I think we'd better get off the horses and approach them on foot," Jondalar said, watching several more spear-carrying men and women warily coming forward. "You'd think by now I would remember that people are scared and suspicious of riding on horses. We probably should have left them out of sight and walked in, then gone back for them after we had time to explain about the animals."
They both dismounted, and Jondalar had a sudden and poignant memory of his "little brother," Thonolan, smiling his big, friendly grin and walking confidently up to a Cave or Camp of strangers. Taking it as a sign, the tall blond man smiled broadly, waved in friendliness, pushed back the hood of his parka so he could be more easily seen, then stepped forward with both hands outstretched, showing he was coming to them openly, with nothing to hide.
"I'm looking for Laduni of the Losadunai. I am Jondalar of the Zelandonii," he said. "My brother and I were traveling east on a Journey a few years ago, and Laduni asked us to stop and visit on the way back."
"I am Laduni," said a man, speaking a slightly accented Zelandonii. He walked toward them, holding his spear in readiness, looking closely to make sure the strange man was who he said he was. "Jondalar? Of the Zelandonii? You do look like the man I met."
Jondalar sensed the cautious tone. "That's because I am! It's good to see you, Laduni," he said with warmth. "I wasn't sure if I turned off at the right place. I've been all the way to the end of the Great Mother River, and beyond, and then, closer to home, I had trouble finding your Cave, but the steam from your hot wells helped. I brought someone I'd like you to meet."
The older man eyed Jondalar, trying to detect any hint that he was something other than what he seemed: a man he knew who happened to arrive in a most peculiar fashion. He looked a little older, which was reasonable, and even more like Dalanar. He had seen the old flint knapper again a few years before when he came on a trading mission and, Laduni suspected, to find out whether the son of his hearth and his brother had passed that way. Dalanar will be very glad to see him, Laduni thought. He walked toward Jondalar, holding his spear more easily, but still in a position from which it could be thrown quickly. He glanced toward the two unusually docile horses, and he saw for the first time that it was a woman who was standing near them.
"Those horses are not anything like the ones around here. Are eastern horses more docile? They must be much easier to hunt," Laduni said.
Suddenly the man tensed, brought his spear into position to throw, and had it aimed toward Ayla. "Don't move, Jondalar!" he said.
It happened so fast, Jondalar didn't have time to react. "Laduni! What are you doing?"
"A wolf has been trailing you. One fearless enough to come in plain sight."
"No!" Ayla shouted, throwing herself between the wolf and the man with the spear.
"This wolf travels with us. Don't kill him!" Jondalar said, rushing to interpose himself between Laduni and Ayla.
She dropped down and wrapped her arms around the wolf, holding him firmly, partly to protect him, and partly to protect the man with the spear. Wolf's hair was bristling, his lips were pulled back to show his fangs, and a savage snarl issued from his throat.
Laduni was taken aback. He had moved to protect the visitors, but they were acting as if he meant to harm them. He gave Jondalar a questioning look.
"Put down your spear, Laduni. Please," Jondalar said. "The wolf is our companion, just as the horses are. He saved our lives. I promise, he won't hurt anyone as long as no one threatens him, or the woman. I know it must seem strange, but if you'll give me a chance, I'll explain."
Laduni slowly lowered his spear, eying the large wolf warily. Once the threat was removed, Ayla calmed the animal, then stood up and walked toward Jondalar and Laduni, signaling Wolf to stay close to her side.
"Please excuse Wolf for raising his hackles," Ayla said. "He really likes people, once he gets to know them, but we had a bad experience with some people east of here. It has made him more nervous around strangers, and he has become more protective."
Laduni noticed that she spoke Zelandonii quite well, but her strange accent branded her as a foreigner immediately. He also noticed… something else… he wasn't sure. It was nothing he could specifically define. He'd seen many blond, blue-eyed women before, but the set of her cheekbones, the shape of her features or face, something gave her a foreign look as well. Whatever it was, it did not detract in the least from the fact that she was a strikingly beautiful woman. If anything, it added an element of mystery.
He looked at Jondalar and smiled. Remembering his last visit, it didn't surprise him that the tall, handsome Zelandonii would return from a long Journey with an exotic beauty, but no one could have expected living, breathing souvenirs of his adventures, like horses and a wolf. He could hardly wait to hear the stories they had to tell.
Jondalar had seen the look of appreciation in Laduni's eyes when he saw Ayla, and, when the man smiled, he began to relax.
"This is the person I wanted you to meet," Jondalar said. "Laduni, hunter of the Losadunai, this is Ayla of the Lion Camp of the Mamutoi, Chosen by the Cave Lion, Protected by the Cave Bear, and Daughter of the Mammoth Hearth."
