It was time. I looked at the tense, frightened faces around the circle and knew what they were feeling. I’d gone through my own first Hunt at their age and lived. But it was important that they knew what they were getting into and how important it was; that was my job as Chief.

“Tomorrow, you will all participate in your first Hunt, which runs for three suns. That much you already know. But this darkness, I need to tell you how the Peace and the Hunt began.

“It began with a being we call Vidfine. We think of him as a hero, and yet, he was a Monster, one of them!”

They all moved at that, shifting in surprise and discomfort, exchanging looks, and whispering to each other. I outwaited them.

Once they settled down, I started again.

“Legend tells us that no one knows where the Monsters came from, they just appeared one sun…”

Arrwa paced quietly as she smelled game. She stopped on a rock and looked down the hill. There stood a puny being, weird, moving like some ungainly bird, hopping foot-to-foot. And ugly.

Arrwa raced forward, roaring. The being raised a limb, and something struck her. It hurt a little, but she clubbed the Monster, and it fell. She and her young one would eat tonight. She sniffed at the body. It smelled funny, but she didn’t mind…

“At first, the Monsters didn’t seem to be much of a threat. Each of them, alone, was puny and hardly able to survive. But they kept coming, in big and bigger numbers. And they had weapons, weapons for which we had no answer…”

Arrwa recognized the weird-looking Monster from her earlier kill – but now there were more of them. Plus they had long things that seemed to cling to the end of their limbs. Cautiously, Arrwa waited until they had passed, then leaped out at the last one, bringing it down.

But the rest of its pack turned, and rather than running away, they ran towards her. She felt pain in several parts of her body at once. Shaking herself free, she raced away – and then started limping when she thought she was clear. The Monsters’ response was…unexpected.

She was surprised to find the Monsters were following her. She tried running more, but they kept following her until she was exhausted.

Turning, she faced them, defiant. They closed in, and she started clubbing them – but they overwhelmed her and bore her down.

Darkness followed…

“They started killing us, and all the life around us.

“That was bad enough, but they were sly. Their weapons kept getting better and better, killing all of us with greater ease, sometimes to eat us, sometimes because they wanted our space, and sometimes just for the thrill of killing…

Hurma ran hard, dodging between trees, trying to lose it, but he could hear the giant bird following him, its wings loud in his ears.

He stopped, wheeled, and ran back the way he had come, hoping to confuse it – but the hope died when the noise first diminished, then got louder again.

He broke from the trees, and raced up a hill, trying to outrun it.

Then felt a searing pain and was brought down. He tried to rise but felt life leave him. He heard a dull thud as the bird landed and smaller thuds approached.

His eyes closed, and he died…

“They used to ride their birds to chase us down, then kill us from away, which was terrifying. Life was bad, and there didn’t seem to be anything we could do about it – except die.”

I paused to let them ponder that threat, so they knew the importance of what was to follow.

“They were killing us off, in ones and in groups, everywhere, and ruining the world with their ugly games and greedy grabbing.

Ruumll crouched low, not wanting to draw the attention of the Monsters attacking the very trees below him. He was hungry. Game was scarce, and hunting hard, especially as he wanted to avoid drawing the attention of the Monsters that kept crawling closer, destroying everything in their path.

Despite the rumbling in his stomach, he turned and crept away, knowing that the hunters that had tried to attack the Monsters always died. If the hunting grounds continued to disappear, he didn’t know how he and his kind would survive. He shook his head, angry – and helpless.

“Taddi told us the Monsters had begun making plans to leave for another world, an unspoiled one, that they would then proceed to spoil all over again. They were horrible creatures, and all the Clans despised them.

“Then a Hero arose, and legend says that it called itself Vidfine. It was one of the Monsters, but it was horrified by what they were doing. None of us know why it felt the way it did, but blessèd be its name. It saved us through his pet and follower, who it called Taddi…

Rammalk was dead and Rulk didn’t know what to do. He nudged his mother, urging her to get up, to help him, that he was hungry and wanted to eat. He cried – and then something came down over him. It trapped him like the web of some giant spider. He struggled uselessly, then felt something sting him – and he slumped in a heap.

