by Jean M. Auel
After they worked their way back out of the gallery, they looked into the entrance of the other passageway that was to the right of it, but it was a smaller tunnel, which would require crawling up into it on hands and knees, and there were pools of water on the floor. They all decided to save exploring that place for another time.
As they left the cave, Wolf went ahead with Jondalar and the two leaders, Joharran and Tormaden. Jonokol walked beside Ayla and stopped her with a question. "Did you ask Zelandoni to invite me here?"
"After seeing what you did inside Fountain Rocks, I thought you ought to see this cave," she said, "or should it be called a deep?"
"Either one. When it gets named, it will be called a deep, but it's still a cave. Thank you for bringing me here, Ayla. I have never seen a more beautiful cave. I am overwhelmed," Jonokol said.
"Yes, I am, too. But I'm curious, how will this cave get named? Who will name it?" Ayla asked.
"It will name itself. People will start referring to it in whatever way best describes it or feels most appropriate to them. What would you call it if you wanted to talk about it to someone?" Jonokol asked.
"I'm not sure, maybe the cave with white walls," Ayla said.
"I'd guess the name will turn out to be close to that, at least one of the names, but we don't know much more about it yet, and the zelandonia will make their own name," Jonokol said.
Ayla and Jonokol were the last ones out of the cave. The sun seemed especially bright when they reached the entrance, after the dark cave lit only by a few torches. When her eyes adjusted, Ayla was surprised to see Marthona waiting, along with Jondalar and Wolf.
"Tormaden invited us for a meal," Marthona said. "He has hurried ahead to let them know to expect us. Actually, he invited you, but then he asked me to come, too, and all the rest of you who were in the cave just now. Including you, Jonokol. Everyone else has other things to do, most people are busy at Summer Meetings."
"I know Joharran is having a gather at our camp with people from all the other Caves to plan the hunt," Jondalar said. "In fact, Tormaden will be going, too, after he introduces you to his camp. I was going to go, but it will still be going on after the meal, and I'll go later. It's not that I would usually be included in the planning of these things, but since we returned, Joharran has been getting me involved in them."
"Why don't we all go to our camp?" Ayla said. "There is still a special meal to prepare for tomorrow morning, and I haven't helped at all."
"For one thing, when the leader of the host Cave at a Summer Meeting invites you for a meal, it's a courtesy to go, if you can."
"Why would he invite me?"
"It's not every day one finds a cave like that, Ayla. All of us are excited about it," Marthona said, "and it's close to the Nineteenth Cave, in their territory. They will probably become a more important Cave now."
"You'll be getting more attention, too," Jondalar said.
"I get too much attention as it is," she said. "I don't want all that attention. I just want to get mated, and have a baby, and be like everyone else."
Jondalar smiled at her and put his arm around her. "Give it some time," he said. "You're still new. When people get used to you, things will settle down."
"It's true, things will settle down, but you know you are never going to be like everyone else. For one thing, everyone else doesn't have horses and a wolf," Marthona said, looking down at the big carnivore with an ironic smile.
"Are you sure they know we're coming, Mardena?" the older woman said, stepping carefully across the small creek that emptied into The River.
"She invited us, mother. She said come and share a morning meal with them. Didn't she, Lanidar?"
"Yes, grandma, she did," the boy said. "Why did they camp so far away?" the grandmother asked. "I don't know, mother. Why don't you ask them when we get there?" Mardena said.
"Well, they are the biggest Cave and take a lot of room," the woman said. "A lot of people were already here and had set up camps."
"I think it's because of the horses," Lanidar said. "She has them in a special place so no one will think they are just regular horses and decide to hunt them. They would be easy to hunt. They don't run away."
"Everybody is talking about them, but we were out when they came. Is it true the horses let people sit on their backs?" the older woman asked. "Why would anyone want to sit on the back of a horse?"
"I didn't see that, but I don't doubt it," Lanidar said. "The horses let me touch them. I was touching the young stallion, and the mare came and wanted me to touch her, too. They ate off my hands, both of them. She said I should feed both horses at the same time, so they don't get jealous. She said the mare is the mother of the stallion, and she can tell him what to do."
