The Land of Painted Caves - Jean M. Auel [89]
“You don’t know what you look like, Ayla,” Jondalar said. “You never look at a polished reflector, or even a pool of still water. You are beautiful.”
Ayla changed the subject. “You are really showing now, Levela,” Ayla said. “How are you feeling?”
“Once I got over feeling sick in the morning, I’ve been feeling good,” Levela said. “Vigorous and strong. Although, lately, I get tired easily. I want to sleep late and take naps in the day, and sometimes if I stand for a long time, my back hurts.”
“Sounds about right, wouldn’t you say,” Velima said, smiling at her daughter. “Just the way you are supposed to feel.”
“We’re setting up an area to take care of children so their mothers and mates can go to the Mother Festival and relax,” Proleva said. “You can leave Jonayla, if you want. There will be singing and dancing, and some people had already drunk too much before I left.”
“Did you know the Traveling Storytellers are here?” Jondalar asked.
“I heard they were supposed to come, but I didn’t know they had arrived,” Proleva said.
“We talked to Galliadal. He said he wanted us to come and listen. He said he has a story for Ayla,” Jondalar said. “I think it’s a thinly disguised story about her. We should probably go and listen so we’ll know what people will be talking about tomorrow.”
“Are you going, Proleva?” Ayla asked as the woman was putting down her sleeping baby.
“It was a big feast, and I’ve been working on it for many days,” Proleva said. “I think I’d rather stay here and watch the little ones with just a few women. It would be more restful. I’ve been to my share of Mother Festivals.”
“Maybe I should stay and watch the children, too,” Ayla said.
“No. You should go. Mother Festivals are still new to you, and you need to become familiar with them, especially if you are learning to be a Zelandoni. Here, give me that little one of yours. I haven’t cuddled her for days,” Proleva said.
“Let me nurse her first,” Ayla said. “I’m feeling rather full anyway.”
“Levela, you should go, too, especially since the storytellers are here. You too, mother,” Proleva said.
“The storytellers will be here for many days. I can see them later, and I’ve been to my share of Mother Festivals, too. You’ve been so busy, we haven’t had much time to visit. I’d rather stay here with you,” Velima said. “But you should go, Levela.”
“I’m not sure. Jondecam is already there, and I told him I’d meet him, but I am tired already. Maybe I’ll just go for a while, to hear the storytellers,” she said.
“Joharran is there, too. He almost has to be, just to keep an eye on some of the young men. I hope he takes some time to enjoy himself. Tell him about the storytellers, Jondalar. He always enjoys them.”
“I will if I can find him,” Jondalar said.
He wondered if Proleva was staying away to give her mate the freedom to enjoy the Mother Festival. Although everyone knew they could take partners other than their mates, he knew that some people didn’t necessarily want to watch their own mate couple with someone else. He knew he didn’t. It would be very hard for him to see Ayla go off with some other man. Several men had already shown an interest in her, the Zelandoni of the Twenty-sixth, for example, and even the storyteller, Galliadal. He knew that such jealousy was frowned on, but he couldn’t help how he felt. He just hoped he would be able to hide it.
When they returned to the large gathering area, Levela quickly spied Jondecam and hurried ahead, but Ayla stopped at the edge just to watch for a while. Almost all the people who were attending the Summer Meeting at this location had already arrived and she was still not entirely comfortable with so many people in one place, especially in the beginning. Jondalar understood and waited with her.
At first glance the large space seemed filled with a vast amorphous throng surging in an eddying mass, like a great roiling river. But as she watched, Ayla began to see that the crowd had formed itself into several groups, generally