The Land of Painted Caves

Chapter 23

Then Ayla saw a man as tall as Jondalar with blond hair. He also saw her. 'Kimeran! We've been looking for you! I'm so glad we found you,' Ayla said, with relief in her voice.

'Ayla!' Kimeran said. 'Is it really you?'

'And how did you find us?' Jondecam said. 'How did you know where to look?'

'Wolf found you. He has a good nose,' Ayla said.

'We went to Camora's Cave, expecting to meet you there, but they were surprised to see us,' Jondalar said. 'Everyone was getting worried, especially your sister, Jondecam. So I suggested we go back on the horses along the trail that I thought you would take, because they can go much faster than people.'

'But we went off the trail to find a place to make a good camp when the children got sick,' Levela said.

'You say the children are sick?' Ayla asked.

'Yes, and Beladora, too,' Kimeran said. 'Maybe you shouldn't come too close. Ginedela got it first. She was hot, feverish, then Levela's son, Jonlevan, and then Beladora. I thought Gioneran might avoid it, but about the time that Ginedela started to get red spots all over her, he started getting feverish.'

'We didn't know what to do for them, except let them rest, make sure they drank plenty of water, and try to cool the fever with wet compresses,' Levela said.

'You did the right thing,' Ayla said. 'I've seen something like this before. At the Mamutoi Summer Meeting, when I was spending a lot of time with the Mamuti. One of the camps arrived with several people who were sick, mostly children. The Mamuti made them stay at the far edge of the Meeting Camp, and posted several Mamuti to make everyone else stay away. They were afraid most of the people at the Summer Meeting would get the sickness.'

'Then you should make sure that Jonayla doesn't play with the children,' Levela said, 'and you should stay away.'

'Are they still hot and feverish?' Ayla asked.

'Not much anymore, but they are full of red spots.'

'I'll take a look at them, but if they are not feverish, it may be all right. The Mamutoi think it is an ailment of childhood, and they say it's better if you get it as a child. Children tend to recover more easily,' Ayla said. 'It's harder on adults.'

'That's true for Beladora. I think she was sicker than the children,' Kimeran said. 'She's still weak.'

'The Mamuti told me the fever is more intense and lingers, and the spots take longer to go away if you get it after you are grown,' Ayla said. 'Why don't you take me to see Beladora and the children.'

Their tent had two tops. A primary pole held up the higher one, and a thin wisp of smoke was coming out of a hole near the top of that one. A smaller pole supported an extension of the tent, making more room. The entrance was a little low and Ayla ducked to go inside. Beladora was lying on a sleeping roll in the enlarged area. The three children were sitting up on their bedrolls but did not seem to feel very energetic. Three other sleeping places were in the other side, two together and one separate. Kimeran came in after Ayla. He could stand erect near the pole in that section, but had to bend over or stoop to move around in the rest of the tent.

Ayla first went to check on the children. The youngest, Levela's son Jonlevan, seemed to be over his fever, though he was still listless and covered with red spots that seemed to be itchy.

He smiled when he saw Ayla. 'Where Jonayla?' he asked. The woman recalled that she liked to play with him. He could count three years to her four, but he was approaching her in height. She liked to play his mother or sometimes his mate, and boss him around. They were cousins since his mother, Levela, was the sister of Proleva, who was mated to Jondalar's brother, Joharran, close cousins that would not be allowed to mate.

'She's outside,' Ayla said as she put the back of her hand on his forehead; it wasn't abnormally hot, and his eyes didn't have the glazed look of fever. 'I think you are feeling better, aren't you? Not so hot anymore?'

'I wan' play wif' Jonayla.'

'Not yet, maybe in a little while,' Ayla said.

She checked out Ginadela next. She also seemed well on the way to recovery, though her red spots were certainly colourful. 'I want to play with Jonayla, too,' she said. The twins could count five years, and just as Kimeran and Jondalar resembled each other — both were tall and blond — though they were not related, Jonayla and Ginadela were also blond and fair with blue eyes, though Jonayla had the same vivid, startling blue colour of Jondalar's eyes.

