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Clanluna

Chapter 39: Clanluna Summer Gathering: Care of Magical Creatures

Harry Potter is owned by JK Rowling
Earth’s Children is owned by Jean Auel


Abraxas Clan of the Clanluna List

Deceased members:
Uba – Clan, mother of Creb, Brun and Iza
---Creb (37) – Clan, former Mog-Ur, 1st Weez-Ur (Roe Deer/Ursus totem),
---Iza (28) – Clan, Uba’s mother, adopted mother of Ayla
---Brun (36) – Clan, former leader, (Bison totem)
------Aba (38) Clan, Brun’s 2nd mate (ground squirrel totem)
------Ebra (41) – Clan, Brun’s mate, Broud’s mother
---------Broud (21) – Clan, former Leader, Ebra’s son (Wooly Rhinoceros totem)
----------- Oga (20) – Clan, Crug’s 2nd mate, Broud’s widow (hamster totem)
Dorv - Clan
---Iga – Clan, mother of Ebra and Uka, Dorv’s Mate
------Droog (34) – Clan, toolmaker, Aga’s mate, son of Iga Dorv’s mate
Borg (12) – Clan, Ona’s 1st mate, son of Ika (Boar/Ursus totem)
Zoug (43) – Clan, second in command to the leader before Brun (Ursus totem)
--- Grod (32) – Clan, son of the mate of Zoug, (Brown Bear totem)

Living Members:
Thonlan (17) – Other, Woodworker, Jondolar’s brother, 9th Ranked male Hunter (Cave Lion totem)
---Luna (24) – Other, Leader, 1st Weech, Creb’s widow, Thonlan’s mate, (Snorkack totem)
-------Zeen – (5) ½ Clan, son of Luna, Goov’s Acolyte, 2nd Weez-Ur (Ursus Totem)
-------Mara – (1) Other, Luna’s Daughter, Weech
---------Ansalong (13) - Owl
---------Winter Sleeper (4) – Cave Bear
------------Bop (1) – male Cave Bear
------------Honey Lover (0) female Cave Bear cub

Zar (24) ½ Clan, 1st Ranked male hunter, Goov’s Acolyte, Clanluna’s Acolyte, (Ursus Totem)
---Ayla (18) – Other, Clan’s 1st Ranked Medicine Woman, 2nd Weech, 2nd Ranked Woman-Who-Hunts, Zar’s Mate, (Cave Lion totem)
--------Durc (7) – ½ Clan, Ayla’s son, (Gray Wolf totem)
--------Iza (5) – ¼ Clan, Ayla’s daughter, 3rd Weech, training to become Woman-Who-Hunts (Unicorn Totem)
--------Mariza (1) Other, Ayla’s daughter, Weech

Vorn (17) – Clan, Uka’s son, 2nd Ranked male hunter
---Uba (12) – Clan, Medicine Woman, Vorn’s mate, Iza’s daughter
------Uma (3) – Clan, Uba’s daughter
------Vuba (1) – ½ Clan, Uba’s daughter
---Uka (29) – Clan, Ebra’s sister, Grod’s widow, Vorn’s Mother

Goov (24) – Clan, Mog-Ur, 10th Ranked male hunter, (Aurochs totem/Ursus totem)
---Ovra (22) – Clan, Goov’s mate, (Beaver totem)
------Oogra (3) – Clan, Ovra’s daughter

Groog (29) – 1/8 Clan, 3rd Ranked male hunter (megaceros totem)
---Iga (25) - Other, (formerly: Andromedanaea of the Sungaea) 3rd Ranked Woman-Who-Hunts, red-foot, Clanluna (one-who-serves-the-Mother) Groog’s Mate
------Griga (3) – 1/16 Clan, Iga’s daughter
------Wilmar (1) – Other, Iga’s Son

Broog (23) – ½ Clan, 4th Ranked male hunter
---Ena (22) – ½ Clan, 4th Ranked Woman-Who-Hunts
------Boov (8) – ½ Clan son of Ena
------Brena (1) – ½ Clan daughter of Ena
------Ura (7) – ½ Clan, daughter of Oda, future mate of Durc?

Vorv (21) – ½ Clan, 5th Ranked male hunter
---Uva (19) – ½ Clan, mate of Vorv
------Broov (8) – ½ Clan son of Uva (looks full Clan)
------Ugra (7) – ½ Clan daughter of Uva (looks full Others) training to become Woman-Who-Hunts (Owl totem)
------Vorva (3) – ½ Clan daughter of Uva
------Zoug (1) – ¼ Clan son of Uva

Brac (12) – Clan, Oga’s 1st son, 6th Ranked hunter (Bison totem)
---Igra (10) – Clan, Ika’s daughter, Brac’s Mate
------Broud (1) ½ Clan, Igra’s Daughter.

