The Shelters of Stone (Earth's Children 5)

She sat back on her heels, looking at her small pile of similar stones. There are firestones here! Now we won’t have to be so careful with the ones we have, we can get more. She could hardly wait to show Jondalar.

She gathered them up and a few more that she noticed, then whistled for Whinney, who had strayed off toward a patch of succulent green. But just before she made ready to mount, she saw Jondalar striding in their direction. Wolf at his side.

“Jondalar!” she called out, running toward him. “Look what I found!” she said, holding out several of the pieces of iron pyrite as she ran. “Firestones! There are firestones around here. They’re all over this stream!”

He hurried toward her, beaming a great smile, as much in response to her exuberant delight as for the remarkable find. “I didn’t know they were so close, but then I never much paid attention to this kind of stone, I was always looking for flint. Show me where you found them.”

She took him to the little pool at the foot of the waterfall, then trained her eyes on the rocks of the streambed and along the sides of the diminutive waterway. “Look!” she said triumphandy. “There’s another one,” pointing at a stone on the bank.

Jondalar knelt down and picked it up. “You’re right! This will make a difference, Ayla. It could mean firestones for everybody. If they are here, there may be other places nearby that have them, too. No one even knows about them yet, I haven’t had a chance to tell anyone.”

“Folara knows, and Zelandoni,” Ayla said.

“How do they know?”

“Remember the calming tea Zelandoni made for Willamar when you told him about your brother? I made Folara nervous when I used a firestone to start the fire that had gone out, so I promised her I’d show her how they worked. She told Zelandoni,” Ayla said.

“So Zelandoni knows. Somehow she always ends up knowing about things first,” Jondalar said. “But we’ll have to come back and look for more, later. Right now, some people want to talk to you.”

“About the Clan?” she guessed.

“Joharran came and got me this morning for a meeting, before I really wanted to get up, but I made him let you sleep. I’ve been talking about our meeting with Guban and Yorga. They’re very interested, but it’s hard for them to believe the Clan are people and not animals. Zelandoni has been analyzing some of the Elder Legends more closely—she’s the one who knows about the history of the Zelandonii—trying to see if there are any hints about flatheads … the Clan … living around here before the Zelandonii. When Ramara said you were up, Joharran wanted me to get you,” Jondalar said. “He’s not the only one with a lot of questions.”

Jondalar had brought Racer’s rope halter with him, but the frisky young stallion balked a bit, still feeling playful. With some patience, and scratching of itchy places, the horse finally acquiesced. The man mounted and they started back through the open woodlands of the small valley.

Jondalar pulled up to ride beside Ayla and, after some hesitation, remarked, “Ramara said when she talked to you this morning, that she thought you were sick, perhaps not used to Laramar’s barma. How are you feeling?”

It’s going to be hard to keep secrets around here, Ayla thought. “I’m fine, Jondalar,” she said.

“He does make a strong brew. You weren’t feeling too well last night.”

“I was tired last night,” Ayla said. “And this morning, it was just a little sickness, because I’m going to have a baby.” From his expression, she suspected he was concerned about more than her morning sickness.

“It was a full day. You met a lot of people.”

“And I liked most of them,” she said, looking at him with a little grin. “I’m just not used to so many at one time. It’s like a whole Clan Gathering. I can’t even remember everyone’s name.”

“You just met them. No one expects you to remember them all.”

They dismounted in the horse meadow and left the horses at the foot of the path. As she glanced up, Ayla noticed the Falling Stone silhouetted against the clear sky, and for a moment, it seemed to emanate a strange glow; but when she blinked, it was gone. The sun is bright, she thought. I must have looked at it without shading my eyes.

Wolf appeared out of the high grass; he had followed them in a desultory way, exploring small holes and chasing interesting scents. When he saw Ayla standing still, blinking, he decided it was time to properly greet the alpha leader of his pack. The huge canine caught her off guard when he jumped up and put his paws on the front of her shoulders. She staggered a bit, but caught herself and braced to hold his weight as he licked her jaw and held it in his teeth.

“Good morning, Wolf!” she said, holding his shaggy ruff in both hands. “I think you’re feeling full of yourself today, too. Just like the horses.” He dropped down and followed her up the path, ignoring the gawks of those who had not seen that particular display of affection before, and the smirks of those who had and were enjoying the reaction. Ayla signaled him to stay with her.

She thought about stopping at Marthona’s dwelling to leave the full waterbag, but Jondalar continued beyond the dwelling area and she walked with him. They passed by the work area toward the southwest end of the overhang. Ahead, Ayla saw several people standing and sitting near the remains of the previous night’s bonfire.

“There you are!” Joharran said, getting up from a small block of limestone and coming toward them.

As they got closer, Ayla noticed a small fire burning at the edge of the large blackened ring. Nearby was a deep basket, which was filled with steaming liquid upon which floated bits of leaves and other vegetal material. It was coated with something dark, and her nose detected the scent of pine pitch, which had been used to keep it watertight.

Proleva ladled some into a cup. “Have some hot tea, Ayla,” she said, extending the cup to her.

“Thank you,” Ayla said, taking the cup. She took a drink. It was a nice blend of herbs, with just a hint of pine. She drank more, then realized that she would have preferred something solid. The liquid was making her stomach queasy again, and her head was aching. She noticed an unoccupied stone block and sat down, hoping her stomach would settle. Wolf lay down at her feet. She held the cup in her hand without drinking and wished she had brewed some of the special “morning after” drink she had developed for Talut, the Mamutoi headman of the Lion Camp.

Zelandoni looked at Ayla closely and thought she detected some familiar signs. “This might be an appropriate rime to stop for a bite to eat. Are there any leftovers from last night?” she said to Proleva.

“That’s a good idea,” Marthona said. “It’s after midday. Have you had anything to eat yet, Ayla?”