The Chimu did not want to have anything to do with him, so it was decided that he would be brought back to the Summer Meeting and that in a council of all the Zelandonii leaders, his fate would be decided. She had already made a poultice of wild hops and lice-bane root to be applied externally for an extended period of time on the head wound. Rubio knew that the coming event would be one of the most important in his life. Madroman had been brought back to First Place as a prisoner by then. The simple touching of hands made Jonayla's heart soar. Camma noticed her first. Ayla was uncertain; did one man do this or two different men? But I am the only woman to survive and return. "He is tall and well-built and they say he was very sought after before he met your mother. Although she was probably beyond child bearing age at twenty-eight summers, some man might still want her and who knew, she might still be able to produce a child, it wasn't unknown. "Well, Ralev has told stories about Durc and they sound like me and well, everyone calls me that now and I like it. The best outcome would be that the majority would agree to help solve the problem in the north. "Willamar!" A Zelandoni's rank depended on a complex combination of things. "Maybe we can get some of the Zelandonii to bring their horses and we could make some floating pole-drags to help carry your supplies over. They would leave the Summer Meeting a few days to journey north and cross over the boundary river and into the conflict area to ascertain exactly what was happening. As we talk, Auel - now 75, ''with 15 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren'' - is in the middle of what she clearly regards as the least interesting part of being a best-selling author (''It's lovely to get a call from Australia. Then from far away they heard a bullroarer begin its mournful moan, then a little closer, another, but from a different direction. If, as Groog had implied, she was the one who had talked her people into coming here to intervene with the wild men from her people, then he would give her the chance to prove her worth. "I love my eldest son as much as I love each and every one of you. This is a man, not an animal. Ayla had laid out the entire contents of her medicine pouch onto a supple expanse of Chamois to inspect her medicinal herbs and roots. The Zelandonia called it 'Revelation Chamber'. "Stop that! He hoped Mongar, who had taken other hunters toward the rising sun, would have better luck than he. The sky had just darkened into night as the people of the Ninth Cave cleaned their eating utensils. She had asked him if he still felt as he had when they first came to his Zelandonii homeland. Standing there waist deep in the clear cool water, her trim torso and full womanly breasts bared, he could only stare. "Keep in mind," Ayla finished, "that Madroman and Brukeval are the instigators of these atrocities and those from the Chimu community who follow them are for the most part just deluded people. "We should find a place to camp soon," Jonayla said, always concerned with their domestic needs. This was an important event and they wanted to remember everything about it so they would be able to tell their own children one day. Each movement she made seemed to be done with solemn forethought as if it were a Zelandonia ritual. Whatever had caused the horses distress must have moved on because Cambarre soon returned. ", "Oh yes, those are the most popular stories of all. I could help with the elderly who can't make the journey and also help Jonayla and Cambarre by watching their baby while they're out working with the horses.". "So you're sure, you're carrying our baby?" "Nothing?" He looked up into gray-blue eyes, and then noticed the Donier mark on the left side of her forehead. But I'm only willing to do that for you, not because I understand why they treat their women so harshly. She kissed and hugged them both in their turn and watched them walk away into the dark of night, together and happy. She hoped the meeting wouldn't digress into an argument about her leadership and her past. Grateful, Ayla returned to Jondalar's side and as she passed the southern Donier she said quietly, "Zelandoni, please stay with their leader and speak for us. I think we should return to the Nineteenth Cave as soon as both wounds have been tended to and pole-carriers are made.". He guessed that whoever it was, was carrying a hurt or unconscious Jonayla. It was over. Ayla asked in a challenging voice. Cambarre was close by. Tomorrow is a holy day and we are busy preparing the feast. "You stupid flathead lover! "I have a dress tunic. It looked like he had been struck over and over again, maybe even after he was unconscious. With a sigh, she mounted Summer Child with one smooth leap and turned to see her family climbing on to their mounts. ", "Then I think, since we must leave for the Summer Meeting in the morning, that I should visit the cave now