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Uglo the Stone Age Boy - In the Wizard's Hand - Frenuyum - 12-06-2025
The damp morning mist rose from the river, heading towards the mountain peaks. The sun had not yet reached the summits; so far, only a dim light illuminated the small forest clearing, which opened in a sweeping arc towards the river. On one side of the clearing, a narrow passage led to a wide plain, from which the clan elders had led the group here.
At the edge of the clearing, where the trees clung to the rising rock face, some deep caves nestled into the rocks.
The small clan of the Flying Feather race, consisting of about ten to twelve families, all in all around fifty or sixty adults and children, had found a place for their new home here a few moons ago after a long journey.
Originally nomads, they had long ago found a good settlement where they had lived for several summers and winters. Now, however, they had been forced to leave their beloved home, carrying only the bare necessities, and had decided to move on. A powerful, warlike clan of the Black Ravens had repeatedly attacked them and even attempted to abduct young girls from the settlement on several occasions.
The small community could no longer withstand the hostility of the strangers. They finally decided to look for a new campsite.
Their clan elder, Idam, had been seriously injured in a confrontation with the warriors.
The men carried him on a stretcher they built from wooden poles and woven branches during the long journey. It was lined with moss. The women cared for him for a long time. However, his condition steadily worsened, and he died on the long march here. He was buried in a sunny spot near the present-day settlement. His grave was covered with many large and heavy stones. No wild animal was to disturb Idam's peace.
That same evening, the shaman summoned all the men of the clan to the deceased's grave for a sacred council. The flames of the oracle fire revealed to the sorcerer the name of the new clan elder. The adult men then secretly chose the hunter Bogo as their new leader. All swore him loyalty and unconditional obedience.
On their journey through the desolate, barren steppe and dense forests, they encountered many wild animals. Rain and storms sometimes made their way difficult.
The elders of the clan, together with Bogo, had decided on this new location.
An ideal location, the caves faced the great river. People had begun to dig deeper into the caves, making them more spacious and providing them with ample room. Many inhabitants had protected the entrances to their dwellings from the wind and weather with large mats made of sturdier branches woven with finer, softer materials.
A small waterfall cascaded down the mountainside diagonally opposite the clearing, providing a constant supply of fresh water. The surrounding mountains were so high that the sun often took a while to warm the valley during the day. But as soon as the sun crested the mountaintops, it became bright and pleasantly warm. Even in summer, it never got too hot, and if it did, the breeze from the waterfall and the coolness of the river provided welcome relief. At night, however, the temperature usually dropped quite rapidly in the shade of the rocks. The great advantage of this spot, though, was its sheltered location and the manageable size of the area.
The children of the clan could gather safely to play in the open space or by the river. They particularly enjoyed the stone-throwing competition, the races with their homemade rafts made of tree bark, and swimming in the shallow parts of the river.
The boys or older youths would occasionally try to test their strength in wrestling matches. They also often tried to outdo each other in various dares to maintain their rank within the group.
That morning, a boy of about 14 or 15 emerged from one of the caves into the early twilight. His age could only be estimated, for Stone Age people had no concept of numbers. If they wanted to express the quantity of something, their fingers were sufficient; anything more was simply a lot. The boy knew he had experienced more summers than he had fingers.
With a loud yawn, he stretched and raised his arms in the air. He ruffled his fiery red hair, which fell to his shoulders, with both hands. A delicate reddish fuzz stood out above his lips, and his body appeared remarkably muscular for his age. He wore the typical clothing of Stone Age boys during the time when the sun climbed higher each day and the colors of nature reawakened. A short fur skirt, tied around the waist and reaching just to the thighs, was all they needed. Only in the very cold season did Stone Age people wear a second, longer fur as an upper garment. Some also wore a cap made of raccoon fur. They protected their most sensitive parts with a small fur, which they tucked between their legs, fur side inwards. It was held in place around the waist with a cord made of plant fibers. In winter, they wore old furs wrapped several times around their feet, which they also fastened with strips of fiber.
Uglo, which meant "the redhead," turned back to the cave where his younger sister Akai was still fast asleep, wrapped tightly in her reindeer hides. Her parents, father Bogo and mother Akana, had been out long before sunrise that morning. The father had climbed into the mountains with the other men of the clan; they had spotted a herd of reindeer up there and wanted to try their luck hunting them. The clan's meat supplies were running low. Akana, too, had set off early to replenish their stores of mushrooms, berries, and herbs.
Uglo stepped completely out of the cave. His day almost always began at the start of time.
The rising sun and the sprouting buds, right through to the harsh, misty times when the forest leaves turned vibrant colors and sometimes a white blanket covered the ground, were always followed by a quick dip in the cold river water. He had learned this from his father, and many of the boys, including the older ones in the clan, admired him for it.
