The Shelters of Stone (125 page)

The Mother remembered Her own loneliness,
The love of Her friend and his hovering caress.
With the last spark remaining, Her labor began,
To share life with Woman, She created First Man.
     Again She was giving. One more was living.

To Woman and Man the Mother gave birth,
And then for their home, She gave them the Earth,
The water, the land, and all Her creation.
To use them with care was their obligation.
     It was their home to use. But not to abuse.

For the Children of Earth the Mother provided,
The Gifts to survive, and then She decided,
To give them the Gift of Pleasure and sharing,
That honors the Mother with the joy of their pairing.
     The Gifts are well-earned. When honor’s returned.

The Mother was pleased with the pair She created,
She taught them to love and to care when they mated.
She made them desire to join with each other,
The Gift of their Pleasures came from the Mother.
     Before She was through. Her children loved too.
     Earth’s Children were blessed. The Mother could
     rest.

Ayla—of the Ninth Cave of the Zelandonii, formerly Ayla of the Lion Camp of the Mamutoi, Daughter of the Mammoth Hearth, Chosen by the Spirit of the Cave Lion, Protected by the Cave Bear, Friend of the horses, Whinney and Racer, and the four-legged hunter, Wolf

Jondalar—of the Ninth Cave of the Zelandonii, Ayla’s intended, son of former leader, brother of leader; called Jondé by his sister Folara

Zelandoni (Zolena)—Current Zelandoni, former lover of Jondalar

Thonolan/d—Jondalar’s younger brother, killed on Journey

Folara—Jondalar’s younger sister

Marthona—Jondalar’s mother, former leader, also mother of Joharran, Folara

Willamar—Marthona’s mate, Trade Master, Traveler

Tivonan—Willamar’s apprentice trader

Joconan/d—Marthona’s first mate, dead, man of Joharran’s hearth

Joharran—Jondalar’s older brother, leader of Ninth Cave

Proleva—Joharran’s mate

Jaradal—Proleva’s son, Joharran’s hearth child

Levela—Proleva’s younger sister, Jondecam’s mate

Jondecam—Levela’s mate, nephew of Kimeran and son of Zelandoni of the Second Cave

Velima—mother of Proleva and Levela

Solaban—Hunter, adviser, and friend of Joharran

Ramara—Solaban’s mate

Robenan—Ramara’s son

Rushemar—Hunter, adviser, and friend of Joharran

Salova—Rushemar’s mate

Marsola—Salova’s daughter

Marona—Jondalar’s former girlfriend

Wylopa—Marona’s cousin

Portula—Marona’s friend

Lorava—Portula’s younger sister

Ramila—Folara’s friend

Galeya—Folara’s friend

Charezal—New member of Ninth Cave, stranger to Jondalar

Shevonar/d—Man who dies while hunting

Relqna—Shevonar’s mate

Ranokol—Shevonar’s brother

Brukeval—Jondalar’s distant cousin (part Clan)

Madroman—Formerly called Ladroman, acolyte of Fifth Cave

Laramar—Man who makes barma

Tremeda—Laramar’s mate

Bologan—son of Tremeda, eldest, twelve

Lanoga—daughter of Tremeda, ten

Lorala—daughter of Tremeda, about six months

Stelona—Older woman who nurses Lorala

Thefona—Third Cave’s best lookout, best vision

Thevola—Maker of rawhide panels

Lanidar—Boy of the Nineteenth Cave with deformed right arm, twelve

Mardena—Lanidar’s mother

Denoda—Mardena’s mother

Janida—Peridal’s mate

Peridal—Janida’s mate

Matagan—Young man who was gored by a woolly rhinoceros

Tishona—Marsheval’s mate

Marsheval—Tishona’s mate

Palidar—Tivonan’s friend

Whinney—Ayla’s horse, dun-yellow mare, Przwalski horse

Racer—Jondalar’s horse, bay (brown) stallion, Cherski horse (rare)

