The Land of Painted Caves - Jean M. Auel [128]
Ayla was listening carefully. She really didn’t want to give up her name. It was all she had left of her own people, the name her mother had given her, although she suspected “Ayla” wasn’t exactly her original name. It was only as close as the Clan could say it, but it was all she had.
“Can all Zelandonia sing to find these special places?” Jondalar asked.
“They don’t all sing, but they all have a ‘Voice,’ a way to find them.”
“Is that why I was asked to make a special sound when we were examining that small cave?” Ayla asked. “I didn’t know that would be expected.”
“What sound did you make?” Jondalar asked, then smiled. “I’m sure you didn’t sing.” Then turning to Zelandoni he explained, “She can’t sing.”
“I roared like Baby. It brought back a nice echo. Jonokol thought it sounded like there was a lion in the back of that little cave.”
“What do you think it would sound like here?” Jondalar asked.
“I don’t know. Loud, I suppose,” Ayla said. “It doesn’t feel like it would be the right sound to make here.”
“What would be the right sound, Ayla?” Zelandoni asked. “You will have to be able to make some sound when you are Zelandoni.”
She paused to think about it. “I can make the sound of many different birds; maybe I could whistle,” Ayla said.
“Yes, she can whistle like a bird, like many birds,” Jondalar said. “She is such a good whistler, they will actually come and eat out of her hand.”
“Why don’t you try it now?” the Donier said.
Ayla thought for a while, then decided on a meadow lark, and brought forth a perfect imitation of a soaring lark. She thought she heard more resonance, but she would have to do it again in another part of the cave, or outside, to be sure. Somewhat after that, the sound of Zelandoni’s singing changed again, but in a slightly different way than it had before. The woman motioned to the right and they saw that a new passageway opened out.
“There is a single mammoth down that tunnel, but it’s quite a long ways, and I don’t think we should take the time to visit it now,” the Donier said, and added in an offhand way, “There’s nothing in there,” indicating another opening almost directly across on the left. She continued singing past another passage opening off to the right. “There’s a ceiling in there that brings us close to Her, but it’s a long walk in and I think we should wait until we’re coming out to decide if we want to visit it.” Somewhat farther on she warned them, “Be careful ahead. The passageway changes direction. It makes a sharp turn to the right, and at the turn there is a deep hole that leads to an underground section of the cave, and it’s very wet. Perhaps you should follow me now.”
“I think I should light another torch, too,” Jondalar said. He stopped and took another one out of his backframe, and lit it from the one he was holding. The floor was already wet with small puddles and damp clay. He snuffed out the torch that was nearly burned out and put the stub in a pocket of the pack he was carrying. It had been drilled into him from a young age that one didn’t litter the floor of a sacred place unnecessarily.
To rid it of the burned ash, Zelandoni tapped the torch she was holding on a stalagmite that seemed to be growing up from the ground. It burned more brightly immediately. Ayla smiled when she caught sight of Wolf. He brushed against her leg and she scratched behind his ears, a reassuring touch for both of them. Jonayla was moving around again as well. Whenever Ayla stopped walking, the baby noticed it. She would have to feed her soon, but it seemed that they were heading into a more dangerous part of the cave, and she wanted to wait until they were past it. Zelandoni started out again. Ayla followed and Jondalar brought up the rear.
“Watch your footing,” the First said, holding the torch high so that the light spread out more. It lit a stone wall on the right, then suddenly the