The Shelters of Stone (Earth's Children 5)

When Ayla was through talking to the horses and turned around to face the people, Lanidar asked her, “Where did the surround come from? It wasn’t here yesterday.”

Ayla smiled. “A lot of people got together and built it yesterday afternoon,” she said.

When Ayla returned from having a meal with the Nineteenth Cave, she mentioned to Joharran after his meeting that she wanted to build an enclosure for the horses, and explained why. Joharran stood up on Zelandoni’s stool and talked about Ayla’s desire to create a safe place for the horses. Most of the people who were at the meeting were still there, as well as many people from the Ninth Cave. Many questions were asked, including how strong it had to be, and several suggestions were made. Before long, most of them moved up the meadow and pitched in to build the corral. The ones who were not from the Ninth Cave were curious about the horses anyway, and most of those who were didn’t want to see the horses accidentally hurt or killed. They were a novelty that brought added distinction to their Cave.

Ayla was so grateful, she didn’t know what to say. She thanked them but didn’t think that was near enough, and felt a debt to the Zelandonii that she didn’t know how to repay. Working together brought people closer together, and she felt that she got to know some people better. Joharran had mentioned wanting to include the horses in the hunt, which was planned for the following morning. Both Ayla and Jondalar rode the horses and demonstrated their control of them, which made Joharran’s suggestions much more acceptable. If the hunt was successful, the Matrimonial would normally take place the next day, but since Dalanar and the Lanzadonii had not yet arrived, they were prepared to wait a few days, though some people were getting anxious.

Ayla put halters on the horses and led them out of the enclosure through a gate that Tormaden of the Nineteenth Cave had devised. He dug a hole beside one of the support posts for the base of a pole to which the gate was attached and used a loop of rope to slip over the top. Rope loops also served as hinges. She was beginning to feel a closer tie to the Nineteenth Cave. When she brought the horses up close, Mardena backed away fast. They were so much bigger up close. Folara immediately stepped into her place.

“I haven’t seen the horses nearly as much as I wanted to,” she said, petting Whinney’s face. “Everyone has been so busy what with that bison hunt where Shevonar died, and the burial, and getting ready to come. You said once you’d let me have a ride on a horse.”

“Would you like to do it now?” Ayla said.

“Could I?” she said, her eyes glowing with pleasure.

“Let me get a riding blanket for Whinney,” Ayla said. “Would you and Lanidar like to give them something to eat while I get it? He has some food they like in that bowl.”

“I’m not sure if Lanidar should get so close,” Mardena said.

“He’s already close, Mardena,” Denoda said. “But she’s there.…”

“Mother, I already fed them once. They know me, and you can see they know Folara,” Lanidar said.

“They won’t hurt him,” Ayla said, “and I’m only going over there.”

She pointed to an arrangement of stones near the gate. It was a traveler’s cairn that Kareja had made for her. Ayla only had to remove a few rocks to reach the space inside where she could keep a few things, like a leather riding blanket. The rocks were overlapped in such a way that rainwater would flow over the top and not seep inside. The leader of the Eleventh Cave showed her how to put them back to keep the inside dry. Similar cairns were placed along several well-used routes with emergency fire-making materials and often a warm cloak inside. Other cairns had dried food inside. Occasionally both would be in one cairn, but the food cairns were broken into more often, and bears, wolverines, or badgers, the most frequent offenders, usually vandalized and scattered everything.

Ayla left them with the horses. When she reached the cairn, she glanced back, making it very inconspicuous. Folara and Lanidar were letting the large herbivores eat out of their hands, while Mardena stayed back, acting nervous and looking concerned, and Denoda watched. Ayla walked back and casually tied the riding blanket on Whinney’s back. Then she led the mare to a stone.

“Get up on the stone, Folara, then put your leg over her back and try to find a comfortable seat. You can hang on to her mane. I’ll hold Whinney so she won’t move,” Ayla said.

Folara felt a little clumsy, especially when she recalled how smoothly Ayla mounted the horse, but she managed to get on, then sat there, grinning. “I’m sitting on a horse’s back!” she said, feeling rather proud of herself.

Ayla noticed that Lanidar was watching her with a yearning look. Later, Ayla thought. Let’s not press your mother too hard, yet. “Are you ready?

” she said.

“Yes, I think so,” Folara said.

“Just relax, you can hold her mane for support if you want, but you don’t have to,” Ayla said, then started off at a walk, leading the horse by the halter, though she knew Whinney would follow her without it.

At first Folara held the mane and sat up stiffly, bouncing with each step the horse made, but after a while she settled down, began to anticipate the gait and relax into it. Then she let go of the mane.

“Do you want to try it alone? I’ll give you the lead rope.”

“Do you think I can?”

“You can try it, and if you want to get off, just tell me. When you want Whinney to go faster, lean forward,” Ayla explained, “hug her neck if you want. When you want her to slow down, start to sit up.”

“All right. I think I will try,” Folara said.

Mardena looked absolutely petrified when Ayla put the lead rope in Folara’s hand. “Go ahead, Whinney,” she said, signaling her to go slow.

The horse started walking across the meadow. She had given rides to several people and knew to go easy, especially the first time. When Folara leaned forward a little, Whinney increased her pace, but not by much. She leaned down a little farther, and Whinney shifted into a trot. She was an amazingly smooth-riding horse, but the trot jogged Folara a little more than she expected. She quickly sat back up, and Whinney slowed down. After they had gone out a ways, Ayla whistled to call her back. Folara got braver and leaned forward again, and this time she stayed with the trot until they returned and stopped. Ayla led the mare to the rock and held her until Folara got down.

“That was wonderful!” Folara said, her face flushed with excitement. Lanidar was smiling at her just because she looked so pleased.

“See, mother,” the boy said. “You can ride on the back of these horses.”