The clan of the cave bear_ a novel - Jean M. Auel [165]
“I want to talk to you alone.” He hesitated again. “Excuse my intrusion. I looked into your hearth. The girl’s return was a surprise.”
Every member of the clan had broken the custom of averting eyes to avoid looking into another’s hearth. They couldn’t help it. They had never seen someone who had returned from the dead before.
“It’s understandable, under the circumstances. You don’t have to be concerned,” Mog-ur replied and started to move on.
“That’s not what I wanted to see you about,” Brun said, putting out a hand to detain the old magician. “I want to ask you about ceremonies.” Mog-ur waited expectantly, watching Brun grope for words. “A ceremony now that she’s back.”
“No ceremonies are necessary, the danger is over. The evil ones are gone, there’s no need for protection.”
“I don’t mean that kind of ceremony.”
“What kind do you mean?”
Brun hesitated again, then started in a new direction. “I watched her talking to you and Iza. Do you notice a difference in her, Mog-ur?”
“What do you mean, a difference?” Mog-ur signaled warily, unsure of Brun’s intent.
“She has a strong totem; Droog always said she was lucky. He thinks her totem brings us luck, too. He might be right. She would never have come back without luck and strong protection. I think she knows it, now. That’s what I meant by different.”
“Yes, I think I noticed a difference like that. But I still don’t understand what it has to do with ceremonies.”
“Remember the meeting we had after the mammoth hunt?”
“You mean when you were questioning her?”
“No, the one after, without her. I’ve been thinking about that meeting ever since she left. I didn’t think she would come back, but I knew if she did, it would mean her totem is very strong, even more powerful than we thought. I’ve been thinking about what we should do if she did come back.”
“What we should do? There’s nothing we have to do. The evil spirits are gone, Brun. She’s back, but she’s no different than she always was. She’s just a girl, nothing has changed.”
“But what if I want to change something? Is there a ceremony for that?”
Mog-ur was puzzled. “A ceremony for what? You don’t need a ceremony to change the way you act toward her. What kind of change? I can’t tell you about ceremonies if I don’t know what they’re for.”
“Her totem is a clan totem, too, isn’t it? Shouldn’t we try to keep all the totems happy? I want you to hold a ceremony, Mog-ur, but you have to tell me if there is such a ceremony.”
“Brun, you’re not making sense.”
Brun threw up his hands, abandoning his attempt to communicate. While Ayla was gone, he’d had the time to mull over the many new ideas some of the men had put forth. But the disconcerting result of his musings intruded uncomfortably into the clan leader’s mind.
“The whole thing doesn’t make sense, how can I make sense out of it? Whoever expected her to come back, anyway? I don’t understand spirits, I never have. I don’t know what they want, that’s what you’re here for. But you’re not much help! The whole idea is ridiculous anyway. I’d better think about it again.”
Brun turned on his heel and stalked off, leaving behind a very confused magician. He turned back after a few steps.
“Tell the girl I want to see her,” he signaled and continued on to his hearth.
Creb shook his head as he returned to his own hearth. “Brun wants to see Ayla,” he announced when he got back.
“Did he say he wanted to see her right away?” Iza asked, pushing more food in front of her. “He won’t mind if she finishes eating, will he?”
“I’m through, mother. I can’t eat another bite. I’ll go now.”
Ayla walked to the next hearth and sat at the feet of the leader of the clan with her head bowed. He had on the same foot coverings that were worn and creased in the same places. The last time she had looked at those feet, she was terrified. She was no longer terrified. To her surprise, she didn’t fear Brun at all, but she respected him more. She waited. It seemed to be taking an extraordinarily long time for him to acknowledge her. Finally, she felt a tap on her shoulder and looked up.
“I