The Mammoth Hunters (Earth's Children 3)

Talut passed it to her.

“As headwoman of the Lion Camp, I state my agreement with Talut’s comments. Jondalar and Ayla would be valuable additions to the Lion Camp, and to the Mamutoi.” She faced the tall blond man. “Jondalar,” she said, stamping the Speaking Staff three times, “Tulie and Barzec have asked you to be a son of the Aurochs Hearth. We have spoken for you. How do you speak, Jondalar?”

He approached her, and took the Staff she offered and stamped it three times. “I am Jondalar of the Ninth Cave of the Zelandonii, son of Marthona, former leader of the Ninth Cave, born to the hearth of Dalanar, leader of the Lanzadonii,” he began. Since it was a formal occasion he decided to use his more formal address and name his primary ties, which brought smiles and nods of approval. All the foreign names gave the ceremony an exotic and important flavor. “I am greatly honored by your invitation, but I must be fair and tell you I have strong obligations. Someday I must return to the Zelandonii. I must tell my mother of my brother’s death, and I must tell Zelandoni, our Mamut, so a Search for his spirit can be made to guide him to the world of the spirits. I value our kinship, I am so warmed by your friendship, I do not want to leave. I wish to stay with you, my friends and relatives, for as long as I can.” Jondalar passed the Speaking Staff back to Tulie.

“We are saddened that you cannot join our hearth, Jondalar, but we understand your obligations. You have our respect. Since we are related, through your brother who was a cross-mate of Tholie, you are welcome to remain as long as you wish,” Tulie said, then passed the Staff back to Talut.

“Ayla,” Talut said, stamping the Staff three times on the ground, “Nezzie and I want to adopt you as a daughter of the Lion Hearth. We have spoken for you. How do you speak?”

Ayla took the Staff and banged it on the ground three times. “I am Ayla. I have no people. I am honored and pleased to be asked to become one of you. I would feel proud to be Ayla of the Mamutoi,” she said, in a carefully rehearsed speech.

Talut took the Staff back and stamped it four times. “If there are no objections, I will close this special meeting …”

“I request the Speaking Staff,” a voice from the audience called out. Everyone looked surprised to see Frebec approaching.

He took the Staff from the headman, struck the ground three times. “I do not agree. I do not want Ayla,” he said.

14

The people of the Lion Camp were stunned into silence. Then there was a hubbub of shocked surprise. The headman had sponsored Ayla, with the headwoman in full accord. Though everyone knew Frebec’s feelings about Ayla, no one else seemed to share them. What’s more, Frebec and the Crane Hearth hardly seemed in a position to object. They had been accepted by the Lion Camp recently themselves, after several other Camps had turned them down, only because Nezzie and Talut had argued in their behalf. The Crane Hearth once had a high status, and there had been people in other Camps who had been willing to sponsor them, but there had always been dissenters, and there could be no dissenters. Everyone had to agree. After all the headman’s support, it seemed ungrateful for Frebec to oppose him, and no one had expected it, least of all Talut.

The commotion quickly died down when Talut took the Speaking Staff from Frebec, held it up and shook it, invoking its power. “Frebec has the Staff. Let him speak,” Talut said, handing the ivory shaft back.

Frebec hit the ground three times and continued, “I do not want Ayla because I don’t think she has offered enough to make her a Mamutoi.” There was an undercurrent of objection to his statement, especially after Talut’s words of praise, but not enough to interrupt the speaker. “Do we ask any stranger who stops for a visit to become Mamutoi?”

Even with the constraint of the Speaking Staff, it was difficult for the Camp to keep from speaking out. “What do you mean she has nothing to offer? What about her hunting skill?” Deegie called out, full of righteous anger. Her mother, the headwoman, had not accepted Ayla on first appearances. Only after careful consideration had she agreed to go along with Talut. How could this Frebec object?

“So what if she hunts? Is everyone who hunts made one of us?” Frebec said. “That’s not a good reason. She won’t be hunting much longer anyway, not after she has children.”

“Having children is more important! That will give her more status,” Deegie flared.

“Don’t you think I know that? We don’t even know if she can have children, and if she doesn’t have children, she won’t be of much value at all. But we weren’t talking about children, we were talking about hunting. Just because she hunts is not a good enough reason to make her a Mamutoi,” Frebec argued.

“What about the spear-thrower? You can’t deny it is a weapon of value, and she is good at it and already showing others how to use it,” Tornec said.

“She did not bring it. Jondalar did, and he is not joining us.”

Danug spoke out. “She might be a Searcher, or a Caller. She can make horses obey her, she even rides on one.”

“Horses are food. The Mother meant for us to hunt them, not live with them. I’m not even sure it’s right to ride them. And no one knows for sure what she might be. She might be a Searcher, she might be a Caller. She might be the Mother on earth, but she might not. Since when is ‘might be’ a reason to make someone one of us?” No one had been able to counter his objections. Frebec was beginning to enjoy himself, and all the attention he was getting.

Mamut looked at Frebec with some surprise. Though the shaman completely disagreed with him, he had to concede that Frebec’s arguments were clever. It was too bad they were so misdirected.

“Ayla has taught Rydag to talk, when no one thought he could,” Nezzie shouted, joining in the debate.

“Talk!” he sneered. “You can call a lot of hand waving ‘talking’ if you want to, but I don’t. I can’t think of anything more useless than making stupid gestures at a flathead. That’s not a reason to accept her. If anything, it’s a reason not to.”

“And in spite of the obvious, I suppose you still don’t believe she is a Healer?” Ranec commented. “You realize, I hope, that if you drive Ayla out, you may be the one who is sorry if there is no one here to help Fralie when she delivers.”

Ranec had always been an anomaly to Frebec. In spite of his high status and renown as a carver, Frebec didn’t know what to make of the brown-skinned man, and was not comfortable around him. Frebec always had the feeling Ranec was being disdainful or making fun of him when he used that subtle ironic tone. He didn’t like it, and besides, there was probably something unnatural about such dark skin.

“You’re right, Ranec,” Frebec said in a loud voice. “I don’t think she’s a Healer. How could anyone growing up with those animals learn to be a Healer? And Fralie has already had babies. Why should this time be any different? Unless having that animal woman here brings her bad luck. That flathead boy already brings down the status of this Camp. Can’t you see? She’ll only bring it down more. Why would anyone want a woman raised by animals? And what would people think if anyone came here and found horses inside a lodge? No, I don’t want an animal woman who lived with flatheads to be one of the Lion Camp.”

There was a great commotion over his comments about the Lion Camp, but Tulie raised her voice above the tumult. “By whose measure do you say the status of this Camp has been brought down? Rydag does not take my status from me, I am still a leading voice on the Council of Sisters. Talut has lost no standing either.”

“People are always saying that Camp with the flathead boy. It makes me ashamed to say I am a member,” Frebec shouted back.

Tulie stood her tallest beside the rather slightly built man. “You are welcome to leave at any time,” she said in her coldest voice.