The Land of Painted Caves

Chapter 2

Ayla saw the heavy paw of the lion moving, and caught her breath, wondering if the big male could still be alive with all the spears in him. Then she recognised Wolf's bloody head working its way out from under the huge limb, and rushed toward him, still not sure if he was injured. The wolf squirmed free of the forearm of the lion, then grabbed the paw with his teeth and shook it with such vigour, she knew it had to be the blood of the lion on him, not his own. Jondalar was at her side the next moment and they walked toward the lion together, smiling with relief at the wolf's antics.

'I'm going to have to take Wolf to the river to get him cleaned up,' Ayla said. 'That's all lion's blood.'

'I'm sorry we had to kill him,' Jondalar said quietly. 'He was such a magnificent beast, and only defending his own.'

'I feel sorry, too. He reminded me of Baby, but we had to defend our own. Think how much worse we would feel if one of those lions had killed a child,' Ayla said, looking down at the huge predator.

After a pause, Jondalar said, 'We can both lay claim to him; only our spears reached him, and only yours killed this female who stood by his side.'

'I think I may have hit another lioness, too, but I don't need to claim any part of that one,' Ayla said. 'You should take what you want of the male. I'll take this female's pelt and tail, and her claws and teeth as tokens of this hunt.'

They both stood silently for a while, then Jondalar said, 'I am grateful that the hunt was a success and no one was hurt.'

'I would like to honour them in some way, Jondalar, to acknowledge my respect for the Cave Lion Spirit, and show gratitude to my totem.'

'Yes, I think we should. It is customary to thank the spirit when we make a kill, and to ask the spirit to thank the Great Earth Mother for the food she has allowed us to take. We can thank the Cave Lion Spirit and ask the spirit to thank the Mother for allowing us to take these lions to protect our families and our Caves.' Jondalar paused. 'We can give this lion a drink of water so the spirit won't arrive in the next world thirsty. Some people also bury the heart, give it back to the Mother. I think we should do both for this great lion who gave his life defending his pride.'

'I will do the same for the female who stood with him, fighting at his side,' Ayla said. 'I think my Cave Lion Totem protected me, and maybe all the rest of us. The Mother could have chosen to let the Cave Lion Spirit take someone to compensate for the pride's great loss. I am grateful She didn't.'

'Ayla! You were right!'

She spun around at the sound of the voice and smiled at the Ninth Cave's leader coming up behind them. 'You said, "A wounded animal is unpredictable. And one with the strength and speed of a cave lion, hurt and wild with pain, could do anything." We shouldn't have assumed that because that lion was down and bleeding, he wouldn't try to attack again.' Joharran addressed the rest of the hunters who had come to see the lions they had killed. 'We should have made sure he was dead.'

'What surprised me was that wolf,' Palidar said, looking at the animal, still covered with blood, nonchalantly sitting at Ayla's feet, with his tongue lolling out of the side of his mouth. 'He's the one who warned us, but I never imagined a wolf would attack a cave lion, wounded or not.'

Jondalar smiled. 'Wolf protects Ayla,' he said. 'It doesn't matter who or what it is, if it threatens her, he'll attack it.'

'Even you, Jondalar?' he asked.

'Even me.'

There was an uncomfortable silence; then Joharran said, 'How many lions did we get?' Several of the big cats were down, some with a number of spears in them.

'I count five,' Ayla said.

'The lions with spears from more than one person should be shared,' Joharran said. 'Those hunters can decide what to do with them.'

'The only spears in the male and this female belong to Ayla and me, so we can claim them,' Jondalar said. 'We did what was necessary, but they were defending their family and we want to honour their spirits. We don't have a Zelandoni here, but we can give each a drink of water before we send them on their way to the spirit world, and we can bury their hearts, give them back to the Mother.'

The other hunters nodded in agreement.