Wolf—Ayla’s wolf

Manvelar—Leader of Third Cave, Two Rivers Rock

Morizan—Son of Manvelar’s mate, son of his hearth

Kareja—Leader of Eleventh Cave, River Place

Dorova—Kareja’s mother

Brameval—Leader of Fourteenth Cave, Little Valley

Kimeran—Leader of Second Cave of the Zelandonii, Elder Hearth, brother of Zelandoni of the Second Cave, uncle of Jondecam

Denanna—Leader of the three holdings of the Twenty-ninth Cave, Three Rocks, and specifically of the South Holding, Reflection Rock

Tormaden—Leader of the Nineteenth Cave of the Zelandonii

Zelandoni—of the Eleventh Cave, River Place, homosexual man

Marolan—man who is the Eleventh’s friend and mate

Zelandoni—of the Third Cave, Two Rivers Rock, older man

Zelandoni—of the Fourteenth Cave, Little Valley, middle-aged woman

Zelandoni—of the Second Cave, Elder Hearth, older sister of Kimeran, mother of Jondecam

Zelandoni—of the Seventh Cave, Horsehead Rock, white-haired grandfather of Zelandoni Second, and Kimeran

Zelandoni—of the Nineteenth Cave, white-haired older woman

Zelandoni—of the Fifth Cave, Old Valley, middle-aged man

Zelandoni—of the Twenty-ninth Cave, Three Rocks, and mediator between the three assistant zelandonia and three leaders of the three separate locations of the Twenty-ninth Cave

Assistant Zelandoni of the Twenty-ninth Cave, Zelandoni of Reflection Rock (South Holding), middle-aged man

Assistant Zelandoni of the Twenty-ninth Cave, Zelandoni of South Face (North Holding), young man

Assistant Zelandoni of the Twenty-ninth Cave. Zelandoni of Summer Camp (West Holding), middle-aged woman

First Acolyte of the Second Cave (almost Zelandoni), young woman

Jonokol—First Acolyte of the Ninth Cave, artist, young man

Mikolan—Second Acolyte of the Fourteenth Cave, very young man

Mejera—Acolyte of the Third Cave (formerly Fourteenth Cave), very young woman

Madroman—Acolyte of the Fifth Cave (formerly Ladroman of the Ninth Cave), young man

Dalanar—Man of Jondalar’s hearth, Marthona’s former mate, founder of the Lanzadonii

Jerika—Dalanar’s mate, co-founder of Lanzadonii

Ahnlay/d—Jerika’s mother, died

Hochaman—Man of Jerika’s hearth—Great Traveler

Joplaya—Jerika’s daughter, daughter of Dalanar’s hearth

Echozar—Joplaya’s half-Clan mate

Andovan/d—Man who helped raise Echozar

Yoma/d—Echozar’s mother, Clan woman

1

The band of travelers walked along the path between the clear sparkling water of Grass River and the black-streaked white limestone cliff, following the trail that paralleled the right bank. They went single file around the bend where the stone wall jutted out closer to the water’s edge. Ahead a smaller path split off at an angle toward the crossing place, where the flowing water spread out and became shallower, bubbling around exposed rocks.

Before they reached the fork in the trail, a young woman near the front suddenly stopped, her eyes opening wide as she stood perfectly still, staring ahead. She pointed with her chin, not wanting to move. “Look! Over there!” she said in a hissing whisper of fear. “Lions!”

Joharran, the leader, lifted his arm, signaling the band to a halt. Just beyond the place where the trail diverged, they now saw pale-tawny cave lions moving around in the grass. The grass was such effective camouflage, however, that they might not have noticed them until they were much closer, if it hadn’t been for the sharp eyes of Thefona. The young woman from the Third Cave had exceptionally good vision, and though she was quite young, she was noted for her ability to see far and well. Her innate talent had been recognized early and they had begun training her when she was a small girl; she was their best lookout.

Near the back of the group, walking in front of three horses, Ayla and Jondalar looked up to see what was causing the delay. “I wonder why we’ve stopped,” Jondalar said, a familiar frown of worry wrinkling his forehead.

