Yesterday the hunters ate only roots and grubs but now, in the fading light, they chance upon a lame bokkie. Hunt and kill are over quickly. Careful for the tinder-dry veld, they make a fire within a ring of stones and each eats their fill, leaving a portion for Aquila, who guards their improvised camp from a hungry howling wolf until dawn spreads her golden fingers.
The sun climbs and the dry savannah shimmers. A green smudge rises from the ripples and the hunters hasten to the acacia-shaded spring.
The eagle calls out
Owab attends the warning:
beware the serpent!
In case you’re wondering what in the world is going on, the previous episode of this little adventure is here.
Photo by Juanita Swart @ Unsplash
Written in response to two challenges:
– Di of Pensitivity101‘s Wednesday’s Three Things Challenge – YESTERDAY, CARE, HOW
– Denise Farley of GirlieOnTheEdge‘s Sunday’s Six Sentence Story Word Prompt – IMPROVISE
I also set myself the additional challenges of confining my piece to 100 words exactly and writing in the haibun form. Just for fun!
Click here to join the #SSS Link Up Party for more Six Sentence Stories!
luna's on line 
Great immersive story, Chris!
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Thank you, Tom!
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Do you think you might gather these stories together into a South African-style folklore collection one day?
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It’s certainly a thought, Tom. That would combine quite nicely with my last novel and it’s sequel, which I’m busy with at the moment.
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Loved the use of ‘how’ in this Chris!
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Thanks, Di 🙂 Words can be such fun to bend!
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They can, especially when they can have more than one meaning or words spelt the same being totally different, like Wind and wind, wound and wound, invalid and invalid, or refuse and refuse.
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An easy story to fall into. Well done
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Thank you, I’m pleased you like it 🙂
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Love how you build up the story.
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Thanks, Sadje! I’m pleased you enjoyed it 🙂
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You’re welcome 😉
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seizure ides of marching
salad
brain surgery
stress
the test
and no damn food
on the morrow
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Thanks for stopping by!
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surely
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There is no wasted word in your writing!
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That’s a lovely compliment. Thanks Cassa!
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You are welcome and well deserved!
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🙂
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I like this episode very much! I eager to see where the story goes.
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Thanks, Liz! You won’t be surprised when I say that I’m eager to find out too 😉
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You’re welcome, Chris! Nope, I’m not surprised. 😉
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Excellent word usage, Chris. I love it.
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Thanks, Robbie 🙂
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Okay I almost didn’t get past the roots and grubs😝But I enjoyed reading this one and I went back for a review of the previous episode too.
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I hesitate to tell you that I once tried dried mopane worms (in a restaurant). Not great. I took the rest home and even my chickens turned up their beaks at them! Please you enjoyed despite the yuk factor, Debra 🙂
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😯
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Simple and descriptive with the execution to make it damn-near tactile!
Excellent scene/view of a story.
Good start to a serial SIx?
(Don’t tell anyone, but I tried to find the meaning of the word/name ‘Owab’ lol)
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Thanks so much, Clark! There will be more. I can’t waste characters like Owab and Aquila!
(Oh, and sorry for sending you down a ‘false’ rabbit-hole)
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Wonderful scene-setting, Chris. Vivid and evocative.
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Thanks so much, Susan 🙂
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I like the introduction of the serpent at the end, but then the eagle and serpent seem to have mythical significance.in some cultures.
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I read somewhere that there was a belief amongst the early hunter-gather peoples who inhabited the Cape that springs were guarded by snakes. That’s where my serpent comes from.
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Love this part two (I went back and checked part the one). The struggle and consideration of the hunter band as they progress to better days is told sparingly and powerfully. A great style. Then that warning of the serpent…
Ford.
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Thanks, Ford! This is going to be a fun one. 🙂
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👍
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To add: is it harder to write something using multiple prompt words, or easier in that you have more scope/inspiration? The way you used ‘how’ in howling is excellent 😀
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Good question! The multiple prompt words help to shape the story to some extent, but depending on what they are, it can be a bit of a challenge to shoe-horn some of them in – hence the howling. It’s a bit like playing Scrabble 😉
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Lol, yes Scrabble. Can well imagine trying to make some of the prompts fit!
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I enjoyed visualizing the scene.
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I’m so pleased, Romi 🙂
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May their travels lead them to find what they need.
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That’s the plan… eventually! 🙂
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Hey Chris,
Wishing you a lovely day this Friday 🙂
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You have a lovely day too, Rory! Catch up with you over the weekend 🙂
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Take care Chris, have a lovely weekend 🙂
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😀
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Excellent!
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Thanks, Susan!
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The title…. tells me there will be more 🙂
Love the descriptive details and look forward to the unfolding journey.
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I love the moment! I feel like the distant landscape was actually snakeskin, and *that* is the snake intent to find them and devour them…
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The power of the flash story! Nice work!
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Thanks, Benjamin 🙂
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You’re welcome!
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Interesting story. Your weaving is fantastic. Onto the previous one now.
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Pleased you enjoyed this one, too! 🙂
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Welcome 🙂
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A delightful stand-alone excerpt, quite entrancing.
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Thank you!
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Another building block in a wonderful atmosphere, Chris.
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Thanks, Matthew! I’m really enjoying these 🙂
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