Thak stretched his legs as he wandered up the hill. It had been a good hunt. One thunderbeast slain, enough food to last the tribe for days. They would have full bellies from the meat and warm skins from its hide. Tonight, they would tell the stories to the tribe and the Old One would decide if they were worthy of being remembered.

He felt it should; not a single hunter trampled by the thunderbeasts massive feet, or skewered by its tusks, or whipped by its massive snout! Such a victory there never was! His hunters worked like no others! And every day word of their strength spread, bringing more to their tribe.

Thak came to the top of his hill. Relishing the stiff breeze that blew his hair back. His home! His tribe! Off in the distance they stood his hole in the mountain. And gathered around it, his people waited. Soon to be reunited. The little ones saw him first and he heard them cheering. First of the hunters to return.

One of the women broke from the rest and rushed to him. Thak recognized her immediately. Only she rushed to greet the hunters this way. The rest followed the Old One's instructions to remain until the full party arrived. But there was always something rebellious about this one.

"Thak!" She called out as she neared.

"La!" He waved. "Such a hunt! Wait until you hear the stories!"

"Later," she said. "We have news!"

"News?"

"Yes! Much has happened! We feared harm fell upon you and the hunters in the storm."

"It was light and noise," Thak said. "We stood strong!"

"There were newcomers," La said. "They came after the storm. From the lands south. The lands of Green."

Thak narrowed his eyes. "The Lands of Green? You did not let them stay did you? They are weak and stupid."

"The Old One sent them away, except one. You must meet him. We have never seen his kind."

"Oh? Is he a hunter?"

"I do not know, but you must see him."

"What is he called?"

"He is dumb like all from the land of Green. We do not understand his words they are too fast. Come met him!"

Thak shook his head and allowed La to take him by the hand. The other women and the children greeted him as he came and they beckoned him to the caves to meet the new one.. Thak had to wonder who this new one was, to have all of them so excited.

At the mouth of the cave, the Old One stood, clutching his stick and sucking on a root. For as long as he could remember, this was how Thak saw the Old One. He was old when Thak was a boy, still listening to his stories of the Before Time.

"Old One," he said as they approached.

"Young Thak."

"La tells me you brought in a new one."

"Very strange this newcomer, not like others. He smells of flowers and his forehead is small. His word are fast and ugly to the ears."

"And yet you brought him to the tribe?"

"Very strange this newcomer. Follow and meet him."

The Old One did not wait to see if Thak agreed, he merely spat out his root then turned to the cave. La sprang forward and clutched the Old One by the arm, helping him forward into the cave. Slowly, Thak came behind them.

They passed into the cave, picking up a firebranch as they entered. Up ahead, sat the picture makers, scrawling their tribes stories on the walls. Thak grinned at the pictures, soon they would picture him killing a Thunderbeast.

"Be warned," the Old One said. "He is very ugly, his forehead is small."

Thak had to crook his head to the side on that one. What manner of creature was this that the others found him ugly and hard to look at, yet they brought him into the past-cave for protecting.

Finally, they reached the back of the cave where the last fire was and the most important pictures were. Thak spotted the creature, huddled by the flames. At first glance he didn't look different or strange to Thak at all, but then he looked up from a flat glowing rock he held and Thak nearly recoiled.

He wasn't man like Thak was. His forehead completely misshapen and tiny, his hair poking out strangely, and his skins, thin and coating nearly his entire body.

The creature spotted them and stood. Thak felt his fingers tighten around his club. The creature towered over them, even Thak himself! Perhaps this was why they kept him, if he could be trained he would be excellent on the hunt.

"You must be the guy in charge," he said. "I'm Jeff Winger, and I need to know if there's anywhere nearby that has descent reception."

Jeff, Annie and the rest of the Greendale 7 will return for the conclusion of the Time Desk Trilogy in...

Time Desk Triumphant.

coming soon...