Mammoth Hunters (88 page)

The circular wall was not completed, but they were working on the rest of the lodge, wedging in shoulder blades and pelvic bones and pieces of spine in a rhythmically symmetrical yet tightly fitted way. An open framework of wood inside provided additional support for the structure and it appeared that the roof would be constructed of mammoth tusks.

“This is the work of a true artist!” Ranec said, stepping closer and openly admiring their handiwork.

Ayla knew he would approve. She noticed Jondalar standing a little distance away holding Racer’s lead rope. She realized that he was no less impressed or appreciative of the inspired mind that had conceived of the idea. In fact the entire Lion Camp was at a loss for words. But as Tulie had suspected, the Mammoth Camp was just as astounded by their visitors—or rather, by the tame animals that traveled with them.

There was a period of mutual staring in wonder and amazement, and then a woman and man, both somewhat younger than the leaders of the Lion Camp, came forward to greet Tulie and Talut. The man had been hauling heavy mammoth bones up the slope—these were by no means temporary dwellings that would be carried from place to place, but a permanent settlement—and he was stripped to the waist and sweaty. His face was heavily tattooed and Ayla had to remind herself not to stare. He not only had a chevron pattern on his left cheek, like the Mamut of the Lion Camp, but a symmetrical arrangement of zigzags, triangles, and diamond shapes, and right-angle spirals in two colors, blue and red.

The woman had obviously been working, too, and was also bare from the waist up, but rather than pants, she wore a wrapped skirt that fell to just below her knees. She had no tattoos, but the side of her nose was pierced and she wore a labret made of a small piece of carved and polished amber through the hole.

“Tulie, Talut, what a surprise! We were not expecting you, but in the name of the Mother, we welcome the Lion Camp,” the woman said.

“In the name of Mut, we thank you for your welcome, Avarie,” Tulie said. “We did not mean to come at an inconvenient time.”

“We were nearby, Vincavec,” Talut added, “and could not pass without stopping.”

“It is never inconvenient for the Lion Camp to visit,” the man said, “but how do you happen to be nearby? This is not on the way to Wolf Camp for you.”

“The runner that came to tell us that the Meeting place had been changed stopped off at a Sungaea Camp as he was making his stops and told us they were very sick. We have a new member, a Healer, Ayla of the Mammoth Hearth,” Talut
said, beckoning her forward, “and she wanted to go and see if she could help. We have just come from there.”

“Yes, I know that Sungaea Camp,” Vincavec said, then turned to Ayla. For a moment she felt his eyes bore into her. She hesitated for a moment, still not entirely used to returning the direct look of a stranger, but she sensed this was not a moment for shyness, or the modesty of a Clan woman, and returned his intense gaze. Suddenly he laughed, and his pale gray eyes gleamed with approval, and a look that appreciated her womanliness. She noticed then that he was a striking, attractive man, not because he was handsome or for any particular feature, although the tattoos did make him stand out, but because of a quality of strength of will and intelligence. He looked up at Mamut sitting on Whinney.

“So you’re still with us, old man,” he said, obviously pleased, then added with a knowing smile, “and still coming up with surprises. Since when have you become a Caller? Or do we need another name? Two horses and a wolf traveling with the Lion Camp? This is more than a Gift of Calling.”

“Another name might be appropriate, Vincavec, but it is not my gift. The animals answer to Ayla.”

“Ayla? It seems the old Mamut has found himself a worthy daughter.” Vincavec looked her over again, with obvious interest. He didn’t notice Ranec glower, but Jondalar did. He understood the feeling, and for the first time, felt a strange sort of kinship with the carver.

“Enough standing here talking,” Avarie said. “We have plenty of time for that. The travelers must be tired, and hungry. You must let me arrange a meal for you, and a place to rest.”

“We can see that you are making a new lodge, Avarie. You don’t need to go to trouble for us. A place to set up tents will be enough,” Tulie said. “Later, we would be pleased to share a meal with you, and perhaps show you some fine reindeer skins and furs we happen to have with us.”

“I have a better idea!” Talut boomed, shrugging off his packframe where he stood. “Why don’t we help you? You may have to tell me where to put it, but I have back enough to carry a mammoth bone or two.”

