The clan of the cave bear_ a novel - Jean M. Auel [245]
“There is one thing you can do, Ayla,” The Mog-ur gestured slowly, emphasizing every movement. His eye turned cold. “You can never mention it again.”
He stood as tall as his one good leg would allow, trying not to lean too much on his staff. Then, with all the pride in himself and his People he could gather, he turned with stiff dignity and walked out of the cave.
“Broud!”
The young man strode over to the man who had greeted him. The women of Brun’s clan were hurrying to finish the morning meal, they planned to leave as soon as they ate, and the men were taking one last opportunity to talk to people they would not see again for seven years. Some they would never see again. They were lingering over the details of the exciting meeting to make it last just a little longer.
“You did well this time, Broud, and by the next Gathering, you will be leader.”
“Next time you may do as well,” Broud gestured, puffing up with pride. “We were just lucky.”
“You are lucky. Your clan is first, your mog-ur is first, even your medicine woman is first. You know, Broud, you’re lucky to have Ayla. Not many medicine women would brave a cave bear to save a hunter.”
Broud scowled slightly, then saw Voord and walked over to him.
“Voord!” he hailed, motioning a greeting. “You did well this time. I was glad when they chose you over Nouz. He was all right, but you were definitely better.”
“But you deserved to be first choice, Broud. You ran a good race, too. Your whole clan deserves its place; even your medicine woman is best, though I had my doubts at first. She’ll be a good medicine woman to have around when you are leader. I only hope she doesn’t get any taller. Between you and me, I feel strange having to look up at a woman.”
“Yes, the woman is too tall,” Broud said with stiff gestures.
“But what does it matter, as long as she’s a good medicine woman, right?”
Broud barely nodded, then waved aside further discussion and walked away. Ayla, Ayla, I’m getting tired of Ayla, he thought, heading across the cleared space.
“Broud, I wanted to see you before you left,” a man said, walking over to meet him halfway. “You know there is a woman in my clan with a daughter deformed like the son of your medicine woman. I talked to Brun and he has agreed to accept her, but he wanted me to talk to you. You’ll most likely be leader by then. The mother has promised to raise her daughter to be a good woman, worthy of the first clan and the son of the first medicine woman. You don’t have any objections, do you, Broud? It’s a logical match.”
“No,” Broud gestured curtly and turned on his heel. If he hadn’t been so angry, he might have objected, but he didn’t feel like getting into a discussion about Ayla.
“By the way, that was a good race, Broud.”
The young man didn’t see the comment, his back was already turned. As he stalked toward the cave, he saw two women avidly engrossed in conversation. He knew he should look away to avoid seeing what they were saying, but he just stared straight ahead, affecting not to notice them.
“ … I just couldn’t believe she was a woman of the Clan, and then, when I saw her baby … But the way she walked right up to Ursus, just like she belonged to the host clan, not afraid of him or anything. I couldn’t have done it.”
“I talked to her for a while, she’s really nice, and she acts perfectly normal. I can’t help but wonder, though, do you think she’ll ever find a mate? She’s so tall, what man wants a woman taller than he is? Even if she is a first-ranked medicine woman.”
“Someone told me one clan is considering her, but there just wasn’t time to work out the details, and I think they want to talk about it. They said they’d send a runner if they decide to accept her.”
“But don’t they have a new cave? They say she found it, and that it’s very big, and lucky, too.”
“It’s supposed to be near the sea, and the paths are well used. I think a good runner could find them.”
Broud passed the two women and had to restrain an urge to cuff the lazy, gossiping busybodies. But they weren’t of his clan,