Ayla walked to the lioness that she had killed and took out her waterbag. It was made of the carefully washed stomach of a deer, with the lower opening tied off. The upper opening was pulled up around a deer vertebra, with the projections cut away, and sinew wrapped tightly around it. The natural hole in the centre of the section of spine made a more than serviceable pour spout. The stopper was a thin leather thong that had been knotted several times in the same place, and stuffed into the hole. She pulled out the knotted leather cord stopper, and took a mouthful. Then she kneeled over the head of the lioness, pulled it around and opened the jaws, and squirted the water from her mouth into the mouth of the big cat.

'We are thankful, Doni, Great Mother of All, and we are grateful to the Spirit of Cave Lion,' she said aloud. Then she began speaking with the silent hand signs of the formal language of the Clan, the one they used when addressing the spirit world, but in a quiet voice, she translated the meaning of the signs she was making. 'This woman is grateful to the Spirit of the Great Cave Lion, the totem of this woman, for allowing a few of the Spirit's living ones to fall to the spears of the people. This woman would express sorrow to the Great Spirit of the Cave Lion for the loss of the living ones. The Great Mother and the Cave Lion Spirit know it was necessary for the safety of the people, but this woman wants to express gratitude.'

She turned around to the group of hunters who were watching her. It wasn't done in quite the manner they were used to, but it was fascinating to watch her, and felt utterly right to those hunters who had faced their fears to make their territory safer for themselves and for others. It also made them understand why their Zelandoni Who Was First had made this foreign woman her acolyte.

'I will not make a claim to any other lions that may have been pierced by one of my spears, but I would like the spear back,' Ayla said. 'This lion has only my spear in it, so I will claim it. I will keep the skin and tail, the claws and the teeth.'

'What about the meat?' Palidar said. 'Are you going to eat some?'

'No. The hyenas can have it as far as I'm concerned,' Ayla said. 'I don't like the taste of the meat of meat-eaters, especially cave lions.'

'I've never tasted lion,' he said.

'Neither have I,' said Morizan of the Third Cave, who had paired up with Galeya.

'Did none of your spears reach a lion?' Ayla asked. She saw them shake their heads in sadly negative response. 'You're welcome to this one's meat, if you want it, after I bury the heart, but I wouldn't eat the liver if I were you.'

'Why not?' Tivonan asked.

'The people I grew up with believed the liver of meat-eaters could kill you, like a poison,' she said. 'They told stories about it, especially of a selfish woman who ate the liver of a cat, a lynx, I think, and died. Perhaps we should bury the liver, too, with the heart.'

'Is the liver of animals who eat any meat bad for you?' Galeya asked.

'I think bears are all right. They eat meat, but they eat everything else, as well. Cave bears don't eat much meat at all, and they taste good. I knew some people who ate their liver and didn't get sick,' Ayla said.

'I haven't seen a cave bear in years,' Solaban said. He'd been standing close by, listening. 'There aren't many around here anymore. Have you really eaten cave bear?'

'Yes,' Ayla said. She considered mentioning that cave bear meat was sacred to the Clan, eaten only for certain ritual feasts, but decided it would just encourage more questions that would take too long to answer.

She looked at the lioness, and took a deep breath. It was big and would be a lot of work to skin. She could use some help, and observed the four young people who had been asking her questions. None of them had used spear-throwers, but she guessed that might change now, and though they hadn't landed a spear, they had been a willing part of the hunt and exposed themselves to danger. She smiled at them. 'I'll give each of you a claw if you'll help me skin this lioness,' she said, and watched them smile back.

'I'll be glad to,' Palidar and Tivonan said almost simultaneously.

'Me too,' said Morizan.

'Good. I can use the help.' Then she said to Morizan, 'I don't think we have been formally introduced.'

She faced the young man and held out both her hands, palm up, in the formal gesture of openness and friendship. 'I am Ayla of the Ninth Cave of the Zelandonii, Acolyte of Zelandoni, First Among Those Who Serve The Great Earth Mother, mated to Jondalar, Master Flint-Knapper and brother of Joharran, Leader of the Ninth Cave of the Zelandonii. Formerly I was Daughter of the Mammoth Hearth of the Lion Camp of the Mamutoi, Chosen by the spirit of the Cave Lion, Protected by the Cave Bear, and friend of the horses, Whinney, Racer, and Grey, and the four-legged hunter, Wolf.'

