It was getting chilly as the light began to slip over the mountain rise. The beast was close, tracks fresh, and the sounds of the snorts were almost heard over the distant squawk of birds. Tah knew he was close. Yet he hadn’t seen him. The fact that the great horn was near and yet invisible only increased Tah excited determination. It was worthy. The stars were right.

Tah stood silent in the dimming light. So still even his breath was measured and slow. Quiet like the tree, moving only with the wind, reaching with his branches to feel the air around him. Tah became the woods, for those minutes he was a tree, he was the tall standing oak watching the forest. Unmoving and observing the domain that was his, Tah felt the tree. As he did a flash of fur walked majestic and regal with its head high and its ears tall. One leg came up high and froze. In that pose the great horn waited. With antlers that spread wider than one of Tah’s arms the elk turned and looked in Tah’s direction. 

As quick as a leaf turns in the wind, Tah raised his spear and threw. He let the thrust, of the throw, carry everything he had through him. Tah ran after the spear taking hold of his knife and running quickly toward the stunned great horn. Of course it turned and fled even with the gash of the spear cut through its chest. Tah had to race to keep up at all counting on the elk to bleed itself out. As it ran its blood pumped. As it pumped it took all the life force of the animal and dripped it onto the forest floor.

Tah just had to keep up. That was not an easy task. Four legs run better even when losing life’s force. But Tah was driven. The stars had told him. The fire waits. He would follow the dying tracks and take his meat and horns. It was as it should be.