Mardena slowed and knit her brow as they approached the campsite and watched people talking and smiling around the long trenchfire. There seemed to be a lot of people. Maybe she was mistaken, maybe they weren't expected.
"There you are! We've been waiting for you."
The two women and the boy turned at the sound of the voice and saw a tall, attractive young woman.
"You probably don't remember me. I'm Folara, daughter of Marthona."
"Yes, you look like her," the older woman said.
"I suppose I should offer a formal greeting, since I'm the first one to see you." She held out both her hands to the older woman. Mardena watched as her mother stepped forward and took the young woman's hands. "I am Folara of the Ninth Cave of the Zelandonii, Blessed of Doni, Daughter of Marthona, former Leader of the Ninth Cave of the Zelandonii, Daughter of the Hearth of Willamar, Master Trader of the Zelandonii, Sister of Joharran, the Leader of the Ninth Cave of the Zelandonii, Sister of Jondalar of the Ninth Cave of the Zelandonii, Master Flint-Knapper and Returned Traveler, who is soon to be mated to Ayla, of the Ninth Cave of the Zelandonii. She has a bunch of names and ties of her own, but the one I like best is 'Friend of horses and Wolf.' In the name of the Great Earth Mother, Doni, you are welcome to the camp of the Ninth Cave."
"In the name of Doni, the Great Mother, I greet you, Folara of the Ninth Cave of the Zelandonii. I am Denoda, of the Nineteenth Cave of the Zelandonii, Mother of Mardena of the Nineteenth Cave and Grandmother of Lanidar of the Nineteenth Cave, once mated to…"
Folara has a lot of important names and ties, Mardena thought as her mother began her recitation. She's not yet mated, I wonder what her kinship sign is? Then, as though her mother knew what she was thinking, as she finished her names and ties, the woman asked, "Wasn't Willamar, the man of your hearth, once of the Nineteenth Cave? I think we share a kinship sign. I am the Bison."
"Yes, Willamar is the Bison. Mother is the Horse, I am, too, of course."
Several people had gathered around in the course of the formal introduction. Ayla stepped forward and greeted Mardena and Lanidar, and then Willamar greeted Denoda in the name of the entire Ninth Cave. Names and ties could take all day if someone didn't cut it short. He finished by saying, "I remember you, Denoda. You were a friend of my older sister, weren't you."
"Yes," she said, smiling. "Do you ever see her? Since she moved so far away, I haven't seen her in years."
"Sometimes I visit her Cave when I go to the coast of the Great Waters of the West to trade for salt. She is a grandma. Her daughter has three children, and a grandam as well. Her son's mate has a boy."
A movement around Ayla's legs caught Mardena's attention.
"That's the wolf!" she almost screamed in her fear.
"He won't hurt you, mother," Lanidar said, trying to calm her. He didn't want her to leave suddenly.
Ayla bent down and put her arm around him. "No, he won't hurt you. I promise," she said. She could see the fear in the woman's eyes. Marthona stepped forward and greeted Denoda, much more informally, then said, "The wolf lives in our lodge with us, and he likes to be greeted, too. Would you like to meet a wolf, Denoda?" She had noticed that the older woman showed more interest than fear. She took her by the hand
and led her toward Ayla and Wolf. "Ayla, why don't you introduce him to our guests."
"Wolves have good eyes, but they learn to recognize people with their noses. If you give him a chance to smell your hand, he will remember you later. That is his formal introduction," Ayla explained. The woman held out her hand and allowed the wolf to smell it. "If you'd like to greet him, he likes to be stroked on the head."
Wolf looked up at Denoda as she lightly stroked his head, with his mouth open and his tongue lolling out the side. She smiled at him. "He is a warm, living animal," she said. She turned to her daughter. "Come, Mardena. You should meet him, too. Very few people ever get to meet a wolf, and walk away to tell about it."
"Do I have to?" Mardena said.
It was obvious that Mardena was uncommonly frightened, and Ayla knew Wolf would smell it. She held him firmly. He didn't always respond well to such evident fear.