It was enough of a formal introduction, she thought, watching his expression. She knew the first part of the formal recitation of her names and ties was probably somewhat overwhelming — her associations were among the highest ranked of all the Zelandonii, and the last part would be completely unfamiliar to him.

He reached for her hands and began his names and ties. 'I am Morizan of the Third Cave of the Zelandonii,' he started nervously, then seemed to be trying to think what to say next. 'I am the son of Manvelar, Leader of the Third Cave, cousin of …'

Ayla realised he was young and not accustomed to meeting new people and making formal recitations. She decided to make it easy for him, and ended the formal meeting ritual. 'In the name of Doni, the Great Earth Mother, I greet you, Morizan of the Third Cave of the Zelandonii,' she said, then added, 'and I welcome your help.'

'I want to help, too,' Galeya said. 'I'd like to have a claw as a memory of this hunt. Even if I didn't get a spear into any of them, it was exciting. A little frightening, but exciting.'

Ayla nodded in understanding. 'Let's get started, but I should warn you to be careful when you cut out the claws, or the teeth; don't let them scratch you. You have to cook them before they can be safely handled. If you get a scratch, it can turn into a foul wound, one that swells up and suppurates with a bad-smelling discharge.'

She looked up and noticed in the distance that some people were coming around the jutting wall. She recognised several from the Third Cave who had not been with the first group that joined them before. Manvelar, the strong and vigorous older man who was their leader, was among them.

'Here come Manvelar and some others,' Thefona said. She had obviously seen and recognised them too.

When they reached the hunters, Manvelar walked up to Joharran. 'I greet you, Joharran, Leader of the Ninth Cave of the Zelandonii, in the name of Doni, the Great Earth Mother,' he said, holding both hands out.

Taking both hands in his, Joharran returned the short formal greeting to acknowledge the other leader. 'In the name of Great Earth Mother, Doni, I greet you, Manvelar, Leader of the Third Cave of the Zelandonii.' It was a customary courtesy between leaders.

'The people you sent back came up and told us what was going on,' Manvelar said. 'We've seen the lions around here the past few days, so we came to help. They were returning regularly and we were wondering what we should do about them. It looks like you have taken care of the problem. I see four, no, five lions down, including the male. The females will have to find a new male, now; maybe they'll separate and find more than one. It will change the entire structure of the pride. I don't think they will be back bothering us soon. We need to thank you.'

'We didn't think we could pass them safely, and didn't want them threatening Caves in the vicinity, so we decided to chase them away, especially since we had several people with us who could use spear-throwers. It's a good thing we had them. Even though he was badly wounded, that big male attacked again, after we thought he was down,' Joharran said.

'Hunting cave lions is dangerous. What are you going to do with them?'

'I think the hides, teeth, and claws have all been claimed, and some say they want to taste the meat,' Joharran said.

'It's strong,' Manvelar said, wrinkling his nose. 'We'll help you with the skinning, but it will take some time. I think you should plan on spending the night with us. We can send a runner ahead and tell the Seventh that you've been delayed, and why.'

'Good. We will stay. Thank you, Manvelar,' Joharran said.

The Third Cave served a meal to the visitors from the Ninth before they set out the next morning. Joharran, Proleva, Proleva's son, Jaradal, and new baby daughter, Sethona, were seated together with Jondalar, Ayla, and her daughter, Jonayla, out on the sunny stone front porch, enjoying the view along with their food.

'It would seem that Morizan is taking quite an interest in Folara's friend, Galeya,' Proleva said. They were watching the group of not-yet-mated young people with the indulgent eye of older siblings with families.

'Yes,' Jondalar said, with a grin. 'She was his backup yesterday during the lion hunt. Hunting together and depending on each other like that can create a special bond quickly, even if they didn't land a spear so they could lay claim to a lion. But they helped Ayla skin out her lioness, and she gave each of them a claw. They were done so fast, they came over and helped me, and I gave each of them a small claw, too, so they all have mementos of the hunt.'

'That's what they were showing off last night over that cooking basket,' Proleva said.

