She felt warmth from Her son. But neither had won. The Great Mother lived with the pain in Her heart, That She and Her son were forever apart. She ached for the child that had been denied, So She quickened once more from the life-force inside. She was not reconciled. To the loss of Her child. Ayla always cried at this part. She knew what it was like to lose a son and felt as one with the Great Mother. Like Doni, she also had a son who still lived, but from whom she would be forever apart. She hugged Jonayla to her. She was grateful for her new child, but she would always miss her first one.
With a thunderous roar Her stones split asunder, And from the great cave that opened deep under, She birthed once again from Her cavernous room, And brought forth the Children of Earth from Her womb. From the Mother forlorn, more children were born. Each child was different, some were large and some small, Some could walk and some fly, some could swim and some crawl. But each form was perfect, each spirit complete, Each one was a model whose shape could repeat. The Mother was willing. The green earth was filling. All the birds and the fish and the animals born, Would not leave the Mother, this time, to mourn. Each kind would live near the place of its birth, And share the expanse of the Great Mother Earth. Close to Her they would stay. They could not run away. Both Ayla and Jondalar looked around the great cavern, and caught each other's eye. This was certainly a sacred place. They had never been in such a huge cave and suddenly they both understood the meaning of the sacred origin story better. There might be others, but this had to be one of the places from which Doni gave birth. They felt they were in the womb of the Earth.
They all were Her children, they filled Her with pride, But they used up the life force She carried inside. She had enough left for a last innovation, A child who'd remember Who made the creation. A child who'd respect. And learn to protect. First Woman was born full-grown and alive, And given the Gifts she would need to survive. Life was the First Gift, and like Mother Earth, She woke to herself knowing life had great worth. First Woman defined. The first of her kind. Next was the Gift of Perception, of learning, The desire to know, the Gift of Discerning, First Woman was given the knowledge within, That would help her to live, and pass on to her kin. First Woman would know. How to learn, how to grow. Her life force near gone, the Mother was spent, To pass on Life's Spirit had been Her intent. She caused all of Her children to create life anew, And Woman was blessed to bring forth life, too. But Woman was lonely. She was the only. The Mother remembered Her own loneliness, The love of Her friend and his hovering caress. With the last spark remaining, Her labour began, To share life with Woman, She created First Man. Again She was giving. One more was living. Both Zelandoni and Ayla looked at Jondalar and smiled, and their thoughts were similar. They both felt that he was a perfect example, he could have been First Man, and they were both grateful that Doni had created man to share life with woman. From their expressions, Jondalar could almost guess their thoughts, and felt a little embarrassed, though he didn't know why he should.
To Woman and Man the Mother gave birth, And then for their home, She gave them the Earth, The water, the land, and all Her creation.