Crug (26) – Clan, 7th Ranked male hunter (wolf totem)
---Ika (24) – Clan, Crug’s mate
------Crik (3) – Clan, Ika’s son
------Dorv (3) Clan, Oga’s 3rd son
------Corg (1) ½ Clan, Oga’s 4th Son

Groob (10) – Clan, Aga’s son, toolmaker, 8th Ranked male Hunter
---Eva (11) – ½ Clan daughter of Ena, Groob’s mate, 5th Ranked Woman-Who-Hunts

Grev (9) – Clan, Oga’s 2nd son, 11th Ranked male Hunter
---Aga (28) – Clan, Droog’s widow, Groob’s mother, Grev’s mate

Ranec (20) - Other, carver, M’buna’s son, 12th Ranked male Hunter, (formerly of the Mammutoi) (Snorkack totem)
---Ona (13) – Clan, Borg’s widow, Grev’s ex, Ranec’s mate (Owl totem)
------Bona (3) Clan, Ona’s daughter
------Orga (1) ½ Clan, Ona’s daughter

Bellapheron Clan of the Clanluna list

Ekwus (5) – Leader of the Centaur Herd
---Quicksilver- Unicorn, Ekwus’ Mate
------whisper (1) – Unicorn, Quicksilver’s filly
------ Phanthum (0) – Unicorn, Quicksilver’s filly
---Duskie (5)– Unicorn – Ekwus’ Mate
------ Miss Priss (1) – Unicorn, Duskie’s filly
------ Heather (0) – Unicorn, Duskie’s filly
---Sparkle (5)– Unicorn – Ekwus’ Mate
------Bangar (1) - Centaur, Sparkle’s colt
------Litestepper (0) – Unicorn, Sparkle’s Filly
---Silvertip (5) – Unicorn – Ekwus’ Mate
------Brackus (1) – Centaur, Silvertip’s colt
------ Tangle (0) – Centaur, Silvertip’s colt
---Nightwind (5) - Unicorn – Ekwus’ Mate
------Nether Light (1) - Unicorn Nightwind’s filly
------ Star-gazer (0) – Centaur, Nightwind’s colt

Dawn-Breaker (2) – Centaur, Duskie’s colt
---Midnight (2) – Unicorn, Nightwind’s filly, Dawn-breaker’s mate
---Starlight (2) – Unicorn, Silvertip’s filly, Dawn-breaker’s mate

Atturous (2) – Centaur, Sparkle’s colt
---Firelight (2) – Unicorn, Quicksilver’s filly, Atturous’ mate

Later that afternoon, Ayla and Luna were sitting watching the Unicorns graze when a sudden movement caught Ayla’s eye. A Cave Lioness had sprung from the tall grass and was racing towards the Unicorns! As the Cave Lioness leaped into the air to pounce, Ayla spotted a Cave Lion in the distance! The same one that had killed Thonlan and injured Dyondar!

Chapter 39: Clanluna Summer Gathering

Luna waved her wand and suddenly, the lioness was hanging in the air by her back leg. She roared in outrage. The centaurs, men and Women-who-hunt came running when they heard the lioness roar, fearing that she’d attacked a unicorn, woman or child. The lion was charging at them too. He wanted to defend his lioness. Luna put him in a Levicorpus too, before silencing the two lions, who were raising quite a racket with their outraged roars.

“You know, this strikes me as a good opportunity for a Care of Magical Creatures lesson,” observed Luna, in English.

Since the textbooks were in English, Luna, out of habit, had always taught magic to Ayla in English. She waved her wand and transfigured the lion.

“So this is what a griffin looks like,” explained Luna.

“You’re right, Luna, it does look like it’s half lion and half Eagle!” exclaimed Ayla, in English.

“And this,” said Luna, and she transfigured it again, “is a sphinx. And this, is a hippogriff.”

As the afternoon continued, Luna transfigured the lion into each and every Creature that was in the Monster Book of Monsters, before she began showing Ayla the creatures that weren’t in the book but should have been.

“And this, is an Umgubular Slashkilter,” explained Luna as she turned the nargle into a iridescent blue, pig-like creature with tentacles coming out of its’ back. “Supposedly, they’re even more delicious than dino-chicken, the animal that mcnuggets are made of. I’ve heard that the original dino-chicken was pulled out of the distant past by muggle scientists using a device called a Time-Hook.”

The lesson over, Luna transfigured the creature back into a lion.

“What are we going to do with the lions now that we’re done?” asked Ayla.

