In the ensuing rotations of the sun and moon Tor and Borg made a few more trips to the ocean, until Tor had experienced enough to add to his stories and lose much of his fear of the sea, although knowing that if anyone sailed off into the sea out of sight of the safety of land, Borg told him, "I have never seen anyone return."

The good times of summer by the sea kept reminding Tor of his promise to help his adopted clan mates with the coming winter and he still had more tributaries of the delta to explore to see if there was any remnant of his mother still left along the entire Rine. He was also beginning to doubt that there was a need to find anything of Nila's except for those stolen ones taken from the camp by the evil ones.

Shea felt it, too, and one day when they were alone, confided. “Tor, I’ve been thinking. As wonderful as our stay here has been, it's not home. I think we should be going. There is a bit more river you haven't explored and we need to get back and help your clan prepare for winter."

"They are fine and can prepare without us. But, I agree with you that we should keep moving. I just don't feel good staying in one place too long anymore."

"Me, too." Their eyes met first, and then, their lips. They held each other for some time, it was reassuring that they were of like mind.

Soon, with a larger gift boat from Borg and sail, filled with wonders from the sea as well as their treasures for trading, the two were pushing off upstream again, with the whole Belg clan at the waters' edge, some of them crying… The most obvious, Mara, whose red, teary eyes belied what she was saying.

"Borg and I wish you well on your journey and that the gods will be with you. Remember, you are always welcome here and we will gladly take you back after your journeys are through."

Borg didn't say anything, but his eyes were red, too. He hugged Tor like a brother and then, hung onto his arm a bit long after ushering him to his place at the back of the boat in charge of the tiller.

Shin was once again perched on the bow of this boat with the great skull securely lashed to it, his nose in the air catching any and every scent with great intensity. They pushed off and left friends and lovers behind.

As their boat crossed over to the other side and the onshore breeze picked up in their sail, Tsen struggled against the current to keep up even though he had a lighter load on his back this time. Once again, he shook the water off gratefully when he reached the sand on the other side and began trotting after his master and mistress again.

They made very good time, thanks to the wind. By midday, they had already turned the corner and ate dried fish there before traveling down that lead to where it would empty into the sea.

Everywhere, it was only sand and salt grass as a result of the weather and the tides. But driftwood was so plentiful that they always had plenty for fires.

At nightfall they were once again on the beach. Quite familiar now, they even knew the names of most of what they encountered. A storm rolled in and with a lean to made from a huge log and driftwood, they were able to keep dry while the storm raged and the surf roared, lightning flashed while a huge fire warmed them even while sheets of rain tried to put it out and couldn't.

Morning brought a sunrise like the storm had never happened and the sand dried out from the first rays of the sun. Winds on shore were again favorable and they made the end of that lead by midday, once again.

As the travelers started out on the next lead, up ahead, Shin alerted them and they soon saw smoke rising from fires on the south side of the lead. A short time later, once again with the bear skull covered, they were greeted as friends when they showed friendly signs and called out in Danis that they were peaceful traders.

It was a small group with huts made temporarily from driftwood. Only ten people. Tor directed his inquiry to the two male white hairs. There were no white-haired women, only two, relatively young, women. Both were carrying babies on their hips.

Reaching out, Tor spoke first, using all of the Danis that he knew. "We are travelers and traders. We bring greetings from your clansmen." Once again, pointing to his chest, Tor told them his name, and then, pointed to both Shea and Shin, introducing them as well.

About that time, in an untimely manner again, Tsen came galloping up and startled everyone there until Tor jumped from the boat and ran up to greet his horse with a hug to his neck that calmed those who had already started to run back to their huts, perhaps to get weapons.

Calm restored, the oldest reached out his hand to Tor, and then pointing to his own chest, said, "I am Huk," and then, pointing to the other older man, "And this is my brother, Tug. We are Danis and are glad that you speak our language but with a horrible accent." Everyone laughed or giggled at that comment.

"Where did you go to learn our language? Did you stay with our other group, two leads of the river delta to the south? I see that you have one of the Belg boats. Did you learn from them?"

