The Mammoth Hunters - Jean M. Auel [330]
Ayla called out to Deegie, and when she caught up with her, they walked together.
“I see you’ve met Tricie,” Deegie said.
“Yes, but she seemed to need to talk to Ranec, so I was glad I saw you. It gave me the chance to get away and let them be alone,” Ayla said.
“I don’t doubt she wanted to talk to him. It was all over the Camp last season that they were planning to Promise.”
“She has a child, you know. A son.”
“No, I didn’t! I’ve hardly had the chance to say more than hello to people, and no one told me. That’s going to make her worth more and raise her Bride Price. Who told you?”
“Mygie did, one of the red-foots. She says the boy is of Ranec’s spirit.”
“That spirit moves around! There are a couple of young ones with his essence. You can’t always tell for sure with the other men whose spirit it is, but you can with him. His coloring comes through,” Deegie said.
“Mygie said this boy is very light, and red-haired, but looks like Ranec, in the face.”
“That would be interesting! I think I may have to go to see Tricie later,” Deegie said with a smile. “The daughter of one headwoman ought to pay a visit to the daughter of another headwoman, especially of the host Camp. Do you want to come with me when I go?”
“I’m not sure … yes, I think I would,” Ayla said.
They had reached the curved arch entrance of the lodge from which the unusual sounds were coming. “I was going to stop here, at the Music Lodge. I think you might enjoy it,” Deegie said, then scratched on the leather door covering. While they waited for someone to untie it from inside, Ayla glanced around.
Southeast of the entrance was a fence made of seven skulls of mammoths plus other bones, filled in with hard-packed clay to make it solid. Probably a windbreak, Ayla thought. In the hollow where the settlement was located, the only wind would come from the river valley. On the northeast she counted four huge outdoor hearths and two distinct work areas. One appeared to be for making tools and implements out of ivory and bone, the others must have been primarily concerned with working the flint which was found nearby. Ayla saw Jondalar and Wymez, and several other men and women who were also flint workers, she guessed. She should have known that would be where to find him.
The drape was pulled back, and Deegie beckoned Ayla to follow her in, but someone at the entrance stopped her.
“Deegie, you know we don’t let visitors in here,” she said. “We’re practicing.”
“But, Kylie, she is a daughter of the Mammoth Hearth,” Deegie said, surprised.
“I don’t see any tattoo. How can she be Mamut without a tattoo?”
“This is Ayla, daughter of old Mamut. He adopted her to the Mammoth Hearth.”
“Oh. Just a moment, let me ask.”
Deegie was impatient while they waited again, but Ayla looked more closely at the lodge, and got the impression that it had slumped, or fallen in somewhat.
“Why didn’t you tell me she’s the one with the animals?” Kylie said when she came back. “Come in.”
“You should know I wouldn’t bring anyone here who wasn’t acceptable,” Deegie said.
It was not dark in the lodge, the smoke hole was somewhat bigger than usual, and allowed light inside, but it did take awhile for eyes to adjust after the bright sunshine outside. At first, Ayla thought the person Deegie was talking to was a child. But when she saw her, Ayla realized she was probably somewhat older, not younger than her tall, stocky friend. The misimpression was caused by the difference in size between the two women. Kylie was small with a slender build, almost dainty, and next to Deegie, it was easy to mistake her for a child, but her lithe, supple movements bespoke the confidence and experience of maturity.
Though the shelter had seemed large from the outside, there was less room inside than Ayla had imagined. The ceiling was lower than usual, and half the usable space in the room was taken up by four mammoth skulls, which were partially buried in the floor with the tusk sockets upright. The trunks of small