The Land of Painted Caves - Jean M. Auel [318]
“I was sorry to hear she wasn’t coming. Jerika was looking forward to seeing her, too. It’s amazing what good friends they’ve turned out to be. How is Marthona?”
“Not entirely well,” Ayla said, shaking her head. “She complains about her aching joints, but it’s more than that. She has pain in her chest and trouble breathing when she exerts herself too much. I always did plan to come to the Meeting as soon as I could, but I hated to leave her. She did seem much better when I left, though.”
“Do you really think she’s better?” Willamar asked. His eyes had become serious.
“She said if she had felt as good earlier, when the Ninth Cave left, she might have come, but I don’t think she could walk the whole way.”
“Someone could have carried her,” Dalanar said. “I carried Hochaman on my shoulders all the way to the Great Waters of the West, twice, before he died.” Dalanar turned to Danug. “Hochaman was the mate of Jerika’s mother. They traveled all the way from the Endless Seas of the East. His tears mingled with the salt of the Great Waters of the West, but they were tears of joy. It was his greatest wish to go as far as the land went, farther than anyone ever did. I’ve never heard of anyone who traveled farther.”
“We remembered that story, Dalanar, and wanted to carry her,” Ayla said, “but she didn’t want to ride on Jondalar’s shoulders. I think she felt it would be too undignified. She didn’t want to ride on Whinney, either. I asked her, but she didn’t want to do that either. She likes the horses, but the idea of riding one always did scare her.” Ayla noticed the travois, the simple construction of poles and cross-mats, now unloaded on the ground. “I wonder … do you think she would mind riding on the pole-drag, Willamar?”
“For that matter, a few people could take turns carrying her on a litter,” Dalanar volunteered. “With four people, one on each corner, it would be easy. She’s not heavy.”
“And she could sit up; she wouldn’t have to look backward. I’m tempted to tell Jondalar to go back and get her, but I haven’t seen him yet. Has he been with you, Dalanar?” Ayla asked.
“No, I haven’t seen him all day. He could be anywhere. You know how it is at a Meeting like this,” Dalanar said. “I haven’t even seen Bokovan all day.”
“Bokovan? Are Joplaya and Echozar here? I thought Echozar said he’d never came back after the big fuss that was made over his joining with Joplaya,” Ayla said.
“It took a lot of persuading. Jerika and I thought he should come for Bokovan’s sake. He’s going to need to find a mate someday, too, and there aren’t enough Lanzadonii yet. All the youngsters are raised like siblings, and you know how it is when children grow up together. They don’t usually think of each other as potential mates. I told Echozar that it was only a few people who objected, but he wasn’t convinced. It wasn’t until this big Mamutoi and his cousin and friend came that he decided to go. They helped most of all.”
“What did they do?”
“That’s just it. They didn’t do anything. You know how people always seem to feel uncomfortable around Echozar when they first meet him—you never did, but you were an exception,” Dalanar said. “I think that’s why he’s always had a special fondness for you. Danug didn’t either, just started talking to him in signs. The young S’Armunai didn’t seem terribly bothered by Echozar either. Apparently they don’t think of the ones of mixed spirits with as much antagonism as some of the Zelandonii.”
“I think that’s true,” Ayla said. “Mixtures seem more common among them, and more accepted, though not entirely, especially when the look of the Clan is as strong as it is in Echozar. He might have some problem even there.”
“Not with Aldanor. All three of those young men accepted him as easily as anyone else. They didn’t make him an exception, or make special efforts to be nice to him. They just treated him like any other young man. It made Echozar realize, I think, that not everyone would hate him, or object to him. He could make friends, and so could Bokovan. In fact, that young couple that mated the same time you did,