Ayla's first spear found a young bull, not quite full grown. She watched it drop, then saw Jondalar's spear hit the cow. It staggered but didn't fall. She flung another spear at the wounded one, and saw it stumble. The first of the herd were breaking through the firewall. The rest were following, leaving behind their fallen brethren.
It was over.
It had happened so quickly, it was hard to believe. The hunters went to check the kills; nine bleeding bison littered the streambed. When they examined their spears, Willamar, Palidar, Tivonan, Jonokol, Kimeran, and Jondecam had each killed one animal. Jondalar and Ayla together had killed three.
'I didn't expect us to be quite so successful,' Jonokol said, checking the marks on the spear to make sure the animal was his. 'Maybe we should have coordinated our hunt beforehand. This is too much of a good thing.'
'It's true, we didn't need so many,' Willamar said, 'but it means we have more to share. It won't go to waste.' He always liked to bring something when he arrived at a new Cave.
'But how are we going to haul them all?' Three horses can't pull nine huge bison on poledrags,' Palidar said. The young man's spear had hit a huge bull and he wasn't even sure how to begin to move the beast, much less the rest of them.
'I think someone is going to have to go ahead to the next Cave and bring some people back to help. I don't think they'll mind. They won't even have to hunt them,' Jondalar said. He had been thinking along the same lines as Palidar, but he had more experience with such enormous beasts and knew that many hands made it easier.
'You're right,' Jondecam said, 'but I think we are going to have to move our camp here to butcher them.' He wasn't really looking forward to moving.
'That might upset Beladora. She is working on several weaving projects that she won't want to relocate,' Kimeran said. 'Although she could come here to help with the skinning and butchering, I suppose.'
'I think we can skin them here,' Ayla said, 'then cut them into large pieces, and make several trips to get them back to our camp, and start drying some of the meat. Then we can take some of the fresh meat to the next Cave and ask for help to move the rest of it.'
'That would work,' Willamar said. 'I am going to use the horns to make a couple of drinking cups.'
'I wouldn't mind keeping some of the hooves to boil into glue to attach spear points to shafts,' Jondalar said. 'Pitch is all right, but hooves and bones make a better glue.'
'And we can make new waterbags out of the stomachs, and use the intestines to save the fat,' Ayla added.
'Levela sometimes keeps chopped-up meat in cleaned-out intestines, too,' Jondecam said, 'and waterproof coverings for hats and footwear can be made from them.'
Suddenly, Ayla realised how near they were to their destination. They would soon deliver Amelana to her Cave. Then they would go to see the very ancient Sacred Site that the First especially wanted Ayla to see; it wasn't far away. After that, it was only a couple of days farther to Beladora's people, according to Willamar. Then they would retrace their steps and return home.
It would be just as long a trek back as it was to get here, but as Ayla looked around, it seemed as though the Mother had provided them with the means to resupply all their needs for the return Journey. They had the materials they needed to replace their worn equipment, weapons, and clothing. There was more than enough meat to dry, and to make travelling cakes, which were essential for covering long distances in a hurry, by grinding up the dehydrated meat and adding fat and the dried berries. They had also dried roots and stems of certain vegetation, and common varieties of mushrooms that everyone knew.
'I've been here! I know this place!' Amelana said. She was so excited to see one familiar place, and then another, she couldn't erase her excited smile. There was no stopping to rest now; pregnant or not, she could hardly wait to get home.
The small group of travellers approached a well-marked trail that wound around a sharp U-shaped bend in the river. An old floodplain had left a broad, level grassy field somewhat above the swiftly flowing water that ended abruptly at the base of a steep cliff. A nice place for horses to graze, Ayla thought.
The wide trail gradually traversed up the side of the cliff around brush and small trees, some of whose roots were used as steps. It was not easy going for the horses, especially pulling the pole-drags, but Ayla remembered how sure-footed Whinney was when she had climbed up to her cave in the valley where Ayla had found her.
The trail levelled out, perhaps assisted by people, Ayla thought, as the travellers came to a sheltering overhanging shelf in an area that was obviously well inhabited. Many people, who had been engaged in various activities, all stopped and stared at the strange procession that was advancing toward them, which included people and surprisingly docile horses. Whinney was wearing the halter that Jondalar had made for her. Ayla liked to use it when they were heading into unknown and possibly unsettling situations, but she was leading both Whinney and Grey, who were both hauling pole-drags. Whinney was pulling the First; Grey's travois had a large load of bison meat. Willamar, his two assistants, and Amelana also accompanied them.
When the young woman among them who was obviously pregnant broke away from the visitors, it aroused attention. 'Mother! Mother! It's me!' she called out as she ran toward a woman of substantial proportions.
'Amelana? Amelana, is that you? What are you doing here?' the woman said.
'I came home, mother, and I'm so glad to see you,' Amelana cried.
She threw her arms around the woman, but her pregnant stomach made it difficult to stand close. The woman returned the embrace, then holding her shoulders, pushed her back to look at the daughter she thought she would never see again.
'You're pregnant! Where's your mate? Why are you back? Did you do something wrong?' her mother said. She couldn't imagine why a woman would travel what she knew was a long distance — though she didn't know how long — when she was pregnant. She knew how impetuous her daughter could be and hoped she hadn't broken any social custom or taboo seriously enough that they would send her home.
'No, of course I didn't do anything wrong. If I had, the First Among Those Who Serve The Great Mother would not have brought me home. My mate walks the next world now, and I was pregnant and wanted to come home and have my baby near you,' Amelana said.
'The First is here? The First brought you home?' the woman said.
She turned to look at the visitors. A woman was stepping down from some kind of contrivance that was pulled by a horse. She was a large woman, of a size greater than herself, and from the tattoo on the left side of her forehead, she knew the woman was a Zelandoni. The woman walked toward her with great dignity and a certain presence that conveyed authority. A closer look at her tattoo, plus the designs on her outfit and the chest plaque and other necklaces that she wore made Amelana's mother understand that the woman was indeed the First.
'Why don't you introduce me to your mother, Amelana?' the First said.
'Mother, please greet the One Who Is First Among Those Who Serve The Great Earth Mother,' Amelana began, 'Zelandoni, this is Syralana of the Third Cave of the Zelandonii That Watches Over the Most Ancient Sacred Site, mated to Demoryn, leader of the Third Cave of the Zelandonii That Watches Over the Most Ancient Sacred Site, mother of Amelana and Alyshana.' It gave her a certain sense of satisfaction to show her mother and those who were watching how well she knew the acknowledged leader of the zelandonia.
'I welcome you, First Among Those Who Serve The Great Mother,' Syralana said, holding out both hands and walking toward her. 'We are greatly honoured that you have come.'
The First grasped both hands and replied, 'In the name of the Great Earth Mother, I greet you, Syralana of the Third Cave of the Zelandonii That Watches Over the Most Ancient Sacred Site.'
'Did you travel this far just to bring my daughter home?' Syralana couldn't resist asking.
'I am taking my Acolyte on her Donier Tour. She is the one with the horses. We have come to see your Most Ancient Sacred Site. It is known even to us, though we live far to the north.'
Chapter 25
Syralana looked at the tall woman, who was holding ropes that were attached to the two horses, with a bit of apprehension, which the First noticed.
'We can introduce you later, if you don't mind,' she said. 'You did say your mate is the leader of this Cave?'
