The Plains of Passage - Jean M. Auel [335]
“Not punishment, Esadoa. Restitution. She should give back as much as she has taken, and more. She can start with Doban. No matter what the Daughter of the Mammoth Hearth may be able to do for him, it is unlikely that Doban will ever recover fully. He will suffer ill effects for the rest of his life. Odevan will suffer, too, but he has a mother, and kin. Doban has no mother, no kin to care for him, no one to take responsibility for him, or see to it that he is trained in some craft or skill. I would make Epadoa responsible for him, as if she were his mother. She may never love him and he may hate her, but she should be held accountable.”
There were nods of approval. Not everyone agreed, but someone had to take care of Doban. Although everyone had felt his pain, he had not been well liked when he lived with Attaroa, and no one wanted to take him in. Most people felt that if they objected to S’Amodun’s idea, they might be asked to open their lodges to him.
Ayla smiled. She thought it was a perfect solution, and though there might be hatred and lack of trust in the beginning, warmth could grow into the relationship. She had known S’Amodun was wise. The idea of restitution seemed much more helpful than punishment, and it gave her an idea.
“I would offer another suggestion,” she said. “This Camp is not well stocked for winter, and by spring everyone may suffer hunger. The men are weak, and they have not hunted for some years. Many may have lost their skills. Epadoa and the women she has trained are the best hunters of this Camp. I think it would be wise for them to continue to hunt, but they must share the meat with everyone.”
People were nodding. The thought of facing hunger was not appealing.
“As soon as any of the men are able, and want to start hunting, it should be Epadoa’s responsibility to help them, hunt with them. The only way to avoid facing hunger next spring is if the women and the men work together. Every Camp needs the contribution of both to thrive. The rest of the women, and the older or weaker men, should gather whatever foods they can find.”
“It’s winter! There is nothing to gather now,” one of the young Wolf Women said.
“There is not much to be found in winter, that’s true, and what there is will require work to harvest, but food can be found, and whatever there is will help,” Ayla said.
“She’s right,” Jondalar said. “I have seen and eaten food that Ayla has found, even in winter. You even ate some of it tonight. She gathered the pine nuts from the stone pines near the river.”
“Those lichens that reindeer like can be eaten,” one of the older women said, “if you cook them right.”
“And some of the wheats, and millets, and other grasses still bear seed heads,” Esadoa said. “They can be collected.”
“Yes, but be careful of ryegrass. It can foster a growth that is harmful, often fatal. If it looks and smells bad, it’s probably full of ergot, and it should be avoided,” Ayla advised. “But certain edible berries and fruits stay on the bush well into winter—I even found a tree with a few apples still clinging to it—and the inner bark of most trees can be eaten.”
“We’d need knives to cut down to it,” Esadoa said. “The ones we have aren’t very good.”
“I will make you some,” Jondalar volunteered.
“Will you teach me to make knives, Zelandon?” Doban suddenly asked.
The question pleased him. “Yes, I will show you how to make knives, and other tools, too.”
“I’d like to learn more about that, too,” Ebulan said. “We will need weapons to hunt.”
“I’ll show anyone who wants to learn, or at least get you started. It takes many years to gain real skill. Perhaps next summer, if you go to a S’Armunai Meeting, you will find someone to continue your training,” Jondalar said.
The youngster’s smile turned to a frown; he knew the tall man would not be staying.
“But I’ll help you all I can,” Jondalar said. “We’ve had to make many hunting weapons on this Journey.”
“What about that … stick that throws spears … like the one she used to