Even today he went to the middle of the square to the large fire pit, where the ancient clan elder Kuchola, the guardian of the fire and true mistress of the Flying Feather clan, was just adding a few more logs of wood.
To warm himself, he held his hands over the still-hot embers. "Good morning, Grandmother Kuchola," he said, bowing deeply and respectfully to the old woman. She returned his greeting, "Good morning, Uglo, up so early? Are you going to take another dip in the cold water today, or what are your plans?"
“Yes, Grandmother, I’m on my way to the river, but I also want to use the morning to catch some fish before Mother returns.” “Ah, that’s good. Please be so kind as to fetch an armful of wood from the back first, will you?” The boy nodded, quickly went to the stack of firewood at the far end of the clearing, and carried a large load of logs in both arms to the fire pit. The keeper of the fire thanked him and wished him luck with his fishing.
Uglo had plenty of time today. He was at the age when young men were primarily meant to learn from each other through play, to live together, but also to assert themselves. This also involved observing the adults in their daily lives and lending a hand. While the boys had to learn a great deal about hunting, weapon making, animals, and nature, it was the girls' responsibility to learn from the women everything about processing furs into clothing, preparing food, and other handicrafts. They also had to learn to tend the fire, because if the fire went out, the entire clan was in danger. Next summer, Uglo would become a hunting assistant, and he was already looking forward to the new tasks he would be given. His destiny would be to learn how to make arrowheads, bows, and spears. He would learn how to stalk and kill different animals. As a hunter, he would then also be accepted into the community of men. However, he also knew that he would have to endure the rituals of manhood. But that was still a long way off for him.
Uglo returned to the cave once more to retrieve his short fishing spear. He and his father had proudly finished it just a few days ago. Today he wanted to try it out for the first time and surprise his family with fresh fish.
He walked quickly to the shore, where he laid down his short spear and his fur loincloth. He owned only this one garment and took great care to keep it dry. A fur coat that got wet took many days to dry.
It was common for all the children to bathe in the river without clothes, but he was finding it increasingly embarrassing and uncomfortable. He had grown quite a bit in the last two or three months, and his fur barely covered his bottom. Sometimes it felt strange…
He felt particularly watched when older girls or younger women were nearby, or when he forgot about his short fur and moved awkwardly, so that…
He looked around attentively, but this morning he was alone by the river and, just as he was, cautiously waded into the water, his feet feeling for purchase on the slippery stones. He took a deep breath and with a bold swing, threw himself into the current, letting the river's power carry him along for a while. After a few strong strokes against the current, he resurfaced and tried to find his footing. He quickly stood up and shook his damp hair. Carefully, he made his way back to the bank. To warm himself up a little, he jumped up and down a few times, twirled his arms, and breathed deeply. Still wet, he stepped back into the river with his spear in his hand. He looked for a spot where the water was more turbulent; he had learned that the fish were less alert there and easier to catch. A secret his father had shared with him.
Only when the water rose above his knees and reached his thighs did he stop. But these bubbling sections were also the most dangerous. Here, the river's wild current became even stronger, and one had to be especially careful not to be swept away.
During the last heatwave, a young girl slipped while swimming in the river, fell, and was swept away by the strong current. The other children couldn't help her; the river had carried her away. The girl's parents grieved for a long time and searched along the riverbank. Before the snow began, they had left the clan and followed the river along the bank, hoping to find their child. They never returned to the clan.
But the river's raging current was only one of the dangers facing the settlement's inhabitants, despite its favorable location. At night, saber-toothed tigers, hyenas, or coyotes would frequently try to approach the caves where people slept. Their roars and snarls often penetrated the inhabitants' ears eerily, waking many from their sleep. The predators could smell the people and hope for easy prey. They could also certainly detect the stored provisions. Especially when the men were away hunting for several days, the children and women in the dwellings were in danger. For this reason alone, it was particularly important that the women, who tended the large fire at night, remained vigilant and did not fall asleep. The large fire had to burn continuously throughout the night. They therefore bore a great responsibility.
Another time, a Barbary lion appeared on the river opposite where the children were bathing. After creeping through the thicket, it silently plunged into the water. Uglo had been keeping a watchful eye on the other bank and spotted the lion first. He tried to warn the children of the beast, shouting loudly, but the noise of their play and the roaring river was to no avail. In his fear, he tried to drive the predator away by throwing stones, but it was no use. Desperate, he ran as fast as he could to the cave where his father was testing his bow and sharpening an arrowhead. Still running, he cried out to his father in terror, "Father...a lion, in the river...the children...!" Bogo immediately understood that a terrible danger had appeared for the children at the bathing spot. With his bow in one hand and a long arrow in the other, he followed his son to the river. The lion had already reached the middle of the water, but the playing and romping children still hadn't noticed him.
