"Sure." Mike looked to shore. "I think I can put a hammock between that weird tree and that blood tree."
"Do you only think of being lazy?" Heba said.
"Mostly."
"Mike," came an insistent voice. It was the chieftain. He stood on the beach far from the new camp.
"I'll be back," Mike said, then with quick, clean strokes he reached the shore, then he was out of the water and standing with the chieftain.
Heba watched from her position, but she couldn't hear what the two men were saying. She put her arm back and then around. She was propelled a short way. She performed this motion with her other arm, and went further along, noting that this was like regular swimming but upside down. She repeated the movements of both arms again, then again. She laughed as she realized she could swim nearly as fast in this style as in the style Mike had taught her.
She practiced this for a long time. The sun was setting when she felt she had her new style worked through. She saw that she was very far from shore, but she had no fear, only a feeling of comfort, a feeling of finally being home.
She looked for Mike, but he and the chieftain were no longer in sight. She looked to the camp and the great bonfire that was reaching bright yellow flames into the darkening air. She smiled and thought of the meal that was being prepared. Two huge fish the tribe had decided to call mudfish had been speared by hunters along the southern shore. With those and the many roots and berries that had been collected, it would be a great feast.
Heba noted something moving along the reed-covered shore in the west. She could just see a man there. He was carrying a spear and knife and was keeping low but moving exceedingly fast through the reeds and weaving in and out of view.
Heba swam that way for a better look and soon she recognized Mike. She smiled but then saw a rock lizard on a slab of granite tilted on the lakeshore.
Heba covered her mouth in fear. This huge lizard was dangerous and unpredictable. It was the silent predator of babes and children. She noted three more of the beasts, each on a different slab of granite.
She almost called out to Mike to warn him of the threat but then realized he was heading that way on purpose.
Heba looked back to the bonfire. Where are the hunters? Why aren't they helping?
But she knew the answer. Her tribe had been the same. No hunter wanted to battle such creatures in their own territory. Her first tribe's hunters claimed they were possessed of an evil magic that made them invincible. It was best only to scare off the lizards when they came to the village and to allow a sacrifice to them now and then.
Then why does Mike go?
Heba watched as Mike broke free of the reeds and leapt onto the first rock. His spearpoint slammed down into the skull of the creature, killing it instantly. Heba's eyes went wide not only to the quickness of Mike's attack but to see just how large the lizard was in comparison to a man.
Mike barely broke his stride as he leapt to the next rock to kill again.
As he drew his spear free of the second creature, the other two turned to face him.
One of these launched at Mike with its great jaws wide open.
Mike leapt into the water to avoid the strike.
Heba cried out as the predator came down to the water's edge to finish its prey. Instead, a spear shot out of the water and into the creature's mouth with the point coming out of the top of its head. The lizard in its death throes ripped the spear from Mike's hands and shattered it on the stone.
The last of the predators came to the edge of its rock and thrust its head out trying to skewer Mike's shoulder with its fangs. It missed and as its head splashed down, Mike leapt up from the shallow water—and to Heba's astonishment—he climbed over the creature, then spun around, grabbed hold of its snout and yanked it back to reveal its neck. With a slash of his stone knife, Mike sliced deep enough for blood to fountain out into the Lake. The lizard flopped about, nearly throwing Mike, but then soon enough it died.
Heba's heart was pounding as she watched Mike pull the dead thing further onto the stone. The battle was over. It had lasted only moments.
With great effort, Mike drew each of the creatures into the reeds, not wanting their carcasses to rot in the Lake that was now the water supply for the tribe.
When he was certain the creatures were secure, he found the broken and bloody shaft of his spear and threw it into the reeds, then went back the way he'd come. Darkness had settled on the land and soon Mike was out of sight.
Heba swam toward the camp, still in wonder at what she'd seen.
As she approached the shore, Mike was swimming to her. He was washing off the blood as he came.
"There you are," he said. "I've been looking for you."
Heba stared at him in confusion. Most men would have brought back the heads as trophies. Most men would already be telling of their great and dangerous deed and looking for praise for what they'd done in protecting the tribe, but this man . . . he was different.
"Where have you been?" Heba said.
"Oh," Mike said, scrubbing his arm with sand, "the chieftain wanted me to take care of some things."
"Take care of some things?" Heba said.
"Yeah," Mike said. "Nothing big."
Heba found she was breathing so hard she felt lightheaded.
"You okay?" Mike said, grinning, but uncertain.
"Yes," Heba said calming herself as she studied the handsome man. "I'm fine, but I'm getting cold. Do you want to go to the feast?"
"Sounds good," Mike said.
Together they swam toward the bonfire with Heba looking at this man and wondering just what type of man he was.