New Herds

 New people had moved into the plains. These men moved with large herds of bovine animals, much like they had seen in the forest but smaller and colourful. The hill people were intrigued why the bovines did not attack them, how they were so docile. These people moved among the herds as if they were a part of the herd itself!

These men were setting up camp near the stream. This was in clear line of sight from the hills. 

The council was gathered to decide what needed to be done. They decided to send a diplomatic mission to judge the intentions of these new people.

Two men, in their early 40s gathered some fruits and went early in the morning and stood outside the settlement. They were noticed when men set out to graze their animals. They stopped and one of them went back to the settlement, maybe to inform the others as soon a group gathered up to watch. Two men with sticks moved forward to meet the delegation. 

The hill people stood their ground now with hands extended, with a basket holding the fruits. The herd's men came near and raised their hands in recognition of their presence. They came closed and scanned the hill people, and then inspected the basket. One of them took it and asked the other to take it back. As the remaining men tried to make rudimentary conversations, the other man returned with an earth pot containing milk. 

Initially the hill people didn't understand but they were invited into the settlement. They were provided with food and shelter and stayed for two days. They realised that these new people totally depended on the bovines for milk and its derived products for most of their dietary needs. They however did not eat the bovines themself!

The place is in north eastern India. Time is 4000 BC. The bovine of the herders are cows. The hill people will try to obtain some but will be forcefully refuted. The casualty of the encounter will be the wild bovine native to the region - Gaur - much larger than cows but interestingly much more fierce too. The hill people will start their own process of domestication, creating the Gayal out of the Gaur. They will never have the same yields of milk but other uses will be discovered including slaughtering for meat and later for farming. 

While the wild cows will be first to go extinct, the gaur will be pushed towards the same direction.

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