Preparation

Malo, Noma, & Lil accompanied by Sola And Soli were dispatched to do the same job as Socar. They accounted for 15 lomen before the attack.

Authors note: On the discovery of the lomen ‘s bowl the estimate was given as 100 feet not as the 100 yds across that it is, the length is about 200 feet. Roughly an acre and a half.

Noma’s Tribe had arrived and were spread out in the forest. I had sent Timi to call his tribe and give them the plan of attack.

The day came and the infiltration began from all sides The Steps were guarded by the Cats and Handlers. The Southeast Steps which was the nearest to the Bramble Gate was guarded by Mondo & Bruno. Backed up by Malo & Sola. Northwest or River steps, covered by Sonda & Sondi backed up by Socar & Duri. Southwest pit steps, Teal & Girl, Last but not least was Northeast pit steps, Drago & Runt.

The bowl was surrounded by all our people each one had their slings and bags of rocks. Every one had 4 or 5 spears, and at least 3 knives. There were groups of women in reserve with hundreds of simple bamboo spears ready in case they were needed..

Bruno roared and was answered by each lion in turn. That was the signal every hunter stepped to the rim, picked a target and let fly. The lomen panicked and tried for the steps only to be met by the cats and spears. We were doing what we planned total containment.

We herded the lomen to the center of the bowl. We moved down the steps cats first. Once the Cats and handlers were in the bowl our hunters began leaping the 12 ft to the floor of the bowl. Now it was to be a fight spear to club. Once the lomen were in the center of the bowl we could not reach them with the slings so this was our only choice.

We started to yell The Beast as our rallying cry. The lomen hearing that still tried for escape. Taking advantage of their hesitation the cats leaped into the middle of them . 7 Big cats can reap havoc on scared lomen. The cats would rush them and they would turn to escape only to be impaled by the spears of the Hunters. If they got past the spear men the extra women and older kids were there with the bamboo spears and slings.

The battle carried on for hours. The lomen gave up and sprawled face down. Now was the hardest part of this war. We could not leave any of them alive. Nor could we spare any of their captives. There was already stakes available here in the bowl, We secured the prisoners to these stakes.

Our medicine people, Char, Tor and Ludi Began checking over our people. We had lost 22 people and had 34 injured. We had also lost one of the cats.

Malo was one of the injured he had stepped in some blood and went down he landed on his left wrist snapping the bone. He tried to get up but was hit by a lomens club breaking his shoulder. The lomen was attacked by Sola who ripped out the lomens throat. Another lomen swung his club striking Sola in the spine breaking his back. On the second swing the club crushed his skull.

Our captives consisted of 15 lomen and 23 assorted tribesmen and 7 lomen kids. The women who were a good ways along on their pregnancy were begging to be killed the others just showed fear. The kids were the worst if you got close to them they tried to bite and claw.

We split up, part of us watched the prisoners the rest began gathering firewood and brush. The bodies had to be burnt. It was hard to make the decision of what to do with the live ones. After much talk and thought the decision was made. We also took time to bury the two open pits trying to avoid disease.

Noma’ s clan would take the injured thru the Bramble gate and care for them. The lake clan and the cats and handlers would take the prisoners. Mond’s Clan would set the flame to the pyre then proceed to the bramble gate.

Now that the decision was made we continued gathering the brush and building the pyre. Once the pyre was adequate we began tossing the bodies on the pyre. When that was complete we went our separate ways. I went with the prisoneers.

We began pushing the prisoners up the Northwest Steps. They had not traveled far when the smell of smoke almost over took them. They looked around and could see the blaze reaching to the sky the smell was not altogether unpleasant until you realized just what was cooking.

We walked till we were near the lake. Leaving the rest Bruno and I took five lomen on toward the lake. The lake was serene hardly any movement at all. Just a slight disturbance as a pair of eyes would rise above the surface then disappear again.

Between my spear and Bruno’s teeth we convinced the lomen to take a swim. It was funny how the two eyes multiplied into twenty. After a few screams and swirls the lake was again silent and serene, although there were a few more eyes looking our way.

Three more trips and all the lomen were gone. It took 5 trips for the tribesmen & women and it took longer. I had them kneel down then I cut their throats. I did this out of respect it was not their fault they were taken. They did not deserve to be fed to the crocs alive. As I put the knife to their throats most of them thanked me.