'Can I have a claw for a memento, Ayla?' Jaradal asked. The youngster had obviously been listening closely.

'Jaradal, those are mementos of a hunt,' his mother said. 'When you get old enough to go on hunts, you'll get your own mementos.'

'That's all right, Proleva. I'll give him one,' Joharran said, smiling gently at the son of his mate. 'I got a lion, too.'

'You did!' the six-year boy said excitedly, 'and I can have a claw? Wait until I show Robenan!'

'Make sure you cook it before you give it to him,' Ayla said.

'That's what Galeya and the rest were cooking last night,' Jondalar said. 'Ayla insisted that everyone cook the claws and fangs before they handled them. She says a scratch from a lion claw can be dangerous unless it's cooked.'

'Why should cooking make a difference?' Proleva asked.

'When I was little, before I was found by the Clan, I was scratched by a cave lion. That's how I got the scars on my leg. I don't recall much about getting scratched, but I do remember how much my leg hurt until it healed. The Clan liked to keep the teeth and claws of animals, too,' Ayla said. 'When she was teaching me to be a medicine woman, one of the first things Iza told me was to cook them before they were handled. She said they were full of evil spirits, and the heat of cooking them drove the foulness out.'

'When you think of what those animals do with their claws, they must be full of evil spirits,' Proleva said. 'I'll make sure Jaradal's claw gets cooked.'

'That lion hunt did prove out your weapon, Jondalar,' Joharran said. 'Those who just had spears probably would have been good protection, if the lions had got closer, but the only kills were made with spear-throwers. I think it's going to encourage more people to practise.'

They saw Manvelar approach, and greeted him cordially.

'You can leave your lion skins here and pick them up on your way back,' he said. 'We can store them in the back of the lower abri. It's cool enough down there that they should keep for a few days; then you can process them when you get home.'

The tall limestone cliff they had passed just before the hunt, called Two Rivers Rock because Grass River joined The River there, had three deeply indented ledges, one above the other, that created protective overhangs for the spaces below them. The Third Cave used all of the stone shelters, but they lived mainly in the large middle one, which enjoyed an expansive panorama of both rivers and the area around the cliff. The others were mainly for storage.

'That would be a help,' Joharran said. 'We're carrying enough, especially with babies and children, and we've already been delayed. If this trip to Horsehead Rock hadn't been planned for some time, we probably wouldn't be making it. After all, we'll be seeing everyone at the Summer Meeting, and we still have a lot to do before we leave. But the Seventh Cave really wanted Ayla to visit, and Zelandoni wants to show her the Horsehead. And since it's so close, they want to go to Elder Hearth and visit the Second Cave, and see the ancestors carved in the wall of their lower cave.'

'Where is the First Among Those Who Serve The Great Earth Mother?' Manvelar asked.

'She's already there, has been for a few days,' Joharran said. 'Conferring with several of the zelandonia. Something to do with the Summer Meeting.'

'Speaking of that, when are you planning to leave?' Manvelar asked. 'Perhaps we can travel together.'

'I always like to leave a little early. With such a large Cave, we need extra time to find a comfortable place. And now we have animals to consider. I've been to the Twenty-sixth Cave before, but I'm not really familiar with the area.'

'It's a large, flat field right beside West River,' Manvelar said. 'It's good for a lot of summer shelters, but I don't think it's a good place for horses.'

'I like the site we found last year, even if it was rather far from all the activities, but I don't know what we'll find this year. I was thinking of scouting it out earlier, but then we got those heavy spring rains and I just didn't want to slog through the mud,' Joharran said.

'If you don't mind being a bit out of the way, there may be a more secluded place nearer Sun View, the shelter of the Twenty-sixth Cave. It's in a cliff near the bank of the old riverbed, somewhat back from the river now.'

'We may try that,' Joharran said. 'I'll send a runner after we decide when to leave. If the Third Cave wants to go then, we can travel together. You have kin there, don't you? Do you have a route in mind? I know that West River runs in the same general direction as The River, so it isn't hard to find. All we have to do is go south to Big River, then west until we reach West River, and then follow it north, but if you know a more direct way, it might be a little faster.'

