The shelters of stone - Jean M. Auel [40]
“Those are rumors, Jondalar. There’s nothing in the Histories or the Elder Legends to confirm it,” Zelandoni said. “Only bears are mentioned.”
Ayla didn’t say anything, but she thought the rumors might be true.
“In any case, they aren’t getting them,” Joharran said. “This is our home, Zelandonii territory.”
“But there’s something else you should know that could work in our favor. According to Guban—that was the man’s name…”
“They have names?” Joharran said.
“Of course they have names,” Ayla said, “just like the people in my clan. His name is Guban, hers is Yorga.” Ayla gave the names the true Clan pronunciation, with the full throaty, deep, guttural sounds. Jondalar smiled. She did that on purpose, he thought.
If that’s how they speak, I certainly know where her accent comes from, Zelandoni thought. She must be telling the truth. She was raised by them. But did she really learn her medicine from them?
“What I was trying to say, Joharran, is that Guban …” his pronunciation was much easier to understand “ … told me that some people, I don’t know which Caves, have approached some clans with the idea of establishing trading relations.”
“Trading! With flatheads!” Joharran said.
“Why not?” Willamar said. “I think it could be interesting. Depends what they have to trade, of course.”
“Sounds like the Trade Master talking,” Jondalar said.
“Speaking of trading, what are the Losadunai doing about those young men?” Willamar wanted to know. “We trade with them. I’d hate to have some trading party come down off the other side of that glacier and walk into a party of flatheads with revenge on their minds.”
“When we … I first heard about it, five years ago, they weren’t doing much,” Jondalar said, trying to avoid making reference to Thonolan. “They knew it was going on, some of the men were still calling it ‘high spirits,’ but Laduni became really upset, just talking about it. Then it got worse. We stopped to visit the Losadunai on our way back. The Clan men had started going out with their women when they were gathering food, guarding them, and those ‘high-spirited’ young men weren’t going to provoke the Clan men by going after the women then, so they went after a young woman of Laduni’s Cave—all of them—forced a young woman … before First Rites.”
“Oh, no! How could they, Jondé?” Folara said, bursting into tears.
“Great Mother’s Underground!” Joharran thundered.
“That’s just where they should be sent!” Willamar said.
“They are abominations! I can’t even imagine a strong enough punishment!” Zelandoni fumed.
Marthona, unable to say anything, had her hand on her chest and looked appalled.
Ayla had felt deeply for the young woman who had been assaulted and had tried to ease her anguish, but she couldn’t help but notice how much more strongly Jondalar’s kin had reacted to the news of a young woman of the Others being attacked by the gang than they had when they learned of the attacks on Clan women. When it was Clan women, they were offended, but when it was one of their own, they were outraged.
That, more than anything that had been said or done, made her understand the extent of the chasm that separated the two peoples. Then she wondered what their reactions would have been—inconceivable as the idea was to her—if it had been a gang of Clan men … flatheads that had committed such an abominable act on Zelandonii women?
“You can be sure the Losadunai are doing something about those young men, now,” Jondalar said. “The young woman’s mother was crying for blood retribution against the Cave of the leader of those degenerate men.”
“Ahhh, that’s bad news. What a difficult situation for the leaders,” Marthona said.
“It’s her right!” Folara proclaimed.
“Yes, of course, it’s her right,” Marthona said, “but then some kin or another, or the whole Cave, will resist and that could lead to fighting, maybe someone