Ayla had raised both hands, palms up, in the greeting of openness and friendship, when Jondalar began the formal introduction. "I greet you, Laduni, Master Hunter of the Losadunai," Ayla said.
Laduni wondered how she knew he was the hunt leader of his people. Jondalar hadn't said it. Perhaps he'd said something to her before, but she was astute for mentioning it. But then, she would understand those kinds of things. With so many titles and affiliations, she must be a woman of high standing among her people, he thought. I might have guessed that any woman he brought back would be, considering that both his mother and the man of his hearth have known the responsibilities of leadership. The child will tell the blood of the mother and the spirit of the man.
Laduni took both her hands. "In the name of Duna, the Great Earth Mother, you are welcome, Ayla of the Lion Camp of the Mamutoi, Chosen of the Lion, Protected by the Great Bear, and Daughter of the Mammoth Hearth," Laduni said.
"I thank you for your welcome," Ayla said, still in a formal mode. "And if I may, I would like to introduce you to Wolf, so that he will know you are a friend."
Laduni frowned, not sure if he really wanted to meet a wolf, but under the circumstances he felt he had no choice.
"Wolf, this is Laduni of the Losadunai," she said, taking the man's hand and bringing it to the wolf's nose. "He is a friend." After he smelled the hand of the strange man, mixed with the smell of Ayla's hand, Wolf seemed to understand that this was someone to accept. He sniffed the man's male parts, much to Laduni's consternation.
"That's enough, Wolf," Ayla said, signaling him back. Then to Laduni, she added, "He has now learned that you are a friend, and that you are a man. If you would like to welcome him, he likes to be petted on the head and scratched behind the ears."
Though still wary, the idea of touching a living wolf intrigued him. Gingerly he reached out and felt the rough fur, and seeing that his touch was accepted, he stroked the animal's head, then rubbed a little behind his ears, pleased about the whole thing. It wasn't that he hadn't touched wolf fur before, just not on a living animal.
"I am sorry I threatened your companion," he said. "But I have never seen a wolf accompany people of his own free will before, or horses either, for that matter."
"It is understandable," Ayla said. "I will take you to meet the horses later. They tend to be shy of strangers, and they need some time to get used to new people."
"Are all the eastern animals this friendly?" Laduni asked, pressing for an answer to a question that would be of interest to any hunter.
Jondalar smiled. "No, animals are the same everywhere. These are special because of Ayla."
Laduni nodded, fighting his impulse to ask them further questions, knowing the whole Cave would want to hear their stories. "I have welcomed you, and I invite you to come inside to share warmth and food, and a place to rest, but I think I should go first and explain about you to the rest of the Cave."
Laduni walked back toward the group gathered in front of a large opening in the side of a rock wall. He explained about meeting Jondalar a few years before, when he was starting on his Journey, and inviting him to visit on his way back. He mentioned that Jondalar was related to Dalanar, and emphasized that they were people, not some kind of threatening spirits, and that they would tell them about the horses and the wolf. "They should have some interesting stories to tell," he concluded, knowing what an enticement that would be to a group of people who had been essentially cavebound since the beginning of winter and were getting bored.
The language he spoke was not the Zelandonii he had spoken to the travelers, but after listening for a while, Ayla was sure she heard similarities. She realized that although they had a different stress and pronunciation, Losadunai was related to Zelandonii in the same way that S'Armunai, and Sharamudoi for that matter, were related to Mamutoi. This language even had a link with S'Armunai. She had understood some of the words and had picked up the gist of some of his comments. She would be speaking with these people in a few days.
Ayla's gift for languages did not seem unusual to her. She didn't consciously try to learn them, but her sharp ear for nuance and inflection and her ability to see the connections made it easy for her. Losing her own language in the trauma of losing her people when she was very young, and having to learn a different way of communicating, but one that utilized the same areas of the brain as spoken language, enhanced her inherent language skills. Her need to learn to communicate again when she discovered that she could not, gave her an unconscious but profound incentive to learn any unfamiliar language. It was the combination of natural ability and circumstances that made her so adept.
"Losaduna says you are most welcome to stay at the visitors' hearth," Laduna said to them after his explanation.
"We need to unpack the horses and get them settled first," Jondalar said. "This field right outside your cave seems to have some good winter graze. Will anyone mind if we leave them here?"
"You are welcome to use the field," Laduni said. "I think everyone will be intrigued to see horses so close." He couldn't help glancing at Ayla, wondering what she had done to the animals. It seemed obvious that she commanded very powerful spirits.
"I must ask something else," Ayla said. "Wolf is accustomed to sleeping near us. He would be quite unhappy anywhere else. If having the wolf inside would make your Losaduna, or your Cave, uncomfortable, we will set up our tent and sleep outside."
Laduni spoke again to the people, and after some conversation he turned back to the visitors. "They want you to come in, but some of the mothers fear for their children," he said.
