The Mammoth Hunters (Earth's Children 3)

“Look at him,” Nezzie said, nodding toward her great hulk of a man. “Doesn’t he look like he’s starving?” People chuckled. “Yes, the food is ready. We’ve just been waiting until everyone was ready to eat.”

“Well, I’m ready,” Talut replied.

While some people went to get their dishes, the ones who had cooked brought out the food. Each person’s dishes were individual possessions. Plates were often flat pelvic or shoulder bones from bison or deer, cups and bowls might be tightly woven, waterpr

oof small baskets or sometimes the cup-shaped frontal bones of deer with the antlers removed. Clamshells and other bivalves, traded for, along with salt, from people who visited or lived near the sea, were used for smaller dishes, scoops, and the smallest ones for spoons.

Mammoth pelvic bones were trays and platters. Food was served with large ladles carved from bone or ivory or antler or horn, and with straight pieces casually manipulated like tongs. Smaller straight tongs were used for eating along with the flint eating knives. Salt, rare and special so far inland, was served separately from a rare and beautiful mollusc shell.

Nezzie’s stew was as rich and delicious as the aroma had proclaimed it would be, complemented by Tulie’s small loaf cakes of ground grain which had been dropped in the boiling stew to cook. Though two birds did not go far in feeding the hungry Camp, everyone sampled Ayla’s ptarmigan. Cooked in the ground oven, it was so tender it fell apart. Her combination of seasonings, though unusual to the palates of the Mamutoi, was well received by the Lion Camp. They ate it all. Ayla decided she liked the grain stuffing.

Ranec brought out his dish near the end of the meal, surprising everyone because it was not his usual specialty. Instead he passed around crisp little cakes. Ayla sampled one, then reached for another.

“How you make this?” she asked. “Is so good.”

“Unless we can get a contest going every time, I don’t think they will be too easy to make again. I used the powdered grain, mixed it with rendered mammoth fat, then added blueberries and talked Nezzie out of a little of her honey, and cooked it on hot rocks. Wymez said my mother’s people used boar’s fat to cook with, but he wasn’t sure how. Since I don’t remember even seeing a boar, I thought I’d settle for mammoth fat.”

“Taste is same, almost,” Ayla said, “but nothing taste like this. Disappears in mouth.” Then she looked speculatively at the man with brown skin and black eyes and tight curly hair, who was, in spite of his exotic appearance, as much a Mamutoi of the Lion Camp as anyone. “Why you cook?”

He laughed. “Why not? There are only two of us at the Hearth of the Fox, and I enjoy it, though I’m glad enough to eat from Nezzie’s fire most of the time. Why do you ask?”

“Men of the Clan not cook.”

“A lot of men don’t, if they don’t have to.”

“No, men of the Clan not able to cook. Not know how. Not have memories for cooking.” Ayla wasn’t sure if she was making herself clear, but Talut came then pouring drinks of his fermented brew, and she noticed Jondalar eying her, trying not to look upset. She held out a bone cup and watched Talut fill it with bouza. She hadn’t liked it very much the first time she tasted it, but everyone else seemed to enjoy it so much she thought she’d try it again.

After Talut had poured for everyone, he picked up his plate and went back for a third helping of stew.

“Talut! Are you going back for more?” Nezzie said, in the not-quite-scolding tone that Ayla was coming to recognize as Nezzie’s way of saying she was pleased with the big headman.

“But you’ve outdone yourself. This is the best stew I’ve ever eaten.”

“Exaggerating again. You’re saying that so I won’t call you a glutton.”

“Now, Nezzie,” Talut said, putting his dish down. Everyone was smiling, giving each other knowing looks. “When I say you’re the best, I mean you’re the best.” He picked her up and nuzzled her neck.

“Talut! You big bear. Put me down.”

He did as he was bid, but fondled her breast and nibbled an earlobe. “I think you’re right. Who needs more stew? I think I’ll finish off dinner with you. Didn’t I get a promise earlier?” he replied, with feigned innocence.

“Talut! You’re as bad as a bull in heat!”

“First I’m a wolverine, then I’m a bear, now I’m an aurochs.” He bellowed a laugh. “But you’re the lioness. Come to my hearth,” he said, making motions as if he was going to pick her up and carry her off to the lodge.

Suddenly she gave in and laughed. “Oh, Talut. How dull life would be without you!”

Talut grinned, and the love and understanding in their eyes when they looked at each other spread its warmth. Ayla felt the glow, and deep in her soul she sensed that their closeness had come from learning to accept each other as they were, over a lifetime of shared experiences.

But their contentment brought disquieting thoughts to her. Would she ever know such acceptance? Would she ever understand anyone so well? She sat mulling over her thoughts, staring out across the river, and shared a quiet moment with the others as the broad empty landscape staged an awesome display.

The clouds to the north had expanded their territory by the time the Lion Camp finished the feast, and presented their reflecting surfaces to a rapidly retreating sun. In a flagrant blaze of glory, they proclaimed their triumph across the far horizon, flaunting their victory in blaring banners of orange and scarlet—careless of the dark ally, the other side of day. The lofty show of flying colors, flamboyant in its brazen splendor, was a short-lived celebration. The inexorable march of night sapped the volatile brilliance, and subdued the fiery tones to sanguine shades of carmine and carnelian. Flaming pink faded to smoky lavender, was overcome by ash purple, and finally surrendered to sooty black.

The wind increased with the coming night, and the warmth and shelter of the earthlodge beckoned. In the fading light, individual dishes were scoured by each person with sand and rinsed with water. The balance of Nezzie’s stew was poured into a bowl and the large cooking hide was cleaned the same way, then hung over the frame to dry. Inside, outer clothing was pulled off and hung on pegs, and fireplaces were stoked and fed.

Tronic’s baby, Hartal, fed and contented, went to sleep quickly, but three-year-old Nuvie, struggling to keep her eyes open, wanted to join the others who were beginning to congregate at the Mammoth Hearth. Ayla picked her up and held her when she toddled over, then carried her back to Tronie, sound asleep, before the young mother even left her hearth.

At the Hearth of the Crane, though he had eaten from his mother’s dish, Ayla noticed that Fralie’s two-year-old son, Tasher, wanted to nurse, then fussed and whined, which convinced Ayla that his mother’s milk was gone. He had just fallen asleep when an argument erupted between Crozie and Frebec and woke him. Fralie, too tired to spend energy on anger, picked him up and held him, but seven-year-old Crisavec had a scowl on his face.