Chapter 9
'Yes, you are right, of course. It wasn't just a stillborn baby,' the Twenty-sixth said. 'They were two-born- together, or would have been, but they were more than born together, they were joined together.'
Ayla remembered that the same thing had happened to one of the women of the Clan, two babies joined together with a monstrous result. She felt a great sadness for Danella.
'One was normal size, the other much smaller and not fully formed, and parts of the second were attached to the first one.' the Twenty-sixth continued. 'I'm glad there was no breath in them, or I would have had to take it. It would have been too hard for Danella. As it was, she bled so much, I'm surprised she survived. We, her mother, Stevadal's mother, and I decided not to tell either one of them. We were afraid it would make any later pregnancy even more distressing than a stillborn would. You can examine her if you want, but it happened some time ago, in late winter. She has healed well; she just needs to recover her strength, and get through her grief. Your coming to visit may have helped. I saw her holding Ayla's baby, and I think that's good. She seems to have made a friend of you, Ayla, and your wolf, too. Perhaps she'll feel more inclined to go to the Summer Meeting now.'
'Jondalar!' Ayla said when she and the First arrived back at the camp of the Ninth Cave. 'What are you doing here? I thought you were going to the Summer Meeting Camp.'
'I am going there,' he said. 'I just decided to check on Racer and Grey while I was here. I haven't spent much time with Racer, and they both seemed to enjoy the company. Why are you here?'
'I wanted to let Whinney feed Grey, while I nurse Jonayla. I was going to leave Whinney here, but then we thought this would be a good time for Zelandoni to ride into Camp on the pole-drag,' Ayla said.
Jondalar grinned. 'Then I'll wait,' he said. 'In fact, why don't I ride in with you on Racer?'
'We'll have to take Grey with us, too,' Ayla said, frowning slightly. Then she smiled. 'We can use the small halter you made for her; she's getting used to wearing it. It might be good for her to get accustomed to being around people she doesn't know.'
'That should make quite a show,' Zelandoni said. 'But I think I like it. I'd rather be part of a bigger production than the only one for people to stare at.'
'We should bring Wolf, too. Most people have seen the animals, but not together. There are still a few who can't quite believe that Whinney allows Wolf near her baby. If they see that he is no danger to Grey, it could help them realise that he's no danger to them, either,' Ayla said.
'Unless someone attempted to harm you,' Jondalar said, 'or Jonayla.'
Jaradal and Robenan came running into the summer dwelling of the leader of the Seventh Cave. 'Weemar!' Thona! Come and see!' Jaradal shouted.
'Yes, come and see!' Robenan echoed. The two boys had been playing just outside.
'They brought all the horses, and Wolf, even Zelandoni is riding! Come and see!' Jaradal exclaimed.
'Calm down, boys,' Marthona said, wondering what Jaradal meant. It did not seem possible that Zelandoni could be sitting on the back of a horse.
'Come and see! Come and see!' both boys were yelling, while Jaradal tried to pull his grandam up from the cushion upon which she was seated. Then he turned to Willamar. 'Come and see, Weemar.'
Marthona and Willamar were visiting Sergenar and Jayvena to discuss their part in an upcoming ceremony that would involve all leaders and former leaders in a small way. They had taken Jaradal with them to keep him out from underfoot of his mother. Proleva, as usual, was involved in meal planning for the event. Solaban's pregnant mate, Ramara, and her son, Robenan, who was Jaradal's age-mate and friend, had come along so the boys could play.
'We're coming,' Willamar said, helping his mate up.
Sergenar pushed aside the drape that covered the entrance and all of them crowded out. A most surprising sight met them. Parading toward the zelandonia lodge were Jondalar on Racer's back, leading Grey, and Ayla riding the mare with Jonayla in her carrying blanket sitting in front of her. Whinney was pulling a pole-drag upon which the First was seated, facing backward. The wolf was padding along beside them. It was still unexpected for most people to see horses with people on their backs, not to mention the wolf nonchalantly walking with them. But to see the First Among Those Who Served The Great Earth Mother riding on a seat that was being pulled by a horse was nothing less than astonishing.