"I understand their fear. I can promise that Wolf will not harm anyone, but if that is not enough, we will stay outside."
There was more conversation, then Laduni said, "They say you should come in."
Laduni went with them when Ayla and Jondalar went to unpack the horses, and he was just as thrilled to meet Whinney and Racer as he had been to meet Wolf. He had done his share of horse hunting, but he had never touched one, except by chance when he managed to get close enough during the chase. Ayla recognized his enjoyment, and she thought that later she might offer him a ride on Whinney's back.
As they walked back toward the cave, dragging their things in the bowl boat, Laduni asked Jondalar about his brother. When he saw pain flash across the tall man's face, he knew there had been a tragedy before Jondalar answered.
"Thonolan died. He was killed by a cave lion."
"I'm sorry to hear that. I liked him," Laduni said.
"Everyone liked him."
"He was so eager to follow the Great Mother River all the way to the end. Did he get there?"
"Yes, he did reach the end of Donau before he died, but he had no heart for it by then. He had fallen in love with a woman, and mated her, but she died in childbirth," Jondalar said. "It changed him, took the heart out of him. He didn't want to live after that."
Laduni shook his head. "What a shame. He was so full of life. Filonia thought about him for a long time after you left. She kept hoping he would come back."
"How is Filonia?" Jondalar asked, remembering the pretty young daughter of Laduni's hearth.
The older man grinned. "She's mated now, and Duna smiles on her. She has two children. Shortly after you and Thonolan left, she discovered she had been blessed. When the word got around that she was pregnant, I think every eligible Losadunai man found a reason to visit our Cave."
"I can imagine. As I recall, she was a lovely young woman. She made a Journey, didn't she?"
"Yes, with an older cousin."
"And she has two children?" Jondalar said.
Laduni's eyes sparkled with pleasure. "A daughter from the first blessing, Thonolia – Filonia was sure she was a child of your brother's spirit – and not long ago, she had a son. She is living with her mate's Cave. They had more room, but it's not too far away and we see her, and the children, regularly." There was satisfaction and joy in Laduni's voice.
"I hope Thonolia is a child of Thonolan's spirit. I'd like to think that there is still a piece of his spirit in this world," Jondalar said.
Could it happen so fast? Jondalar wondered. He only spent one night with her. Was his spirit so potent? Or, if Ayla is right, could Thonolan have started a baby growing inside Filonia with the essence of his manhood that night we stayed with them? He remembered the woman he had been with.
"How is Lanalia?" he asked.
"She is fine. She is visiting kin at another Cave. They are trying to arrange a mating for her. A man lost his mate and is left with three young children at his hearth. Lanalia never had any children, though she always wanted some. If she finds him compatible, they will mate, and she will adopt the children. It could be a very happy arrangement, and she is very excited about it."
"I'm pleased for her, and wish her much happiness," Jondalar said, covering up his disappointment. He was hoping that she might have become pregnant after sharing Pleasures with him. Whatever it is, a man's spirit or the essence of his manhood, Thonolan has proved the strength of his, but what about me? Is my essence or spirit potent enough? Jondalar wondered.
As they entered the cave, Ayla looked around with interest. She had seen many dwellings of the Others: lightweight or portable shelters that were used in summer, and sturdier permanent structures able to withstand the rigors of winter. Some were constructed out of mammoth bones and covered with sod and clay, some out of wood and tucked away under an overhang or on a floating platform, but she had not seen a cave like this since she left the Clan. It had a large mouth that faced southeast, and it was nice and roomy inside. Brun would have liked this cave, she thought.
Once her eyes became accustomed to the dim light and she saw the interior, she was surprised. She had expected to see several fireplaces in various locations, the hearths of each family. There were family fireplaces within the cave, but they were inside or near the openings of structures made of hides fastened to poles. They were similar to tents, but not conical in shape, and open at the top – they needed no protection from the weather inside the cave. As far as she could tell, they were used as panels to screen the interior space from casual sight. Ayla recalled the Clan's prohibition against looking directly into the living space, as defined by boundary stones, of another man's hearth. It was a matter of tradition and self-control, but the purpose, she realized, was the same: privacy.
Laduni was leading them toward one of the screened-off dwelling spaces. "Your bad experience didn't involve a band of rowdies, did it?" he asked.
"No, has there been trouble?" Jondalar asked. "When we met before, you spoke about some young man who had gathered together several followers. They were making sport of the Cl… flatheads." He glanced at Ayla, but he knew Laduni would never understand "Clan." "They were baiting the men, then taking their Pleasures with the women. Something about high spirits leading to trouble for everyone."
When Ayla heard "flatheads," she listened closely, curious to know if there were many Clan people nearby.
"Yes, those are the ones. Charoli and his band," Laduni said. "It may have started with high spirits, but it has gone much beyond that."