and see what our brother Zelandoni has been up to. On an impulse Jonayla leaned over and covered Cambarre's mouth with hers in a long passionate kiss. That way the Chimu would easily be able to bring enough trade goods to the gathering, even if they had to make several trips back and forth. ", 'No man in his clan had a Cave Lion totem, not many men in all the clans did,' Mongar thought to himself. Several of the Caves will be leaving right after the last matrimonial two days from now so I thought we should have our meeting today, if possible. Other Caves to the far north and far south were to meet them within ten days' time. It was after midday by the time mother and daughter returned to the Ninth Cave's summer camp. How could he argue with her? Carefully! "I'm a full-fledged Zelandoni in my own right and leader of the Zelandoni south of the Big River, but I answer to her and I'm honored to do so. ", "I hate to leave this place so soon," Jondalar said a bit wistfully. He found there was firewood already stacked beside the campfire ring close to what was left of the tent. He had tried on more than one occasion to strike up a friendship with her but she had always been formal with him, not letting him past her defenses. The boy was more than ready to be among his immediate family again. There was a time once when I wandered the earth without any family at all, which makes me appreciate family more than most. "Joharran! You're as good as killing me yourself by taking me there," Madroman whined petulantly. ", "Yes Zelandoni, she went to the stream a little while ago to wash.". I think if you hadn't rescued me from the men of the Shaman I might not be alive today.". They have their own way of expressing themselves and it is different than our way, but not necessarily inferior to our way. She stood before them with her arms crossed, looking down at them, again making eye contact with each of her fellow spiritual leaders, waiting for their response. He watched as the woman turned toward him and signed, "These are my children. Finally he turned and made the universal hunter's sign with a raised arm for his men to follow him. The water wasn't deep enough to swim in so they washed then rinsed themselves, standing in the water. Only, as he mounted his horse, he couldn't quite get Jonayla's image out of his mind, those bright blue eyes, full of tears. Seeing this, Ayla made the welcome sign and beckoned them into the cave. Ayla rocked back on her heels in surprise, then thought for a moment. As the illness progressed, the First Zelandoni began to discuss the future with Ayla, trying to convince her to ready herself for the challenges that would come. I think I am, I'll be positive in another half-moon cycle if my moon-time still hasn't come," Jonayla replied. She can't leave my father in his condition, but she must be mad with worry that I haven't come back. ", Doroban grinned, "I'm surprised you can find the time to perform missions during your time away. Sadly, Ms. Auel passed away a few years ago. This area held many of the smaller caves that stored gathered firewood and building materials and comprised the work areas of the South Face Holding. I think it should be me to take the trail.". For some strange reason she felt all confused and flustered whenever he was near her. Here were placed countless little oil lamps making the small chamber seemingly bathed in daylight. They wear clothes and what animal uses fire to cook their food? "The Mother was bearing. When I had lived maybe five summers, I was given the name Ayla by the people who rescued me from death and I know it wasn't the name I had known before. Why didn't Mog-ur tell me this herself? She had never actually met a member of the Clan, at least not one that was fully Clan. To Jonayla, her mother was all that was good and strong and just in a person. Even though they understood the natural world around them, none of them had to live entirely on their own for years as Ayla had. We are in complete harmony in all things Zelandoni," Ayla said, squeezing the other woman's arm with affection, then turning away to walk beside Jondalar's pole-carry and toward the Chimu caves. Maybe that's why I've fallen in love with you. He was amazed by her abilities and could now readily believe that she was a powerful spiritual leader. He had warned that the earth would shake and that the sea in its anger would destroy their village. Then noticing for the first time the bloody bandage on Ayla's shoulder she gasped, putting the back of her hand to her mouth. ", "We have had some offers but haven't decided where we'll stay yet," Ralev replied. Proleva was her friend and the mate of Joharran, the leader of the Ninth Cave. It won't be as befits your status, but it will still be a feast none the less. Entering into the Storyteller's compound was always exciting, at least for young children, although many adults enjoyed the stories too. He knew that she would tell them