Gioneran, Ginadela's twin, had rather dark brown hair, and brownish-green hazel eyes, like his mother, but he seemed to have some of Kimeran's height. When Ayla put the back of her hand to his head, there was still some heat, and his eyes had the shiny look of fever. His spots were coming on strong, but they seemed a little raw, not as distinctly developed.

'I'll give you something to make you feel better in a little while,' she said to the boy. 'Would you like a drink of water now? Then I think you should lie down.'

'All right,' he said, with a weak smile.

She reached for the waterbag, and poured some into a cup that was beside his sleeping roll, then helped him hold it while he drank. He did lie down afterward.

Finally she went to Beladora. 'How are you feeling?' Ayla asked.

'I've felt better,' she said. Her eyes were still glazed, and she was sniffling. 'I'm really glad you're here, but how did you find us?'

'When you weren't at Camora's Cave, we thought something must have delayed you. It was Jondalar's idea to take the horses and look for you. They can go faster than people, but it was Wolf who picked up your scent and brought us here,' Ayla said.

'I didn't realise how useful your animals could be,' Beladora said. 'But I hope you don't get this sickness. It's terrible, and now I'm feeling itchy. Will these red spots go away?'

'They should fade soon,' Ayla said. 'though it may take a while before they are completely gone. I'll fix something to help the itch and bring the fever down a little.'

Everyone had crowded into the tent by then. Jondalar and Kimeran were both standing by the taller pole, and the rest were huddled around them.

'I wonder why Beladora and the children got sick, but not the rest of us,' Levela said. 'At least not yet.'

'If you haven't by now, you probably won't,' Ayla said.

'I was worried that someone might have set evil spirits on us because they were jealous that we were making a Journey,' Beladora said.

'I don't know,' Ayla said. 'Did you anger anyone?'

'If I did, I didn't mean to. I was excited about seeing my family and my Cave again. When I left with Kimeran, I didn't know if I ever would. It might have seemed like I was bragging,' Beladora said.

'Did anyone at the First Cave of South Land Zelandonii talk about anyone who had stayed there before you? Or was anyone sick when you were there?' Ayla asked Kimeran.

'Now that you mention it, some people did make a crossing before us, more than one group, and I think their Zelandoni was taking care of someone who was sick,' Kimeran said. 'I didn't ask, though.'

'If there were evil spirits present, they may not have been directed at you. It may be that they were left over from the people who were there before you, Beladora, but some sickness happens without anyone wishing it on you. It just seems to get passed around,' Ayla said. 'This fever with red spots might be one like that. If you get it when you are young, you don't usually get it after you are grown. That's what one Mamut told me. My guess is that all of you had it when you were children, or you'd be sick, too.'

'I think I do remember a time when a lot of us were sick at a Summer Meeting,' Jondecam said. 'They put us all together in one tent, and once we got to feeling better, we felt special because we were getting so much attention. It was like a game, I think we had spots, too. Do any of you remember?'

'I was probably too young to remember,' Levela said.

'And I was just enough older that I didn't pay any attention to younger children, sick or not,' Jondalar said. 'If I didn't get sick then, I must have had it when I was so young, I don't remember. What about you, Kimeran?'

'I think I do remember, sort of, but only because my sister was in the zelandonia,' the other tall man said. 'At a Summer Meeting, there's always so much going on, and youngsters from the same Cave tend to stay together. They don't always notice what others are doing. What about you, Ayla? Have you had the red-spot fever sickness?'

'I remember occasionally being sick and having a fever when I was growing up, but I don't remember if I ever had red spots with it,' Ayla said. 'But I didn't get sick when I went with a Mamut to the Mamutoi Camp that had the sickness, so that I could learn something about it, and how to treat it. And speaking of that, I want to go out and see what I can find to help you feel better, Beladora. I have some medicines with me, but the plants I want grow almost everywhere, and I'd rather have fresh ones if I can find some.'

Everyone filed out of the tent except Kimeran, who stayed to look after Beladora and her children, as well as Levela's child.

'Can't I stay here, mother? With them?' Jonayla asked, indicating the other children.