"I would have thought by now that those young men would have given up that kind of behavior," Jondalar said.
"It's Charoli. Individually, I suppose, they are not bad young men, but he encourages them. Losaduna says he wants to show how brave he is, to show he is a man, because he grew up without a man at his hearth."
"Many women have raised boys alone, who have turned out to be fine men," Jondalar said. They had become so involved in the conversation that they had stopped walking and were standing in the middle of the cave. People were gathering around.
"Yes, of course. But his mother's mate disappeared when he was just a baby, and she never took another. Instead she lavished all her attention on him, indulging him long beyond his early years, when he should have been learning a craft and the duties of an adult. Now it's up to everyone to put a stop to him."
"What happened?" Jondalar asked.
"A girl of our Cave was near the river setting snares. She had just become a young woman a few moons before, and she hadn't yet had her Rites of First Pleasures. She was looking forward to the ceremony at the next gathering. Charoli and his band happened to see her alone, and they all took her…"
"All of them? Took her? By force?" Jondalar said, appalled. "A girl, not yet a woman. I can't believe it!"
"All of them," Laduni said, with a cold anger that was worse than any heat of the moment. "And we will not put up with it! I don't know if they got tired of flathead females, or what excuse they gave themselves, but that was too much. They caused her pain, and bleeding. She says she wants nothing more to do with men, ever again. She has refused to go through with her womanhood rites."
"That's terrible, but it's hard to blame her. It is not the way for a young woman to learn of Doni's Gift," Jondalar said.
"Her mother is afraid that if she forgoes honoring the Mother with the ceremony, she will never have children."
"She could be right, but what can be done?" Jondalar asked.
"Her mother wants Charoli dead, and she wants us to declare a blood feud against his Cave," Laduni said. "Revenge is her right, but a blood feud can destroy everyone. Besides, it's not Charoli's Cave that has caused the trouble. It's that band of his, and some of them aren't even from the Cave of Charoli's birth. I've sent a message to Tomasi, the hunt leader there, and put an idea to him."
"An idea? What's your plan?"
"I think it's up to all of the Losadunai to stop Charoli and his band. I'm hoping that Tomasi will join with me in trying to convince everyone to bring those young men back under the supervision of the Caves. I've even suggested that he allow Madenia's mother her revenge, rather than suffer the bloodshed of a feud over them. But Tomasi is related to Charoli's mother."
"That would be a hard decision," Jondalar said. He noticed that Ayla had been listening closely. "Does anyone know where Charoli's band stays? They can't be with any of your people. I can't believe any Cave of Losadunai would shelter such ruffians in their midst."
"South of here is a barren area, with underground rivers and many caves. It is rumored that they are hiding in one of the caves near the edge of that region."
"They could be hard to find if there are many caves."
"But they can't stay there all the time. They have to get food, and they can be trailed and followed. A good tracker could trail them easier than he could an animal, but we need all the Caves to cooperate. Then it wouldn't take long to find them."
"What will you do with them after you find them?" This time it was Ayla who asked the question.
"I think that once all those young ruffians are separated, it wouldn't take long to break their ties to each other. Each Cave can handle one or two of their own in their own way. I doubt if most of them really want to live outside the Losadunai, and not be a part of a Cave. They will want mates, someday, and not many women would choose to live the way they do."
"I think you are right," Jondalar said.
"I'm very sorry to hear about this young woman," Ayla said. "What was her name? Madenia?" Her expression showed how troubled she was.
"I am, too," Jondalar added. "I wish we could stay and help, but if we don't cross the glacier soon, we may have to stay until next winter."
"It may already be too late to make it across this winter," Laduni said.
"Too late?" Jondalar said. "But it's cold, winter. Everything is frozen solid. All the crevasses should be filled with snow."
"Yes. It is winter now, but this late in the season, you never know. You could still make it, but if the foehn winds come early – and they could – then all the snow will melt fast. The glacier can be treacherous during the first spring melt, and under the circumstances, I don't think it's safe to go around through the flathead country to the north. They are not too friendly these days. Charoli's band has antagonized them. Even animals have some feeling of protection for their females and will fight to protect their own."
"They are not animals," Ayla said, springing to their defense. "They are people, just a different kind of people."
Laduni held his tongue; he did not want to offend a visitor and a guest. With her closeness to animals, she might think of all animals as people. If a wolf protects her, and she treats it like a human, is it any wonder that she thinks of flatheads as people, too? he thought. I know they can be clever, but they are not human.
Several people had gathered around while they were talking. One of them, a small, thin, rather rumpled middle-aged man with a shy smile, spoke up. "Don't you think you should let them get settled, Laduni?"
"I'm beginning to wonder if you are going to keep them here talking all day," the woman standing beside him added. She was a plump woman, just a shade shorter than the man, with a friendly face.