“Yes, I’d like to help,” Jondalar volunteered, leading Racer forward and helping Rydag off. “That’s an unusual lodge. I have never seen anything quite like it.”

“By all means. We welcome your help. Some of us are in a
hurry to get to the Summer Meeting, but a lodge needs a summer to set up properly, so we needed to build it before we left. The Lion Camp is most generous,” Vincavec said, wondering how many pieces of amber their generosity was going to cost when the trading started. Then he decided it would be worth it to get his lodge finished, and quiet some of the complainers.

Vincavec hadn’t noticed the tall blond man in the crowd of people at first, but he looked twice, then glanced back at Ayla, who was unharnessing Whinney from the travois. He was a stranger, as Ayla was, and he seemed as comfortable with the horses as she did. But then the little flathead seemed familiar with the wolf, and he was no stranger any more. It must have something to do with the woman. The Mamut-headman of the Mammoth Camp turned his attention back to Ayla. He noticed the brown-skinned carver was hovering around her; Ranec always did have an eye for the beautiful and the exceptional, he thought. In fact, he was acting possessive, but then who was the stranger? Wasn’t he associated with the woman? Vincavec glanced at Jondalar, and noted that he was watching Ayla and Ranec.

Something was going on here, Vincavec decided, then smiled. Whatever the relationships, if they were both so interested, it was likely the woman was not formally joined, yet. He looked her over once again. She was a striking woman, and a daughter of the Mammoth Hearth, a Healer, or so they claimed, and she certainly had some unique talent with animals. A woman of high status, no doubt, but where had she come from? And why was it always the Lion Camp that turned up with someone unusual?

The two headwomen were standing inside an almost complete, but empty new earthlodge. Although the outside was covered, the zigzag pattern of the walls was subtly apparent on the inside.

“Are you sure you won’t travel with us, Avarie?” Tulie said. A new string of large amber beads graced her neck. “We’d be happy to wait a few more days, until you are ready.”

“No, you go ahead. I know everyone is anxious to get to the Meeting, and you have already done too much. The lodge is nearly finished, and without you, we would never have been so far along.”

“It was our pleasure to work with you. I must admit, the new lodge is quite impressive. It is an honor to the Mother. Your brother is truly remarkable. One can almost feel the Mother’s presence inside.” She was sincere, and Avarie knew it.

“Thank you, Tulie, and we will not forget your help. That’s why we don’t want to keep you any longer. You are already late because you stayed to help us. All the best places will be taken.”

“It won’t take us long to get there now. Our load is considerably lighter. Mammoth Camp strikes a hard bargain.”

Avarie’s eyes glanced at the big headwoman’s new necklace. “Not nearly as hard a bargain as Lion Camp,” she said.

Tulie agreed. She believed the Lion Camp had gotten the better of the bargaining, but it was unseemly to admit to it. She changed the subject. “Well, we’ll look forward to seeing you there. If we can, we’ll try to mark a place for you.”

“We would appreciate that, but I suspect we’ll be the last ones. We will have to take what we can get. We will look for you, though,” Avarie said, as they walked out.

“We’ll leave in the morning, then,” Tulie said. The two women embraced, and touched cheeks, then the headwoman of the Lion Camp started toward the tents.

“Oh, Tulie, in case I don’t see Ayla to tell her before you go, please thank her again for the firestone,” Avarie said, then added in an apparently offhand way, “Have you set a Bride Price for her yet?”

“We have been thinking about it, but she has so much to offer, it’s difficult,” Tulie said, then turned to go. After a few steps, she turned back and smiled. “She and Deegie have become so close Ayla is almost like a daughter to me.”

Tulie could hardly suppress a smile as she walked away. She thought she had noticed Vincavec paying particular attention to Ayla, and she knew Avaries comment was no casual remark. He had put his sister up to it. It would not be a bad match, Tulie thought, and having ties with the Mammoth Camp could prove beneficial. Of course, Ranec has first claim. They are, after all, Promised, but if someone like Vincavec made an offer, it wouldn’t hurt to consider it. At the very least, it would raise her value. Yes, Talut had a good idea when he suggested they stop and do some trading.