'In fact, I do,' Manvelar said. 'You know my mate came from the Twenty-sixth Cave, and we visited her family often when the children were younger. I haven't been back since she died and I'm looking forward to this Summer Meeting and seeing some people I haven't seen for a while. Morizan and his brother and sister have cousins there.'

'We can talk more when we return for the lion skins. Thank you for the hospitality of the Third Cave, Manvelar,' Joharran said, as he turned to leave. 'We need to be going. The Second Cave is expecting us, and Zelandoni Who Is First has a cave with a surprise to show Ayla.'

Spring's first shoots had made a watercolour smear of emerald on the cold, brown defrosting earth. As the short season advanced and jointed stems and slender sheathing leaves reached their full growth, lush meadows replaced the cold colours along the floodplains of the rivers. Billowing in the warmer winds of early summer, the green of rapid growth fading to the gold of ripening maturity, the fields of grass ahead named the river beside them.

The group of travellers, some from the Ninth Cave and some from the Third, walked beside Grass River, retracing their steps from the previous day. They walked around the jutting stone in single file along the trail between the clear running water of Grass River and the cliff. As they continued, some people moved forward to walk two or three abreast.

They took the path that angled toward the crossing place — it was already being called the Place of the Lion Hunt. The way the rocks had been placed naturally was not an easy crossing. It was one thing for agile young men to leap from stone to slippery stone; it was quite another for a woman who was pregnant or carrying a baby, and perhaps other packs of food, clothing, or implements, or for older women or men. Therefore more rocks had been carefully positioned between those the lower water level had uncovered to make the spaces between the stepping-stones closer. After they all had reached the other side of the tributary, where the trail was wide enough, they tended to walk two or three abreast again.

Morizan waited for Jondalar and Ayla, who were bringing up the rear in front of the horses, and stepped in beside them. After a casual exchange of greetings, Morizan commented, 'I didn't realise how good your spear-throwing weapon could be, Jondalar. I've been practising with it, but watching you and Ayla use it has given me a new appreciation for it.'

'I think it's wise of you to make yourself familiar with the spear-thrower, Morizan. It is a very effective weapon. Is it something Manvelar suggested, or did you decide to do it on your own?' Jondalar asked.

'I decided, but once I started, he encouraged me. He said I was setting a good example,' Morizan said. 'To be honest, I didn't care about that. It just looked like a weapon I wanted to learn.'

Jondalar grinned at the young man. He had thought it might be the younger ones who would be willing to try out his new weapon first, and Morizan's response was exactly what he had hoped would happen.

'Good. The more you practise, the better you will get. Ayla and I have been using the spear-thrower for a long time, all during the year-long Journey back home, and for more than a year before that. As you can see, women can handle a spear-thrower very effectively.'

They followed Grass River upstream for some distance, then came to a smaller tributary that was called Little Grass River. As they continued upstream along the smaller waterway, Ayla began to notice a change in the air, a cool, moist freshness filled with richer smells. Even the grass was a darker shade of green, and in places the ground was softer. The path skirted marshy areas of tall reeds and cattails as they proceeded through the lush valley and approached a limestone cliff.

Several people were waiting outside, among them two young women. Ayla grinned when she saw them. They had all mated at the same Matrimonial during last year's Summer Meeting, and she felt especially close to them.

'Levela! Janida! I was looking forward to seeing you so much,' she said, walking toward them. 'I heard you had both decided to move to the Second Cave.'

'Ayla!' Levela said. 'Welcome to Horsehead Rock. We decided to come here with Kimeran to see you, so we wouldn't have to wait until you came to visit the Second. It's so good to see you.'

'Yes,' Janida concurred. She was considerably younger than the other two women, and rather shy, but her smile was welcoming. 'I am glad to see you, too, Ayla.'

The three women embraced, though they were all rather careful about it. Both Ayla and Janida were carrying infants, and Levela was pregnant.

'I heard you had a boy, Janida,' Ayla said.

'Yes, I named him Jeridan,' Janida said, showing her baby.