"I'm sorry, you are right, of course. Let me introduce you," Laduni said. He looked at Ayla first, then turned toward the man. "Losaduna, the One Who Serves the Mother for Hot Well Cave of the Losadunai, this is Ayla of the Lion Camp of the Mamutoi, Chosen of the Lion, Protected by the Great Bear, and Daughter of the Mammoth Hearth."
"The Mammoth Hearth! Then you are One Who Serves the Mother, too," the man said with a surprised smile, before he even greeted her.
"No, I am a Daughter of the Mammoth Hearth. Mamut was training me, but I have never been initiated," Ayla explained.
"But born to it! You must be chosen of the Mother, too, along with all the rest," the man said, obviously delighted.
"Losaduna, you have not greeted her yet," the plump woman chided.
The man looked befuddled for a moment. "Oh, I guess not. Always these formalities. In the name of Duna, the Great Earth Mother, may I welcome you, Ayla of the Mamutoi, Chosen by the Lion Camp, and Daughter of the Mammoth Hearth."
The woman beside him sighed and shook her head. "He got it mixed up, but if it was some little-known ceremony, or legend about the Mother, he wouldn't forget a bit of it," she said.
Ayla couldn't help smiling. She had never met One Who Served the Mother who seemed more unlikely to function in that capacity. Those she had met before were each self-possessed, easily recognized individuals, with a powerful presence, not at all like this absentminded, diffident man, unmindful of his appearance, with a pleasant, rather shy demeanor. But the woman seemed to know where his strengths were, and Laduni showed no lack of respect. Losaduna was obviously more than he seemed.
"That's all right," Ayla said to the woman. "He didn't really get it wrong." She was, after all, chosen by the Lion Camp, too; adopted, not born to them, Ayla thought. Then she addressed the man, who had taken both her hands and was still holding them. "I greet the One Who Serves the Great Mother of All, and thank you for your welcome, Losaduna."
He smiled at Ayla's use of another of the names of the Duna, as Laduni began to speak. "Solandia of the Losadunai, born to the Hill River Cave, Mate of the Losaduna, this is Ayla of the Lion Camp of the Mamutoi, Chosen of the Lion, Protected by the Great Bear, and Daughter of the Mammoth Hearth."
"I greet you, Ayla of the Mamutoi, and invite you to our lodgings," Solandia said. The full titles and affiliations had been said enough times. She didn't think they needed to be repeated again.
"Thank you, Solandia," she said.
Laduni then looked at Jondalar. "Losaduna, One Who Serves the Mother for the Hot Well Cave of the Losadunai, this is Jondalar, Master Flint Knapper of the Ninth Cave of the Zelandonii, son of Marthona, former leader of the Ninth Cave, brother of Joharran, leader of the Ninth Cave, born to the Hearth of Dalanar, leader and founder of the Lanzadonii."
Ayla had never heard all of Jondalar's titles and ties before, and she was surprised. Though she didn't fully understand the significance, it sounded impressive. After Jondalar repeated the litany and was formally introduced, they were finally led to the large living and ceremonial space allocated to Losaduna.
Wolf, who had been sitting quietly close to Ayla's leg, gave a little yip when they reached the entrance to the dwelling space. He had seen a child inside, but his reaction frightened Solandia. She ran in and snatched the baby up off the floor. "I have four children; I don't know if that wolf should be in here," she said, fear raising the pitch of her voice. "Micheri can't even walk. How can I be sure he won't go after my little boy?"
"Wolf will not harm the little one," Ayla said. "He grew up with children and loves them. He is more gentle with them than with adults. He wasn't going after the baby, he was just so happy to see him."
Ayla had signaled Wolf to stay down, but he couldn't hide his eager anticipation in seeing the children. Solandia eyed the carnivore warily. She couldn't tell if he was showing eagerness out of happiness or hunger, but she was also curious about the visitors. One of the best parts of being the mate of Losaduna was that she had the advantage of being the first to talk with the infrequent visitors, and she could spend more time with them because they usually stayed at the ceremonial hearth.
"Well, I did say he could stay," she said.
Ayla walked Wolf inside, led him to an out-of-the-way corner, and signaled him to stay. She stayed with him for a while, knowing it would be particularly difficult for him, but just having children to watch seemed to satisfy him for the moment.
His behavior calmed Solandia, and after serving her guests a warming hot tea, she introduced her children, then went back to preparing the meal she had started. The presence of the animal slipped to the back of her mind, but the children were fascinated. Ayla studied them, trying to be unobtrusive. The oldest of the four youngsters, Larogi, was a boy of about ten years, she guessed. There was a girl of perhaps seven years, Dosalia, and another of four or so, Neladia. Though the baby was not yet walking, that did not limit his mobility. He was at the crawling stage and was fast and efficient on all fours.
