medallions with animals carved on them. There were so many objects on the necklaces, Wolafon couldn't even see them all, but even more impressive were her facial tattoos. They were so intricate and embellished, he could hardly see her skin under all the squares, swirls, curlicues, and flourishes. She was without doubt a Zelandoni of great stature and Wolafon was a little fearful of her. He didn't know if he should bother her with his little request.'
The woman on the platform had seated herself and although she hadn't changed clothes, the way she wrapped them around herself gave the impression of an old woman in the shapeless clothing Galliadal had described.
'Wolafon decided to leave, but as he turned to go, he heard a voice, 'What do you want from me, boy?' she said.' Galliadal's voice took on the sound of an older woman, not thin and quavery, but powerful and mature.
'Wolafon gulped, then turned around. He introduced himself properly, then said, 'My mother told me you might be able to help me.' '
' 'What is your problem?' '
' 'I met a woman, who came from the south. I wanted to share cattails with her, but she said she couldn't eat cattails, she could only eat meat. I love her and I would hunt for her but I am not a very good hunter. Can you help me to become a good hunter?' '
' 'Are you sure she wants you to hunt for her?' the old Zelandoni asked. 'If she doesn't want your cattails, it may be that she won't want your meat, either. Did you ask her?' '
' 'When I offered her the cattails, she said she couldn't eat them, not that she didn't want to, and when I told her I would hunt for her, she didn't say no,' Wolafon said.' The voice Galliadal used for the young man sounded hopeful, and the expression of the young man on the platform mimicked the tone.
' 'You know that all it takes to become good hunter is practice, lots of practice,' the old Zelandoni told him.
' 'Yes, I know. I should have practised more.' ' The young man on the platform looked down, as though contrite.
' 'But you didn't practise, did you? Now, because a young woman interests you, you want to suddenly become a hunter, is that right?' ' Galliadal's tone as the old Zelandoni became a reprimand.
' 'I suppose so.' The young man looked even more ashamed. 'But I adore her.' '
' 'You must always earn whatever you get. If you don't want to make the effort to practise, you must pay for the skill some other way. You give your effort to practise, or you give something else. What are you willing to give?' the old woman asked.
' 'I'll give anything!' ' The audience gasped, knowing it was the wrong thing to say.
' 'You could still take the time to practise and learn how to hunt,' the old Zelandoni said.
' 'But she won't want to wait until I learn how to hunt well. I adore her. I just want to bring her meat so she will love me. I wish I was born knowing how to hunt.' '
Suddenly the audience and the ones on the raised platform detected a commotion in their midst.
Chapter 11
Wolf was slipping through the crowd, occasionally brushing against someone's leg but gone before they could catch more than a glimpse of what had touched them. Though most people were familiar with him, he was still a surprise that could bring a gasp or a squeal of apprehension when he was noticed. He even surprised Ayla when he appeared so unexpectedly and sat in front of her, looking up at her face. Danella was startled, because he had appeared so quickly, but she wasn't afraid.
'Wolf! You've been gone all day. I was beginning to wonder where you were. Exploring the whole area, I think,' Ayla said as she rubbed the ruff of fur around his neck and scratched behind his ears. He reached up to lick her neck and chin, then put his head in her lap, seeming to enjoy her welcoming strokes and caresses. When she stopped, he curled up in front of her and laid his head on his paws, relaxed, but watchful.
Galliadal along with the others on the platform watched him, and then the man smiled. 'Our unusual visitor has come at an appropriate time in the story,' he said. Then back in character, he continued.
' 'Is that what you want? To be a natural-born hunter?' the old Zelandoni asked.
' 'Yes! That's it. I want to be a natural-born hunter,' Wolafon said.
' 'Then come into my cave,' said the old woman.' The tone of the story was no longer at all humorous; it was ominous.
'As soon as Wolafon walked into the cave, he became very sleepy. He sat down on a pile of wolf furs, and was instantly asleep. When he finally woke up, he felt that he had slept for a long time, but he didn't know how long. The cave was empty, with no sign that it had ever been inhabited. He quickly ran outside.' The young man on the platform ran out of the imaginary cave using both hands and feet.
'The sun was shining and he was thirsty. As he headed for the river, he began to notice that something was strange. For one thing, he was seeing things from a different angle, as though he were lower to the ground. When he reached the edge of the stream, he felt the cold water on his feet as though he didn't have any foot-coverings on. When he looked down, he didn't see feet at all; he saw paws, the paws of a wolf.
'At first he was confused. Then he realised what had happened. The old Zelandoni had given him exactly what he asked for. He wanted to become a natural-born hunter, and now he was. He had become a wolf. That wasn't what he meant when he asked to be a good hunter, but it was too late now.
'Wolafon was so sorry he wanted to cry, but he had no tears. He waited at the water's edge, and in the stillness, began to be aware of the woods in a new way. He could hear things he had never heard before, and smell things he hadn't even known existed. He picked up the scent of many things, especially animals, and when he focused on a large rabbit, a white hare, realised that he was hungry. But now he knew exactly what to do. Quietly, slowly, he stalked the creature. Though the hare was very fast, and could turn in an instant, the wolf anticipated his moves and caught him.'
Ayla smiled to herself at this part of the story. Most people did believe that wolves and other meat-eaters were born knowing how to hunt and kill their prey, but she knew better. After she had mastered the use of the sling, practising in secret, she wanted to take the next step, to actually hunt with it, but hunting was forbidden to the women of the Clan. Many carnivores often stole meat from Brun's clan, particularly smaller meat-eaters like martens, stoats, and other weasels, small wild cats, foxes, and middle-size hunters like vicious wolverines, tufted lynxes, wolves, and hyenas. Ayla justified her decision to defy the Clan taboo by resolving that she would hunt only meat-eaters, animals that were destructive to her clan, leaving the hunting of food animals to the men. As a result, she not only excelled as a hunter, but she learned a great deal about her chosen prey. She spent the first few years observing them before she managed to make her first kill. She knew that while the tendency to hunt was strong in meat-eaters, they all had to be taught by their elders in one way or another. Wolves weren't born knowing how to hunt; young ones learned from their pack.
She was drawn back into Galliadal's storytelling. 'The taste of warm blood running down his throat was delicious and Wolafon quickly devoured the hare. He went back to the river for another drink and cleaned the blood off his fur. Then he nosed around looking for a secure place. When he found one, he curled up and using his tail to cover his face, he went to sleep. When he woke up again, it was dark, but he could see better at night than he ever had before. He stretched languorously, lifted his leg and sprayed a bush, then went out hunting again.' The young man on the platform did a good job of mimicking a wolf's actions, and when he lifted his leg, the audience laughed.
'Wolafon lived in the cave that had been abandoned by the old woman for some time, hunting for himself and enjoying it, but after a while he began to get lonely. The boy had become a wolf, but he was still a boy, too, and he began to think about returning home to see his mother, and the attractive young woman from the south. He headed back toward the Cave of his mother, running with the ease of a wolf. When he saw a young deer who had strayed away from its mother, he remembered that the girl from the south liked to eat meat, and decided he would hunt it and bring it to her.
'When Wolafon got close, some people saw him coming and were afraid. They wondered why a wolf was dragging a deer toward their home. He saw the attractive young woman, but he didn't notice the tall, handsome, fair-haired man standing beside her holding a new kind of weapon that enabled him to throw spears very far and
