The Shelters of Stone (Earth's Children 5)

“She took from the source for the life She’d begun.

Now the cold empty void was enticing Her son.

The Mother gave love, but the youth longed for more,

For knowledge, excitement, to travel, explore.”

“Chaos was Her foe. But Her son yearned to go.”

Ayla’s mind kept nagging at her. It’s not just Jondalar, she thought. I feel as if I know this, or at least the essence of it. But where could I have learned it? Then something clicked. Losaduna! I memorized all kinds of things he taught me! There was one story like this about the Mother. Jondalar even recited parts of it during that ceremony. It wasn’t exactly the same, and it was in their language, but Losadunai is close to Zelandonii. That’s why I was able to understand what they said so fast! As she listened, she concentrated on bringing the memory of the Mother’s story back and began to feel a sense of the similarities and differences.

“He stole from Her side as the Great Mother slept,

While out of the dark swirling void chaos crept.

With tempting inducements the darkness beguiled.

Deceived by the whirlwind, chaos captured Her child.”

“The dark took Her son. The young brilliant one.”

“The Mother’s bright child, at first overjoyed,

Was soon overwhelmed by the bleak frigid void.

Her unwary offspring, consumed with remorse,

Could not escape the mysterious force.”

“Chaos would not free. Her rash progeny.”

“But just as the dark pulled him into the cold,

The Mother woke up, reached out and caught hold.

To help Her recover Her radiant son,

The Mother appealed to the pale shining one.”

“The Mother held tight. And kept him in sight.”

Ayla began to smile as she started anticipating the next verse, or at least the essential meaning of it. The Mother Earth tells Her old friend, the Moon, the story of what happened to Her son next, Ayla thought.

“She welcomed him back, Her lover of old,

With heartache and sorrow, Her story She told.

Her dear friend agreed to join in the fight,

To rescue Her child from his perilous plight.”

And now the listeners say it their way, Ayla said to herself. That’s how the story is supposed to be told. First the Losaduna, or the Zelandoni, narrates it, then the listeners answer or repeat it another way.

“She told of Her grief. And the dark swirling thief.”

Then it’s Zelandoni’s turn again.

“The Mother was tired, She had to recover,