'They can't play right now, Jonayla,' her mother said. 'They need to rest, and I'd like you to help me find some plants that I can use to make them feel better.'

'What are you looking for?' Levela asked when they got outside. 'Can I help you?'

'Do you know yarrow, or common coltsfoot? I also want willow bark, but I know where that is. I saw some just before we got here.'

'Is yarrow is the one with the fine leaves and tiny white flowers that grow together in a bunch. A little like carrots, with a stronger smell? That's one way you can tell the difference, from the smell,' Levela asked.

'That is a very good description,' Ayla said. 'And coltsfoot?'

'Big roundish green leaves that are thick, white, and soft underneath.'

'You know that one, too. Good. Let's go and find some,' Ayla said. Jondalar and Jondecam were standing by the fireplace outside the tent, talking, while Jonayla was nearby, listening. 'Beladora and Gioneran still have some fever. We are going to look for some plants to help bring down the heat. And something to help the itchiness of all of them. I'll take Jonayla and Wolf.'

'We were just saying we should collect more wood,' Jondalar said. 'And I was thinking that I should look for some trees that would make good poles for a pole-drag or two. Even when Beladora and the children get better, they might not be up to a long walk, and we should start back to Camora's Cave before they start worrying about us.'

'Do you think Beladora will mind riding on a pole-drag?' Ayla asked.

'We've all seen the First riding on one. She seems to like it. I think it has made the idea less frightening,' Levela said. 'Why don't we ask her?'

'I need to get my gathering basket anyway,' Ayla said.

'I'll get mine, too, and we should let Kimeran and Beladora know where we're going,' Levela said. 'And I'll tell Jonlevan we're going to get something to make him feel better.'

'He'll want to go, since he is better, especially when he finds out that Jonayla is going with you,' Jondecam said.

'I know he will,' Levela said, 'but I don't think he should yet. What do you think, Ayla?'

'If I knew the area better and knew where we were going, it might be all right, but I don't think so yet.'

'That's what I'll tell him,' Levela said.

'I'll take Beladora,' Ayla said. 'Whinney is more accustomed to pulling a pole-drag,' It had been several days since they found the missing families, but Beladora still wasn't entirely recovered. If she pushed herself too soon, Ayla was afraid she might end up with a chronic problem that could make the rest of the Journey more difficult.

She didn't add that Racer would not be a good horse to pull her travois because he was harder to control. Even Jondalar, who was very good with him, sometimes had difficulty when the stallion got a bit fractious. Grey was still young, Jonayla even younger in terms of ability, and with Whinney dragging the travois behind her, it would be more difficult for Ayla to use the lead rope to help her daughter control the horse. She wasn't sure that they should make a pole-drag for Grey.

However, the large tent the other travellers had been camping in while people were sick was assembled from their smaller travelling tents and some extra hides, and the third travois could hold the tent poles and other things they had made while they had stopped that they might otherwise have left behind. The children were very much improved, but still tired easily. The pole-drags would also provide a place for them to rest while they were travelling without having to stop. Ayla and Jondalar wanted to return as quickly as possible. They were sure the ones who were waiting for them were wondering where they were.

The night before they planned to leave, they organised as much as they could so they could leave quickly. Ayla, Jondalar, Jonayla, and Wolf used their own travelling tent. In the morning, they made a quick meal of the leftovers from the night before, packed everything on the pole-drags, including the backframes they usually wore to carry their essentials — shelter, additional clothing, and food — with them. Though the adults were used to carrying them, they found it much easier to walk without the heavy loads. They got off to a good start and travelled farther than they customarily did, but by evening, most people were tired.

While they were drinking the last of their evening tea, Kimeran and Jondecam brought up the idea of stopping early to go hunting so they would have something to bring with them when they met Camora's relatives. Ayla was concerned. The weather had cooperated so far. There had been a little shower the night Ayla and Jondalar found the other travellers. It cleared up after that, but Ayla didn't know how long it would stay that way. Jondalar was aware that she had a good 'nose' for weather, and usually knew when rain was coming.

