to quickly cut off another strip of deerskin and coat it with the special ointment, and he handed it to Ugurk as smoothly as if all had been planned out ahead of time. The Power smiled through Ugurk’s face on Asram for this bit of good Shamanship.

Ugurk tied the treated deerskin around the remaining piece of Azak’s flesh on the second infant hunter’s abdomen as he had done for the first, and then placed the second infant hunter in Azak’s arms, and helped Azak guide the questing mouth of the second hunter to Azak’s other nipple. The two infant hunters eyed each other from their respective perches on Azak’s broad, muscular chest, as if to say to each other “I will allow you that space for now, but this space is mine!” Yet another good Sign in a night of Wonders…

Ugurk turned again to the firepit, and reached towards the pile of healing herbs that smouldered there. His hands, enwrapped with The Power, felt not the burning heat of the leaves as he placed them in Azak’s body, nor did Azak flinch as the hot leaves seared his bowel, and staunched the flow of blood. Ugurk packed the opening with more leaves, and tied the hempen twine tight around Azak’s body, and spread upon his strong-muscled abdomen the healing ointment, made from the strong, aromatic fat of Bear and Elk, and the powder of more herbs and roots and flowers, as well as the powdered tusk of Mammoth, whose healing secrets were known only to The Shaman Ugurk, and known only partly by his disciple Asram. Ugurk at last wrapped a broad deerskin sash around Azak’s strong body, to hold the herb leaves in place and to keep dirt out of the opening. The deerskin was softened by the ointment, and would bind up Azak’s flesh during the coming days and weeks, when the healing herbs would be changed as required. Finally, at the next Waxing Moon, it would be removed – Azak’s body would be by then healed and strengthened, and the infant hunter – the two infant hunters – would be Named.

As Asram tended to Azak, Ugurk raised the stone bowl into which Azak’s blood had drained, and placed it on Al-Tar between Azak’s spread thighs. Azak’s Manly Organ was still solid, but not yet firm, and Ugurk slowly stroked the flat part of the blade of the Knife across Azak’s Manly Organ, which expanded and rose above the rim of the bowl until it stood straight and tall as a tree. Ugurk placed the Knife back under Azak’s buttocks, the point once again close to his anus, and with the fingers of both hands, slowly and rhythmically stroked Azak’s Manly Organ until the twin globes at the base of it drew up, and his Manly Organ shot forth its creamy white seed-carrying fluid. Ugurk mixed Azak’s seed into the blood, stirring it with the blade of the Knife, and, raising the bowl in salute to Azak’s father Ozyk, the chieftain of Our People, Ugurk drank all of it – his due as Shaman, to increase his power. Ugurk held back only a small amount of the seed-laden blood, which he gathered up in his hand and smeared on the top of his head, and on his eyes, his ears, his nose, his mouth, his tongue, his fingers, his chest, his anus, his feet, and lastly, on his own Manly Organ. He then wiped some of the remaining blood from his hands onto Al-Tar, and the rest onto the