Then came the part I really hated to face… the children. They weren’t really children they were closer to being wild animals. It was still hard… but I did it.

I said goodby to the Lake Clan and departed for the river camp. I spent the night at river camp. The next morning I headed on to main camp. All the injured were already there and were enjoying the healing properties of the hot pool.

I had been thinking all the way back. I called all the handlers together and we decided our next step. Socar and Goba and Duri went back to the waterfall cave and kept watch on the lomens trail. Drago and Runt covered the River Crossing. Teal & Girl covered the dry wash. We would keep these trails covered for the next 3 months. Just in case.

Noma & Lil Would take Soli and escorts Noma’s tribe home when they were ready to depart. Then it would be time for Noma to make up her mind where she wanted to be. She had made a carrier for Tiensi so she could ride on Noma’ s back.

Right now healing the injured was the most important

Six days later Noma and her Clan was ready to travel. Lil was so thrilled to be going along and Soli seemed to be a bit excited as well.

Flit was a gain picked as point scout. While Noma, Lil And Soli headed out a day early and made a sweep along the width of the trail ahead This was to be a full month trip and they were going to need food. By the time the tribe caught up they would have made a few kills and have meat on the fire when they caught up. That is the way they traveled.

Three weeks out and early in the morning Lil walked into a camp and found 3 lomen with 8 prisoners. Lil ducked back in to the bushes and made her way back to the hunters. When the lomen awoke they were ringed by the hunters with spears and a very upset big cat that was roaring. Before the lomen could move they were impaled by multiple spears.

They freed the captives, and fed them and questioned them. They were from a tribe Southwest of Noma’ s Tribe by 4 weeks. They said that there were 8 more lomen a day behind them. Chief Sarl left 25 hunters and lil with Soli. The others continued on to Chief Bola ‘s Village.

Lil and Soli made scouts along the back trail of the captives . Three days later Lil and Soli found them. She rushed back to notify the hunters. There were 8 lomen and 22 captives. The hunters made a half circle around the trail and had 5 men in the trees just waiting to drop down. Lil and Soli would be the stopper they would slip in behind them.

The first unsuspecting lomen walked into the trap. A man in a tree dropped a loop of a strap over his head then the man jumped out of the tree hanging the lomen. One man grabbed the lead pole of captives and pulled them clear as the other hunters attacked. There were 2 more lomen hanging from trees. Two more tried to turn back the way that they had come. They met Lil and Soli. Soli leaped for the throat of the one on the left and Lil drove her bamboo spear into the gut of the one on the right.

The rest of the hunters made pin cushion out of the remainder of the lomen. Lil questioned the captives as she was cutting them loose. They assured her this was all the lomen they had seen. They took all the freed captives to Chief Bola’ s Village where they were fed and told of their choices..

They could all head back to their village, they could join with Chief Bola’ s villages or they could join Lil on her trek back to Mondo’ s Clan of which Lil and Noma had spoken quite well about. The children had decided they were all petting Soli and wanted to go where she went. Noma told Lil she would be going back with her.

The thirty captives were torn, of the 24 adults 19 were women. Eleven of them wanted to go with Noma and Lil so did 1 of the men and all of the children which were ages 13 to 7. They discussed it late into the night but nothing changed.

Morning came and the ones wishing to return to their home village was ready to go. The men were given spears and the women slings. Flit and two others offered to escort them. By noon all the farewells had been said and they left for home.

Noma and Lil decided to wait til the next day to leave. Noma’ s Father and father in law tried to talk her in to staying but she was firm. She said her home was the valley. She told them she would send word back with the injured clan members. Once they were healed they would be coming home.

Their trip back to the valley was uneventful.

Mondo talked with himself and began second guessing … He had sent single handlers to cover 2 important trails this he did not like. He called Timor and Bell and sent them to take Girl and to send Teal to her husband Drago. These two spots he considered the most dangerous because of the number trails that dumped in to these two.

He was not sure about Lake side … Toma had told him at the end of the lake the trail split in three trails the Lake Clan went straight. There were Clans to the right and left, the biggest being to the left around the lakes end. It was about 2 weeks distance the one to the right was a weeks distance. As experienced as Socar and Duri happened to be, he wasn’t too worried.

He also planned to to send Sonda & Sondi out River Gate in support and He and Bruno would support out the Bramble gate and the river crossing.