Ayla observed the leader and the people around him closely, and instinctively moved her hand to shield the warm bundle that she carried in the soft leather blanket tied to her chest. Jonayla had recently nursed and was sleeping, but moved slightly at her mother’s touch. Ayla had an uncanny ability to interpret meaning from body language, learned young when she lived with the Clan. She knew Joharran was alarmed and Thefona was frightened.

Ayla, too, had extraordinarily sharp vision. She could also pick up sounds above the range of normal hearing and feel the deep tones of those that were below. Her sense of smell and taste were also keen, but she had never compared herself with anyone, and didn’t realize how extraordinary her perceptions were. She was born with heightened acuity in all her senses, which no doubt contributed to her survival after losing her parents and everything she knew at five years. Her only training had come from herself. She had developed her natural abilities during the years she studied animals, chiefly carnivores, when she was teaching herself to hunt.

In the stillness, she discerned the faint but familiar rumblings of lions, detected their distinctive scent on a slight breeze, and noticed that several people in front of the group were gazing ahead. When she looked, she saw something move. Suddenly the cats hidden by the grass seemed to jump into clear focus. She could make out two young and three or four adult cave lions. As she started moving forward, she reached with one hand for her spear-thrower, fastened to a carrying loop on her belt, and with the other for a spear from the holder hanging on her back.

“Where are you going?” Jondalar asked.

She stopped. “There are lions up ahead just beyond the split in the trail,” she said under her breath.

Jondalar turned to look, and noticed movement that he interpreted as lions now that he knew what to look for. He reached for his weapons as well. “You should stay here with Jonayla. I’ll go.”

Ayla glanced down at her sleeping baby, then looked up at him. “You’re good with the spear-thrower, Jondalar, but there are at least two cubs and three grown lions, probably more. If the lions think the cubs are in danger and decide to attack, you’ll need help, someone to back you up, and you know I’m better than anyone, except you.”

His brow furrowed again as he paused to think, looking at her. Then he nodded. “All right … but stay behind me.” He detected movement out of the corner of his eye and glanced back. “What about the horses?”

“They know lions are near. Look at them,” Ayla said.

Jondalar looked. All three horses, including the new young filly, were staring ahead, obviously aware of the huge felines. Jondalar frowned again. “Will they be all right? Especially little Gray?”

“They know to stay out of the way of those lions, but I don’t see Wolf,” Ayla said. “I’d better whistle for him.”

“You don’t have to,” Jondalar said, pointing in a different direction. “He must sense something, too. Look at him coming.”

Ayla turned and saw a wolf racing toward her. The canine was a magnificent animal, larger than most, but an injury from a fight with other wolves that left him with a bent ear gave him a rakish look. She made the special signal that she used when they hunted together. He knew it meant to stay near and pay close attention to her. They ducked around people as they hurried toward the front, trying not to cause any undo commotion, and to remain as inconspicuous as possible.

“I’m glad you’re here,” Joharran said softly when he saw his brother and Ayla with the wolf quietly appear with their spear-throwers in hand.

“Do you know how many there are?” Ayla asked.

“More than I thought,” Thefona said, trying to seem calm and not let her fear show. “When I first saw them, I thought there were maybe three or four, but they are moving around in the grass, and now I think there may be ten or more. It’s a big pride.”

“And they are feeling confident,” Joharran said.

“How do you know that?” Thefona asked.

“They’re ignoring us.”

Jondalar knew his mate was very familiar with the huge felines. “Ayla knows cave lions,” he said, “Perhaps we should ask her what she thinks.” Joharran nodded in her direction, asking the question silently.

“Joharran is right. They know we’re here. And they know how many they are and how many we are,” Ayla said, then added, “they may see us as something like a herd of horses or aurochs and think they may be able to single out a weak one. I think they are new to this region.”

“What makes you think so?” Joharran said. He was always surprised at Ayla’s wealth of knowledge of four-legged hunters, but for some reason it was also at times like this that he noticed her unusual accent more.

“They don’t know us, that’s why they’re so confident,” Ayla continued. “If they were a resident pride that lived around people and had been chased or hunted a few times, I don’t think they would be so unconcerned.”