Jondalar wondered where Racer was, and looked over the edge of the stone porch at The River to see if he could catch sight of him, but he didn't seem to be nearby. He started to whistle for him, then changed his mind. He didn't need the stallion now. He would look for him later, after they got Zelandoni on the travois.
She looked around the horse shelter and noticed some planks that had been pried out of a log with wedges and a maul. She had planned to make additional feeding boxes for the horses with them, but then Jonayla was born, and they kept using ones she had made before, and she never got around to making more. Since they were kept under the overhanging ledge, protected from the worst of the weather, they seemed to be usable.
'Jondalar, I think we need to make a platform that won't bend so easily, for Zelandoni. Do you think we could fasten these planks across the poles to use as a base for a seat?' Ayla asked.
He looked at the poles and the planks, and then at the abundantly endowed woman. His forehead wrinkled in a familiar knot. 'It's a good idea, Ayla, but the poles are flexible, too. We can try it, but we may have to use sturdier ones.'
There were always thongs or cords around the horse shelter. Jondalar and Ayla used some to fasten the planks across the poles. When they were done, the three of them stood back and looked at their handiwork.
'What do you think, Zelandoni? The planks are slanting, but we can fix that later,' Jondalar said. 'Do you think you could sit on them?'
'I'll try, but it may be a little high for me.'
While they were working, the Donier had become interested in the apparatus they were making, and was curious herself to see how it would work. Jondalar had devised a halter for Whinney similar to the one he used for Racer, though Ayla seldom used it herself. She usually rode bareback with only a leather riding blanket, directing the animal with her position and the pressure of her legs, but for special circumstances, especially when other people were involved, it gave her an added measure of control.
While Ayla put the halter on the mare, making sure Whinney was calm, Jondalar and Zelandoni went to the reinforced travois behind the horse. The planks were a bit high, but Jondalar lent his strong arm and gave her a boost. The poles did bend under her weight, enough that her feet could touch the ground, but it gave her the feeling that she could get down easily enough. The slanting seat did feel somewhat precarious, but it wasn't as bad as she thought it would be.
'Are you ready?' Ayla asked.
'I'm as ready as I'll ever be,' Zelandoni said.
Ayla started Whinney at a slow walk in the direction of Down River. Jondalar walked behind, smiling encouragingly at Zelandoni. Then Ayla led the horse under the overhanging shelf and made a wide complete turn until they were facing in the opposite direction, and headed toward the east end of the front ledge, toward the dwellings.
'I think you should stop now, Ayla,' the woman said.
Ayla stopped immediately. 'Are you uncomfortable?' she said.
'No, but didn't you say you wanted to make a real seat for me?'
'Yes.'
'Then the first time you take me for everyone to see on this, I think it would be better to have the seat fixed up the way you want it, because you know people will be looking and appraising,' the large woman said.
Ayla and Jondalar were taken aback for a moment, then Jondalar said, 'Yes, you are probably right.'
In the next breath, Ayla said, 'That means you would be willing to ride on the pole-drag!'
'Yes, I think I could become used to it. It's not like I couldn't get off any time I wanted to,' the great Donier said.
Ayla wasn't the only one working on travelling gear. The entire Cave had various items spread out in their dwellings or outside workplaces. They needed to make or repair sleeping rolls, travelling tents, and certain structural elements of the summer shelters, although most of the materials to make them would be gathered at the campsite. Those who had made objects as gifts or for trade, especially those who were proficient in certain crafts, had to make decisions regarding what and how much to bring. Those walking could carry only a limited amount with them, especially since they also had to carry food, both for immediate use and for gifts and special feasts, clothing, and sleeping rolls and other necessities.
Ayla and Jondalar had already decided to make new pole-drags for Whinney and Racer — the ends of the poles that dragged on the ground were the part that wore down first, especially when dragging heavy loads. After several people had made requests, they had offered the additional carrying power of the horses to family and close friends, but even the sturdy horses could take only so much.
From the beginning of spring, the Cave had hunted meat and collected plants — berries, fruits, nuts, mushrooms, edible stems, leaves and roots of vegetables, wild grains, even lichen and the inner bark of certain trees. Though they would bring a small amount of fresh food recently hunted or foraged, most of their food was dried. Drying preserved food for a long time and it weighed less, allowing them to carry more to eat while travelling and after they arrived until hunting and gathering patterns could be established at the location of the current year's Summer Meeting.
The site of the annual gathering changed every year in a regular cycle of suitable places. There were only certain areas that could accommodate a Summer Meeting and any area could only be used for one season and then had to rest for several years before it could be used again. With so many people congregated in one place — somewhere between one and two thousand people — by the end of the summer they would have used up all the resources for some distance around, and the earth needed to recover. The year before they had followed The River north about twenty-five miles. This year they would be travelling west until they reached another waterway, West River, which ran generally parallel to The River.
Joharran and Proleva were inside their dwelling finishing a midday meal along with Solaban and Rushemar. Ramara, Solaban's mate, and her son Robenan, had just left with Jaradal, Proleva's son, both of whom could count six years. Sethona, her baby daughter, had fallen asleep in Proleva's arms and she had just stood up to put her down. When they heard a tapping on the hard rawhide panel beside the entrance, Proleva thought that Ramara had probably forgotten something and returned, and was surprised when a much younger woman entered at her call to come into the dwelling.
'Galeya!' Proleva said, rather surprised. Though Galeya had been friends with Joharran's sister, Folara, almost from birth, and often came to their dwelling with her friend, she seldom came alone.
Joharran looked up. 'Are you back already?' he said, then turned to the others. 'Since she's such a fast runner, I sent Galeya to the Third Cave earlier this morning to find out when Manvelar plans to leave.'
'When I got there, he was just going to send a runner to you,' Galeya said. She was a little out of breath, and her hair was wet from the sweat of her effort. 'Manvelar said the Third Cave is ready to leave. He wants to start tomorrow morning. If the Ninth Cave is ready to go, he would like to travel with us.'
'That's a little sooner than I had planned, I was thinking of leaving in the next day or so,' Joharran said, his frown lines showing. He looked at the others. 'Do you think we can be ready to go by tomorrow morning?'
'I can,' Proleva said, without hesitation.
'We probably can,' Rushemar said, 'Salova has finished the last of the baskets she wanted to take with her. We haven't packed, but I have everything ready.'
'I'm still sorting through my handles,' Solaban said. 'Marsheval came by yesterday to talk about what he should bring. He seems to have a talent for working with ivory, too, and is gaining skill,' he added with a smile. Solaban's craft was making handles, mostly for knives, chisels, and other tools. Though he could make handles out of antler and wood, he particularly liked working with mammoth tusk ivory and had begun making other objects from it, like beads and carvings, especially since Marsheval had become his apprentice.
'Can you be ready to leave by tomorrow morning?' Joharran asked. He knew Solaban often agonised to the last moment over the decision of which handles to bring with him to the Summer Meeting, for gifts and for trading.
'I suppose I can,' Solaban said, then coming to a decision. 'Yes, I'll be ready, and I'm sure Ramara can be, too.'
'Good, but we need to find out about the rest of the Cave so I can send a runner back to Manvelar. Rushemar, Solaban, we need to tell everyone that I'd like to have a short meeting, as soon as possible. You can say what it's about if anyone asks and tell them that whoever comes to represent each hearth should be able to decide for the rest,' he said. He dumped the last remnants left in his personal eating bowl into the fire, then wiped it and