It wasn't exactly a smell that suggested rain; she thought of it as a special tang in the air and often a damp feel. In later times, some would refer to the ozone in the atmosphere before rain as fresh air; others who had the ability to detect it thought it had a metallic tinge. Ayla didn't have a name for it and found it hard to explain, but she knew it, and she had perceived that hint of coming rain recently. Slogging through mud and pouring rain was the last thing she wanted to do right now.

Ayla woke up when it was still dark. She got up to use the night basket, but stepped outside instead. There was still a glow from the coals in the fireplace in front of the tent that gave enough light for her to go to a nearby bush instead. The air was cool but fresh and as she headed back to the tent she noticed that the true black of night had shaded into the midnight blue of predawn. She watched for a while as a rich deep red flooded the eastern sky, highlighting a mottled pattern of dark purple clouds, followed by a dazzling light that turned the red sky more fiery and spread the clouds out into bands of vibrant colour.

'I'm sure it's going to rain soon,' she said to Jondalar when she went back into the tent, 'and it is going to be a big storm. I know they don't want to arrive empty-handed, but if we keep going we might get there before the rain starts. I would not want Beladora to get wet and cold just as she is getting better, and I dislike the idea of having everything get wet and muddy when if we hurry we might avoid it.'

The rest woke up early, planning to start out not long after sunup. Everyone could see dark clouds gathering on the horizon, and Ayla was sure they would soon be in for a downpour.

'Ayla says a big storm is coming,' Jondalar told the other two men when they brought up hunting. 'She thinks it would be better to hunt later, after we get there.'

'I know there are clouds in the distance,' Kimeran said. 'but that doesn't mean it will rain here. They look pretty far off.'

'Ayla has a good sense of rain coming,' Jondalar said. 'I've seen it before. I don't necessarily want to have to dry out wet clothes and muddy footwear.'

'But we only met them at the Matrimonial,' Jondecam said. 'I don't want to ask for their hospitality with nothing to give in return.'

'We were only there a half a day before we left to look for you, but I noticed that they don't seem to be familiar with the spear-thrower. Why don't we ask them to come hunting with us and show them how to use it. That might be a better gift than just bringing them some meat,' Jondalar said.

'I suppose … do you really think it's going to rain that soon?' Kimeran asked.

'I trust Ayla's "nose" for rain. She is seldom wrong,' Jondalar said. 'She's been smelling rain for a few days and she thinks it will be a big storm. Not one that we'll want to get caught in without good shelter. She doesn't even want to stop to cook a midday meal; she says we should just drink water and eat travelling cakes along the way, so we can get there faster. Now that Beladora is getting well, I don't think you want her to get soaked.' Suddenly he had another thought. 'We could get there more quickly riding on the horses.'

'How can we all ride on three horses?' Kimeran asked.

'Some people could ride on the pole-drags and others double up on the horses. Have you ever thought about sitting on a horse? You could sit behind Jonayla.'

'Maybe someone else should sit on a horse. I've got long legs and I can run fast,' Kimeran said.

'Not as fast as a horse,' Jondalar said. 'Her two children can ride on the pole-drag with Beladora. It would be a bumpy ride, but they have already done it a few times. We could move the gear on Racer's pole-drag to Grey's. Then Levela and Jonlevan can ride double on Racer with me. That leaves you and Jondecam. I thought he could ride on the pole-drag, or he can ride behind me, and Levela and her young one can be on the pole-drag. That leaves you riding double with Ayla or Jonayla. With your long legs, it would give you more room if you ride with Jonayla, since she rides so close to Grey's neck. Do you think you could hang on to a horse with your legs while you are sitting on her? You could also hold on to the pole-drag ropes. Whoever rides double with me can hang on to me. We won't ride too long like that — it would tire the horses — but we could cover a good bit of ground a lot faster if we let them run for a little while.'

'I see you've been thinking about this,' Jondecam said.

'Only since Ayla told me of her concerns,' Jondalar said. 'What do you think, Levela?'

'I don't want to get wet if I can avoid it,' she said. 'If Ayla says it's going to rain, I believe her. I'll ride a pole-drag with Jonvelan like Beladora if it means we'll get there faster, even if it is a little bumpy.'

