Survival of the Fittest (Book 1 of the Crossroads Trilogy) by Jacqui Murray

Author:Jacqui Murray [Murray, Jacqui]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Structured Learning LLC
Published: 2019-03-05T16:00:00+00:00

Rainbow knew what he wanted in a new home—gurgling deep streams, countless waterholes to draw prey, a quarry nearby rich with the hard stones required for tools, and herds that grazed on vast swaths of grass—what they had before the Big Heads drove them away but with each passing day, the land became drier, food sparser, and the distance between waterholes greater.

He might need to adjust his expectations.

As one Moon replaced another, he slowed the pace for the pregnant females, stopping to rest often. None of his People were accustomed to the fatigue and gruel of migrations. The last time they moved homebases was before the pairmate of Xhosa’s father died. After that, the People never moved, in no small part because Nightshade’s reputation for brutality drove all Others away.

“Rainbow! Starlight delivers her baby!” From Mbasa.

Another of Nightshade’s mates. Rainbow had promised Nightshade leadership of his People if the powerful and charismatic male would join him. Of course, Rainbow lied but by the time Nightshade figured that out, it would have been too late to change his mind. Mbasa shattered that plan. When Nightshade saw her in Rainbow’s group, he wrinkled his nose in disgust and left.

Mbasa trotted to him. “There’s a cave ahead. We need a safe place for Starlight. Jackal lived there long ago. Its scent will keep others out, despite the aroma of the new birth and female blood.”

Rainbow motioned, “Lead.” Mbasa hesitated, as if she wanted to say more. “What?”

Mbasa motioned, a nervous shimmer in her hands, “Starlight, she’s small. I worry.”

Rainbow waved her away. A Leader shouldn’t waste time on that—and what did he know about births.

“Take care of it,” and he left, excited about this new opportunity to show leadership. Sleeping in caves rather than in the open—the right decision for a new land.

While Starlight struggled to give birth, the males explored. Not far away, they discovered a quarry, collected as many stones as they could carry, discarding the antlers, leg bones, and bone shards they had been using in place of the stone tools.

Despite the importance of the quarry, the grass here was too sparse to draw grazers so as soon as Starlight finished, her baby born dead, they moved on. Mbasa begged for a delay, to allow Starlight to rest, but Rainbow refused.

Females didn’t set the tempo of travel.

Moon came, went, and came again. Scouting expeditions became rare, so sure was Rainbow that the legendary Nightshade’s warriors would effortlessly defeat attackers. The group progressed leisurely and noisily. Rainbow could hear Nightshade’s harsh orders in his head—Quiet! Leave nothing of your passage!—and stifled a grin. His People slept in, left late in the morning, and stopped long before Sun disappeared. The only problem—which wasn’t significant—was they found no herds. Nor did they find Uprights. Rainbow scratched his armpit, thinking one probably led to the other.

So sure was he of their solitary travel, he missed the Others, out of sight, watching the weak strangers, preparing their next move.

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