Two days later as he and Bruno was on the way to the river crossing Timor and Bell spotted a large group moving along the lomen trail. They were aware that the lomen usually camped in the clearing near the Bramble gate. Timor had counted knew there was to many lomen (12) for them to attack.

He continued to follow the lomen with Girl and sent Bell around the dry wash to get ahead of the lomen and their 23 captives. Once she was ahead of them she could reach Mondo, Drago and Teal and they could be ready with 2 more cats .

Bell ran all the way and due to Bruno’ s sense of smell was met before she reached the river. She collapsed in Mondo’ s arms and it took a few minutes for her to calm down. Mondo had her wait for Timor and Girl and to move up to the lomen trail and hang back until the lomen were fording the river.

They would know when to attack. Bell worked her way back to where Timor and Girl were awaiting the lomen. As expected the lomen stopped for the night in the clearing near the bramble gate. Since they were that close Bell went in the gate and found Leos on watch and sent him to Tondor to send 5 spearmen to the gate. Timor and Bell napped while Girl kept watch.

The next morning the lomen began moving their captives. While in the dry wash the spearmen and the cat handlers waited for them to move on. Once the lomen moved out of the clearing, Timor led the way into the clearing and trailed them staying just out of sight.

Two and a half hours later the lomen reached the river. They entered and the lead two reached the middle of the river Mondo and Drago let fly with their slings, the rocks flew true and the two lomen dropped. Teal turned the cats loose when the lomen rushed forward. The lomen turned when they saw Bruno and Runt only to be met by Girl and 7 spears. There was instant chaos the lomen did not know which way to run. They tried to swing their clubs but were getting in each others way and the captives were trying to trip and kick them.

The clan was successful again with no injuries. They freed the Captives and questioned them. Their village was East by North East and 3 months away. The best news was there were no more lomen in that direction. The captives consisted of 7 men 9 women and 7 children.

After viewing the valley they decided to all stay. They were aware that their village had already looked on them as dead. … They had traveled enough.

Drago and Teal decided to take Runt back to the river crossing and to feed the crocs the bodies of the lomen and to keep watch for awhile. He also kept the 5 spearmen just in case

I knew I could depend on Drago and Teal and with spearmen to help they could handle most anything they had to face. The next thing seemed to be to clear the lake area. Already their was Socar/Goba with Duri. On the way was Sonda and Sondi. We, meaning me and Bruno and Timor/Bell and Girl. That would be two full teams each direction.

We made our way out the river gate and waiting for us in the waterfall cave was our other team. I laid out my plan, I was not worried about the Lake Clan so we only had two directions to cover. I explained my plan to them.

When we reached the end of the lake Sonda & Sondi, Socar/Goba & Duri were to wait One week then take the right path. They were to reach the village and see how they were faring and watch for Lomen

Bruno & I, Timor/Bell & Girl were leaving now on the left path. We moved off the path and traveled parallel to it. Every thing seemed to be alright we did not encounter any lomen or evidence of their passing.

We had been on the path for 9 days when we spotted tribesmen armed with spears. We called out to them warning them of our presence and of the big cats. We walked out onto the path with one hand on the cat and the other in the air.

I spoke to the tribesman and told him what we were doing. They were pleased we were trying to rid the world of the lomen, but hadn’t seen any lomen in over 3 months. They invited us in to their village to meet their Clan leader.

Their Clan Leader turned out to be a very beautiful full figured woman. We explained about how the lomen was able to exert control over the people. As long as no fear was shown they were easy to defeat. She seemed to be very smart and had many good ideas. The camp was clean and well run.

We spent the night and headed back the next morning. The way was clear. When we arrived back at the cross paths the other group was awaiting us. They too had found nothing, maybe, just maybe we had gotten rid of them.

We made it back to the river gate and from there to the village. Drago was still out. We rested and went out the bramble gate the next morning. We headed direct for the river crossing where we found Drago /Teal and Runt but no Lomen.

We made our way back. Noma and lil had returned with their additions to the clan. Hearing their report made me feel the worst was over.

Weeks later the last injured tribesman was healed. The ones from Noma ‘s Clan gathered together and set out for their return home. The Lake clan was led out the river gate and extended our hand in thanks.

Our Clan had blossomed and almost doubled in size. Life became very pleasant for years to come many new things were learned. And many babies were born. Eventually we became the largest Clan in our area of the world.

THE END