Chapter 10: Man of the Clan

It was late afternoon when they reached the rock rampart that had created the new falls. It was now that Jondalar suggested they make camp for the night. "We have plenty of time, you don't need to arrive at the Ninth Cave for several more days and after what just happened at Hilltop Holding, it would be nice to take it easy and relax a bit on our journey back."

"Yes, that's a good idea Jondalar. I was already thinking about the meeting with the southern Zelandoni. The thought doesn't make me feel relaxed. I think sometimes not having to think about the problems of the people is just what I need," Ayla said, smiling at her mate, grateful for his suggestion.

"Mother, can I go see what's in those trees over there?" Durcan pointed toward a stand of trees. "Maybe I can hunt something for dinner."

They had travel rations, but fresh food wouldn't hurt. "Fine, but only if you go with your sister. I don't want anyone going out alone while we are still in this area."

Durcan reined his pony around and heeled it into a gallop toward the trees with Jonayla following closely behind him. Her spearthrower out of its holder, she was ready to hunt alongside her brother.

As their children hunted, Ayla and Jondalar found a level area beside a small brook that meandered back toward the river. This is where they setup camp. The falls in the distance created a soothing atmosphere. They were happy to be together and away from everyone else. Lately circumstances had drawn Ayla away from Jondalar and her children more than she would have liked.

Jondalar helped move the wounded man from the travois, to a spot near the campfire. He thought the man looked pretty beaten up. It looked like he had been struck over and over again, maybe even after he was unconscious.

Ayla came over to the man and held his head up then dipped her fingers in a cup of water to trickle some into his mouth. She was worried about him. In her experience if someone remained unconscious for too long, they might not awaken again. Ayla untied him from the travois to check his wounds. He would again be secured to the travois for his safety when travel resumed.

Placing his bandaged head on a makeshift pillow of rolled hides, Ayla turned to start a fire in the circle of stones that Jondalar had made. She struck the flint against the firestone causing a hot spark to land on the kindling and blew on the ember until a flame flared up. It was at that moment she heard a gasp from behind her and looked around at the prostrate man.

His dark brown eyes were wide open and he was looking at her with fear and consternation. Ayla stood and slowly walked over to him. She knelt down beside him, assuming the Clan woman's position when speaking to a Clan man. She sat in this position for some time before she felt the touch on her shoulder that indicated his willingness to allow her to speak to him.

Ayla looked up and signed, "This woman would ask the man of the Clan how he feels? You have been away in the Spirit World for several days. You were hit on the head and you have a broken leg." She knew that it was best to let the man know the extent of his injuries before he tried to move.

The man looked startled, and didn't respond to her query. Ayla tried again. "I am a medicine woman of the Clan, far to the east." She pointed eastward. "I hold the black stone of the Clan and can help you recover."

The man shrugged and signed, "It is nothing," referring to his injuries. "Where am I? Why have you brought me here?"

Ayla replied, "You were a captive of men who would have hurt you further and you needed to be away from them. My mate and I brought you away and we will care for you until you are able to travel on your own."

"How can you speak the proper language and how is it that you say you are a Medicine Woman, when you are one of the Others?" The man of the Clan signed, as he looked around at his surroundings.

"I was adopted by our Clan's Medicine Woman who was first among all the Medicine Women in the east. She taught me and her own daughter together. I made the sacred substance for the Mog-ur ceremonies." Ayla signed this, to show that she was an accomplished healer and not just casually knowledgeable.

"Ayla!" Jondalar hurried toward her with his arms full of firewood. "He's awake!"

The prostrate man was startled, looking around at the tall blonde man of the Others approaching him. His body tensed as he readied himself for confrontation.

"Jondalar, please drop the wood over there and speak to this man in Clan signs. Tell him that you're not here to threaten him and that we want to be his friend."

Jondalar did as Ayla asked. He dropped the wood beside the fire and signed to the man from where he stood that he meant him no harm. The man of the Clan could just barely make out his signs. They were little better than a child's signs. He was amazed that a man of the Others could speak a proper language at all. And this woman at his side, she spoke the sacred form of the Clan language flawlessly. He must think about what to do.