The older children were wary of Wolf, and the elder of the girls picked up the baby and held him while they watched the animal, but after a while when nothing happened, she put him down. While Jondalar spoke with Losaduna, Ayla began to set out their things. There was spare bedding for guests and she hoped she would have time to clean their sleeping furs while they were here.
Suddenly there was a peal of babyish laughter. Ayla caught her breath and looked in the corner where she had left Wolf. There was absolute silence in the rest of the dwelling space as everyone stared in wonder and awe at the baby, who had crawled to the corner and was sitting beside the large wolf, pulling on his fur. Ayla glanced at Solandia and saw her staring transfixed as her precious baby boy proceeded to poke and prod and pull at the wolf, who simply wagged his tail and looked pleased.
Finally Ayla walked over, picked up the child, and brought him to his mother.
"You're right," Solandia said with amazement, "that wolf loves children! If I hadn't seen it myself, I would never have believed it."
It wasn't long before the rest of Solandia's children approached the wolf who liked to play. After a small problem with some teasing by the oldest boy, which Wolf responded to by taking the child's hand in his teeth and growling, but not biting down, Ayla explained that they had to treat him with respect. Wolf's reaction frightened the boy just enough to make him pay attention. When they went outside, all the children of the community watched Solandia's four and the wolf with fascination. Solandia's children were envied for their special privilege of living with the animal.
Before it got dark, Ayla went out to check on the horses. When she stepped outside the cave, she heard Whinney nicker in greeting, and she felt that her friend had been a little worried. When she nickered back, causing several heads to turn in her direction and stare in surprise, Racer responded with a somewhat louder neigh. She walked across the field, heavy with snow nearer the cave, to give the horses some attention and make sure they were both all right. Whinney watched her coming with her tail raised, looking alert and responsive. As the woman neared, she dropped her head, then flipped it high and described a circle in the air with her nose. Racer, just as happy to see her, pranced and reared up on his hind legs.
It was a new situation for them to be around so many people again, and the familiar woman brought reassurance. Racer arched his neck and pricked his ears forward when Jondalar appeared at the mouth of the cave, and he met the man halfway across the field. After hugging and petting and talking to the mare, Ayla decided she would comb Whinney the next day, for the relaxation it would give them both.
Led by Solandia's four, all the children had clustered together and were edging toward them and the horses. The fascinating visitors allowed the children to touch or pet one or the other of the horses, and Ayla let a few ride on Whinney's back, which many of the adults watched with a little envy. Ayla planned to let any adults ride who wanted to try it, but she felt that it was too soon for that. The horses needed rest, and she did not want to put too much strain on them.
With shovels made from large antlers, she and Jondalar began to clear heavy snow away from some of the pasturage nearer the cave, to make it easier for the horses to forage. Several others joined in, making it fast work, but shoveling snow reminded Jondalar of a concern he had been trying to resolve for some time. How were they going to find food and forage, and, more important, enough drinkable water for themselves, a wolf, and two horses while crossing a frozen expanse of glacial ice?
Later in the evening everyone gathered in the large ceremonial space to listen to Jondalar and Ayla tell about their travels and adventures. The Losadunai were particularly interested in the animals. Solandia had already begun to rely on Wolf to keep her children distracted, and watching the wolf playing with them even distracted the adults. It was hard to believe. Ayla didn't go into detail about the Clan, or the death curse that had forced her to leave, though she did hint at differences that had arisen.
The Losadunai thought the Clan were just a group of people who lived far to the cast, and though she tried to explain that the process of making animals accustomed to people was not anything supernatural, no one quite believed her. The idea that just anyone could tame a wild horse or wolf was too hard to accept. Most people assumed that her time of living alone in a valley was a period of trial and abstinence that many who felt called to Serve the Mother endured, and to them her way with animals verified the appropriateness of her Calling. If she wasn't One Who Served yet, it was only a matter of time.
But the Losadunai were distressed to learn of their visitors' difficulties with Attaroa and the Sarmunai.
"No wonder we've had so few visitors from the east during the past several years. And you say one of the men who was held there was a Losadunai?" Laduni asked.
"Yes. I don't know what his name was here, but there he was called Ardemun," Jondalar said. "He had hurt himself and was crippled. He couldn't walk very well, and he certainly couldn't run away, so Attaroa let him move around the Camp freely. He's the one who set the men free."
"I remember a young man who went on a Journey," an older woman said. "I did know his name once, but I can't recall… let me think – he had a nickname… Ardemun… Ardi… no, Mardi. He used to call himself Mardi!"
"You mean Menardi?" a man said. "I remember him from Summer Meetings. He was called Mardi, and he did go on a Journey. So that's what happened to him. He has a brother who would be glad to know he's alive."
