the sage of eden ( who 'd retained his post as leader , since he seemed to know the most ) was gathering some walnuts peacefully among the fallen leaves beneath a tree , when his attention was distracted by a bovine roar , and then a human cry , from two aggressive breeds of humans we had battled in the forest recently -- and , interspersed with these , the thuds and whacks of club and cudgel , possibly an axe .