“Legend tells us that the Taddi was captured as an infant after the Monsters killed his mother. He was kept in a cell to study, then one of the Monsters started experimenting on him – Vidfine.

“At first Taddi was terrified. The Monster did things to him, horrible things. Yet, it also made sure Taddi was fed, and his cell wasn’t fouled. Over time, the two became familiar with each other, although Vidfine never allowed Taddi a clear chance of escaping…

By now, Rulk had grown to tower over the Monster, but the barrier prevented him from reaching it. What’s more, Rulk depended on the Monster for his food, which was bland and unsatisfying, but kept him alive. Rulk spent his suns pacing back and forth in his cell, unable to sit still, unable to see the sky or feel the wind, unable to leave, angry, confused, and hungry, always hungry…

“Then, one day Vidfine came and stood in front of Taddi’s cell, its limb wrapped around something.

“Vidfine made noises that Taddi did not understand, as it often did, as if it expected Taddi to understand. The Monster stood for a long time, then left. Next, there was a sound, and Taddi felt a breeze from somewhere, plus there was a strange-smelling fog. Taddi tried not to breathe it in but eventually had no choice.

Rulk ran back and forth in his cell, then shrank back away from the fog, but it crept closer and finally ran over him, oily and repulsive-smelling. His head started to spin, he felt sick, collapsed, then felt nothing…

“The next few days, Taddi was ill, slept most of the time, ate very little, and his head ached continually. Eventually, he recovered, shook himself, and scrambled up when Vidfine came into the cell area, moving in that weird way the Monsters had, like a strange, stalking bird. And, once again, made those noises the Monsters used, only this time, it seemed to Taddi they sounded almost – familiar.

“Over the suns that followed, Taddi became more and more convinced that the Monster was making noises that meant something. He started to imitate some of them, trying to echo them back to Vidfine, who made big, sweeping movements with his upper limbs when Taddi’s sounds were similar to Vidfine’s.

Rulk was startled. Vidfine had made that sound before. Rulk recognized it. Rulk tried to repeat it, then shook his head, and tried again. And again. And…finally, a sound emerged from Rulk’s throat that was similar to the Monster’s.

The Monster leaped and shook its limbs, making loud, strange noises.

‘Taddi!’ came the sound.

Rulk repeated it.

The Monster’s face moved in strange ways and its mouth widened.

Other sounds followed, and they, too started to sound familiar…

“Then finally, a sun came when Taddi actually understood the sounds that Vidfine made – and responded by using the words to say back: ‘Want food.’”

“Vidfine fell back against the wall, then hurried away, returning – with food! Vidfine had understood!

“The suns that followed were a surprise to Taddi. He and Vidfine started talking, giving ideas and information to each other. At first, their talks were simple, but over time they used more words to talk about more things. And Taddi felt like he understood more, not just in their talkings, but about things beyond his cell and Vidfine, including Taddi himself and our Clan.

“Then came a fateful day. Vinfyne asked Taddi what he and his people – we – thought of them, the Monsters…”

When Rulk understood what the Monster had asked, he was surprised – and angry. He barred his teeth, in the way of his Clan, to show his anger, and shouted.

The Monster fell back – then came forward and asked question after question, and its behavior became more and more erratic with each of Rulk’s answers…

“Finally, Taddi scowled at the Monster for a long while, then turned away and slumped down. He ignored Vidfine for the rest of the sun, even though the Monster kept trying to get him to talk.

“But gradually, Taddi and Vidfine had a number of talkings about the Monsters, with Vidfine becoming more and more erratic.

“There was a long stretch when Vidfine stayed away except to give Taddi food. Then, one sun it appeared again with something wrapped in its limb…

’Taddi,’ he said, ‘I’ve come to believe that you are right. We are monsters. But there’s nothing I can do to change the mind of the others.’

It stopped and look at the floor, then continued, ‘I’ve decided that I must stop the others, and the only way to do that is to kill them all. And I will raise your people and the others up to be smart, as you have become smart. Otherwise, my people will destroy so much that life here will become impossible.’

