The Shelters of Stone (Earth's Children 5)

“Yes,” he said. “Ayla showed me the horses.”

“She tells me you can whistle very well,” Zelandoni said.

“She taught me some birdsongs.”

“Would you like to show me?”

“If you want. I’ve been practicing the meadow lark,” he said, then proceeded to imitate the beautiful sound. Everyone turned to look, even his mother and grandmother.

“That’s very good, young man,” Jondalar said, beaming at the youngster. “It’s nearly as good as Ayla’s meadow lark.”

“We’re ready,” Proleva called. “Come and eat.”

Ayla led the three guests to the pile of bone-and-wood platters first and urged them to try everything. Then everyone else fell into line. Usually, those who shared a lodge had their morning meal together, but this had become the first of what would be many meals that would be shared, not only with their own Cave, but with other friends and relatives. There would even be a few occasions when the entire Summer Meeting would all feast together, but that would involve a great deal of organizing and planning. One of them would be the Matrimonial Feast.

When everyone was through eating, people started leaving for various other activities, but most of them stopped by to say a few words to their guests. Mardena was feeling a little flustered with all the attention, but she also felt a glow of warmth. She couldn’t remember ever being treated so well. Proleva came to talk to them and said a few words to Mardena and Denoda, then turned to Ayla.

“We’ll finish up here, Ayla. I think you have something you want to talk to Mardena about,” she said.

“Yes. Would you and Lanidar, and Denoda if she wants, like to take a walk with me?”

“Where are we going?” Mardena said with a touch of edginess.

“To see some horses,” Ayla said.

“Can I come along, Ayla?” Folara said. “If you don’t want me to, just go ahead and say so, but I haven’t seen the horses for a while.”

Ayla smiled. “Of course you can,” she said. It might actually make it easier to get Mardena to agree to let Lanidar watch them if someone so friendly and unafraid of them was there. She turned to look for the boy and saw him sitting next to Lanoga, who was holding Lorala, and they seemed to be talking easily. Tremeda’s two-year boy was sitting on the ground nearby.

As they headed in their direction, Mardena asked, “Who is that girl? Or is she a woman? She seems very young to have a baby that age.”

“Too young, for certain. She hasn’t even had First Rites,” Ayla said. “That’s her sister, and the other one, the two-year, is her brother, but as far as the babies are concerned, Lanoga is their mother.”

“I don’t understand,” Mardena said.

“I’m sure you’ve heard of Laramar? He’s the one who makes the barma?” Folara said.

“Yes,” Mardena said.

“Everyone has,” Denoda said.

“Then perhaps you’ve heard of his mate, Tremeda. She does nothing but drink the barma he makes, and have children that she won’t take care of,” Folara said, full of derision.

“Or can’t,” Ayla said. “She can’t seem to stop herself from drinking the barma, either.”

“And Laramar is often drunk and just as irresponsible. He doesn’t even care about the children of his hearth,” Folara said with disgust. “Ayla found out that Tremeda had lost her milk, and Lanoga was trying to feed Lorala on nothing but mashed-up roots because that’s all she knew how to make. Ayla got several of the new mothers to agree to nurse the baby, but Lanoga is still the one who takes care of her, and all the rest of Tremeda’s children. Ayla showed her how to make other food that babies can eat, and she’s the one who takes Lorala to the other mothers to nurse. She’s really an amazing girl, and will be a wonderful mate and mother someday, but who knows if she’ll ever find a mate? Laramar and Tremeda have the last-ranked hearth in our Cave. Who would be willing to mate the daughter of that hearth?”

Mardena and Denoda stared at the talkative young woman. Most people liked to gossip, but they were not usually so open about the ones who were an embarrassment to their own Cave. Denoda’s rank had slipped since her daughter gave birth to Lanidar, and her mate had severed the knot. They weren’t the lowest, but not far from it. Their Cave was much smaller, however. To be the last of such a large Cave was a low rank. But even if we were the first ranked, Lanidar will have trouble finding a mate, because of his affliction, Denoda thought.

“Would you like to go see some horses, Lanidar?” Ayla asked as they approached. “You can come, too, Lanoga.”

“No, I can’t. It’s Stelona’s turn to feed Lorala, and she’s getting hungry. I didn’t want to give her too much food until after she nurses.”

“Maybe another time,” Ayla said, smiling affectionately. “Are you ready, Lanidar?”

“Yes,” he said, then he turned to the girl. “I have to go, Lanoga.” She smiled shyly at him, and he smiled back.

As they passed by her lodge, Ayla said, “Lanidar, will you get that bowl over there? It has some horse food in it, pieces of wild carrot and some grains.” He ran to get it.