'I had a girl. Her name is Jonayla,' Ayla said. The infant was already awake from the commotion and Ayla lifted her out of the carrying blanket as she spoke, then turned to look at the baby boy. 'Oh, he's perfect. May I hold him?'

'Yes, of course, and I want to hold your daughter,' Janida said.

'Why don't I take your baby, Ayla,' Levela said. 'Then you can take Jeridan, and I'll give … Jonayla?' she saw Ayla nod, 'to Janida.'

The women shifted infants and cooed at them, while they looked them over and compared them with their own.

'You know Levela is pregnant, don't you?' Janida said.

'I can see that,' Ayla said. 'Do you know how soon you will have yours, Levela? I'd like to come and be here with you, and I'm sure Proleva would, too.'

'I don't know for sure, some moons yet. I would love to have you with me, and definitely my sister,' Levela said. 'But you won't need to come here. We'll probably all be at the Summer Meeting.'

'You're right,' Ayla said. 'It will be nice for you to have everyone around you. Even Zelandoni the First will be there, and she is wonderful at helping a mother to deliver.'

'There may be too many,' Janida said. 'Everyone likes Levela, and they won't let everyone stay with you. It would be too crowded. You may not want me; I'm not very experienced, but I would like to be there with you, the way you were with me, Levela. I'll understand, though, if you would rather have someone that you've known longer.'

'Of course I want you with me, Janida, and Ayla, too. After all, we shared the same Matrimonial, and that's a special bond,' Levela said.

Ayla understood the feelings that Janida had expressed. She, too, wondered if Levela would rather have friends she had known longer. Ayla felt a flush of warmth for the young woman, and was surprised at the sting of tears she fought to hold back at Levela's willing acceptance of her. Growing up, Ayla hadn't had many friends. Girls of the Clan mated at a young age, and Oga, the one who might have been close, had become Broud's mate, and he wouldn't allow her to be too friendly with the girl of the Others he had come to hate. She loved Iza's daughter, Uba, her Clan sister, but she was so much younger, she was more like a daughter than a friend. And while the other women had grown to accept her, and even care about her, they never really understood her. It wasn't until she went to live with the Mamutoi and met Deegie that she understood the fun of having a woman friend her own age.

'Speaking of Matrimonials and mates, where are Jondecam and Peridal? I think Jondalar feels a special bond for them, too. I know he was looking forward to seeing them,' Ayla said.

'They want to see him, too,' Levela said. 'Jondalar and his spear-throwing weapon is all Jondecam and Peridal have talked about since we knew you were coming.'

'Did you know that Tishona and Marsheval are living at the Ninth Cave now?' Ayla said, referring to another couple who had mated at the same time as they did. 'They tried living at the Fourteenth, but Marsheval was at the Ninth Cave so often — or I should say at Down River learning how to shape mammoth ivory, and staying overnight at the Ninth — that they decided to move.'

The three Zelandonia were standing back, watching, as the young women continued to chat. The First noticed how easily Ayla fell into conversation with them, comparing babies and talking excitedly about the things that were of interest to young mated women with children, or expecting them. She had begun teaching Ayla some of the rudiments of the knowledge she would need to become a full-fledged Zelandoni, and the young woman was without doubt interested and quick to learn, but the First was now realising how easily Ayla could get distracted. She'd been holding back, letting Ayla enjoy her new life as a mother and mated woman. Maybe it was time to push her a little harder, get her so involved that she would voluntarily choose to devote more time to learning what she needed to know.

'We should go, Ayla,' the First said. 'I would like you to see the cave before we get too involved with meals and visiting and meeting people.'

'Yes, we should,' Ayla said. 'I left all three horses and Wolf with Jondalar, and we need to get them settled. I'm sure he has people he wants to see, too.'

They walked toward the steep wall of limestone. The setting sun was shining directly on it and the small fire that had been built nearby was almost invisible in the bright sunlight. A dark hole was visible but not obvious. There were several torches propped against the wall and each of the Zelandonia lit one. Ayla followed the others into the dark hole, shivering as the darkness enveloped her. Inside the cavity in the rock cliff, the air suddenly felt cool and damp, but it wasn't only the abrupt drop in temperature that chilled her. She hadn't been there before and Ayla felt a touch of apprehension and trepidation when she entered an unfamiliar cave.

