Luffs (Transcendence 1.5)

I know immediately that my strike is too slow. All I’ve managed to do is put a long black streak on the flint. Ehd’s obviously not happy about this and grunts as he snatches the knife out of my hand and refuses to give it back.

“I need it to start the fire, Ehd!” I try to get it back from him, but he holds it away from me and narrows his eyes. I point back and forth between the knife and the button. “Flint and steel. Flint and steel. I need both to make a spark.”

Of course, he understands nothing of what I’m saying. I sigh loudly, consider trying to fight him for the flint, and know I won’t be successful. Ehd is strong—far stronger than I—and I’m not going to win a physical battle with him over the knife. One of us would end up cut, and the cut could end up infected in these conditions.

There’s more flint in the cave.

I push myself to my feet and head to the back of the cave where Ehd and I have stored all the food we have gathered. On a hide near a woven container of walnuts are Ehd’s other tools—carved sticks to use as hunting spears, hard granite to use as a hammer, and a thick piece of flint for chopping wood.

I grab the axe and bring it back to the fire pit.

“Now don’t get all excited,” I tell Ehd as I sit back down. “I’m not going to break the axe or anything. It might get some marks on it, but when you see how easy it can be to start a fire, you won’t care about a few scuffs.”

I give him a long look. Ehd’s expression is wary, but he doesn’t try to take the axe from me as I strike the button against it. Nothing. I try again and again, and the axe gets several dark streaks on it, but there is no spark from the flint. I can’t seem to get the angle right. In frustration, I let out a bit of a growl as I slam the button down on the flint again.

The resulting spark flies into the air, drops onto the tinder, and immediately goes out.

“Yes!” I cry out. “That’s the way!”

Ehd’s eyes widen as he watches me strike the flint again, producing another spark. I wasn’t hitting it hard enough before, afraid of breaking the axe and angering Ehd enough for him to try to take it from me. Now that I’ve got the pressure right, I make a spark each time.

“Hoh!”

I smile at Ehd’s caveman version of an expletive and lean a little closer to the tinder as I try again. Ehd leans in close as well, and blows at the tinder gently as the next spark hits it.

“Now you get it, don’t you?” I murmur as I make another spark. This one flies off to the side, hitting Ehd in the nose.

He yelps as he leaps back, rubbing the spot where the spark hit him, leaving a smudge of dirt on his face.

“Aw, Ehd.” I reach up and rub off some of the dirt. “I’m sorry. Let’s give it another try. I think we almost had it that time.”

After a few more tries, the spark and tinder work together with Ehd’s breath and catch fire. Ehd adds a few tiny twigs to keep it going long enough to move the tinder inside the stone circle of the fire pit. A few minutes later, we have a small fire going.

Ehd drops down on his backside and sits, dumbfounded, staring at the small blaze as I watch him and smile to myself. He looks at the flint axe and button on the ground a few times, then to me, and then back to the fire.

“Pretty cool, huh?” I say with a smile, but he doesn’t respond or even react to my words. “You know, we’ll be able to start fires anywhere we go now—even down at the lake. It would be a lot easier to dry fish there and bring it back than doing it here in the cave. I could warm water there for bathing, too. That should make you a little more agreeable about cleaning up.”

Ehd moves quickly, startling me slightly as he grabs my arms and pulls me into a tight embrace. There are tears of relief in his eyes, and I hold his head against my chest, stroking his hair.

“It’s all going to be okay, Ehd,” I say softly. “We have a fire again. We’re not going to freeze to death. We’re going to be just fine.”

Chapter 6

“I wonder how long I’ve been here.”

I run my fingers through Ehd’s long hair and sigh. I glance over at the cave opening, wondering if this winter storm will ever stop. The wind is loud and keeping me from being able to sleep well.

Ehd doesn’t seem to have this problem, and I wonder if he actually hibernates in the winter. Not true hibernation, but something like what bears will do when they spend long periods of time just sleeping.

“Are you really tired?” I ask softly. “I think you slept all night, so I’m not sure why you would be.”

Ehd stirs and opens his eyes. He smiles at me and reaches up to stroke the side of my face.

“My sweet, gentle caveman.” I snicker.

Saying the words out loud makes me question my own sanity. Our relationship started with what was practically a kidnapping though I know now that if he had not found me and dragged me back here, I would have died within the first few days I was in this land.

“You saved me,” I say softly, stroking his jaw. “I do wish you could talk though.