The shelters of stone - Jean M. Auel [224]
“Did you have any trouble getting poles?” Joharran asked.
“I broke an axe cutting them down,” Willamar said.
“Could you resharpen it?” Joharran asked. Though tall straight trees had been cut for tent poles, they would still need wood for fires along the way and after they arrived at the site of the Summer Meeting, and axes to cut trees down, though unpolished stone axes had their own way of being used.
“It shattered. I couldn’t sharpen it, I couldn’t even get a blade out of it,” Willamar said.
“It was a bad piece of flint,” Jondalar said. “Full of small inclusions.”
“Jondalar made a new axe, and resharpened the others,” Willamar said. “It’s good to have him back.”
“Except now we’re going to have to watch out for stray chips of flint again,” Marthona said. Ayla noticed she was smiling and understood that she wasn’t really complaining. She was glad he was home, too. “He did clean up the flakes he knocked off to sharpen the axes. Not like when he was a boy. I didn’t see a single sharp sliver of stone. Of course, I don’t see as well anymore.”
“The tea is ready,” Ayla said. “Does anyone need a cup?”
“Jaradal doesn’t have one. You should always remember to bring your own cup, Jaradal,” Proleva said, reminding her young son.
“I don’t need to bring my own cup here. Grandam has my own cup for me,” Jaradal said.
“He’s right,” Marthona said. “Do you remember where it is, Jaradal?”
“Yes, ’Thona,” he said, getting up and running to a low shelf and returning with a small cup shaped and hollowed out of wood. “Here it is.” He held it high to show everyone, causing delighted smiles from the assembled group. Ayla noticed that Wolf had moved from his customary spot near the entrance and was wriggling on his belly toward the boy with his tail held high, every motion of his body expressing his yearning to reach the object of his desire. The boy spied the animal, drank down his tea in a few gulps, then announced, “I play with Wolf now,” though he was watching Ayla to see what her reaction would be.
Jaradal reminded her so much of Durc, she couldn’t help but smile. The boy headed toward the animal, who made a whining yelp as he got up to meet him, then started licking Jaradal’s face. Ayla could tell that Wolf was beginning to feel comfortable with his new, though very large, pack, especially the child of the extended family and his friends. For Wolf’s sake, she almost felt sorry that they would be leaving so soon. She knew it would be hard on him to be faced with the many new people they would meet. It would be hard on her, too. Her excitement about the Summer Meeting was tinged with trepidation.
“This is very good tea, Ayla,” Zelandoni said. “You sweetened it with licorice root, didn’t you?”
Ayla, smiled. “Yes. It’s calming for the stomach. Everyone is so excited about leaving, I thought I should make something calming.”
“And it tastes good.” Zelandoni paused, considering her words. “It occurs to me, since we are all here, that perhaps you should show Joharran and Proleva your way of making fire. I know I asked everyone not to tell anyone else about it yet, but we are all going to be traveling together and they will see it anyway.”
Jondalar’s brother and his mate glanced at the others with questioning looks, and then at each other.
Folara smiled. “Should I put the fire out?”
“Yes, why don’t you,” the donier said. “It is more impressive to see it that way the first time.”
“I don’t understand. What’s this about fire?” Joharran said.
“Ayla discovered a new way to start a fire,” Jondalar said, “but it’s easier to show you.”
“Why don’t you show them, Jondalar?” Ayla said.
Jondalar asked his brother and Proleva to come to the cooking hearth, and after Folara smothered the fire, and other people put out the lamps that were near them, Jondalar used the firestone and flint and