"It's good to know that it's safe to travel that way again. You were lucky you missed them on your way east," Laduni said.
"Thonolan was in a hurry to get as far along the Great Mother River as we could. He didn't want to stop," Jondalar explained, "and we stayed on this side of the river. We were lucky." When the gathering broke up, Ayla was glad to go to bed in a warm, dry place with no wind, and she fell asleep quickly.
Ayla smiled at Solandia, who was sitting beside the fireplace nursing Micheri. She had awakened early and decided to make the morning tea for herself and Jondalar. She looked for the pile of wood or dried dung, whatever fuel they used, that was usually kept nearby, but all she saw was a pile of brown stones.
"I want to make some tea," she said. "What do you burn? If you tell me where it is, I'll go get it."
"Don't have to. Plenty here," Solandia said.
Ayla looked around and, still not seeing the fireplace burning material, wondered if she had been understood.
Solandia saw her puzzled look and smiled. She reached over and picked up one of the brown stones. "We use this, burning stone," she said.
Ayla took the stone from her hand and examined it closely. She saw a distinctive wood grain, yet it was definitely stone, not wood. She had never seen anything quite like it before; it was lignite, brown coal, a material between peat and bituminous coal. Jondalar had awakened, and he walked up behind her. She smiled at him, then gave the stone to him. "Solandia says this is what they burn in the fireplace," she said, noticing the smudge it left on her hand.
It was Jondalar's turn to examine it and look puzzled. "It does look something like wood, but it's stone. Not a hard stone like flint, though. This must break up easily."
"Yes," Solandia said. "Burning stone breaks easy."
"Where does it come from?" Jondalar asked.
"South, toward the mountains, are fields of it. Still use some wood, start fires, but this burns hotter, longer than wood," the woman said.
Ayla and Jondalar looked at each other, and a knowing expression passed between them. "I'll get one," Jondalar said. By the time he returned, Losaduna and the eldest boy, Larogi, were awake. "You have burning stones, we have a firestone, a stone that will start a fire."
"And it was Ayla who discovered it?" Losaduna said, more a statement than a question.
"How did you know?" Jondalar said.
"Maybe because he discovered the stones that burn," Solandia said.
"It looked enough like wood that I thought I would try burning it. It worked," Losaduna said.
Jondalar nodded. "Ayla, why don't you show them," he said, giving her the iron pyrite and flint along with the tinder.
Ayla arranged the tinder, then turned the metallic yellow stone around in her hand until it felt comfortable and the groove worn into the iron pyrite from continued use faced the right way. Then she picked up the piece of flint. Her motion was so practiced that it almost never took more than one strike to draw off a spark. It was caught by the tinder, and, with just a few blows of air, a little flame burst forth. There was a collective sigh from the watchers, who had been holding their breaths.
"That is amazing," Losaduna said.
"No more amazing than your stones that burn," Ayla said. "We have a few extra. I'd like to give you one, for the Cave. Perhaps we can demonstrate it during the Ceremony."
"Yes! That would be a perfect time, and I will be happy to accept your gift for the Cave," Losaduna said. "But we must give you something in return."
"Laduni has already promised to give us whatever we need to get over the glacier and continue our Journey. He owes me a future claim, though he would have done as much anyway. Wolves broke into our cache and got our traveling food," Jondalar said.
"You plan to cross the glacier with the horses?" Losaduna asked.
"Yes, of course," Ayla said.
"What will you do for food for them? And two horses must drink much more than two people – what will you do for water when everything is frozen solid?" the One Who Serves asked.
Ayla looked at Jondalar. "I've been thinking about that," he said. "I thought we could take some dry grass in the bowl boat."
"And perhaps burning stones? If you can find a place to start a fire on top of the ice. You don't have to worry about getting them wet, and it would be much less to carry," Losaduna said.
Jondalar looked thoughtful, and then a big happy grin warmed his face. "That would do it! We can put them in the bowl boat – it will slide across the ice even with a heavy load – and add a few other stones to use as a base for a fireplace. I've been worrying about that for so long… I can't thank you enough, Losaduna."
Ayla discovered by accident, when she happened to overhear some of the people talking about her, that they considered her unusual speech mannerism to be a Mamutoi accent, although Solandia thought it was a minor speech impediment. No matter how hard she tried, she could not overcome the difficulty she had with certain sounds, but she was glad that no one else seemed very concerned about it.
Over the next few days, Ayla became better acquainted with the group of Losadunai who lived near the hot well – the group was called a "Cave" whether they lived in one or not. She particularly enjoyed the people whose dwelling space they shared, Solandia, Losaduna, and the children, and she realized how much she had missed the company of friendly people who behaved in a normal way. The woman spoke the language of Jondalar's people reasonably well, with some Losadunai words mixed in, but she and Ayla had no trouble understanding each other.