While the water was heating for tea, the loads on the pole-drags were rearranged, and Ayla and Jondalar got everyone settled. Wolf was watching from the side with his head tilted at an angle as though he was curious about what was going on, which was emphasised by his cocked ear. Ayla caught sight of him and smiled. They started out slowly at first, then with a look between them, Jondalar signalled Ayla, then gave a shout.

'Get ready, and hold on tight,' he said.

Ayla leaned forward, instructing her horse to run. Whinney started into a fast trot, then her gait changed to a gallop. Though it wasn't as fast as it would have been if she hadn't been dragging the travois, she did gain considerable speed. The horses behind followed her lead and the urging of their usual riders, and picked up their pace. Wolf ran along beside them. It was exhilarating for Jondecam and Kimeran, and breathtaking, if a little frightening, for those holding on tight to the pole-drags as they bumped over the rough ground. Ayla paid close attention to her horse, and when Whinney started to labour under the strain, she slowed her down again.

'Well, that was exciting,' Beladora said.

'That was fun!' both the twins said together. 'Can we do it again?' Ginadela asked.

'Yes, can we do it again?' Gioneran asked.

'We'll do it again, but we have to let Whinney rest a little now,' Ayla said. She was pleased with the distance they had travelled in their short burst of speed, but they still had some ways to go. They kept going, but at a walk. After she felt that her horse was rested, Ayla called out, 'Let's do it again.'

When the horses started running, the riders hung on, knowing now what to expect. The ones who had been frightened were not as frightened this time, but it was still exciting to move with greater speed than any of them could have run, even those with the longest of legs.

The native wild horses, which had been tamed but not domesticated, were very strong and tough. Their hooves needed no protection from rocky ground, they could carry or pull a surprisingly heavy load, and their endurance was well beyond what might be expected. Though they loved to run, the horses with the extra loads could sustain the pace for only a limited time, which Ayla watched very carefully. By the time she slowed them back to a walk, and after a while signalled them to take off in a run a third time, the horses even seemed to be enjoying it. Wolf did too. It seemed like some kind of game. He tried to anticipate when they would start to run again and get a head start, but he didn't want to get too far ahead because he was keeping pace and needed to predict when they would slow down.

By late afternoon Ayla and Jondalar were beginning to recognise the region though they weren't sure, and didn't want to miss the trail they needed to take to reach the Cave of Camora's people. It had been Willamar who knew the region. Going at a slower pace made everyone notice the changes in the weather. The air was damp and the wind had started to pick up. Then they heard a resounding rumble and the roaring crack of thunder and not long after saw a flash of lightning and it wasn't very far away. They all knew a big storm was almost upon them. Ayla began to shiver, but it wasn't just the sudden blast of cold damp air. The rumbling and roaring reminded her too much of an earthquake, and there was nothing she hated more than earthquakes.

They almost missed the trail, but Willamar and some of the others had been keeping a watch for them for several days. Jondalar was very relieved when he saw the familiar figure waving at them. The Trade Master had seen the horses approaching from some distance away, and had sent one of the people up to tell the Cave that the horses were returning. At a distance, when Willamar didn't see anyone walking alongside the horses, he was afraid they hadn't found anyone, but as they drew closer, he saw more than one head above the backs of the horses, and realised they were riding together. Then he saw the pole-drags and as they pulled up, people on them.

People from the Cave were rushing down the path. When Camora saw her brother and her uncle, she didn't know which to run to first. They solved her dilemma when both of them ran to her and hugged her together.

'Hurry, it's starting to rain,' Willamar urged.

'We can leave the pole-drags here,' Ayla said, then they all hurried up the trail.

The travellers stayed longer than planned, partly to give Camora a chance to visit with her kin, and for her mate and children to get to know them. The Cave was a more isolated band of people, and though they went to Summer Meetings, they didn't have any close neighbours. Jondecam and Levela considered staying with Jondecam's sister, perhaps until the travellers could stop and pick them up on their way back. She seemed hungry for company and news about people she knew. Kimoran and Beladora definitely planned to leave when the First did. Beladora's people lived at the end of their proposed Journey.