all about him and Madroman. "Groog, you don't have to worry about the meeting, mother will watch out for you. He didn't think that he'd ever seen anyone better with a sling than her. She felt humbled by his quiet homage, his manly presence, she was so happy. "The Summer Meeting will end soon and then there will be the fall hunts and the last of the gathering time. I'll never forget when I had no one and it's just comforting to know there will soon be three generations in our family. She quickly went to work on the man, calling her daughter over to hold his shoulders. Their Mog-ur has captured the false Shaman of the wild men and brings him here as we speak. Ayla was surprised. To her surprise the woman of the Others recited all the standard treatments that any well trained Medicine Woman would have employed. If the old trail south were still passable, which it wasn't, they could have shaved several hours off their travel time. All he could do was show Jonayla how much he loved her. Although," Jonayla added, "many times Warming Moon can be just as cold as Wolf Moon. "I freed them as I was ducking out to follow you. They bid Durcan farewell with a wave and rode the northern trail toward the Nineteenth Cave. Ayla could see so much of Tricie and Ranec in their son Ralev. Mageb signaled the hunters to follow him and they ran silently forward, their heavy thrusting spears gripped in determined hands. "You've never even mentioned my mother before.". ", "Yes," Cambarre said, "she followed our trail south and found us at the Nineteenth Cave. The Earth Mother's Chant was completed and the sacred signs made and received. The Zelandoni of the White Cave reached out to take the pouch. She knew that those small bits were the remains of past Zelandoni burial ceremonies that stretched so far back in time that no one could say how long it had been. "Of course you can, though I would appreciate whenever you and your wolf pass by, that you might stop in to visit me. Jonayla was mounted on Gray, leading her mother and father's horses as well as the southern Donier's. "You can all leave if that's what you want to do," Ayla said in a strained voice. They found that new love - especially officially condoned love - was more of an aphrodisiac than anything. "She was brutally forced by a Clan man when she was just a child, but being who she is, she never held it against her child. When she was younger leaving the Summer Meeting had always been a sad time for her, but over the intervening years she'd become more and more involved in the fall hunts and gathering efforts and her thoughts had already turned to the journey home and the subsequent hunts that would be needed to complete their caches for the coming winter. And of course there was Groog. Instead he'd become a bitter and angry man who, for some reason, was leading these people into more and more violence. "The older brother was delighted. It looks like the Clan has everything they need." He decided to find out what she knew. As expected, the story about the First Zelandoni's Clan child had spread through the Zelandonii gathering like wildfire. "Jondalar and I have brought two wonderful children into being, the Acolyte Jonayla, who you see here and my son, Durcan, both of whom are singular accomplishments in themselves. Building her herd of horses, being an Acolyte of the Zelandonia, her love for Cambarre and having more children were all priorities for Jonayla. "Let's go, we'll stop and both get cleaned up at the first water source we find and then we'll find a good hiding place till daylight. Welcome Jondalar," the young man stepped forward and gripped the older man's wrists in a hunter's greeting. I'm sure the Nineteenth will be grateful to you." The only times he wasn't sure how he felt, was when they told stories about his mother and father. A smaller shelter was built using the fourth to provide cover for the packs and carry baskets and was placed only steps away from the travelers. Mog-ur signed, "Wait! There is so much more to learn about. Have you seen my Acolyte? Ayla drew up at the circle of stones that formed the outdoor hearth and Clan-signed Jonayla to go quietly to their individual hearth and to remain there until she could join her. Besides, you're the right choice. The other two men who had been part of the ambush saw that there were men behind them in the shadowy forest with spears. In her heart she would always be Ayla even though Doniers were supposed to give up their names. The skulls sat there with their empty eye sockets staring out at them accusingly. At least for those who were still in camp. Why? She continues to excel and her new series is very popular. I would ask you to share your knowledge with me in the future and not remain behind a veil of modesty. Even so, it was obvious that she was female because she had a high voice, curved hips and breasts. But now that you mention it, it does seem quiet for this time of day. ", "Mother!"