The Land of Painted Caves - Jean M. Auel [208]
“Dulana!” a voice called out.
“Mother! You came!” two happy young voices shouted at the same time.
The elderly Zelandoni from the Fourth South Land Cave looked up, surprised to see the young woman. She had been so despondent after she burned herself, she couldn’t even bring herself to come outside of her shelter, and here she was at the Summer Meeting. She would have to make some inquiries and find out what had changed her mind.
A major celebration, feast, and Mother Festival were immediately planned to welcome the visitors and the First, and when it was learned that they wanted to visit their Sacred Site, the Zelandoni of the Seventh began to make the arrangements. Most of the usual Summer Meeting ceremonies were over, except for the Last Matrimonial, and people had begun making plans to leave, but with the coming of the visitors, most people decided to stay a little longer.
“We may need to arrange a hunt and perhaps a foraging excursion,” the leader of the Seventh said.
“The hunters, including your young men, did manage to intercept a herd of migrating red deer before we left,” the First said. “They made several kills and we brought most of the animals with us.”
“We only field-dressed them,” Willamar said. “They’ll need to be skinned, butchered, and either cooked or dried soon.”
“How many deer did you bring?” the leader of the Seventh Cave asked.
“One for each of your young hunters, seven,” Willamar said.
“Seven! How could you bring so many? Where are they?” a man said.
“Would you like to show them, Ayla?” Willamar said.
“I would be glad to,” Ayla said.
The people nearby noticed her accent and knew she had to be the foreign woman they had heard about. Many of them followed her and Jondalar back to where the horses were patiently waiting. Behind both Racer and Gray were newly made pole-drags that appeared to be piled high with cattail leaves. As Ayla started to remove them, it was quickly revealed that beneath the vegetation were several whole carcasses of red deer of various sizes and ages, female and young. They were covered with cattails mainly to protect them from insects.
“Your young men were very enthusiastic hunters,” Jondalar said. He refrained from adding, “But not very selective.” “These are all their kills. They should make a hearty feast.”
“We can use the cattails, too,” a voice from the watching group said.
“And you are welcome to them,” Ayla said. “There were more growing where we turned away from the river, and other good things to eat as well.”
“I imagine plants growing near your Camp have been picked clean by now,” the One Who Was First said. There were nods and comments of agreement.
“If some of you would be willing to ride on the pole-drags, we can take you to the river where they are, and bring you and your pickings back,” Ayla said.
Several of the younger people looked at each other, then quickly volunteered. They went to get digging sticks and knives, and wide-mesh carrying bags and baskets. On a regular travois, two or three people could semi-recline, but on the one made especially for the First, two normal-size people could sit upright, side by side, three if they were very thin.
When they started out, Jondalar, Ayla, and Jonayla rode on the backs of Racer, Whinney, and Gray, while the horses pulled six more people on the pole-drags. Wolf followed after them. When they reached the place where the travelers had turned away from the river, they halted the horses and the young people got off, feeling rather pleased with themselves for taking the unusual ride; then everyone spread out in several directions to forage. Ayla unhitched the pole-drags to give the horses a rest, and the animals grazed while the gatherers worked. Wolf nosed around, then ran into the woods after a scent he wanted to follow.
They were back