comfortable just chatting with the First or her Acolyte, even though Ayla had a child with her. The young woman had heard them discussing medicines and healing practices, and other knowledge and lore of the zelandonia, most of which she didn't understand, and felt intimidated by the accomplished women.
She did, however, like the attention she was getting from all the young men, both the young hunters and Willamar's apprentices, though the traders did back off when she was surrounded by all of the rather bumptious youths. They didn't need to vie for her attention. They knew the youngsters would be with them only a few days, and they had the rest of the trip. While Jondalar with the help of Jonokol and Willamar was hitching the First's special riding travois to Whinney, Ayla and the Donier were watching the by-play of Amelana and the young men.
'They remind me of a litter of wolf cubs,' Ayla said.
'When did you see wolf cubs?' Zelandoni said.
'When I was young and still living with the Clan,' Ayla said. 'Before I started hunting meat-eaters, I used to watch them, sometimes for a long time, all morning, or all day, if I could stay away that long. I watched all kinds of four-legged hunters, not just wolves. That was how I learned to track very silently. Watching the young of any animal was always fascinating, but I particularly liked wolf cubs. They liked to play, just like those boys — I suppose I should call them young men, but they still act like boys. Look how they wrestle and punch and bump each other out of the way, all trying to get Amelana's attention.'
'I notice Tivonan and Palidar are not with them,' the Donier said. 'I think they know they'll have plenty of time to pay attention to her after we reach the next sacred site and the youngsters go away, and when we start travelling again.'
'You think those young men will go off someplace when we get to the next Cave? She's a very attractive young woman,' Ayla said.
'She's also their only audience right now. They will be the centre of attention of admiring friends and relatives when they arrive at their Camp with us, and bringing deer meat to share. Everyone will be asking them questions and be eager to hear the stories they have to tell. They won't have time for Amelana.'
'Won't that make her sad or upset?' Ayla said.
'She'll have new admirers by then, and they won't all be boys. An attractive young, pregnant widow will not lack for attention, and neither will those young traders. I'm glad neither one of them seems overly infatuated with Amelana,' the older woman said. 'She's not the kind of woman who would make a good mate for either one of them. A woman mated to a traveller has to have strong interests of her own and not depend on her man to keep her occupied.'
Ayla thought that she was glad Jondalar was not a trader, or involved in some other craft that would require him to travel long distances. It wasn't that she didn't have interests of her own or that she needed him to keep her occupied; it was that she would worry if he were gone for a long time. He occasionally took his apprentices to search out new sources of flint, and often examined likely sources when he was out with hunting parties, but travelling alone could be dangerous, and if he got hurt, or worse, how would she know? She would have to wait and wait, wondering if he would ever return. Travelling with a group or even two is better. Then one at least can come back and tell you.
It occurred to her that perhaps Willamar wouldn't choose just one of his apprentices to be the next Master Trader. He might choose both, and suggest that they travel together for company and to help each other. Of course, a trader's mate could travel with him, too, but once children came along she might not want to travel away from other women much anymore. It would have been much more difficult, when we were on our Journey, if I'd had a baby along the way. Most women would want the help and companionship of their mothers and other relatives and friends … just like Amelana does. I don't blame her for wanting to go home.
Once they were underway, the travellers settled into a routine quickly, and since they'd had such a good hunt before they left, they didn't have to allow time for hunting along the way, and travelled a little faster than usual. They did spend extra time collecting food that grew, however. Since the season had progressed, they had a greater selection and abundance of vegetables — roots, stems, leafy greens — and fruits to gather.
About midmorning on the day they left, as the temperature began to warm, Ayla began to notice a delicious aroma. Strawberries! We must be walking through a field of wild strawberries, she thought. She wasn't the only one who became aware of the favourite fruit, and everyone was glad to stop to make tea and to pick several small baskets of the tiny bright red berries. Jonayla didn't bother with a basket — she picked them right into her mouth. Ayla smiled at her, then looked at Jondalar, who was picking strawberries alongside her.
'She reminds me of Latie. Nezzie would never send her daughter out to pick strawberries for a meal. Latie ate everything she picked and never brought anything back, no matter how often her mother chided her. She loved strawberries too much,' Ayla said.
'Is that right?' Jondalar said. 'I didn't know that. I guess I was too busy with Wymez or Talut when you were talking to Latie or Nezzie.'
'I even made excuses for Latie some times,' Ayla said. 'I'd tell Nezzie there weren't enough berries for everyone. It was true enough; by the time Latie got through, there weren't, and she could pick them fast.' Ayla picked for a while in silence, but mentioning Latie brought up other memories. 'Remember how much she loved the horses? I wonder if Latie ever managed to find a young one to bring home? Sometimes I miss the Mamutoi. I wonder if we'll ever see any of them again.'
'I miss them, too,' Jondalar said. 'Danug was becoming a fine flint-knapper, especially with Wymez to train him.'
When she finished picking her second basket of strawberries, Ayla noticed other things growing that could add to their evening meal, and asked Amelana and Dulana if they wanted to help her collect some. Ayla took Jonayla and headed first for the edge of the river they were following to collect cattails. Their rhizomes with their new roots and the corms and the lower stems were particularly succulent at this time of year. The top spike had also filled out with tightly packed green buds, which could be boiled or steamed and then chewed off. There were also several kinds of leafy greens. She saw the distinctive shape of sorrel and smiled when she thought of their spicy, tangy taste, and she was especially pleased to find nettles, delectable when cooked down to a delicious green mass.
Everyone enjoyed the meal that night. Spring foods were usually sparse — a few greens, some new shoots — and the larger variety and quantity of plant foods that summer brought were welcomed. The people sometimes craved vegetables and fruits because they provided essential nutrients that their bodies needed, especially after a long winter of primarily dried meat, fat, and roots. The morning meal was leftovers and hot tea, and a quick start. They planned to cover a lot of ground that day so they would arrive at the local Summer Meeting Camp early on the day after.
On the second day, shortly after they started out, the travellers ran into some difficulty. The river they were following had been spreading out and the banks near the stream were becoming boggy and overgrown with vegetation, making it difficult to walk close to the water. It was midmorning and they had been climbing up the sloping sides of a rise for some time. They finally came to the crest of a knoll, and looked out over a valley below. High hills ranged around a long, low area of land, dominated by a steep-sloped prominence that overlooked the confluence of three rivers: a major one that came from the east and meandered off toward the west, a large tributary originating in the northeast, and the small one they were following. Directly ahead of them in a field between two of the rivers was a profusion of summer shelters, lodges, and tents. They had reached the Summer Meeting Camp of the Zelandonii who lived in the land south of Big River, in the territory of the Seventh Cave.
One of the spotters came running into the zelandonia lodge. 'Wait until you see what is coming this way!' he blurted out.
'What?' said the Zelandoni of the Seventh Cave.
'People, but that's not all.'
'All the Caves are here,' another Zelandoni said.
'Then they must be visitors,' the Seventh said.
'Were we expecting any visitors this year?' the elder Zelandoni of the Fourth Cave of the South Land Zelandonii said as they all got up and headed toward the entryway.
'No, but that's the way it is with visitors,' the Seventh said.
When the Zelandonia went out, the first thing they noticed heading their way was not the band of people, but the three horses, all of which were dragging some kind of contrivances; two also had people on their backs, one of