The opening was not big, but high enough so that no one had to bend over or stoop to enter. She had lit a torch outside and held the light in her left hand high in front of her, reaching for the rough stone wall with her right to steady herself. The warm bundle that she carried close to her chest with the soft carrying blanket was still awake, and she moved her hand from the wall to pat the baby to quiet her. Jonayla probably notices the change in temperature too, Ayla thought, looking around as she moved inside. It was not a large cave but it was naturally divided into separate smaller areas.

'It's here in the next room,' said Zelandoni of the Second Cave. She was also a tall blond woman, though somewhat older than Ayla.

The Zelandoni Who Was First Among Those Who Served The Great Earth Mother stepped aside to let Ayla move in behind the woman who was leading them. 'You go ahead. I've seen it before,' she said, shifting her considerable size out of the way.

An older man stepped back with her. 'I, too, have seen it before,' he said, 'many times.' Ayla had noticed how much the old Zelandoni of the Seventh Cave resembled the woman who was leading the way. He was also tall, though a little stooped, and his hair was more white than blond.

Zelandoni of the Second Cave held her torch up high to cast its light ahead; Ayla did the same. She thought she saw some indistinct images on some of the cave walls as they passed by, but since no one had stopped to point them out, she wasn't sure. She heard someone begin to hum — a rich, lovely sound — and recognised the voice of her mentor, the Zelandoni Who Was First. Her voice echoed in the small stone chamber, but especially as they entered another room and turned a corner. As the Zelandonia held their torches up to highlight a wall, Ayla gasped.

She wasn't prepared for the sight in front of her. The profile of the head of a horse was carved so deeply into the limestone wall of the cave, it appeared to be growing out of it, and so realistically, it almost seemed alive. It was larger than life-size, or else it was a carving of a much larger animal than she had ever seen, but she knew horses and the proportions were perfect. The shape of the muzzle, the eye, the ear, the nose with its flaring nostril, the curve of the mouth and jaw, everything was exactly as it would be in real life. And in the flickering torchlight, it looked as if it were moving, breathing.

She let out a sobbing burst of air; she had been holding her breath and didn't realise it. 'It's a perfect horse, except it's just the head!' Ayla said.

'That's why the Seventh Cave is called Horsehead Rock,' the old man said. He was just behind her.

Ayla stared at the image, feeling a sense of awe and wonder, and reached out to touch the stone, not even questioning whether she should have. She was drawn to it. She held her hand on the side of the jaw, just where she would have touched a living horse, and after a time the cold stone seemed to warm as though it wanted to be alive and come out of the stone wall. She took her hand away, and then put it back. The rock surface still held some warmth, but then it cooled again, and she realised that the First had continued to hum while she touched the stone, but had stopped when she let go.

'Who made it?' Ayla asked.

'No one knows,' said the First. She had come in after Zelandoni of the Seventh Cave. 'It was made so long ago, no one remembers. One of the Ancients, of course, but we have no legend or history to tell us who.'

'Perhaps the same carver who made The Mother of Elder Hearth,' said the Zelandoni of the Second Cave.

'What makes you think so?' asked the old man. 'They are entirely different images. One is a woman holding a bison horn in her hand; the other is the head of a horse.'

'I have studied both carvings. There seems to be a similarity of technique,' she said. 'Notice how carefully the nose and the mouth, and the shape of the jaw of this horse are made? When you go there, look at the hips on the Mother, the shape of the belly. I've seen women who look just like that, especially those who have had children. Like this horse, the carving of the woman that represents Doni in the cave at Elder Hearth is very true to life.'

'That's very perceptive,' said the One Who Was First. 'When we go to Elder Hearth, we'll do as you suggest, and look closely.' They stood quietly, staring at the horse for a while; then the First said, 'We should go. There are some other things in here, but we can look at them later. I wanted Ayla to see the Horsehead before we got involved with visiting and such.'

'I'm glad you did,' Ayla said. 'I didn't know carvings in stone could look so real.'