Avarie watched her go. So Tulie is going to negotiate the Bride Price herself. I thought as much. Perhaps we should stop off at Amber Camp on the way, I know where Mother keeps the raw stone, and if Vincavec is going to try for Ayla, he’s going to need everything he can get. I never saw a woman drive a harder bargain than Tulie, Avarie thought with begrudging admiration. She hadn’t particularly eared for the big headwoman of the Lion Camp before, but these past few days when they had a chance to get better acquainted, she had come to respect her, and even like her. Tulie had worked hard with them and was generous with her praise when it was deserved, and if she was a formidable trader, well, that was the headwoman’s role. In fact, if she were young and ready to make a joining, Avarie thought, she wouldn’t mind having someone like Tulie negotiating her Bride Price.

From the Mammoth Camp, the Lion Camp traveled in a generally northerly direction, for the most part following the river. Near the great waterways that coursed down the continent, the northern landscape changed continually and displayed a rich diversity of plant life. Their trek took them from tundra fells and loess plains to reedy forest lakes, from lush bogs to windy knolls and grassy meadows bright with summer blooms. Though the northern plants were stunted, the flowers were often larger and more brilliant than southern varieties. Ayla could identify most of them, though she didn’t always know what to call them. When they passed them, or if she was out riding or walking alone, she often picked some to bring to Mamut, or Nezzie, or Deegie, or someone to tell her the names.

The closer they came to the place of the Summer Meeting, the more Ayla found reasons to make side trips. Summer had always been the time when she wanted solitude. It had been her pattern for as long as she could remember. In the winter, she accepted the confinement imposed by severe weather, whether it was to the cave of Bruns clan, or the one in her valley, or the Mamutoi earthlodge. But in summer, though she did not like to be alone at night, she had often enjoyed getting off by herself during the day. It was her time to think her own thoughts, and follow her own impulses, free from the restriction of being watched too much, either because of suspicion, or love.

When they stopped for the evening, it was easy enough to
say she wanted to identify plants or to hunt, and she did both, using the spear-thrower as well as her sling to bring back fresh meat, but she really wanted to get away alone. She needed time to think. She was dreading their arrival, and couldn’t quite understand why. She had met enough people now, and had been easily enough accepted, so she knew that wasn’t the problem. But the closer they got, the more excited Ranec became, and the more morose Jondalar seemed. And the more she wished she could avoid this gathering of the Camps.

On their last night of traveling, Ayla returned from a long walk with a handful of flowers. She noticed that a patch of ground near the fire had been smoothed out, and that Jondalar was making marks in it with the drawing knife. Tornec had a broken piece of ivory in his hand and a sharp knife out, and was studying marks.

“Here she is,” Jondalar said. “Ayla can tell you better than I can. I’m not sure I could find my way back to the valley from Lion Camp, and I know I couldn’t do it from here. We’ve taken too many turns and detours.”

“Jondalar was trying to make a map showing the way to the valley where you found the firestones,” Talut said.

“I’ve been looking ever since we left, and I haven’t seen one firestone,” Tornec added. “I’d like to make a trip there sometime and get some more. The ones we have won’t last forever. Mine already has a big groove in it.”

“I’m having trouble judging distance,” Jondalar said. “We traveled on horseback, so it’s hard to say how many days it would take on foot. And we explored a lot, stopped when we felt like it, didn’t follow any logical trail. I’m almost certain we went back across the river that runs through your valley, farther north. Maybe more than once. When we went back, it was almost winter, and many landmarks had changed.”

Ayla put down the flowers, and picked up the drawing knife, and tried to think about how to make a map to the valley. She started to make a line, and then hesitated.

“Don’t worry about trying to do it from here,” Talut encouraged. “Just think about how to get there from Lion Camp.”

Ayla crinkled her brow in concentration. “I know I could show you the way from Lion Camp,” she said, “but I still don’t understand maps very well. I don’t think I know how to draw one.”

“Well, don’t worry about it,” Talut said. “We don’t need a map, if you can show us the way. Maybe after we return from the Summer Meeting, we can make a trip there.” Then he motioned with his red-bearded chin toward the flowers. “What did you bring back this time, Ayla?”

“That’s what I want you to tell me. I know what they are, but I don’t know what you call them.”

“I know that red one is a geranium,” Talut said. “And this is poppy.”