The shelters of stone - Jean M. Auel [297]
Ayla was so grateful, she didn’t know what to say. She thanked them but didn’t think that was near enough, and felt a debt to the Zelandonii that she didn’t know how to repay. Working together brought people closer together, and she felt that she got to know some people better. Joharran had mentioned wanting to include the horses in the hunt, which was planned for the following morning. Both Ayla and Jondalar rode the horses and demonstrated their control of them, which made Joharran’s suggestions much more acceptable. If the hunt was successful, the Matrimonial would normally take place the next day, but since Dalanar and the Lanzadonii had not yet arrived, they were prepared to wait a few days, though some people were getting anxious.
Ayla put halters on the horses and led them out of the enclosure through a gate that Tormaden of the Nineteenth Cave had devised. He dug a hole beside one of the support posts for the base of a pole to which the gate was attached and used a loop of rope to slip over the top. Rope loops also served as hinges. She was beginning to feel a closer tie to the Nineteenth Cave. When she brought the horses up close, Mardena backed away fast. They were so much bigger up close. Folara immediately stepped into her place.
“I haven’t seen the horses nearly as much as I wanted to,” she said, petting Whinney’s face. “Everyone has been so busy what with that bison hunt where Shevonar died, and the burial, and getting ready to come. You said once you’d let me have a ride on a horse.”
“Would you like to do it now?” Ayla said.
“Could I?” she said, her eyes glowing with pleasure.
“Let me get a riding blanket for Whinney,” Ayla said. “Would you and Lanidar like to give them something to eat while I get it? He has some food they like in that bowl.”
“I’m not sure if Lanidar should get so close,” Mardena said.
“He’s already close, Mardena,” Denoda said. “But she’s there.…”
“Mother, I already fed them once. They know me, and you can see they know Folara,” Lanidar said.
“They won’t hurt him,” Ayla said, “and I’m only going over there.”
She pointed to an arrangement of stones near the gate. It was a traveler’s cairn that Kareja had made for her. Ayla only had to remove a few rocks to reach the space inside where she could keep a few things, like a leather riding blanket. The rocks were overlapped in such a way that rainwater would flow over the top and not seep inside. The leader of the Eleventh Cave showed her how to put them back to keep the inside dry. Similar cairns were placed along several well-used routes with emergency fire-making materials and often a warm cloak inside. Other cairns had dried food inside. Occasionally both would be in one cairn, but the food cairns were broken into more often, and bears, wolverines, or badgers, the most frequent offenders, usually vandalized and scattered everything.
Ayla left them with the horses. When she reached the cairn, she glanced back, making it very inconspicuous. Folara and Lanidar were letting the large herbivores eat out of their hands, while Mardena stayed back, acting nervous and looking concerned, and Denoda watched. Ayla walked back and casually tied the riding blanket on Whinney’s back. Then she led the mare to a stone.
“Get up on the stone, Folara, then put your leg over her back and try to find a comfortable seat. You can hang on to