“Hmmmmm, What to do? I know!” said Luna as she transfigured the pair of lions back into sphinxes and removed the silencing charm on them. “If I let you down, will you promise not to hunt any people, unicorns or centaurs?”

“What if I do? How am I talking?!” asked the gynosphinx.

“I transfigured you completely into Sphinxes,” explained Luna, “even your minds.”

“Will we be accepted amongst your people and not hunted?” asked the androsphinx.

“I think I can get the others to accept you, as long as you behave,” said Luna.

“Can we start our own Pride of Sphinxes?” asked the androsphinx.

“I don’t see why not,” said Luna.

“Can you turn my cubs into sphinxes too?” asked the gynosphinx?”

“Take me to them, and I will,” said Luna, as she canceled the hex and dropped the sphinxes on the ground.

Luna and Ayla followed the sphinxes to a place where three Cave Lion cubs were playing in the tall grass. Luna quickly transfigured the lion cubs into sphinx cubs.

“Mama, what are we?” asked a sphinx cub.

“What shall we name them?” the gynosphinx asked her androsphinx.

For the rest of the afternoon the two Clans of the Clanluna got used to the newest Clan. Mothers of all three species of the Clanluna were afraid the Cave lions, with human heads, would hurt their children. It was Wintersleeper who broke the ice. She seemed to think that the sphinx cubs, were her cubs and took them under her wing. Bathing them and even nursing them. Honeylover liked her new milk-siblings and some the Clan and Other children, prompted by Zeen, were playing with the newest junior members of the Clanluna.

This got the other Clanluna to talk with the Sphinxes and soon they were answering all kinds of questions for the cave lions with the blonde haired, golden eyed heads of the Others.

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That night, Zar gathered the Clanluna for their first Men’s hunting Dance, a new ritual that he had devised with Iga’s help. The men built a big bonfire and the females (women, Unicorns and the gynosphinx) children, foals, cubs and animals sat around it in a circle drumming on bowls or pawing the ground if they didn’t have hands. Ranec had been a big help in adapting rhythms from Mammutoi ceremonies. But since he was still in seclusion with Ona, he had to listen and not participate in the ritual he’d helped with, earlier in the spring.

The males (men, centaurs and the androsphinx) danced inside the circle, near the fire taking turns mimicking hunting or prey animal movements. The dance lasted late, but not all night. The men would need their strength for tomorrow’s hunt. The fire was starting to die down and the women were putting the children to bed during a lull in the dance when a wooly rhino charged out of the darkness, stamped out the fire before anyone could react and ran off, back into the darkness!

The next morning, Zar awoke early, gathered his hunting weapons and walked away from, but still in sight of the camp. Spreading out his arms, he began the meditative divinatory trance dance that he did before hunts. As the other male Hunters awoke, they came out to stand with him. Once they were all gathered, Clan, mixed, Other, Centaur and Androsphinx, Zar opened his eyes and pointed.

“That way,” signed Zar, as he set out.

Soon, they came upon a herd of Wooly Rhinos. Zar backed up and halted the group just over the hill from the herd so he could outline a plan.

“Those Hunters with Clan spears will wait here, two spear lengths apart,” signed Zar. “Andro, you will go around the long way to the other side of the herd. The centaurs will go to almost the other side, at a casual pace, keeping your distance, until we attack. The men with throwing spears will go halfway around the herd on either side, led by myself and Groog. When this man gives the signal, Andro will lead the attack. We will all drive the rhinos towards Vorn’s group.”

Now that the plan had been given, they set out. Androcles the androsphinx bounded off at a 90 degree angle to the herd and made a very wide circle, staying out of sight of the herd. The eyesight of woolly rhinos wasn’t very good. If they saw him at all, it would be his movement against the background of the Steppes. As long as he stayed over the hill from them, they wouldn’t see him running. Ekwus, Dawn-Breaker and Atturous casually strolled by the herd. Each had a spear in one hand and a spear thrower in the other, with another two spears strapped to their backs. As long as they didn’t raise their spears, the rhinos would mistake them for horses and unless they got too close, the ornery animals would leave them alone. Zar led Thonlan slowly around the right side of herd, while Groog led Broog and Vorv around the left side. Groog’s group had to stay further away from the herd because they were up wind.

“Why are we sitting here like women, instead of running down a rhino?” waved Brac.

“Because Zar wants to get more than one,” signed Vorn, in a condescending manner as if trying to explain the obvious to a child.

“This man misses the days when we could hunt like men instead of waiting for the Others to chase the animals to us,” waved Brac. “Urus knows, we’re hunting WITH animals!”

