The Plains of Passage - Jean M. Auel [178]
“Jondalar! How dare you bring a woman like that here!” Dolando said, trying to shake off the restraining hold of the tall blond man.
“Dolando! What are you saying?” Roshario said, trying to get up. “She helped me! What difference does it make where she grew up? She helped me!”
The people who had gathered for Jondalar’s welcoming were stunned, gaping with shock, and had no idea what to do. Carlono got up to help Markeno and Jondalar and to try to calm his coleader.
Ayla was stunned, too. Dolando’s virulent reaction was so completely unexpected that she was at a loss. She saw Roshario attempting to get up, trying to push aside the wolf, who was standing defensively in front of her, as confused as everyone else by the commotion, but determined to protect the woman he saw as his charge. She should not get up, Ayla thought, hurrying toward the woman.
“Get away from my woman. I don’t want her tainted with your filth,” Dolando shouted, struggling to free himself from the men trying to hold him back.
Ayla stopped. Though she wanted to help Roshario, she didn’t want to cause more trouble with Dolando. What is wrong with him? she wondered. Then she noticed that Wolf looked ready to attack, and she signaled him to come to her. That was the last thing she needed, for the wolf to cause anyone harm. Wolf was obviously struggling with himself. He wanted either to stand his ground or jump into the fray, but he did not want to back away from it; yet everything was confusing. Ayla’s second signal was accompanied by her whistle, and that decided him. He ran to her, then stood defensively in front of her.
Though he spoke Sharamudoi, Ayla was aware that Dolando had been shouting about flatheads and directing angry words at her, but the meaning had not been entirely clear. While she was waiting there with the wolf, suddenly she got a clear sense of his ravings and began to feel angry herself. The people of the Clan were not filthy murderers. Why was he so enraged by the thought of them?
Roshario had gotten up and was trying to approach the struggling men. Tholie gave Shamio to someone nearby and ran to help her.
“Dolando! Dolando, stop it!” Roshario said. Her voice seemed to reach him; his struggles eased, though the three men still held him.
Dolando looked angrily at Jondalar. “Why did you bring her here?”
“Dolando, what’s wrong with you? Look at me!” Roshario said. “What would have happened if he hadn’t? Ayla was not the one who killed Doraldo.”
He looked at Roshario and for the first time seemed to see the weak, drawn woman with her arm in a sling. A quick spasm shook him, and, like shedding water, the irrational fury left him. “Roshario, you shouldn’t be up,” he said, reaching for her, but he found himself restrained. “You can let me go,” he said to Jondalar with a voice of cold anger.
The Zelandonii man dropped his hold. Markeno and Carlono waited until they were sure he was not struggling before they released him, but they stayed nearby, just in case.
“Dolando, you have no call to be angry with Jondalar,” Roshario said. “He brought Ayla because I needed her. Everyone is upset, Dolando. Come and sit down and show them you are all right.”
She saw a stubborn look in Dolando’s eye, but he went with her back to the bench and sat beside her. A woman brought them both some tea, then walked over to the place where Ayla, Jondalar, Carlono, and Markeno were standing, along with Wolf.
“Would you like tea or a little wine?” she asked.
“You wouldn’t happen to have some of that wonderful bilberry wine, Carolio?” he said. Ayla noticed her resemblance to both Carlono and Markeno.
“The new wine isn’t ready,