Survivor

chapter 3

Phoenix calmly pushed aside the flap of his hut and he looked at where he and a few dozen other people lived. There was a hut for every two people except for Phoenix and Ray. Ray lived on his own to because he was Captain of the Guard and Phoenix because he was the Leader of this group. It grew every few weeks and their numbers were added either by somebody without their memories except their memories and a few that were fleeing a few different villages that were sacked or burned by outlaws.

Thankfully they had not been challenged by any yet. Phoenix and Ray trained people nightly on the ways of fighting with spear and axe. Phoenix was in the process of creating a sword. It was made of some type of stone/iron hybrid that, if he heated for a long time after molding it then it would become stronger and harder if he instantly dipped it in water.

A few people spent their days making things like shields, pots, clothing, assorted weapons, assorted clothing, and things like that. Others combed the surrounding countryside and brought back things like planting materials and things for people to continue to make things. Others moved around the area and took care of the traps and hunted in the surrounding countryside. They also had a group of guards, the people changed every couple of hours. They were able to tell time by the sun.

Phoenix was in a different one of these groups every day, although he had guard duty most. Winter had just gone and it was becoming steadily warmer throughout the day. The crops were beginning to grow. They had a hard Winter, but they had survived with only a few deaths.

Today Phoenix had to go out and hunt and check the traps. He had his Longbow on his back and a quiver of a dozen arrows a few of them tipped with obsidian and the others with stone. He was with three others. He heard something rustle in the underbrush and he held up one hand. The three people behind him froze.

Phoenix calmly grabbed an arrow and pulled it back on the string until it was taut.

A woman behind him grabbed a stone from the ground and threw it into the underbrush. He heard it strike a tree and a deer bolted out from the underbrush. Two arrows, including Phoenix's, were let loose. One struck the deer in the thigh and the other in it's side.

"Go!" yelled Phoenix as he grabbed another arrow and began running. The deer would be slowing down soon from the two arrows.

He saw it a dozen yards away. He quickly pulled back an arrow and let it loose. It struck it in the flank, right by one of the other arrows. The deer screamed and crumpled to the ground. He saw a spear fly out of the corner of his eye and it struck the body.

He walked forward and gripped the spear with both hands. He placed his foot on the body and he yanked upward. The spear came loose with a sound of tearing flesh.

"Who's spear is this?" he asked.

"Mine." someone called. The someone was named Jean. She had long brown hair and brown eyes. She was the one who made the deer get out of hiding.

He handed it to her. He grabbed a length of knotted reeds that he had and he began knotting the ankles of the deer together. He gripped one pair of legs and somebody else ran forward to get the other.

Normally they had to check, all of the traps before they found a deer like this. They brought it back to camp and quickly went out again to check the traps. They found a few rabbits, half a dozen fish, a lot of seaweed, they didn't need to find that, but why leave it?

They also found two crabs. It was a good haul. They climbed the cliff with Phoenix holding the fish and someone else holding the crabs and seaweed. Phoenix caught a glimpse of his old home as they were climbing.

They brought back enough fish to feed the entire community on fish for the next few days. That's if they didn't ration, which they did. He checked on the guard and Ray said he didn't see anything that suspicious.

"Although I did see something that I want to talk to you about in private." said Ray.

Phoenix nodded and moved off a few feet "What did you see?"

"I can't be sure, but is seemed like a type of scout that was looking at us. I loosed an arrow at it and convinced the others that it was a Boar and I went to get my arrow. Those tracks were definitely human."

Phoenix nodded. "I'll be building things tomorrow, Come to me if you see a person like that again."

Ray nodded and he said "Oh and one more thing, It looks like a storm's coming."

Phoenix looked off in the distance. The line of black clouds that he had seen a year and a half ago was now undeniably closer.

"Storm's don't move that slow, But I don't know what else it could be. Tell me when we hit a danger zone with it. That may be a hurricane"

Ray nodded and resumed his post at the guard area.

Phoenix decided to work on helping build an actual home for people. They did have shelter, but it was more of a hut than anything else.

They first had to dig out a hole in the ground that was about eight feet by about six feet. That took a long time in the first place because they had to dig the hole a few feet into the ground so they could preserve heat easily in the dead of Winter.

Phoenix helped everybody carry logs that were around ten feet long at the longest and about eight at the shortest. It took about three people to carry each log, and it took a while to chop them down. Even when they finished chopping down the log, they had to strip the bark and everything else off of it.

They were able to bring about half a dozen logs over in the time that they had. After that, they went to work cutting divots into them so they could connect and form a type of house. They finished up cutting divots into over half of the logs by the time the day was done.

Phoenix quickly brought his tools back to his tent and he walked over to the big bonfire that they had and it was also where they also cooked all of the foliage that they had to eat.

He saw Ray, off to the side drilling a few people in how to use a spear, and he also saw Jean moving through the camp with about six or seven squirrels on her shoulder. If there was anybody that was a better shot than Phoenix it was Jean.

He quickly began helping her skin and clean the squirrels. They began salting down all of the meat. They ate fish and seaweed that night. There were three guards patrolling right now and Phoenix decided to go and bring them some dinner.

He quickly cut a skewer and began spearing a fish on each one. He asked Thomas to come and bring the food with him. Thomas moved along side him. Phoenix noticed that Thomas had his dagger at his hip and an ax and shield across his back. Phoenix checked himself and he saw that he also had his spear across his back and his dagger at his hip to.

Phoenix calmly handed a spear of fish to one of the guards. He took it and grinned thankfully.

Thomas walked back with Phoenix. When they arrived, he noticed that there was a small scuffle Between to members of the community. He saw one member throw someone else on the ground. The member drew his dagger and moved to stab him. Phoenix heard the twang of a bow being released and it struck the man with the dagger in his chest. He fell back with a few coughs and died.

Phoenix moved forward, yanked the arrow from the man's chest, raised it up and yelled "Let this be an example to never fight over food."

He quickly stripped the attacker of all of his useful gear and threw the body into the fire. He handed Jean back the arrow and he whispered "Watch it so no other fights break out. Call me if they do, I'll be in my hut."

He moved towards where his home was and he passed out until the dawn of the next morning.