The Land of Painted Caves - Jean M. Auel [334]
“There’s a night basket behind that screen,” a zelandoni said, indicating the way.
Ayla stood up, felt slightly dizzy, but it cleared.
“I think we should let her get settled,” Ayla heard the One Who Was First say. “She has been through a great deal, but I think there is little doubt she will be the next First.”
“I believe you are right,” she heard another voice say. She heard more of the zelandonia talking among themselves, but wasn’t listening anymore. What did they mean? She wasn’t sure she liked hearing them talk about “the next First.”
When she returned, the Zelandoni of the Ninth Cave asked, “Do you remember everything you told us?”
Ayla closed her eyes, frowning with concentration. “I think so,” she finally said.
“We would like to ask you some questions. Do you feel strong enough to answer, or would you like to rest longer?”
“I think I’m awake, and don’t feel tired. I would like some more tea, though. My mouth still feels dry,” Ayla said. Her cup was refilled.
“Our questions should help you to interpret your own experience,” the Donier said. “No one else really can.” Ayla nodded. “Do you know how long you were in the cave?” the First asked.
“Marthona said almost four days,” Ayla said, “but I don’t recall too much after I first came out. Some people were there waiting for me. They carried me back on a litter, and the next few days are not clear.”
“Do you think you would be able to explain some things to us?”
“I’ll try.”
“The ice walls you spoke of—if I remember correctly, you told us once of falling down into a crevasse on your way across the glacier. By some miracle, you landed on a ledge and Jondalar pulled you out. Is that right?” the First asked.
“Yes. He threw me a rope and told me to wrap it around my waist. He attached the other end to his horse. Racer pulled me out,” Ayla clarified.
“Few people who fall into crevasses are fortunate enough to get out. You came very close to death then. It is not uncommon for acolytes, when they are being called, to experience again those times when they were near the spirit world. Would you say that was a possible interpretation of the ice walls?” the First asked.
“Yes,” Ayla said, then looked at the large woman. “I didn’t think about it before, but that could explain some of the other things, too. I almost died crossing a flooded river on our way here, and I’m sure it was Attaroa’s face I saw. She would have killed me for sure if Wolf hadn’t saved me.”
“I’m sure that accounts for some of the visions. Though I haven’t heard the full story of your Journey here, obviously most people have,” said the visiting Zelandoni. “But what was that black void? Was it a reference to the Mother’s Song or did it have some other significance? You almost had me terrified.” There was some quiet laughter and a few smiles at her comment, but some nods of agreement as well.
“And what about the warm sea, and the creatures burrowing in the mud and in the trees? That was all very strange,” said another, “not to mention all the mammoths and reindeer, and the bison and horses.”
“One question at a time, please,” the First said. “There are many things we’d all like to know, but we are in no rush. Do you have any interpretations for those things, Ayla?”
“I don’t have to interpret, I know what they are,” Ayla said. “But I don’t understand them.”
“Well, what were they?” Zelandoni of the Third Cave asked.
“I think most people know that when I lived with the Clan, the woman who was like a mother to me was a medicine woman who taught me most of what I know about healing. She also had a daughter and we all lived at the hearth of her sibling, her brother, who was called Creb. Most people of the Clan knew Creb as The Mog-ur. A mog-ur was a man who knew the spirit world, and The Mog-ur was like the One Who Was First, the most powerful of all the mog-urs.”
“He was like a zelandoni, then,” the visiting Zelandoni said.
“In a sense. He wasn’t a healer. The medicine women are the healers, they are the ones who know healing plants and practices, but it is the