"Since they offered, it's the polite thing to do, Mardena. And you'll never be able to visit again if you don't. You will be too afraid. You don't need to fear this wolf. You can see that no one else does, not even me. So why should you?" Denoda said.
Mardena looked around and saw the large crowd watching her. She thought it was probably the whole Ninth Cave, and none of them seemed to be afraid. She felt as though she were on trial and was sure she'd be too humiliated to face any of them again if she didn't go close to that wolf. She looked at her son, the boy for whom she'd always felt mixed emotions. She loved him more than anything in her life, and she was embarrassed by him, by the fact that she gave birth to him.
"Go ahead, mother," he said. "I met him."
Finally, Mardena put one foot toward the woman and the wolf, and then another. When she reached them, Ayla took her hand and, holding it in hers, brought it to the wolf's nose. She could almost smell her fear, but the woman did overcome it and face the animal. Ayla thought Wolf probably smelled her own hand more than Mardena's. Then she took the hand and led her to touch the fur on his head.
"Wolf fur can be a little rough, but you'll notice how smooth it is on his head," Ayla said, letting go of her hand. Mardena kept it there a moment longer before pulling it away.
"See, that wasn't so bad, was it?" Denoda said. "Sometimes you make more of things than you need to, Mardena."
"Come and have some hot tea, it's a mixture that Ayla makes," and it's quite good," Marthona said. "We decided to make an occasion of your visit, and cooked everything in a roasting pit. We're almost ready to take it out."
Ayla was walking with Mardena and Lanidar. "That's a lot of work to go to for a morning meal," Mardena said. She wasn't used to being treated so generously.
"Everybody worked on it," Ayla said. "When I told them I had invited you and thought I'd dig a pit oven, they thought it would be a good time to dig a big roasting pit. They said they planned to do it anyway, but this gave them a reason. I cooked some of the things the way I learned when I was a girl. Try the willow grouse, it's the one I killed with the spear-thrower yesterday, but if the taste is not to your liking, please don't hesitate to have something else instead. I learned on our Journey that there are many ways of cooking things, and not everyone likes all of them."
"Welcome to the Ninth Cave, Mardena."
It was the First Among Those Who Served The Mother! Mardena didn't think she had ever spoken to her before, except in unison during a ceremony.
"Greetings, Zelandoni Who Is First," Mardena said, feeling a little nervous to be talking to the huge woman who was sitting on a raised stool. It was similar to the one she used in the zelandonia lodge, but it was left at the Camp for when she wanted to spend time with her Cave.
"And welcome to you, too, Lanidar," the First said. There was a warmth in her tone when the donier spoke to her son that Mardena had never heard from the powerful woman. "Though I understand you were here yesterday."
"Yes," he said. "Ayla showed me the horses."
"She tells me you can whistle very well," Zelandoni said.
"She taught me some birdsongs."
"Would you like to show me?"
"If you want. I've been practicing the meadow lark," he said, then proceeded to imitate the beautiful sound. Everyone turned to look, even his mother and grandmother.
"That's very good, young man," Jondalar said, beaming at the youngster. "It's nearly as good as Ayla's meadow lark."
"We're ready," Proleva called. "Come and eat."
Ayla led the three guests to the pile of bone-and-wood platters first and urged them to try everything. Then everyone else fell into line. Usually, those who shared a lodge had their morning meal together, but this had become the first of what would be many meals that would be shared, not only with their own Cave, but with other friends and relatives. There would even be a few occasions when the entire Summer Meeting would all feast together, but that would involve a great deal of organizing and planning. One of them would be the Matrimonial Feast.
When everyone was through eating, people started leaving for various other activities, but most of them stopped by to say a few words to their guests. Mardena was feeling a little flustered with all the attention, but she also felt a glow of warmth. She couldn't remember ever being treated so well. Proleva came to talk to them and said a few words to Mardena and Denoda, then turned to Ayla.
"We'll finish up here, Ayla. I think you have something you want to talk to Mardena about," she said.
"Yes. Would you and Lanidar, and Denoda if she wants, like to take a walk with me?"
"Where are we going?" Mardena said with a touch of edginess.
"To see some horses," Ayla said.
"Can I come along, Ayla?" Folara said. "If you don't want me to, just go ahead and say so, but I haven't seen the horses for a while."