Ayla offered the wounded man water. She helped him up onto his elbows and held the water bag to his lips to let him drink. When he began to swallow too much, too fast, she pulled the water away and signed, "You must drink in little amounts at first, or you will be sick and throw up. Here, have a little more now." She held up the water bag again so he could have a few more swallows. "I will leave this with you so you can drink when you wish," she signed, placing the water bag within easy reach.

Ayla turned back to the campfire. The small pile of kindling had burned itself out. She rekindled the burnt out kindling then bent forward to strike the firestone again. She then blew on the live spark and quickly began to build the fire, adding twigs then some of the wood that Jondalar had brought.

"Ayla," Jondalar said, "you better explain to that man what you're doing. I don't think he knows about firestones and he's looking at you like you're from the Spirit World."

Ayla looked around at the man whose eyes were again wide with fright. "Oh, I didn't think," she said out loud.

Ayla signed, "I started the fire using these two special stones." She held them out for the man to take, but he wouldn't touch them. "This is flint, like what a knife or spearhead is made of." Then she held up the iron pyrite and said, "This is a firestone and when you hit the firestone with the flint it causes a spark. It isn't magic, it is a gift from Ursus and anyone can use them to start a fire," she said as she laid the stones on the ground by the water bag next to the man.

The man looked at the stones and then back at the woman. She looked strange, like all of the Others did, but she could speak correctly and she was obviously a Medicine Woman, he could tell this from the bindings on his damaged leg. None of this made any sense to him, but his Mog-ur had sent him south to try to find a leader among the Others and it appeared that he had done so. Now he was determined to try to accept her and what he was seeing. Before he left for the south his Mog-ur told him that since his spirt was a mixture between the Clan and the Others that he should be able to make himself understood better than anyone else in the Clan. His mother's mother had been forced by a man of the Others and had taken his spirt. He had been honored, finally to have something he could do better than anyone else. He was supposed to find a leader among these people and explain that there were men of the Others who were fighting and killing Clan people and that it must stop.

Until now it hadn't worked out that way. He had crossed paths with the killers and had been captured by them. He thought he would die then, but here he was in the midst of the Others, being cared for by a Medicine Woman of their kind, one who knew how to speak and seemed to know Clan ways. It was all so overwhelming.

Ayla could see the confusion in the man's eyes as he looked around the campsite, noting the horses and the travel gear spread out for their night's stay. She wanted to communicate with him, to find out more about him and his Clan, but she knew that she would have to be careful, and to move slowly. Clan people didn't like change and this must be like a person jumping into a lake and trying to live as a fish.

Suddenly, through the trees and away to their right, the children came galloping and whooping toward them with obvious delight at having found something to contribute for dinner. Ayla stood up and signaled firmly for quiet, telling them to take the horses to the far side of the campsite, adding the imperative so they knew it wasn't a casual request.

Both children pulled on their horse's reins and came to a halt about twenty strides away. They dismounted and each, holding a hare dangling by its feet, walked into the camp quietly.

Fire from rocks, children riding horses, and Others speaking Clan; this was all so amazing he HAD to be dreaming... but he wasn't. The man of the Clan had seen the children racing toward them, he had also noted that the woman had signed to them to be quiet and to take the horses away from the campsite. He was amazed to see youngsters on horseback. He'd once seen an adult man of the Others riding a horse but had never even imagined that their children would do so too.

He watched as the woman turned toward him and signed, "These are my children. The boy is called Durcan, who is named after the Clan legend of Durc and we call him Durc among the family, the girl is called Jonayla, after my mate and I. My mate's name is Jondalar and my name is Ayla, a name given to me by the Clan when I was very small, many years ago."

Ayla signed that she would know his name if he would share it.

"I am Groog," he said the 'name' out loud, as Ayla had done with her family names. Then he signed, "Speak your name again."

"A-y-l-a," she said slowly.

"Aaay-lllaaa," he repeated very slowly, struggling to make the word the way she had.