“This man misses the old way of hunting too,” signed Crug, “even if we didn’t bring home as much meat.”

“Why are we listening to that deformed man anyway?” waved Brac. “This man should have been Leader after his mother’s mate!”

“We’ve already been over this many times, every time we go hunting,” signed Goov. “Do YOU want to fight Luna? She didn’t become leader until she beat every man in the Clan with her magic! Try and fight her and she’s likely to turn you into something unnatural like she did Grev . . . and she might not change you back!”

“This man is going hunting,” waved Brac, before charging over the hill.

Brac! Brac No!” shouted Vorn, as the headstrong man ran over the hill, spear in hand.

When Brac charged over the hill, brandishing his heavy Clan spear the herd of wooly rhinos spooked. Nobody was in position, yet. The rhinos picked the scent that had been irritating them and charged towards Groog’s group.

Zar raised his spear and gave the signal to attack. The centaurs loaded their spear throwers and cast first. Ekwus and Dawn-Breaker hit the rear-most rhino, killing it. Atturous cast a spear that hit one of the middle rhinos in the rump. It turned around and charged at Brac. Thonlan cast a spear that seriously wounded one. The bleeding animal stopped in its’ tracks and looked around for someone to attack. It decided on the charging centaurs and stumbled towards them before halting, so it could make one last charge at who ever came close enough. Groog, Broog and Vorv all hit the same lead rhino with their cast.

Seeing that Brac had already spoiled the plan, Vorn led Crug, Goov, Grev and Groob over the hill. Goov stopped at the top. He was getting too old to run down an animal. Zar cast his spear and killed a rhino. The centaurs stopped, when their quarry did. They were too experienced at hunting to be fooled by a “dying” rhino. They each pulled an extra spear from their back and cast. All three hit. This time, the rhino died. Groog tried to dodge but the rhino was able to slice open his leg with its’ horn. Another knocked down and trampled Vorv, breaking his tibia, the bone in his lower leg. Broog was able to dodge one and into the path of another when he was pushed away by a golden blur.

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING TRYING TO TRAMPLE MY NEW FRIEND?” yelled Andro after he’d pounced on and broken the neck of the rhino that had nearly killed Broog.

Just before the rhino gored him, Brac leaped aside. Grev ran up to the rhino and when it charged him, he dodged too. The rhino halted as the Clan men formed a circle around it. It Charged Vorn and Crug ran forward towards it. When it stopped and went for Crug, Groob ran at the rhino. It charged and nearly hit him before Brac was able to run up and thrush his spear deep into the beast’s heart.

“Do you see that? This is the way men of the Clan should hunt!” bragged Brac.

Vorn simply pointed at where Zar was trying to stop Groog from bleeding to death. Vorv lay next to him, wincing in pain from his broken leg. If he hadn’t been raised Clan, Vorv would have been groaning from this much pain as his leg bent at an unnatural angle.

As Zar applied a tourniquet to Groog’s leg and splinted Vorv’s, the centaurs put their travois back on that they had taken off when the herd had been spotted. After Vorn had cut out and shared a piece of liver with each hunter and buried the heart as an offering to the spirits, the centaurs loaded the three smallest rhinos onto their travois.

“Dawn-Breaker and this Centaur can each carry a man,” offered Ekwus.

“Good! Vorn, you’re in charge here,” announced Zar. “Mog-Ur and this man will go back with them to help with the healing magic. Guard the other three rhinos against predators until the centaurs return to drag them back to camp.”

When they arrived with the two men on the travois, Ayla and Uba rushed out to greet them.

“What happened?” asked Ayla, as she looked at Groog’s bloody leg.

“Hunting accident,” explained Zar.

“Wingardium Leviosa!” called Ayla, as she levitated Groog off the travois and into her tent. “Luna, Iga this Medicine Woman will need your help. Zar, help Uba take care of Vorv.

Luna soundlessly levitated Vorv into their teepee before following the others in. Goov followed them so he could watch over them and ask the Spirits to help the two hunters.

By the time they’d sewn Groog back together and set and cast Vorv’s leg, the rest of the hunters were back with the rest of the rhinos. The women of Luna’s Abraxas Clan that didn’t have healing skills were already hard at work processing the first three rhinos.

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“Goov, this man needs to speak with you,” announced Vorn, as he and Crug approached The Mog-Ur.

Ever since Brun and Grod died, Vorn and Crug had taken their place on the unofficial committee of Clan elders.

“You saw what happened with Brac,” stated Vorn. “And this is not the first time. How many hunts have been messed up because Brac cares more about himself than his fellow hunters?”

“Too many!” agreed Goov.