Ayla smiled. "Of course you can," she said. It might actually make it easier to get Mardena to agree to let Lanidar watch them if someone so friendly and unafraid of them was there. She turned to look for the boy and saw him sitting next to Lanoga, who was holding Lorala, and they seemed to be talking easily. Tremeda's two-year boy was sitting on the ground nearby.
As they headed in their direction, Mardena asked, "Who is that girl? Or is she a woman? She seems very young to have a baby that age."
"Too young, for certain. She hasn't even had First Rites," Ayla said. "That's her sister, and the other one, the two-year, is her brother, but as far as the babies are concerned, Lanoga is their mother."
"I don't understand," Mardena said.
"I'm sure you've heard of Laramar? He's the one who makes the barma?" Folara said.
"Yes," Mardena said.
"Everyone has," Denoda said.
"Then perhaps you've heard of his mate, Tremeda. She does nothing but drink the barma he makes, and have children that she won't take care of," Folara said, full of derision.
"Or can't," Ayla said. "She can't seem to stop herself from drinking the barma, either."
"And Laramar is often drunk and just as irresponsible. He doesn't even care about the children of his hearth," Folara said with disgust. "Ayla found out that Tremeda had lost her milk, and Lanoga was trying to feed Lorala on nothing but mashed-up roots because that's all she knew how to make. Ayla got several of the new mothers to agree to nurse the baby, but Lanoga is still the one who takes care of her, and all the rest of Tremeda's children. Ayla showed her how to make other food that babies can eat, and she's the one who takes Lorala to the other mothers to nurse. She's really an amazing girl, and will be a wonderful mate and mother someday, but who knows if she'll ever find a mate? Laramar and Tremeda have the last-ranked hearth in our Cave. Who would be willing to mate the daughter of that hearth?"
Mardena and Denoda stared at the talkative young woman. Most people liked to gossip, but they were not usually so open about the ones who were an embarrassment to their own Cave. Denoda's rank had slipped since her daughter gave birth to Lanidar, and her mate had severed the knot. They weren't the lowest, but not far from it. Their Cave was much smaller, however.
To be the last of such a large Cave was a low rank. But even if we were the first ranked, Lanidar will have trouble finding a mate, because of his affliction, Denoda thought.
"Would you like to go see some horses, Lanidar?" Ayla asked as they approached. "You can come, too, Lanoga."
"No, I can't. It's Stelona's turn to feed Lorala, and she's getting hungry. I didn't want to give her too much food until after she nurses."
"Maybe another time," Ayla said, smiling affectionately. "Are you ready, Lanidar?"
"Yes," he said, then he turned to the girl. "I have to go, Lanoga." She smiled shyly at him, and he smiled back.
As they passed by her lodge, Ayla said, "Lanidar, will you get that bowl over there? It has some horse food in it, pieces of wild carrot and some grains." He ran to get it.
Ayla noticed that he carried the bowl on his right side, supported against his body with his crippled arm, and she had an unexpected memory of Creb holding a bowl of red ochre paste against his body with the arm that had been amputated at the elbow, just before he named her son and accepted him into the clan. It brought a smile of joy and pain. Mardena was watching her and wondered. Denoda had noticed her expression, too, and wasn't as shy about mentioning it.
"You looked at Lanidar with such a strange smile," she said.
"He reminds me of someone I used to know," Ayla said. "A man who was missing the lower part of his arm. He had been attacked by a cave bear when he was a child. His grandmother was a healer, and she had to cut it off because it was poisoning his body. He would have died if she hadn't."
"What a terrible thing!" Denoda said.
"Yes, it was. He was blinded in one eye, too, by that attack, and his leg was hurt. He had to walk with a stick from then on."
"The poor boy. He had to be taken care of the rest of his life, I suppose," Mardena said.
"No," Ayla said. "He made a valuable contribution to his people."
"How did he manage? What did he do?"
"He became a great man, a mog-ur – that's like a Zelandoni – and he was recognized as the First. He and his sister were the ones who took care of me after my own family died. He was the man of my hearth, and I loved him very much," Ayla said.
