The Plains of Passage (Earth's Children 4)

"Yes, I'm sure that's what she meant. When she was young she was probably called Bodoa."

"But she had to give up her own name when she became S'Armuna. Just like the Zelandoni you talk about, the one you knew as Zolena," Ayla said.

"The name is given up willingly. It's part of becoming One Who Serves the Mother," Jondalar said.

"I understand. It was the same when Creb became The Mog-ur. He didn't have to give up his birth name, but when he was conducting a ceremony as The Mog-ur, he was a different person. When he was Creb, he was like his birth totem, the Roe Deer, shy and quiet, never saying much, almost as though he were watching from a hiding place. But when he was Mog-ur, then he was powerful and commanding, like his Cave Bear totem," Ayla said. "He was never quite what he seemed."

"You're a little like that, Ayla. Most of the time you listen a lot and don't say much, but when someone is hurting or in trouble, you almost become a different person. You take control. You tell people what to do, and they do it."

Ayla frowned. "I never thought of it that way. It's just that I want to help."

"I know that. But it's more than wanting to help. You usually know what to do, and most people recognize that. I think that's why they do what you say. I think you could be One Who Serves the Mother, if you wanted to," Jondalar said.

Ayla's frown deepened. "I don't think I would want that. I wouldn't want to give up my name. It's the only thing I have left from my real mother, from the time before I lived with the Clan," the young woman said. Then she suddenly tensed and pointed at a snow-covered mound that seemed unusually symmetrical. "Jondalar! Look over there."

The man looked where she pointed, not seeing what she saw at first; then the shape leaped into his awareness. "Could that be...?" he said, urging Racer forward.

The mound was in the middle of a tangle of briars, which increased their excitement. They dismounted. Jondalar found a sturdy branch and beat their way through the thicket of canes. When he reached the middle and hit the symmetrical mound, the snow fell away, revealing their upturned bowl boat.

"That's it!" Ayla cried.

They stomped and beat down the long thorny runners until they could reach the boat and the carefully wrapped packages cached underneath.

Their storage place had not been entirely effective, though it was Wolf who gave them the first indication. He was obviously agitated by a scent still clinging to the area, and when they found wolf scat, they understood why. Wolves had vandalized their cache. Attempts to tear open carefully wrapped bundles had succeeded in some cases. Even the tent was torn, but they were surprised it wasn't worse. Wolves usually couldn't stay away from leather, and once they got hold of it, they loved to chew it up.

"The repellent! That must have been what kept them from doing more damage," Jondalar said, pleased that Ayla's mixture had kept not just their canine traveling companion away from their things, but had later kept away the other wolves as well. "And all the while I thought that Wolf was making our Journey more difficult. Instead, if it hadn't been for him, we probably wouldn't even have a tent. Come here, boy," Jondalar said, patting his chest and inviting the animal to jump up and put his paws on it. "You did it again! Saved our lives, or at least our tent."

Ayla watched him grab the thick fur of the wolf's neck and smiled. She was pleased to see his change in attitude toward the animal. It wasn't that Jondalar had ever been unkind to him, or even that he disliked him. It was just that he'd never been so openly friendly and affectionate before. It was obvious that Wolf enjoyed the attention, too.

Though they would have sustained much more damage if it hadn't been for the wolf repellent, it hadn't kept the wolves away from their emergency food stores. They suffered a devastating loss. Most of their dried meat and cakes of traveling food were gone, and many of the packets of dried fruit, vegetables, and grain had been torn open or were missing, perhaps taken by other animals after the wolves had left.

"Maybe we should have taken more of the food the S'Armunai offered us when we left," Ayla said, "but they had little enough for themselves. I suppose we could go back."

"I'd rather not go back," Jondalar said. "Let's see what we have. With hunting, we may have enough to make it as far as the Losadunai. Thonolan and I met some of them and stayed overnight with them. They asked us to come back and spend some time with them."

"Would they give us food to continue our Journey?" Ayla asked.

"I think so," Jondalar said. Then he smiled. "In fact, I know they will. I have a future claim on them!"

"A future claim?" Ayla said, with a questioning frown. "Are they your kin? Like the Sharamudoi?"

"No, they're not kin, but they are friendly, and they have traded with the Zelandonii. Some of them know the language."

"You've talked about it before, but I never have quite understood what a 'future claim' means, Jondalar."

"A future claim is a promise to give whatever is asked for, at some time in the future, in exchange for something given or, more usually, won in the past. Mostly it's used to pay a debt when someone has been gaming and lost more than that person can pay, but it's used in other ways, too," the man explained.

"What other ways?" Ayla asked. She had a feeling there was more to the idea, and that it would be important for her to understand.

"Well, sometimes to repay someone for something he's done, usually something special, but difficult to value," Jondalar said. "Since there is no limit placed on it, a future claim can be a heavy obligation, but most people will not ask for

more than is appropriate. Often just accepting the obligation of a future claim shows trust and good faith. It's a way of offering friendship."

Ayla nodded. There was more to it.

"Laduni owes me a future claim," the man continued. "It is not a major claim, but he is required to give me whatever I ask, and I could ask for anything. I think he'll be glad to fulfill his obligation with nothing more than a little food, which he would probably give us anyway."

"Is it far to the Losadunai?" Ayla asked.