The Plains of Passage - Jean M. Auel [418]
Guban was still concerned about owing a kinship debt to Ayla, beyond the acceptable medicine woman spirit exchange, since she helped save his life using a weapon.
“We need to convince him that the debt is owed to you, Jondalar. If you tell him that you are my mate, you could tell him that since you have responsibility for me, any debts owed to me are actually owed to you.”
Jondalar agreed, and after some preliminaries to establish procedures, they began the more serious discussion. “Ayla is my mate, she belongs to me,” he said, while Ayla translated with the full range of subtleties. “I am responsible for her, debts owed to her are owed to me.” Then, to her surprise, Jondalar added, “I, too, have an obligation that weighs on my spirit. I owe a kinship debt to the Clan.”
Guban was curious.
“The debt has weighed heavily on my spirit because I haven’t known how to repay it.”
“Tell me about it,” Guban signed. “Perhaps I can help.”
“I was attacked by a cave lion, as Ayla mentioned. Marked, chosen by the Cave Lion, which is now my totem. It was Ayla who found me. I was near death, and my brother, who was with me, already walked the spirit world.”
“I am sorry to hear that. It is hard to lose a brother.”
Jondalar only nodded. “If Ayla had not found me, I, too, would be dead, but when Ayla was a child, and near death, the Clan took her in and raised her. If the Clan had not taken Ayla in when she was a child, she would not have lived. If Ayla had not lived and been taught to heal by a Clan medicine woman, I would not be alive. I would be walking in the next world now. I owe my life to the Clan, but I don’t know how to pay that debt, or to whom.”
Guban nodded with great sympathy. It was a serious problem and a large debt.
“I would make a request of Guban,” Jondalar continued. “Since Guban owes a kinship debt to me, I ask him to accept my kinship debt to the Clan in exchange.”
The man of the Clan considered the request gravely, but he was grateful to learn of the problem. Exchanging a kinship debt was far more acceptable than simply owing his life to a man of the Others, and giving him a piece of his spirit. Finally he nodded. “Guban will accept the exchange,” he said, feeling great relief.
Guban took his amulet from around his neck and opened it. He shook the contents into his hand and picked out one of the objects, a tooth, one of his own first molars. Though he had no cavities, his teeth were worn down in a peculiar way, mainly because he used them as a tool. The tooth in his hand was worn, but not nearly so badly as his permanent teeth.
“Please accept this as a token of kinship,” Guban said.
Jondalar was embarrassed. He hadn’t realized there would be an exchange of some personal token to mark the exchange of debts, and he didn’t know what to give to the man of the Clan that would be as meaningful. They were traveling very light, and he had very little to give. Suddenly it came to him.
He took a pouch from a loop of his belt and poured its contents into his hand. Guban looked surprised. In Jondalar’s hand were several claws and two canine teeth of a cave bear, the cave bear he had killed the previous summer shortly after they had started on their long Journey. He held out one of the teeth. “Please accept this as a token of kinship.”
Guban restrained his eagerness. A cave bear tooth was a powerful token, it bestowed high status, and the giving of one showed great honor. It pleased him to think that this man of the Others had acknowledged his position, and the debt he owed the entire Clan so appropriately. It would make the proper impression when he told the rest about this exchange. He accepted the token of kinship, closed it inside his fist, and gripped it firmly.
“Good!” Guban said with finality, as though completing a trade. Then he made a request. “Since we are now kin, perhaps we should know the location of each other’s clan, and the territory they use.”
Jondalar described the general location of his homeland. Most of