The Shelters of Stone (Earth's Children 5)

“Either one. When it gets named, it will be called a deep, but it’s still a cave. Thank you for bringing me here, Ayla. I have never seen a more beautiful cave. I am overwhelmed,” Jonokol said.

“Yes, I am, too. But I’m curious, how will this cave get named? Who will name it?” Ayla asked.

“It will name itself. People will start referring to it in whatever way best describes it or feels most appropriate to them. What would you call it if you wanted to talk about it to someone?” Jonokol asked.

“I’m not sure, maybe the cave with white walls,” Ayla said.

“I’d guess the name will turn out to be close to that, at least one of the names, but we don’t know much more about it yet, and the zelandonia will make their own name,” Jonokol said.

Ayla and Jonokol were the last ones out of the cave. The sun seemed especially bright when they reached the entrance, after the dark cave lit only by a few torches. When her eyes adjusted, Ayla was surprised to see Marthona waiting, along with Jondalar and Wolf.

“Tormaden invited us for a meal,” Marthona said. “He has hurried ahead to let them know to expect us. Actually, he invited you, but then he asked me to come, too, and all the rest of you who were in the cave just now. Including you, Jonokol. Everyone else has other things to do, most people are busy at Summer Meetings.”

“I know Joharran is having a gather at our camp with people from all the other Caves to plan the hunt,” Jondalar said. “In fact, Tormaden will be going, too, after he introduces you to his camp. I was going to go,

but it will still be going on after the meal, and I’ll go later. It’s not that I would usually be included in the planning of these things, but since we returned, Joharran has been getting me involved in them.”

“Why don’t we all go to our camp?” Ayla said. “There is still a special meal to prepare for tomorrow morning, and I haven’t helped at all.”

“For one thing, when the leader of the host Cave at a Summer Meeting invites you for a meal, it’s a courtesy to go, if you can.”

“Why would he invite me?”

“It’s not every day one finds a cave like that, Ayla. All of us are excited about it,” Marthona said, “and it’s close to the Nineteenth Cave, in their territory. They will probably become a more important Cave now.”

“You’ll be getting more attention, too,” Jondalar said.

“I get too much attention as it is,” she said. “I don’t want all that attention. I just want to get mated, and have a baby, and be like everyone else.”

Jondalar smiled at her and put his arm around her. “Give it some time,” he said. “You’re still new. When people get used to you, things will settle down.”

“It’s true, things will settle down, but you know you are never going to be like everyone else. For one thing, everyone else doesn’t have horses and a wolf,” Marthona said, looking down at the big carnivore with an ironic smile.

“Are you sure they know we’re coming, Mardena?” the older woman said, stepping carefully across the small creek that emptied into The River.

“She invited us, mother. She said come and share a morning meal with them. Didn’t she, Lanidar?”

“Yes, grandma, she did,” the boy said.

“Why did they camp so far away?” the grandmother asked.

“I don’t know, mother. Why don’t you ask them when we get there?” Mardena said.

“Well, they are the biggest Cave and take a lot of room,” the woman said. “A lot of people were already here and had set up camps.”

“I think it’s because of the horses,” Lanidar said. “She has them in a special place so no one will think they are just regular horses and decide to hunt them. They would be easy to hunt. They don’t run away.”

“Everybody is talking about them, but we were out when they came. Is it true the horses let people sit on their backs?” the older woman asked. “Why would anyone want to sit on the back of a horse?”

“I didn’t see that, but I don’t doubt it,” Lanidar said. “The horses let me touch them. I was touching the young stallion, and the mare came and wanted me to touch her, too. They ate off my hands, both of them. She said I should feed both horses at the same time, so they don’t get jealous. She said the mare is the mother of the stallion, and she can tell him what to do.”

Mardena slowed and knit her brow as they approached the campsite and watched people talking and smiling around the long trenchfire. There seemed to be a lot of people. Maybe she was mistaken, maybe they weren’t expected.

“There you are! We’ve been waiting for you.”

The two women and the boy turned at the sound of the voice and saw a tall, attractive young woman.

“You probably don’t remember me. I’m Folara, daughter of Marthona.”