The Egg Game

Alpen set the water containers down next to the travois. "What's going on?"

"We were talking about last evening," Fallon said. "Did you know that Altiss' had closed the visiting tent?"

"Yeah. I asked Altiss if someone would share egg caretaking last night. She said the tent was closed to all visitors. You were helping Drindl at the time. I waited and watched. There were no women in the tent."

Both Fallon and Bebe showed their surprise. "They are not in the village," Bebe said. "We are the surgeons. Who will repair the warriors wounds? Where are they?"

"They weren't there," Alpen said. "I thought that was strange but I had other concerns. When Drindl awoke me in the middle of the night and he showed me the energy the warriors had taken, I knew this was bad."

"I could never have come out of a dead sleep with two eggs and figure all that out," Fallon said appreciably.

Bebe patted the eggs in her pouch. "He's got brains enough for two eggs."

"We need to go," Alpen urged and looked at the sky. "By now, Sarten will have realized we are gone. Altiss will send faeries out to look for us."

Fallon covered the Faerie cage then secured it to the travois. Drindl took the lead with Fallon's travois. 

As the sun neared the western hills, Alpen suggested that they camp away from the river. "The wolfbear comes to the river to drink. If there are no Ibik herds, we might be its next meal."

They built a fire and roasted the Ibik meat they had brought from their underground cache at the village. "We'll take turns hunting tomorrow," Fallon suggested. As a campfire activity, he asked Alpen, "The egg game? Has Drindl played?" Alpen and Drindl shook their heads. Drindl had never heard of it.

Bebe went first. "Alithea and I are doctors. You are warriors. The egg game is about choices under pressure." Drindl nodded. "You are taking care of your own egg. Your child. An Ibik herd is coming and will trample three eggs of your fellow warriors that are ten paces away. If you run out and wave away the Ibik herd, you will save the three eggs from being trampled, but the herd will trample your egg. What do you do?"

"Why can't I carry my egg with one hand and wave at the herd with the other?" Drindl asked. "That way I would protect all the eggs." The others laughed. Alpen stamped his foot in the dirt. Drindl looked around the fire in dismay. "What did I say?"

Bebe smiled. "We all do that the first time we play. We want an alternative where we don't have to make an awful choice. Let's say that you can't do that. There's isn't enough time. It's either the life of your egg or the life of three other eggs. What do you do?" The others waited. The fire popped and Erthen woke up from his slumber in Fallon's arms.

"I know we owe allegiance to our fellow warriors and to the tribe," Drindl said and paused. "I would save my own egg. Is that the right answer?"

Again they laughed. Alpen joined in, "This game has no right answers, Drindl. To sharpen a blade, a warrior follows instructions. To fight in battle or repair those wounded in battle like Bebe and Alithea do, you must be aware of your instincts."

"But what if my instinct is to run away in fear?" Drindl asked.

"I said be aware of your instinct," Alpen said. He looked to Fallon for confirmation that he was making himself clear as they had been taught. Fallon nodded and Alpen continued, "I didn't say that you had to follow it. You must become aware in order to manage your instincts."

Alithea spoke. "When they bring in several wounded warriors, my instinct might be to help the most skilled warrior or the one that I know. But I manage that and attend to the warrior that needs my skills most urgently."

"So I shouldn't save my own egg?" Drindl asked and looked confused.

Alpen shushed their laughter. "Tonight, you saved your egg. What choice will you make when you play next time? We'll see." He turned to Fallon. "You want to go next?"

Fallon said, "OK. Let's all take a turn at this one. There are no eggs, only me and three, no five warriors. I can attract the Ibik herds to me and they will trample me to death, but I will save five warriors from being trampled to death. What say you?"