one.
Why don't I go? I don't have to watch the sky anymore. I don't have to stay up late; my training is over. I have been 'called'. I am Zelandoni! And I need to tell the rest of the zelandonia. The Mother not only called me, She gave me a great Gift. A Gift for everyone. I need to go so I can tell all the Zelandonii about the Mother's wonderful new Gift. And so I can tell Jondalar, and maybe start another baby.
Chapter 31
Ayla quickly got up from the rock, put on her clean clothes, gathered up her soiled ones and the drying skin, and whistled to Wolf as she hurried back along the path. As she walked up to the stone front porch of the shelter, she remembered her first swim with Jondalar, and then Marona and her friends offering to give her some new clothes.
Though Ayla had developed varying levels of tolerance toward the other women who were involved in the trick, she never got over her aversion to Marona, and avoided contact with her. The feeling was more than mutual. Marona had never made any effort to reconcile with the woman Jondalar brought home with him from his Journey. She had mated for a second time the same summer that Ayla and Jondalar did, but at the Second Matrimonial, and once again more recently. That mating had apparently not worked out, either; she had moved back to the Ninth Cave to stay with her cousin a year or so before. But for all her matings, she had no children.
Ayla couldn't abide the woman, and didn't know why she should be thinking of her. She shook off thoughts of Marona and concentrated on Jondalar. I'm so glad to finally be going to the Summer Meeting, she thought. I can ride Whinney, and it won't take long at all to get there, no more than a day, if I don't stop along the way.
The Summer Meeting was being held this year about twenty miles to the north along The River, at her favourite place for a Meeting. It was the same location as the first Zelandonii Summer Meeting she had ever gone to, and the one where she and Jondalar were mated. Such meetings usually used up nearly all the resources around the area, but if enough time was allowed to pass, Mother Earth healed the place from the misuse caused by the large concentration of people and it was refreshed enough to host them again.
The young woman burst into her dwelling, full of vigour and enthusiasm, and began sorting through her clothes and possessions. She was humming her usual monotone under her breath when Marthona came in.
'You're suddenly full of excitement,' the older woman said.
'I'm going to the Summer Meeting. I don't have to watch the sky anymore. I'm through with my training. There is no reason I can't go,' Ayla said.
'Are you sure you're strong enough?' There was a note of regret in Marthona's voice.
'You've taken good care of me. I'm feeling fine, and I really want to see Jondalar, and Jonayla.'
'I miss them too, but it's a long way to go alone. I thought you might wait until the next hunter comes to take a turn helping us. Then you could go back with Forason,' Marthona suggested.
'I'm going to ride Whinney. It won't take long. I can probably get there in a day. Two at the most,' Ayla said.
'Yes, you're probably right. I'd forgotten that you would be taking your horse, and Wolf, too,' Marthona said.
Ayla noticed Marthona's disappointment, and suddenly realised how much the woman would like to go, and she was still concerned about her health. 'How are you feeling? I don't want to leave if you are not well.'
'No, don't stay on my behalf,' Marthona said. 'I'm much better. If I had felt this good at the beginning of the season, I might have considered going.'
'Why don't you come with me? You could sit on Whinney's back. It might take a little longer, but only another day or so,' Ayla said.
'No. I like the horse well enough, but I don't want to sit on her back. To be honest, it frightens me a little. You are right, though, you need to go. You need to tell Zelandoni that you were 'called'. Imagine what a surprise it will be.'
'There's not much summer left anyway. Everyone will be coming back before long,' Ayla said, trying to ease the separation.
'I feel two ways about that,' Marthona said. 'I'm anxious for the Summer Meeting to be over and for the Ninth Cave to come back, but I'm not looking forward to the return of winter. I suppose it's always that way when a person gets old.'
Ayla's next step in preparing to leave was to look for Lorigan and Forason. She knew exactly where to find Jonclotan, with Jeralda. Almost everyone was sitting around the community fireplace, finishing up a meal.
'Ayla, come join us,' Jeralda called. 'Have something to eat. There is plenty left and it's still warm.'
'I think I will. I've been so hungry the last few days,' Ayla said.
'I can understand why,' Jeviva said. 'How do you feel?'
'Much more rested,' Ayla said, then smiled. 'I've decided that I'm going to go to the Summer Meeting soon. I've finished my sky watching, so there is no reason for me to stay, but I thought we ought to go hunting once more before I leave, both for those who are here, and for something to take with me to the Meeting. The animals around the Meeting Camp are likely to be almost gone, and those that haven't been killed are probably avoiding the area.'
'You aren't going to leave before my baby comes, are you?' Jeralda said.
'If you don't have it in the next few days,' Ayla said. 'Though I would like to stay and see that nice healthy baby born. Have you been walking?'
'Yes, I have, but I was so looking forward to you being here to help me.'
'Your mother is here, and several other women who know about babies, not to mention Jonclotan. I don't think you'll have any problems, Jeralda,' Ayla said. Then she looked at the three hunters. 'Would you like to go hunting with me tomorrow morning?'
'I hadn't planned on going for a few more days, but it doesn't matter to me,' Lorigan said. 'I can go tomorrow, especially if you're leaving soon. I have to admit, I've got used to our little hunting pack, including the wolf. I think we work together well.'
'Which way do you want to go?' Jonclotan said.
'We haven't been north for a while,' Forason said.
'I've been avoiding that direction because I don't know how far the hunters from the Summer Meeting are having to range now. I'm sure animals are getting scarce around the Camp by now. That's why I want to bring something with me. I have Zelandoni's pole-drag, I can use it to haul a good-sized carcass with me,' Ayla said.
'Is that safe?' Jeviva said. 'Won't you attract a hunting animal? Maybe you shouldn't go alone.'
Marthona had joined them, but didn't say anything. She didn't think it was anything that would concern Ayla, if she had made up her mind to go.
'Wolf will warn me, and I think between us, we can drive off a four-legged hunter,' Ayla said.
'Even a cave lion?' Jeralda asked. 'Maybe you should wait until the hunters can go with you.'
Ayla knew she was looking for a reason for her to stay so she'd be there to help her deliver her baby. 'Don't you remember when we hunted a pride of cave lions who tried to settle too close to the Third Cave? It was too dangerous to allow that. Every child or elder would have been considered prey, we had to make them go. When we killed the lion and a couple of the lionesses, the rest of them left.'
'Yes, but that was a whole hunting party. You are just one person,' Jeralda said.
'No, Wolf will be with me, and Whinney. Lions like to go after something they know is weak. I think the scent of all of us together would confuse them, and I'll keep my spear-thrower close by. Besides, if I leave early in the morning, I should be able to get there before nightfall,' Ayla said, then added to the hunters, 'Tomorrow, let's plan to go southwest.'
Marthona stayed back a ways listening to the conversation. She would make a good leader, the former leader of the Ninth Cave said to herself. She takes charge without even thinking about it, it just comes naturally. I think she's going to be a strong Zelandoni.
The hunters returned the next day hauling two large red deer with sizable racks. Ayla thought about going to get Whinney to help drag them back, but the other hunters didn't even think about it. They field-dressed the