The First had been hoping to leave within a few days, but Jonayla came down with measles as they were getting ready to go, which delayed their departure. The three Zelandonia among the travellers gave remedies and instructions to the resident Cave on how to care for those who developed the contagious disease, explaining that they were likely to get sick, too, but that usually it wasn't too serious. The local Zelandoni had become acquainted with the First and Jonokol while Ayla and Jondalar were looking for the others, and had grown to respect their knowledge.

The people of the Ninth Cave told stories of their experiences with the sickness and made it seem so commonplace that the people didn't feel quite as nervous about getting sick with it. Even after Jonayla started to feel better, Zelandoni decided that they should postpone leaving until the people of the Cave started to show symptoms so the three of them could explain how to care for those who got sick and what herbs and poultices would be helpful. Many of the Cave did get sick, but not all of them, which made the First think that at least some of the people had been exposed to measles before.

Zelandoni and Willamar knew there were some sacred sites in the region and talked about them with Farnadal and their Donier. The First knew of them but had not seen them. Willamar had, but it had been many years before. The sites were related to the major painted cave near the Seventh Cave of South Land Zelandonii, just as the one near the Fourth South Land Cave was, and they were sacred sites, but from the descriptions, there wasn't much to see, just a few rough paintings on stone walls.

They had already been delayed so long that the First decided they could omit those sites on this Donier Tour so they would have time to see some others. It was more important to see the very major sacred site that was not far from Amelana's Cave. And they still had to make a visit to the neighbouring Giornadonii, and Beladora's Cave.

The wait gave the Ninth Cave an opportunity to get to know the people of Camora's Cave better, and Jondalar, in particular, the opportunity to demonstrate the spear-thrower and show how to make one to those who wanted to learn. The wait also gave Jondecam and Levela more time to visit with Camora and their relatives and when the travellers left, they were ready to go with them. During the extended visit, the two Caves had become quite friendly, and they talked about a reciprocal visit sometime.

For all the camaraderie, the visitors were anxious to be on their way, and the people of the Cave were thankful when they were gone. They were not accustomed to many visitors, unlike the Ninth Cave, which was located in the midst of a richly populated region. It was one reason that Camora still missed her family and friends. She was determined to make sure the Cave did make a return visit, and if she could, she was going to persuade her mate to stay.

After they started out again, it took the travellers a few days to settle back into a comfortable itinerant mode. The composition of the new group of travellers was quite different from the one they had started out with, primarily because there were more of them, and more children, which prolonged the time it took to move from place to place. As long as it had been just Jonayla, who often rode Grey, they moved at a fairly rapid pace, but with two more youngsters who were old enough to use their own legs, and a younger one who wanted to walk because the other children did, their rate of travel had inevitably slowed.

Ayla finally made the suggestion that Grey should pull a pole-drag for the three children to use while Jonayla rode on her back. That helped the travellers to move a little faster. The trekkers settled into a very practical routine with all of them contributing to the well-being of the group in their own way.

As the season progressed and they continued in their southerly direction, the days grew warmer. It was generally pleasant, except for an occasional rainstorm or muggy heat spell. When they were travelling or working in warm weather, men often wore a breechclout and perhaps a vest, plus their decorative and identifying beads. Women usually wore a loose, comfortable sleeveless dress with slits up the sides for ease of walking, made of soft buckskin or woven fibres that went on over their head and tied at the waist. But as the weather warmed, even light clothing could be too much and they stripped down more. Both men and women sometimes wore only a thong or short fringed skirt and some beads, the children not even that, and their skins turned nut brown. A natural tan, slowly acquired, was the best protective sunscreen, and though they didn't know it, a healthy way to absorb certain essential vitamins.

Zelandoni was becoming more accustomed to walking and Ayla thought she was getting slimmer. She had little trouble keeping up, but she always insisted upon riding on her pole-drag when they arrived at a new location. People made a commotion when they saw her being pulled by a horse, which she felt added to the mystique of the zelandonia and to the position of the First Among Those Who Served The Great Earth Mother.

