Trackstar Antelope

Trackstar Antelope Volume 13

Chapter 102: The Horns Dilemma

And so, we begin the 400 kilometre trip, to the town unknown. We drive through the streets of Whigata, and eventually, they turn into farmland, filled with crops and trees. After a few more minutes, in turns into barren, flat, dusty land with dried up shrubs and dead grass along the side of the road. You could look out the window and see nothing but flat land for miles around. Sometimes, we see a small lake, or stream, but otherwise, it's a boring drive down.

It doesn't take long until Nalu leans over my seat and asks me a weird question.

"Hey Jamel, I've been meaning to ask... what's with the horns?" he asks me. What kind of a question is that? They grow out the top of my head, they're shaped like corkscrews, what else?

"Uh... I don't know how to answer that, Nalu." I reply.

"Oh, I meant, when did you start growing them?" he clarifies.

"Well, most antelope horns begin to grow when we are about 8 years old. A few weeks after I turned 6, my dad noticed little horns growing out of my head. But they grew slower than usual, so they're at a normal size now."

"That's cool. What time of the year do they drop off?" he asked me. I notice a few more are listening in.

"Oh, my horns don't drop off at all. They just keep on growing and growing, unlike deer antlers, which drop off in the spring, I believe" I tell him. Everyone who's listening looks on in fascination. I'm surprised they didn't know about this.

"But what happens if they break, or snap off? Does it just stay that way forever?" someone else asks.

"Yep. I'll be hornless for the rest of my life. In antelope and bovine culture, if you lose one horn, you have to remove the other horn as quickly as possible, usually by surgery. I don't know why we do it, something about an imbalance of good and bad luck. Plus, our head would tilt to the side a bit which would hurt" I explain. Even more are listening now, and everyone looks really interested. I didn't think anyone would care that much.

"But if your horns are so heavy, why not just remove them both once they stop growing?" Nalu asks.

"Are you kidding? Our horns are sacred to us antelopes, as if they'll always be there to protect us. If we just cut them off like fur, then we'd be basically throwing our lives away. Once they snap off, in a fight, or incident, then it means that our horns has sacrificed themselves to save us" I tell them.

"Wow... I never knew that herbivores took care of themselves in that way" Nalu says. He's right. I guess there are a few superstitions around us herbivores. I've heard that some horned herbivores like to wax their horns, and make them smell nice to keep carnivores away.

But why would I want to do that? Most horn waxes are scents that carnivores don't like, like citrus fruits. I'd like the smell, but I don't think my carnivore friends would appreciate it.

"Is it true that you guys fight each other with your horns?" Tye asked me. I forgot he was sitting next to me. I guess everyone must have been waiting to ask these questions.

"Sometimes, usually to fight over a partner. Despite what many think, it's still common to see today. It's important to remember that only the men have horns, and we only really fight to defend our lives. I hope I never have to use them, but it's good to always have them on me"

We continue talking about horns, and eventually we started talking about claws for some reason, then we started passing signs for Yorta. I noticed one sign, reading: "Yorta: 39kms, Lavalla: 196kms, Durranga, 349kms." Great, only about another half hour until we stop for lunch. I wonder what we can do in Yorta to pass the time.