15 Stones

In the second book of the Stones Series, Chaiko, now a shaman, is faced with new problems. The expected herds of bison are missing; this year only a fraction reach the Clan’s hunting grounds, endangering the all-important annual hunt to fill winter stores. Hunger threatens yet again, causing great anxiety for the future. Worse still, an aggressive neighboring tribe pushes into Clan lands to make up for their lack of game. The situation deteriorates quickly and it comes to a critical confrontation over sparse resources. Other Clans come to the aid of the Standing-Rock Clan, ready to assert Clan ownership of the hunting grounds. Chaiko does his best to avert open battle that seems unavoidable. This book also sees Crow and Lana define their relationship, and other Clan members are also more finely dawn. In a way 15 Stones is back to basics, to depict a world long forgotten. The result is a work, steeped in a tradition of hunting lore, shamanism, and living in caves. However, in spite of the primitive setting, a foreshadowing of a civilization is clearly evident.