Their route, which was worked out by Zelandoni and Willamar, took them south through open woods and grasslands, along the west side of a massif, a highland that was the leftover stump of ancient mountains, ground down by the passage of time, with volcanoes forming new mountains on top of the old. Eventually they turned east swinging around the bottom of the central highland and then continued travelling east between the southern end of the highland and the north shore of the Southern Sea. As they travelled they often saw game, birds and animals of many kinds, sometimes in flocks or herds, but except when they stopped to visit settlements, no people crossed their path.

Ayla found herself truly enjoying the company of Levela, Beladona, and Amelana when they weren't visiting another Cave or Summer Meeting. They did things together with their children. Amelana's pregnancy was beginning to show, but she was no longer troubled by morning sickness and the walking was beneficial for her. She felt well and her vibrant good health along with her obvious show of maternity made her even more attractive to Tivonan and Palidar, Willamar's assistants. But as they continued the Donier Tour, stopping to visit various Caves, Summer Meetings, and Sacred Sites, there were many young men who found her equally attractive. And she enjoyed the attention.

Since Ayla was often with Zelandoni, the young women were learning some of the knowledge that Zelandoni was teaching her Acolyte. They listened and sometimes joined in on their discussions about various things — medicinal practices, identifying plants, ways of counting, meanings of colours and numbers, stories and songs of the Histories and Elder Legends — and the Donier seemed to have no objection to passing her wisdom on to them. She knew that in times of emergency it wouldn't hurt to have some additional people around who knew something about what to do if they needed to act as assistants.

Travelling east, they found their way often blocked by rivers that came down from the massif and into the Southern Sea. Since none of the rivers were huge, they became adept at crossing them until they came to one that carved a large valley running from north to south. They turned and followed it north until they came to a tributary that joined it from the northeast and followed it.

A little beyond that, the travelling group came to a pleasant area of open woodland on the edge of an oxbow lake. Though it was early afternoon, they stopped and set up camp amid some brush and grass near a copse of trees. The children discovered a large patch of bilberries before the evening meal, and picked some to share with their elders, but they ate more as they picked. The women saw huge stands of cattails and phragmite reeds at the edge of the water, and the hunters found fresh signs of cloven hooves.

'We're getting close to the home of those that live the closest to the most important Sacred Cave of all the Zelandonii,' Willamar said, after they built a fire and were relaxing with a drink of tea. 'We're a large group to be visiting and asking for hospitality without bringing something to share equivalent to our size.'

'It looks like a herd of aurochs or bison stopped here not too long ago, judging from those prints,' Kimeran said.

'They may return to the water to drink here regularly. If we stay a while, we could hunt them,' Jonokol said.

'Or I could go look for them on Racer,' Jondalar said.

'Most of us are running out of spears to hunt with,' Jondecam said. 'I broke another one the last time we went hunting, both the shaft and the point.'

'This looks like a region that should have good flint,' Jondalar said. 'If I can find some, I'll make new points.'

'I saw a stand of straight trees on our way here, younger than those in that copse, that would make good shafts,' Palidar said. 'It's not far away.'

'Some of those bigger ones would make good shafts for a couple of new pole-drags to bring some fresh meat to the Cave we want to visit,' Jondalar said.

'A few young bulls at this time of year would give us fresh meat and some for drying, and fat for travelling cakes and fuel for lamps, and a hide or two,' Ayla said. 'We can make new footwear from the skins. I don't mind walking barefoot most of the time, but sometimes I want protection for my feet and my footwear is wearing out.'

'And look at all those cattails and reeds,' Beladora said. 'You can weave footwear from those, too, and we can make new sleeping rolls, and baskets and pads and many other things we need.'

'Even gifts for the Cave we want to visit,' Levela said.

'I hope we don't take too long. I'm awfully close to home, and I'm getting anxious,' Amelana said. 'I can't wait to see my mother.'

'But you don't want to return empty handed, do you?' the First said. 'Wouldn't you like to bring a gift or two for your mother, and maybe some meat for your Cave?'

'You're right! I should do that, so it doesn't look like I'm just coming home begging,' Amelana said.

'You know that you wouldn't be begging even if you didn't bring anything, but wouldn't it be nice to give them something?' Levela said.