A loud, piercing scream from Bogo alerted the children to the danger. They all fell silent in shock, frozen with fear, unable to move or flee. The lion had almost reached them. Breathing heavily from his rapid run, Bogo nocked the arrow… He only had this one shot. He held his breath and tried to concentrate; he had to hit it! The lion came closer and closer, diving repeatedly. For a brief moment, the predator's head emerged from the water; this was the moment Bogo had been waiting for.
With a soft hiss, the arrow left the bowstring, and a moment later the lion's terrible roar could be heard. Bogo's arrow had struck him precisely between the eyes. Terrified and still frozen with fear, the children stared at the roaring, raging beast, growing ever weaker, being swept away by the current. One by one, the boys and girls broke free from their paralysis and waited on the bank. Wordlessly, they gathered their belongings and crept reverently past their rescuer. Uglo was proud of his father, who was one of the best hunters of his line.
Thoughts on this event, his eyes carefully scanned the opposite bank until he was sure that there was no danger from there today.
The sun had now climbed over the peaks, its rays casting shimmering reflections on the water. Leaning slightly forward, spear in hand, he turned his gaze back to the water, trying to see through the glittering, restless surface. Slowly, the cold of the flowing water crept up Uglo's legs. But this didn't bother him, or most of the other boys in the clan. He stood perfectly still, waiting for his chance. Before long, the first larger fish swam between his calves. They seemed oblivious to the young hunter watching them. Swiftly, he plunged his spear into the water for the first time.
Nothing – the animals had noticed the shadow of the boy's quick movement. He cursed quietly at his clumsiness.
Uglo was startled only briefly when a small, flat stone whistled past him across the water's surface. Immediately afterward, he heard a soft, clacking sound from the shore. He instantly knew who was watching him from there and giving him a sign.
Carefully, so as not to slip, he turned only his upper body toward the shore. There stood his friend Ango, a long-haired, blond boy of about the same age with broad shoulders, his hair tied back in a ponytail. Ango silently signaled to him. He pointed at Uglo, then at the sun, then back at the water, shaking his head. Uglo glanced at the sun, looked at the surface of the water in front of him, and understood. He hadn't noticed that the sun's rays cast his shadow on the water. No wonder the fish had noticed his movements. Uglo looked back toward the shore, where Ango had just taken off his apron and was wading cautiously toward him. He, too, was carrying his spear.
The boys greeted each other wordlessly, silently pressing their foreheads together. Side by side, but now positioned so that their shadows no longer interfered with their plan, the friends stood motionless in the bubbling water, waiting for the opportune moment.
Now—almost simultaneously—their spears hissed into the water with a soft whir! Two large, wriggling fish tried frantically to free themselves from the points. But without hesitation, the boys gripped them firmly and, with a powerful swing, threw their catch onto the bank. They grinned at each other and silently returned to their hunt. They were successful several more times; on the bank, Akai and a few other younger children were now gathering the fish into a large wicker basket.
Back on the shore, the boys quickly got dressed again and examined their catch. Akai snuggled up to her older brother and whispered to him, "You're a good hunter." Uglo grumbled something back and then said, "Yeah, we were good with Ango, but I wouldn't have been so successful without him." He nodded gratefully to Ango, who just waved his hand and said, "Come on, let's see how many there are." They had caught so many fish, and so many big ones at that, that their fingers weren't enough to hold them all. They decided to share their catch with the other families. Together, they carried the basket from cave to cave. Several of the families gladly took some fish from them and thanked the young hunters.
There were still enough fish left for the two boys' families. Uglo sent his sister into the cave with his share of the catch and instructed her to begin cleaning the fish. He himself took two of the largest and most magnificent specimens, and together with Ango, he went to the large fire in the middle of the clearing, where the Fire Keeper still stood. The boys bowed respectfully to the old woman, knelt before her, and handed her the fresh fish.
"Grandmother, thank you for your kind wishes this morning. We had a successful fishing trip, and we wanted to thank you and give you a gift." "Thank you, Uglo, thank you, Ango, you have kind hearts, and don't forget to honor the elderly. May the great Feather Spirit protect you and make you great and strong hunters."
Uglo asked the fire keeper for a firewood so he could rekindle the embers of the small fire at the entrance of his cave and fry the fish for breakfast. Then the boys thanked her for her help and turned to leave.
When the boys separated, they agreed to meet later, when the setting afternoon sun shone through the hole in the large rock, to bathe at a spot a little way upstream.