There was a shifting and sounds from the young folk. I waited for it to settle down.

“Taddi didn’t know how Vidfine’s magic worked, but before long, the Monsters started dying. Lots of them, then more, and more, and more – until only a few were left. And the ones that were left couldn’t make their magic work. Many of the remaining Monsters died, or starved, or tried to attack some of us, or were attacked by us and were unable to defend themselves.

“For they had always been puny, and very few of them were any good without their weapons and their magic. Between the Clans, we killed almost all of them.

“And to Taddi’s surprise and sadness, Vidfine died along with the other Monsters, setting Taddi free as its dying act. Almost all of the Monsters were dead in a few moons.

“But not quite all…

Rulk, the Taddi, had mated and had young. He taught them how to communicate, and they worked together to hunt.

Then, one day, one of his young was attacked by a Monster. It had hidden under a mat of leaves, and sprung at the youngster, but didn’t realize that Rulk was nearby. Rulk and his daughter leaped on the Monster and killed it, but his son was dead.

Rulk and his daughter mourned, but it was a warning.

Some of the Monsters still lived. And, over time, they banded together and started hunting in packs again.

 Rulk thought deeply, then realized what would happen if they were left alone. And he decided what he had to do…

“Taddi went to each of the big Clans, offering peace to discuss what to do about the Monsters. At first, they were all suspicious, but then, over time, they realized he was right. And from his talkings came the Hunt.

“Each Greening, all of the Clans declare the Peace, and all work with each other to hunt Monsters.”

I looked at the youngsters, and saw them looking solemn, or frightened, or eager, or…other things. Just as I had felt when I had engaged in my first Hunt. And I knew some of them would not come back – just as I might not.

But that was for another sun. Now I had to instruct them.

“When the sun returns next, all the Clans are held to the Peace. You must not touch anyone from any other Clan, no matter how tempting they might be. Instead, you must work with other Clans and hunt Monsters.

“The Monsters are each very puny, but they work together. They’ve lost their magic, but they can still be dangerous. And we must not allow them to relearn their magic, for they would rise to hunt us again.”

I paused. “Some of you won’t come back from the Hunt. I might not. Your parents and older siblings might not. But the Hunt is needed to keep the number of Monsters down, or else they will grow again – and the bad times will return.

“So, with the next sun, you will hunt any Monster you can find – male, female, youngling, or infant. You will kill all you can find – or die trying. None of us will hunt for food until the Peace is ended when three suns are gone…

Holhm walked into the clearing and stopped. There, within easy reach, was the female of the Deer Clan that he had seen at a distance before, and who had so captivated him. He smiled and started forward – then stopped, remembering.

‘During the Peace, you must not touch anyone from any other Clan,’ the Chief had said, ‘no matter how tempting. You must not, or you will be outcast, and even your own siblings and parents will hunt you. The Peace and the Hunt are sacred to us all.’

Holhm stood still, staring at her, and she stared back. Then Holhm nodded at her, and she bobbed her head in understanding. The two each went their own ways, their hearts beating fast. But they respected the Peace.

“The Hunt is hard, and the Peace is sometimes harder. But hunting is better than being the hunted, which is what would happen if the Monsters were allowed to grow and return.”

I looked around the group, pausing, and checking their eyes. They stared solemnly and silently back.

Finally, I said, “There is one more thing you should know. The place where we are gathered this darkness is sacred to us. This is where Vidfine experimented on Rulk, who Vidfine called his Taddi Bear, where Taddi grew smart, and where Vidfine worked to create his magic. Let us remember and thank the Taddi, for being the First, and our Hero. And let us remember the Monster, Vidfine, for seeing the horror of his kind.”

I waved a paw at the door. The label on it carried funny squiggles that Taddi said told about Vidfine’s place among the Monsters. I didn’t understand it – no one could. I mean, what could “…vid Fine, Epidemiology and Genetics” possibly mean?

The young ones in the circle were awed, then Raamkh spoke up.

“May I ask, Chief Bear, what the Monsters called themselves?”

I looked at her.

“Taddi said they called themselves ‘Humans.’ And we must kill them all.”