The Land of Painted Caves - Jean M. Auel [51]
Ayla got up and took a few steps to stand beside the First, who waited until everyone was looking at them, then said, “May I present to you Ayla of the Zelandonii, mother of Jonayla, Blessed of Doni, acolyte of the Zelandoni of the Ninth Cave, the One Who Is First Among Those Who Serve The Great Earth Mother. She is mated to Jondalar, son of Marthona, former leader of the Ninth Cave and brother to Joharran, present leader. Formerly she was a Mamutoi of the Lion Camp, the Mammoth Hunters who live far to the east, and an acolyte of Mamut, who adopted her as Daughter of the Mammoth Hearth, which is their zelandonia. She was also chosen and physically marked by the spirit of the Cave Lion, her totem, and is protected by the spirit of the Cave Bear. She is a friend of the horses, Whinney and Racer, and the new filly, Gray, and the four-legged hunter she calls Wolf.”
Ayla thought it was a very comprehensive reciting of her names and ties, complete with explanations. She didn’t know if she was actually an acolyte of Mamut, but he had adopted her to the Mammoth Hearth and he was training her. The Donier hadn’t mentioned that she had also been adopted by the Clan, whom they called Flatheads. The only reference was that she was protected by the spirit of the Cave Bear. Ayla doubted if Zelandoni fully understood that it meant she was one of them, she was Clan—at least she was until Broud disowned her, cursed her, and made her leave.
The man who had spoken earlier approached Ayla and the First. “I am Zelandoni of the Twenty-sixth Cave, and in the name of Doni, I welcome you to this Summer Meeting Camp that we are hosting.” He held out both hands.
Ayla took his hands. “In the name of the Great Mother of All, I greet you, Zelandoni of the Twenty-sixth Cave,” she said.
“We have found a new deep hollow. It has wonderful resonance when we sing, but it is very small,” the man said. He was obviously quite excited about it. “One must crawl in like a snake, and it is best for only one or perhaps two people, though three or four could go in. I think it is too small for the First, I am sorry to say, though I would certainly let her make that decision. I promised Jonokol I would show it to him when he came. Since you are now the First’s acolyte, Ayla, perhaps you would like to see it, too.”
The invitation caught her by surprise, but she smiled, then said, “Yes, I would like to see it.”
7
The Zelandoni Who Was First had mixed feelings upon hearing about the new cave. New discoveries of hollows that were likely to be entries to the Mother’s Sacred Underworld were always exciting, but the thought that she might be excluded for purely physical reasons was disappointing, though the idea of crawling on her belly into a small space was not exactly appealing anymore. It did, however, please her that Ayla was accepted enough to be offered the opportunity in her place. She hoped it meant that her choice of a newcomer as an acolyte was already taken for granted. Of course, having a woman with such obviously unusual powers safely under the authority of the zelandonia was probably a relief to many. That she was also an inherently normal and attractive young mother made her acceptance easier.
“That is an excellent idea, Zelandoni of the Twenty-sixth Cave. I had planned to begin her Donier Tour later this summer, after the First Matrimonial and Rites of First Pleasures ceremonies. A visit to a new sacred hollow could be an early introduction, and give her a chance to understand from the beginning how sacred sites are known to the zelandonia,” the First Donier said. “And while we are talking about introductions and training, I notice several of the newer acolytes here. This seems a good time to reveal some knowledge they will need to know. Who can tell me how many seasons there are?”
“I can,” said a young man. “There are three.”
“No,” said a young woman. “There are five.”
The First smiled. “One of you says three, another says five. Can anyone tell me which is correct?”
No one spoke for a while; then the acolyte next to Ayla on the left said,