"Yes, that's it, 'Ayla'," she signed to reassure him. This moment struck a chord deep within her, a memory of a time long ago when she had been a little girl and Creb and Iza had first pronounced the name. She was even more certain now that it wasn't the name her parents had given her, but she felt that it was a name that belonged to her, one that she would always cherish. Even now as Zelandoni she still thought of herself as 'Ayla' and encouraged Jondalar to continue to use her name. In her heart she would always be Ayla even though Doniers were supposed to give up their names.

Durcan and Jonayla had moved over by the campfire and were following the conversation between their mother and the man of the Clan. Both children understood a great deal of the Clan language. Many of the mannerisms and the body language were almost second nature to them because their mother had taught them the Clan way of talking from the time they were babies. The only difference between her ability and theirs was the fact that their presentation of the Clan language was sexless. Never having experienced the living arrangements and the mindset of Clan people, neither child could reproduce the submissive/aggressive nature of the language.

Ayla never really worried about whether or not her children understood the nuance between the sexes, but now as they tried to greet the Clan male, he had a hard time understanding their signals. He would look to Ayla as interpreter at first, but before they turned in that night he was beginning to understand their efforts more readily. After all, they were making the correct signs, just not using the male/female postures.

As dusk descended around their campsite, they ate the rabbits that Durcan and Jonayla had taken during the day using their spearthowers. The children had skinned and dressed the meat and Ayla had cooked it. Groog took the food that was offered him and watched them begin to eat their portions before biting into his own.

The food tasted much like he was used to because Ayla hadn't added the herbs and spices that she normally would have, only some sea salt. Groog watched the family during the meal. They were all talking, using the Clan language and also the funny sounding language too. The Others were using their strange sounding language and signing what they said at the same time as a courtesy to him.

Maybe these Others would help him after all. Maybe staying with these people would be the best thing to do. At least the Medicine Woman could interpret for him and bring him to their leader who might do something about the killers in the north. Groog finished his food then signed that he would sleep. He then turned away from the fire and closed his eyes.

-o-

Groog jerked awake. He looked up into the brilliant blue eyes of the girl of the Others. She was squatting beside him and must have just touched his shoulder to wake him. "Good morning sleepy head," the teenager signed. Groog wasn't sure if he should discipline her for such impertinent talk or if he should just keep his silence and send the girl away.

She didn't seem like any female he'd ever encountered. There was no subtlety about her. The way acted she could almost have been a male. Even so, it was obvious that she was female because she had a high voice, curved hips and breasts. He decided to keep silent and watch.

The girl had moved to the fire and was dishing out something into a wooden bowl. She nimbly moved back to him and handed him the bowl and smiled at him. To Groog that smile was a sign of challenge, but when he looked at the others he could see that they all made the same face to each other. He would just have to get used to the faces these Others made. Groog kept silent, he would have to be very careful, he thought to himself.

After eating the hot mushy grains mixed with berries that was handed to him by the young female, he signed to the blonde Medicine Woman, asking her where their journey was taking them.

"This woman is going home to the south, down this river for another day and a half," she responded in perfect Clan.

"Can you introduce me to your leader? I need to speak to a responsible leader of the Others."

"We have two leaders as you do, one for the caves and one for spiritual things, which do you want to talk to?" she asked.

"Who speaks for 'all' of the Others? That is the man I wish to speak to," Groog replied.

The woman made the challenge face again and said, "That would be me. I am Mog-ur who is first above all other Mog-urs of the Others."

"You cannot be. You are a woman!" He was angry now. How dare this woman lie to him about the Spirit World. What was he, a baby, that he would believe tall tales like this? "I do not believe you, you do not speak the truth," he signed showing agitation.

Ayla rocked back on her heels and thought for a moment. She shouldn't be surprised that Groog didn't believe her. The Clan would never make a woman their leader; it would be completely foreign to them. She turned to Jondalar who had been watching the two of them. He hadn't followed everything that passed between them, but he understood that the man did not believe that Ayla was the spiritual leader of the Zelandonii.

"Jondalar, I need you to sign to Groog who I am." She signed as she spoke so Groog would know what she had said and to show that she wasn't giving Jondalar any more information, but just asking him to sign in Clan.