"No, we learned from talking to Dupree and Conie. They, and a few others were the only survivors of evil raiders that I took in and brought back to my clan, the Thals. There were no Thal survivors that I know of except me, and maybe, my mother from our clan… Do you know of or have heard of a woman named Nila, a Thal? We have been searching for her.”

"Dupree and Conie! We thought they were dead! We were out fishing with other boats, when we saw them coming to raid. We split up and sailed away to avoid getting caught by that overwhelming force. Tug and I were the ones who came upon the Belg who we knew and traded with. We warned them of the danger those evil ones posed."

“Dupree and Conie were very much alive. But I left them to search for my mother and when I returned this spring, Dupree had died. But as far as I know, Conie, Thad, Alve, Zan and Kyth, were alive and prospering the last time we saw them when we left about a moon ago."

"I remember them all well. And am so glad they escaped like we did. Welcome! Welcome to our humble camp. We will prepare a feast and are most willing to trade with what you have. Where did you get it?"

Tor continued, "In the early spring Shea's clan and I were going to attack the encampment of the evil ones. When we got there, they had died of some pestilence—every single one! We found the bounty of their raids, probably some implements and personal belongings of some of you."

Once again, Shea and Tor unpacked all the trading items from the boat and from Tsen's pack. Those present helped carry the items to spread skins on the ground where they were arranged by Shea while Tor talked to the brothers. Excitedly asking questions and catching up on their clan members now far away. But not too far to be rejoined again.

The trading began, and once again, clan members went into their huts and brought items to trade similar to what the Belg had but with different decoration. Shea was very happy to give the young women some baby and toddler toys made out of shell and driftwood. The two young girls beamed with appreciation when she handed them without asking for anything in trade.

Shea even asked if she could breast-feed one of the babies. But although the little girl tried sucking vigorously, Shea didn't have any milk to offer her. Apologizing, she handed the baby back to her mother, hoping that her milk would be again revived by the next day.

As they begin to prepare for the feast, Huk declared, "We have a very special treat that even foretold your coming. We had been expecting good fortune, when we found one of our gods, a beautiful dolphin, dying on the beach and we could not get her back into the water. We did once, but she swam back onto the beach squealing and clicking in her language we do not fully understand. Except that her eyes told us that she was sacrificing herself to us for some great occasion! And here you are! What she was telling us. Giving us meat to last a moon or more… A welcome change from eating fish."

Having tasted Conie's cooking, some of the dishes prepared were familiar, as were the fish. But the dolphin was different. It tasted like the best red meat from the forest Tor had ever tasted. Truly a gift from the gods. Once again, by a bonfire after, Tor told stories of his travels to the delight of those there. Settling in for the night, Shea joined the two girls and their babies while Tor set up his own shelter because there was no hut available in that small camp of temporary nature.

During the next two sun and moon cycles, Tor and Shea accompanied the Danis to the sea, finding some new wonders each day that they brought back to the camp. They had discovered jellyfish and cuttlefish, some poison and some not. Small fish of many colors in an underground garden of great delicate beauty.

Tor and Huk continued their discussions. Since there was no threat from the evil raiders anymore, Tor suggested that all of the Danis reunite at the Thal campsite for the winter… Where they were going anyway.

Huk talked it over with other members of the clan and most of them agreed that it would be very good for them all to get back together again. Winters had been hard.

He came to Tor in the morning just after Tor and Shea had taken their morning bath.

"We have talked it over and except for one or two who have no real say, we are willing to come with you because for the most part, we want to reunite with our kinsmen."

Tor thanked him and was relieved that it went that way. He only wished that he had a clan to go back to. It saddened him. But he tried not to let the others know, smiling at their wonderful decision to return with him, home.

That entire day they packed up what they could in their boats, towing some, and then left the next day with all of the huts abandoned but still standing as a welcome for fishing parties in the future. Few tears were shed upon leaving. New adventure lay ahead.

Copyright 2021 © Ronald W. Hull

7/8/21