The Plains of Passage - Jean M. Auel [405]
“These people are not animals,” Ayla said, with a cold rage that made Jondalar look twice. He had never seen her quite so angry, but she was so controlled that he wasn’t sure if the young men knew it. “If they were animals, would you even try to force them? Do you force wolves? Do you force horses? No, you are looking for a woman, and no woman wants you. These are the only women you can find,” she said. “But these people are not animals.” She glanced at the Clan couple. “You are the animals! You are hyenas! Snuffling around the middens and smelling rotten, smelling of your evil. Hurting people, forcing women, stealing what is not yours. I will tell you, if you don’t return now, you will lose everything. You will have no family, no Cave, no people, and you will never have a woman at your hearth. You will spend your life as a hyena, always taking the leavings of others, and having to steal from your own people.”
“They know about that, too!” one of the men said.
“Don’t say anything!” Charoli said. “They don’t know, they’re only guessing.”
“We know,” Jondalar said. “Every people know.” His command of their language was not perfect, but perfectly understandable.
“That’s what you say, but we don’t even know you,” Charoli said. “You’re a stranger, not even Losadunai. We’re not going back. We don’t need anyone. We have our own Cave.”
“Is that why you need to steal food and force women?” Ayla said. “A Cave without women at your hearths is no Cave.”
Charoli tried to assume a casual tone. “We don’t need to listen to this. We’ll take what we want, when we want—food, women. No one has stopped us before, and no one is going to now. Come on, let’s get away from here,” he said, turning to leave.
“Charoli!” Jondalar said, calling after the young man and catching up in a few strides.
“What do you want?”
“I have something to give you,” the big man said.
Then, without warning, Jondalar doubled up his fist and rammed it into Charoli’s face. Charoli’s head jerked back and he was lifted off his feet by the stunning blow.
“That’s for Madenia!” Jondalar said, looking down at the man sprawled out on the ground. Then he turned on his heel and walked away.
Ayla looked at the dazed young man. A trickle of blood flowed from the corner of his mouth, but she made no move to offer assistance. Two of his friends helped him up. Then she turned her attention to the band of young men, eying each one individually. They were a sorry-looking lot, unkempt and dirty, their clothes tattered and grimy. Their gaunt faces spoke of hunger, too. No wonder they had stolen food. They were in need of the help and support from the family and friends of a Cave. Perhaps the unrestricted life of roaming freely with Charoli’s band had begun to lose its appeal and they were ready to return.
“They are looking for you,” she said. “Everyone has agreed that you have gone too far, even Tomasi, who is kin to Charoli. If you return to your Caves and take what’s coming to you, you may have a chance to join your families again. If you wait until they find you, it will go worse for you.”
Is that why She was here? Had She come to warn them, Danasi wondered, before it was too late? If they returned before they were found, and tried to make amends, would their Caves take them back?
After Charoli’s band left, Ayla approached the Clan couple. They had watched with amazement both Ayla’s direct confrontation of the men and Jondalar’s final punch that had knocked the other man down. Men of the Clan never hit other men of the Clan, but all the men of the Others were strange. They looked something like men, but they didn’t act much like men, especially the man that had been struck. All the clans knew about him, and the man on the ground had to admit that he felt a certain satisfaction