She was even more drawn to the mate of the One Who Served when she discovered they had a common interest. Although Losaduna was the one who was supposed to have learned about plants, herbs, and medicines, it was actually Solandia who had picked up most of the lore. The arrangement reminded Ayla of Iza and Creb, with Solandia treating the Cave's illnesses with practical herbal medicine, leaving the exorcism of spirits and other unknown harmful emanations to her mate. Ayla was also intrigued by Losaduna with his interest in histories, legends, myths, and the spirit world – the intellectual aspects she was forbidden to know when she lived with the Clan – and she was coming to appreciate the wealth of knowledge he possessed.
As soon as he discovered her genuine interest in the Great Earth Mother and the nonmaterial world of the spirits, and her quick intelligence and amazing ability to memorize, he was eager to pass on the lore. Without even understanding them completely, Ayla was soon reciting long verses of legends and histories and the precise content and order of rituals and ceremonies. He was fluent in Zelandonii, though he spoke it with a strong Losadunai flavor in the expression and phrasing, making the languages so close that most of the rhythm and meter of the verses were retained although some of the rhyme was lost. Even more fascinating to both of them were the minor differences, and many similarities, between his interpretation and the received wisdom of the Mamutoi. Losaduna wanted to know the variations and divergences, and Ayla found herself being not only an acolyte, as she had been with Mamut, but a teacher of sorts, explaining the eastern ways, at least those she knew.
Jondalar was also enjoying the Cave of people, and becoming aware of how much he had missed having a variety of individuals around. He spent quite a lot of time with Laduni and several of the hunters, but Solandia was surprised at the interest he showed in her children. He did like children, but it wasn't so much her offspring that interested him, as watching her with her youngsters. Especially when she nursed the baby, it made him long for Ayla to have a baby, a child of his spirit, he hoped, but at least a son or daughter of his hearth.
Solandia's youngest, Micheri, aroused similar feelings in Ayla, but she continued to make her special contraceptive tea each morning. The descriptions of the glacier they had yet to cross were so intimidating that she would not even consider trying to make a baby with Jondalar yet.
Though he was grateful it hadn't happened while they were traveling, Jondalar was filled with mixed emotions. He was getting worried about the failure of the Great Earth Mother to bless Ayla with pregnancy, feeling that in some way it was his fault. One afternoon he brought up his misgivings to Losaduna.
"The Mother will decide when the time is right," the man said.
"Perhaps She understood how difficult your travels would be. However, this may be the time for a ceremony to honor Her. Then you could ask Her to give Ayla a baby."
"Maybe you're right," Jondalar said. "It certainly couldn't hurt." He laughed disparagingly. "Somebody once told me that I was a favorite of the Mother, and that She would never refuse anything I asked." Then his brow wrinkled. "But Thonolan still died."
"Did you actually ask Her not to let him die?" Losaduni said.
"Well, no. It happened too fast," Jondalar admitted. "That lion mauled me, too."
"Think about it sometime. Try to remember if you have ever directly asked Her for anything, and if She complied or refused your request. Anyway, I will talk to Laduni and the council about a ceremony to honor the Mother," Losaduna said. "I want to do something to try to help Madenia, and an Honoring Ceremony might be exactly the right thing. She won't get out of bed. She wouldn't even get up to hear your stories, and Madenia used to love stories about traveling."
"What a terrible ordeal it must have been for her," Jondalar said, shuddering at the thought.
"Yes. I was hoping she would be recovering from it by now. I wonder if a cleansing ritual at the Hot Well would help," he said, but it was obvious he didn't expect an answer from Jondalar. His mind was already lost in thought as he began to consider the ritual. Suddenly, he looked up. "Do you know where Ayla is? I think I'll ask her to join us. She could be a help."
"Losaduna has been explaining it, and I'm very interested in this ritual we are planning," Ayla said. "But I'm not so sure about the Ceremony to Honor the Mother."
"It's an important one," Jondalar said, frowning. "Most people look forward to it." If she were not happy about it, he wondered whether it would work.
"Perhaps if I knew more about it, I would, too. I have so much to learn, and Losaduna is willing to teach me. I'd like to stay a while."
"We have to leave soon. If we wait much longer, it will be spring. We'll stay for the Ceremony to Honor the Mother, and then we have to go," Jondalar said.
"I almost wish we could stay here until next winter. I'm so tired of traveling," Ayla said. She didn't voice her next thought, though it had been bothering her. These people are willing to accept me; I don't know if your people will.
"I'm tired of traveling, too, but once we get across the glacier, it won't be far. We'll stop off to visit with Dalanar and let him know I'm back, and then the rest of the way will be easy."
Ayla nodded in agreement, but she had the feeling they still had a long way to go, and the saying would be easier than the going.