Jondalar came over to the man of the Clan then squatted down beside him and signed, "Ayla is First among the Zelandoni," he had to say the word Zelandoni, since he couldn't sign a foreign word in Clan. "She is the spiritual leader of all the Zelandonii. She talks to the Spirit World for our people." He looked at his mate and asked, "Is that enough?"

It was obvious to Ayla that Groog was not convinced by what Jondalar had told him. She could see the doubt in his eyes and in his body language.

Without further discussion Ayla stooped to the fire and picked up some of the dark ash that surrounded the fireplace and stood in front of the Clan man and slowly began to mark her face with the ash. She traced a circle around one eye and then dipping a finger into the ash again, tracing another circle around the other eye. Then continuing to dip her finger into the ash as needed, she marked a crow's foot of three lines at the outside of each circle, then slowly, not taking her gaze off Groog, she traced a line of ash from the center of her forehead, down the bridge of her nose and over her lips and down the center of her chin. Once done she stood up, looking down at the man.

"I am Mog-ur who is first among the spiritual leaders of those you call the Others," she signed. "Yes, I am female, but among my people females can be powerful and share all responsibility with the males. We hunt, we use weapons, we build things and we talk to the spirits, the same as men do. I know that the Clan women do none of these things, but we are Zelandonii, not Clan. Do you understand Groog?"

Groog stared. He'd been staring at her from the moment he realized what she had been doing. Normally he would have consciously diverted his eyes but this was beyond anything 'normal'. He knew the marks were those of the Mog-ur even before she had completed them, and he was stunned. She had started fire without a friction stick, she rode on the backs of horses and she even knew the sacred name of Ursus. As he watched intently, he could find no insincerity in her body language.

The reason Groog had been chosen to find a leader among the Others was because he was of both Clan and the Others and not being fully Clan, their Mog-ur believed he would be able to understand them better than any other among them. That very well could have been the reason that Groog was able to consider the possibility that a female could be a spiritual leader after initially rejecting her claim out of hand. Groog did believe her. All he had seen and heard made him believe her. His luck was good, he thought, he had found the leader he sought and it was completely by chance.

This was an opportunity he would not throw away. He would stay with this female Mog-ur and learn what she could teach him of the Others. He would speak to her and convey the trouble the Clan was having with the violent men of the Others in the north. He would tell her about the hunting and killing of Clan people. He needed to convey all of this - and soon - or the Clan would retaliate and that could only make things worse, or so his Mog-ur had told him.

-o-

Jondalar had watched Ayla mark the design on her face using cold ashes from the fire and he had seen the reaction it caused in the man. The fear in Groog's eyes was unmistakable. "Ayla, what were you doing with the ash?" he finally asked, feeling a strange unease.

Without turning, Ayla responded to his question. "These are Mog-ur marks Jondalar and I think it's the only way to make him believe that I'm a leader, even if I am only a female. I can't think of any other way to convince him that he can talk to me about important matters."

"I've never seen those designs before. When did you see them? Groog is responding to them, that's for sure," Jondalar said.

"The Clan Mog-urs painted their faces with this design when they performed sacred ceremonies and they would wear them during rituals for Ursus. Everyone in the Clan has seen them, that's why I'm using them now. It feels right for some reason. I think the Mother is guiding me in some way. I've had these feelings lately, feelings that tell me what I should do," Ayla said this with a slight quiver in her voice as if she wasn't quite sure what she said was true.

"Well, if the look on his face is any indication, I think you've convinced him that you're a spiritual leader."

-o-

A little while later, as they readied the horses to begin the day's journey, Ayla noticed with satisfaction that the flint striker and firestone were no longer on the ground beside Groog. Jondalar and Durcan helped the man onto the travois, while Ayla considered the ramification of the man's willingness to take the stones. It meant that he could accept new ideas. That was a good sign and very unusual.

They were soon on the trail again. Durcan took the lead, because he had too much energy to follow along and needed to be first to see what was around the next bend. Also, he traveled light and therefore could take advantage of any opportunity that might arise to hunt along the way. Jonayla brought up the rear, because she was the older of the two and was willing to keep an eye open for anything unusual that might be following behind them.

