The clan of the cave bear_ a novel - Jean M. Auel [273]
“Vorn has agreed to take Durc to his hearth. His mate is fond of the boy, in spite of his deformity. He will be well cared for.”
There was a disturbed murmur and a flurry of hand signals from the clan. Children belonged with their mothers until they were grown. Why would Broud take Ayla but refuse her son? Ayla broke out of her place and threw herself at Broud’s feet. Broud tapped her shoulder.
“I am not through yet, woman. It is disrespectful to interrupt the leader, but I will overlook it this time. You may speak.”
“Broud, you can’t take Durc away from me. He’s my son. Wherever a woman goes, her children go with her,” she motioned, forgetting to use any form of polite greeting or to phrase her statement as a request in her anxiety. Brun was glowering, his pride in the new leader gone.
“Are you, woman, telling this leader what he can or cannot do?” Broud motioned with a sneer on his face. He was pleased with himself. He had planned this for a long time, and he had gotten just the reaction he had hoped for.
“You are no mother. Oga is more mother to Durc than you are. Who nursed him? Not you. He doesn’t even know who his mother is. Every woman in the clan is mother to him. What difference does it make where he lives? He obviously doesn’t care, he eats at everyone’s hearth,” Broud said.
“I know I haven’t been able to nurse him, but you know he is my son, Broud. He sleeps with me every night.”
“Well, he won’t sleep with me every night. Can you deny that Vorn’s mate is ‘mother’ to him? I have already told Goov … I mean the mog-ur, that the mating ceremony will be held after this meeting. There is no point in waiting. You will move to my hearth tonight, and Durc will move to Vorn’s. Now go back to your place,” he commanded. Broud glanced around the clan and noticed Creb leaning on his staff near the cave. The old man looked angry.
But not nearly as angry as Brun. His face was a black rage as he watched Ayla return to her place. He struggled to control himself, to keep from interfering. There was more than anger in his eyes, the pain in his heart showed, too. The son of my mate, he thought, who I raised and trained and just made leader of this clan. He is using his position for revenge. Revenge against a woman, for wrongs he has imagined. Why didn’t I see it before? Why was I so blind to him? Now I know why he raised Vorn’s status so soon. Broud arranged the whole thing with him; he planned to do this to Ayla all along. Broud, Broud, is that the first thing a new leader does? Puts his hunters in jeopardy with a young and inexperienced second to avenge himself against a woman? What pleasure can it bring you to separate a mother and her child when she has suffered so much pain already? Have you no heart, son of my mate? All she has of her son is to share her bed with him at night.
“I am not finished, I am not through,” Broud gestured, trying to get the attention of the shocked and uneasy clan. They finally settled down.
“This man was not the only one raised to a new position. We have a new mog-ur. There are certain privileges that go with increased status. I have decided that Goov … the mog-ur, will move to the rightful hearth of the magician of the clan. Creb will move to the back of the cave.”
Brun shot a glance at Goov. Was he in on the arrangement, too? Goov was shaking his head with a puzzled look on his face.
“I don’t want to move to The Mog-ur’s hearth,” he said. “That has been his home ever since we moved into this cave.”
The clan was becoming more than uneasy about their new leader.
“I have decided you will move!” Broud gestured imperiously, angry at Goov’s refusal. When he had noticed the crippled old man leaning on his staff glaring at him angrily, he suddenly realized the great Mog-ur was magician no more. What did he have to fear from a deformed old cripple? On impulse, he had made the offer, expecting Goov to jump at the choice spot in the cave as Vorn had jumped at the chance for increased status. He thought it would