The Mammoth Hunters (Earth's Children 3)

“I know,” Ayla said softly. The shock and pain in his eyes hurt her. “I Promised, and everything is arranged. But I have to leave.”

“But why? Why now, all of a sudden?” Ranec said, his voice high-pitched, almost strangled.

“Because I have to leave now. It’s the best time to travel, and we have a long way to go. I’m going with Jondalar. I love him. I never stopped loving him. I thought he didn’t love me.…”

“When you thought he didn’t love you, then I was good enough? Is that how it was?” Ranec said. “All the time we spent together, you were wishing it was him. You never loved me at all.”

“I wanted to love you, Ranec. I care about you. I wasn’t always wishing for Jondalar, when I was with you. You made me happy many times.”

“But not always. I wasn’t good enough. You were perfect, but I wasn’t always perfect for you.”

“I never looked for perfect. I love him, Ranec. How long could you love me knowing that I love someone else?”

“I could love you until I die, Ayla, and into the world beyond. Don’t you understand? I will never love anyone again the way I love you. You can’t leave me.” The dark, magnetic artist was pleading with her, with tears in his eyes; he had never pleaded for anything before in his life.

Ayla was feeling his pain, and she wished there was something she could do to make it less. But she could not give him the one thing he wanted. She could not love him the way she loved Jondalar.

“I’m sorry, Ranec. Please. Take the muta.” She held it out again.

“Keep it!” he said, with as much venom as he could. “Maybe I’m not good enough for you, but I don’t need you. I can have my pick of this place. Go ahead, run off with your flint knapper. I don’t care.

“I can’t keep it,” Ayla said, putting the muta down on the ground at his feet. She bowed her head and turned to go.

She walked back along the river, with pain in her heart for the pain she had caused. She hadn’t meant to hurt him so badly. If there had been any other way, she would have chosen it. She hoped that never again would someone love her that she couldn’t love back.

“Ayla?” Ranec called out. She turned back and waited for him to catch up with her. “When are you leaving?”

“As soon as I can get packed.”

“It’s not true, you know. I do care.” His face was etched with grief and pain. She wanted to run to him, comfort him, but she didn’t dare encourage him. “I always knew you loved him, from the beginning,” he said. “But I loved you so much, I wanted you so much, I didn’t want to see it. I tried to convince myself that you loved me, and I hoped, in time, you really would.”

“Ranec, I’m so sorry,” she said. “If I hadn’t loved Jondalar first, I would have loved you. I could have been happy with you. You were so good to me, and you always made me laugh. I do love you, you know. Not the way you want, but I will always love you.”

His black eyes were full of anguish. “I’ll never stop loving you, Ayla. I’ll never forget you. I’ll take this love to my grave,” Ranec said.

“Don’t say that! You deserve more happiness than that.”

He laughed, a bitter, hard laugh. “Don’t worry, Ayla. I’m not ready for that grave, yet. At least not enough to make it happen. And someday, I may join with a woman, make a hearth, and she will have children. I may even love her. But no other woman will ever be you, and I will never feel about another woman the way I feel about you. You can only happen once in any man’s lifetime.” They started walking back.

“Will it be Tricie?” Ayla asked. “She loves you.”

Ranec nodded. “Perhaps. If she’ll have me. Now that she has a son, she will be in even greater demand, and she had plenty of offers before.”

Ayla stopped, and looked at Ranec. “I think Tricie will have you. She’s hurt now, but that’s because she loves you so much. But there is something else you should know. Her son, Ralev, he’s your son, Ranec.”

“You mean he’s the son of my spirit?” Ranec frowned. “You are probably right.”

“No, I don’t mean he’s the son of your spirit. I mean Ralev is your son, Ranec. He is the son of your body, your essence. Ralev is your son just as much as he is Tricie’s son. You started him growing inside her, when you shared Pleasures with her.”

“How do you know I shared Pleasures with her?” Ranec said, looking a little uncomfortable. “She was a red-foot last year, and very dedicated.”

“I know because Ralev was born, and he is your son. That’s how all life is started. That’s why Pleasures honor the Mother. It is the beginning of life. I know this, Ranec. I promise you, it is true, and this promise cannot be broken,” Ayla said.

Ranec frowned with concentration. It was a strange new idea. Women were mothers. They gave birth to children, daughters and sons. But could a man have a son? Could Ralev be his son? Yet Ayla said it. It had to be. She carried the essence of Mut. She was the Spirit Woman. She might even be the Great Earth Mother incarnate.

Jondalar checked the packs again, then led Racer to the head of the path, where Ayla was saying goodbye. Whinney was packed, and waiting patiently, but Wolf was running excitedly between them, knowing something was happening.

It had been difficult for Ayla to leave behind the people she loved when she was expelled from the Clan, but she’d had no choice. Saying goodbye, voluntarily, to the people she loved in the Lion Camp, knowing she would never see them again, was even harder. She had cried so many tears already this day, she wondered how she had any more to shed, yet her eyes watered anew each time she hugged another friend.