The procession passed quite near the camp of the Seventh Cave and although Marthona and Willamar and the rest of the people of the Ninth Cave were quite familiar with the animals, they gawked at the demonstration as much as anyone. The First caught Marthona's eye and, though she smiled in a decorous way, Marthona detected a sparkle of impish delight in the woman's gaze. It was more than a parade, it was a spectacle, and if there was one thing members of the zelandonia enjoyed staging, it was a spectacle. When they reached the entrance to the big lodge, Jondalar stopped and let Ayla and Whinney pull ahead, then dismounted and offered a hand to the First. For all her size, she stepped down from the seat on the travois gracefully and, perfectly aware that everyone was watching her, entered the lodge with great dignity.
'So that's what he wanted us to help him make,' Willamar commented. 'He said he needed to build a very sturdy pole-drag, with shelves. It wasn't shelves he wanted, but it was clever of him to say that. None of us could imagine that they would turn out to be a seat for Zelandoni. I'll have to ask her what it's like to sit on a seat that is pulled by a horse.'
'It is brave of her to do that,' Jayvena said. 'I'm not sure that I would want to try it.'
'I would!' Jaradal said, his eyes full of excitement. 'Thona, do you think Ayla would let me sit on a pole-drag seat while Whinney pulled it?'
'I'd like to do it, too,' Robenan said.
'The young are always willing to try something new,' Ramara said.
'I wonder how many similar conversations are going on around this Camp right now,' Sergenar said. 'But if she lets one boy do it, every other boy in camp will be clamouring to do the same.'
'And quite a few girls, too,' Marthona added.
'If I were her, I would wait until we get back to the Ninth Cave,' Ramara said. 'Then it wouldn't be much different from letting a child or two ride on the mare's back while Ayla leads her around, the way she does now.'
'It does make quite a demonstration, though. I recall how I felt when I first saw those animals. It could be frightening. Didn't Jondalar tell us that people ran away from them when they were on their Journey here? Now that we're used to them, it just seems rather impressive,' Willamar said.
Not everyone was so pleasantly impressed by the demonstration. Marona, who loved to be the centre of attention, felt a surge of jealousy rise up. She turned to her cousin, Wylopa, and remarked, 'I don't know how anyone can stand to be around those dirty animals all the time. When you get close to her she smells for horse, and I've heard she sleeps with that wolf. It's disgusting.'
'She sleeps with Jondalar, too,' Wylopa said, 'and I'm told he won't share Pleasures with anyone else.'
'That won't last,' Marona said, giving Ayla a venomous stare. 'I know him. He'll be back in my bed again. I promise you.'
Brukeval saw the two cousins talking, recognised the nasty look Marona gave Ayla, and felt two opposing emotions. He knew it was hopeless, but he loved Ayla and wanted to protect her from the spitefulness of the woman who was also his cousin — he had been the brunt of her malice himself and knew how hurtful she could be. But he was also afraid that Ayla would suggest that he was a Flathead again and he couldn't stand that, even though he knew in his heart that she didn't mean it in the unkind way that most people did. He never looked at a polished blackened-wood reflector, but sometimes he caught glimpses of himself in still water and hated what he saw. He knew why people called him by that hateful name, but he couldn't bear the idea that there might be some truth to it.
Madroman was also scowling at Ayla and Jondalar. He resented the way Ayla was getting so much attention from the First. Yes, she was her acolyte, but he didn't think it was right for the one who was supposed to be overseeing all the acolytes to favour her so much when they were together at a Summer Meeting. And of course Jondalar had to be in the middle of things. Why did he have to come home? Things were better while the big oaf was gone, especially after the Zelandoni of the Fifth Cave decided to take him as an acolyte, though he thought he
