cole
It was a dewy morning when Cole finally began to stir on the bed of furs within the safety of his home. He stretched, arms reaching above his head, hands brushing the handle of his knife that remained hidden within the furs, and his legs stretched out far enough to no longer be encompassed by the warmth of previous months' kills. He let out a long groan, before rolling onto his side and sitting upright. His arms were smudged with black paint, no longer taking on the design they'd been the night previous, when they'd celebrated the coming of age for many young warriors. His head pounded slightly from the fermented berry juice they'd all indulged in, and he swore under his breath at himself for allowing so much to be ingested. Especially the night before he was meant to lead the next large hunting party before it became winter. The trees had started to turn various shades of orange, yellow, and red, while the pine trees still stood as tall and green as ever. Soon enough, much of the big game in the area would begin to migrate and they had to ensure that they had enough food to provide for them all.
Cole pushed a hand through his brunette hair that cascaded down past his shoulders, before he reached for the piece of hide that would hold it out of his face for the day. He grabbed for the black leather armor on the floor beside his bed, and began throwing it on over the underclothes that likely needed a good washing. He figured he was already late and didn't have time to shower or wash his clothes. They would again be dirty by the end of the hunting trip, and he didn't want to put wasted effort into it. His shoes were on next, hide boots, before he started to gather his weapons and the various items that hung from the utility-like belt around his hips. Finally, he peered at himself in a makeshift mirror, confirming that the warpaint on his face looked well enough and was only slightly smudged from his tossing and turning at night. With a nod of assurance at himself, he stepped out of his tent, peering up at the sun that was just beginning to make its way through the trees. His brown eyes glowed like amber, revealing the interesting mix of yellow and green towards his pupil.
Their home was quiet, although he could hear the elders already up and about, preparing a send-off meal for the hunting posse before they made their way into the unforgiving wilderness. Cole sniffed the air once, twice and his stomach growled in response. A stew, the meat of which he couldn't pinpoint, but he could smell the wild herbs and root vegetables they'd been collecting all season long. He made his way towards the large gathering area at the center, adjusting the bow over his shoulder slightly when it began to dip. He smiled at Tiga, the eldest of the elders, who was currently standing over her homemade cauldron, ensuring the stew wasn't burning at the bottom. It smelled heavenly, Cole, thought, and he told Tiga the same sentiment.
"You were supposed to be up an hour ago," Tiga responded, in the usual language they spoke with one another, giving him a shrewd look before her face split in a grin. She gestured him towards the stack of wooden bowls on the ground beside the fire, and he eagerly grabbed for one, holding it out in front of him while the old lady ladled some in. Cole promptly took a seat on one of the flattened logs surrounding the area, shifting a few times before he was entirely comfortable. He spooned the food into his mouth like it was the last time he'd eat, or the first time he'd eaten in a long time, and hummed each time he took a bite to show his appreciation to Tiga. She smiled at him largely, before brushing off her hands and wandering into a nearby hut.
By the time he'd finished, others in his hunting party had arrived as well. They all looked in much worse shape than he, clinging their hands to their faces and dodging the light from their eyes. They frequently groaned in pain, swearing at each other and themselves about the long journey ahead and the stupidity of getting inebriated the night before. Cole chuckled to himself as he put his bowl in a nearby wash basin, bending down so as not to cause a splash. He felt hands on the back of his neck as he set the bowl down, the person attempting to push his face into the water. He grabbed the person's wrist and whirled quickly, getting to his feet at the same time, and was met with brown eyes that were nearly identical to his. He scoffed in annoyance.
"Caia!" Cole exclaimed, frustrated, pushing his sister back. She stumbled a few steps back dramatically, a shit-eating grin on her face. "I've just woken up and you've already decided to make my day poor," He scolded, though his tone was light and the grin on his sister's face didn't diminish at all.
"Well, somebody had a bit too much to drink last night. I told you you were going a bit overboard," Caia teased, before whirling around, her hair squarely hitting him in the face, and sauntering off towards the stew bowls. He scoffed and did a quick sweep of the crowd, making sure none of the ruffians of the group were making eyes at his sister. He would strangle them if they did so, though most knew it.
Cole watched as his hunters ate quickly, still making exclamations of pain in their heads and their stomachs. Caia snorted at each and every one, before shaking her head and taking another heaping mouthful of the stew. He watched as stew fell from her mouth, to her chin, to the armor beneath. He shook his head. He had tried to raise her to be polite, and neat, but Caia did what Caia wanted and that was the end of it.
Once they had all finished eating and preparing their packs for travel, the group of ten wandered north of where they lived, headed towards the base of a mountain where the trees were denser, and therefor game was more easily found. Cole lead the way with Caia following closely behind. She was much quieter than he, her footsteps rarely cracking a branch or rustling the leaves. He'd been told his mother was the same way when he was young and he could only believe the words of others.
As they were walking, Cole heard something strange. He raised his hand, signaling for the others to stop. They all peered around, now more aware of the noise although it was nothing any of them could name.
"It's not an animal," Caia muttered uneasily at his side, shifting her weight from foot to foot anxiously. Cole nodded. It was almost a loud whistling sound, like someone was making the shrill noise through a war horn. He squinted up at the canopy of trees and peered through a break in the never ending pines. His breath caught in his throat when he saw something fiery nearly directly above them, and he screamed for the others to take cover.
They did so without second thought. They'd all been raised more or less under Cole's watchful eye and knew when he told them to do something, it was for their own safety. They sprinted back the way they had come, breathing heavily, and slid down behind a giant boulder on the opposite side of the river they'd just crossed. Caia gripped his wrist, both staring at the sky at the flaming object, terrified of what it was. They had never seen anything like it before, and it had never been mentioned by the elders when they were learning the great history of their people.
"I'm scared," Caia whimpered, quietly so as only he could hear her. She had a reputation to uphold after all. He reached for her arm and gave it a gentle squeeze, but his attention was soon back on the object just as it hit the ground.
They all reached for their ears, a loud booming noise making them all grunt in discomfort, and the shock wave of the object pushed some of them over almost completely, though he and Caia stayed firm. When the noise had subsided, Cole motioned for them all the keep down, before he stood to peer over the top of the boulder.
It was...metal? Cole tilted his head at the sight of the foreign object. Yes, metal indeed, though he wasn't quite sure what exactly it was. It lurched forward slightly, before settling back down flat. Cole could have sworn he heard screaming inside, and the thought filled him with dread. People falling from the sky in a metal can? Who could they be? Regardless, Cole knew this was potential threat they couldn't leave uninvestigated. He had to at least approach the object and discern whether it was cause for concern, seeing as how it was only a two hour walk from its location to their home. He waved for the others to follow as he pulled his bow from his shoulder, an arrow knocked before any of them had moved. They followed suit and were close behind him as he crossed the river again, eyes focused on nothing but the hunk of steaming metal ahead. He could hear some of the others gulp, as it released even more steam from the vents on the sides.
It was unmistakably people inside, he now determined. They were frantic and shouting from within, sounding more terrified than he felt at that particular moment. He frowned. What kind of people sent from the sky would be terrified to be on the ground? It seemed much safer with the earth under your feet. Cole motioned for the others to hang back, though Caia refused and kept behind him, peering over his left shoulder with her bow ready for anything about to happen. He gestured for her to go around the other side and they both crouched, sneaking up beside the massive object until they semi-reached the front, where the noticed a large door. He froze as he heard what appeared to be locks of some sort clicking from within. A loud gush of air, followed by hissing.
And then the door opened.