“We may have lost two hunters today,” pressed Vorn. “Will either of them ever hunt again? This can’t go on! This man thinks we should advise Luna, to ask you, to Death Curse Brac!”

“What?!?” waved Crug. “We can’t just Death Curse him!”

“Crug is right,” agreed Goov. “A Death Curse would bring dangerous spirits around the Clan! Remember what happened when Broud told me to Death Curse Ayla?”

“We have to do something about him!” protested Vorn. “He’s just like Broud!”

“This Mog-Ur will talk to Luna about it,” signed Goov.


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Later that afternoon, while the women were drying the meat, Luna called all of the Clans of the Clanluna together. She had all the adults sit in a big circle with an inner circle of different kinds of leaders. In the inner circle was: Luna, Ayla, Zar, Goov, Iga, Ekwus, and Androcles.

“This is our first meeting of the inner circle of the Clanluna,” announced Luna. “Members of the outer circle may speak only when asked to, unless you raise your hand and I point to you. Members of the inner circle may speak freely. Now, Zar, could you explain why two of our hunters are injured?”

“We were circling a herd of wooly rhinos,” began Zar. “We were going to chase them towards a group of men, led by Vorn. We weren’t yet in position, when Brac, ran at the herd. They stampeded towards Groog’s group of hunters and all three of them were nearly killed!”

“Vorn?” querried Luna, asking him to explain himself.

“We were waiting our turn to spring the trap when, Brac started complaining that we weren’t hunting the old Clan way,” Began Vorn. “Then he tried to run down an animal all by himself! The rest us followed and helped him. Then he gloated about it, not caring that two of our hunters had been injured! This isn’t the first time he’s endangered others with his selfishness! All Brac cares about is himself! You should order The Mog-Ur to Death Curse him!”

“Brac, what have you got to say for yourself?” asked Luna.

“This man is tired of waiting like a woman while Zar leads the hut!” signed Brac, defiantly. “This man doesn’t know why we let a deformed, man who should have been exposed at birth, lead us anyway! Deformed babies should be exposed at birth. It’s Clan! This man wishes we still followed Clan ways, instead of following a woman! The man is supposed to Lead, not follow women! This man should have become Leader after his mother’s mate, Broud, died.

“Are you challenging my authority?” asked Luna, as she pointed her wand at him.

“Yes!” shouted Brac, as he picked up his spear. “This man says he should be Leader. This man’s mother was the mate of Broud, the last REAL Leader we had. Who’s with me?”

Luna flicked her wand and ropes sprung out of it, tying up Brac. She then turned to the other members of the inner circle.

“What do you think this Leader should do with him?” asked Luna.

“The Mog-Ur would warn against invoking a Death Curse. It would anger the spirits and bring danger on the entire Clanluna,” signed Goov. “Does Brac’s offense really justify that risk?”

“This man agrees with The Mog-Ur,” signed Zar. “This man has lived the isolation of having no Clan and he wouldn’t wish that on anyone! This man has always been impressed by this people’s ability to take in others. Can we do any less for a man born into this Clan? . . . . Still . . . This man does not want to lead Brac on any more hunts.”

“This woman was once Death Cursed,” signed Ayla, with a shudder. “No one should have to go through that!”

“If we’re not going to Death Curse him, could I, at least, eat him?” asked Androcles.

“Taking away his hunting privileges might be a good start, but how would he support his mate and child?” asked Ekwus.

“Perhaps Igra should get the option of choosing a new mate?” suggested Iga.

“This Leader has decided,” signed Luna, as she stood up. “Brac, since you long so deeply for the days when we were Clan, this Weech shall grant your wish. From now on all the old rules of the Clan shall apply to you. Let’s see how much you like living the ancient Clan lifestyle . . . as a Woman!”

A pink ray shot out of Luna’s wand and Brac was transformed into a woman of the Clan!

“From this day forth, you will be known as: Brač,” signed Luna. “You will no longer be allowed to hunt! If you even touch a hunting weapon, you will be punished . . . severely! If any man wants to Relieve his Needs with you and gives you the Signal, you must comply like a Clan woman! You will do women’s tasks! Igra will have until the end of the Summer Gathering to pick a new mate. And unlike Clanluna women, you will not get to choose your mate. Instead, like a Clan woman, this Leader will assign your mate! Since you are responsible for his condition, this Leader assigns you to be the second woman of . . . Groog!”




Author’s note: “Č” and “Ć” are Croatian letters that represent the “Ch” sound of English. “Č” is the harsher variation. From my window, I can look out across the Adriatic Sea and see the Isle of Brač. I couldn’t resist changing Brac’s name to Brač!