The Plains of Passage - Jean M. Auel [383]
“I think most people understand how Madenia and her mother feel,” Jondalar said. “People are mostly decent, but a bad one can make a lot of trouble for everyone else.”
Ayla was remembering Attaroa and thinking the same thing.
“Someone’s coming! Someone’s coming!” Larogi and several of his friends came running into the cave shouting the news, making Ayla wonder what they had been doing outside in the cold and dark. A few moments later they were followed in by a middle-aged man.
“Rendoli! You couldn’t have come at a better time,” Laduni said, his relief obvious. “Here, let me take your pack and get you something hot to drink. You made it back in time for a Mother Festival.”
“That’s the messenger Laduni sent to Tomasi,” Filonia said, surprised to see him.
“Well, what did he say?” Verdegia demanded.
“Verdegia,” Losaduna said. “Let the man rest and catch his breath. He just got here!”
“It’s all right,” Rendoli said, shrugging off his pack and accepting a cup of hot tea from Solandia. “Charoli’s band raided the Cave that lives near the barrens where they’ve been hiding. They stole food and weapons and almost killed someone who tried to stop them. The woman is still badly hurt, and she may not recover. All the Caves are angry. When they heard about Madenia, it was the final blow. In spite of his kinship with Charoli’s mother, Tomasi is ready to join with the other Caves to go after them and put a stop to them. Tomasi called for a meeting with as many Caves as possible—that’s what took me so long getting back. I waited for the meeting. Most of the nearby Caves sent several people. I had to make some decisions for us.”
“I’m sure they were good ones,” Laduni said. “I’m glad you were there. What did they think of my suggestion?”
“They have already taken it, Laduni. Each Cave is going to send out scouts to track them—some have already left. Once Charoli’s band is found, most of the hunters of each Cave will go after them and bring them back. No one wants to put up with them any more. Tomasi wants to have them before the Summer Meeting.” The man turned to look at Verdegia. “And they would like you to be there to make a charge and a claim,” he said.
Verdegia was almost appeased, but still not happy about Madenia’s reluctance to participate in the ceremony that would officially make her a woman, and, with luck, able to bear children—her potential grandchildren.
“I’ll be glad to charge and claim,” Verdegia said, “and if she won’t agree to First Rites, you can be certain I won’t forget it.”
“I am hopeful that by next summer, she will change her mind. I do see progress since the cleansing ritual. She is out mingling with people more. I think Ayla helped,” Losaduna said.
After Rendoli went to his dwelling space, Losaduna caught Jondalar’s eye and nodded to him. The tall man excused himself and followed Losaduna into the Ceremonial Hearth. Ayla would have liked to follow them, but she sensed from their manner that they wanted to be alone.
“I wonder what they are going to do,” Ayla said.
“I would guess it’s some kind of personal ritual,” Filonia said, which made Ayla even more curious.
“Have you brought something you made?” Losaduna asked.
“I made a blade. I didn’t have time to haft it, but it is as perfect as I could make it,” Jondalar said, taking a small leather-wrapped package from inside his tunic. He opened it to reveal a small stone point with an unretouched edge that was sharp enough to shave with. One end was worked to a point. The other end had a tang that could be fitted into a knife handle.
Losaduna looked it over carefully. “This is excellent workmanship,” he commented. “I feel certain it will be acceptable.”
Jondalar breathed a sigh of relief, though he hadn’t realized he was so concerned.
“And something of hers?”
“That was harder. We have been traveling with