They left the river early in the day, rather than follow its meandering course and had taken the trail leading to South Face Holding. By late morning the main holding was visible. Stopping to switch the travois to Jondalar's horse for the remainder of the day, Ayla decided to ride up to the main cave of the three cave holding to meet briefly with their Zelandoni and Deanna, their leader.

Ayla felt that it was important to personally invite them to the Ninth Cave for a meeting to take place in two days' time. She wanted them to participate in a discussion about the situation in the north. She felt that having Denanna, (who had always been skeptical about the clan and its people), would be helpful in gauging the Zelandonii's overall response to her suggestions.

As Ayla came level with the terrace that jutted out below the main area of the many small cave openings that comprised the South Face Holding, she saw Denanna and her ancient Donier coming down steps that had been carved into the face of the cliff. They were coming down to meet her.

"Greetings First Zelandoni," Denanna called as Ayla approached. "We saw your family coming along the river bank and thought you might stop. Do you have time for some tea?"

"Greetings Denanna and Zelandoni," Ayla responded. "Yes, tea would be welcome. I don't have much time but wanted to stop here so that I could discuss some things with both of you; such that you might share with the co-leaders of the Twenty-Ninth Cave and their Zelandoni." Ayla dismounted and a boy about Durcan's age led Summer Child behind Ayla as the trio began to walk.

"Assuredly," Denanna said, with a lack of commitment in her voice. Ayla was then led to the visitor's cave at the base of the cliff. The area held many of the smaller caves that stored gathered firewood and building materials and comprised the work areas of the South Face Holding.

They settled beside the guest hearth as the Zelandoni of the Twenty-Ninth Cave heated water using stones that were nestled in the glowing coals. He picked up one at a time with the wooden tongs, quickly dipping each into a bowl of water to remove the ash and then dropped them into the hide water container sitting on a raised flat stone to one side of the hearth. Soon the water was hot and the tea was made.

Ayla blew on the surface of her tea to cool it a bit, then spoke, "I know that runners were sent to invite all the leaders from the holdings along The River to a meeting at the Ninth Cave. I wanted to personally request your attendance Denanna and yours too Zelandoni," she nodded with respect to the old man. "I think it is essential that you attend. Will you be able to?" Ayla had heard what Brukeval had suggested during their confrontation and she needed to put to the test whether or not her people would support an intervention in the north.

Denanna, looked into her cup and then into the eyes of the new First Zelandoni and said, "Why would you want me to attend? I know what this meeting will be about and you know my feelings about flatheads. I make no apologies for my opinion that they are little more than animals. Nothing you have said has changed my mind on that subject. I mean no disrespect toward you, but just because YOU believe something doesn't mean that everyone must believe the same."

Ayla looked from the leader of the Twenty-Ninth Cave to her Zelandoni and back again. She had thought that Denanna wouldn't attend if she wasn't personally invited and this just proved that her thought had been correct. "I understand that you feel that way. That is exactly why I need you at the meeting. I don't want to have just people who agree with me. If there are people who do not agree, then they also need to be heard in any council that may affect the Zelandonii people as a whole. Won't you please consider attending?" Ayla waited for an answer.

Denanna was impressed that the new First Zelandoni was trying so hard to be fair. She wasn't sure if she herself would be this open to criticism if the situation were reversed. There was something very impressive about this younger woman, 'Even if I don't agree with her about flatheads, I am glad that the Zelandonia have chosen her to be their First,' Denanna thought. Out loud she replied, "Yes, I will attend and we will encourage our co-leaders and Zelandoni to attend also."

The discussion turned briefly to the Clan man seen on the travois as they approached. No one had missed the fact that they had a flathead with them. Denanna wanted to know why they were traveling with him. Ayla explained what had happened while she was at Hilltop Holding and that she felt if she left the helpless man there, Brukeval or one of his men would have killed him. Ayla explained that with her knowledge of his language, she hoped to find out, from his point of view, what was happening and why the Clan were attacking the Chimudonii who lived in the north.

"At the very least we need to understand what is happening north of the river before heading into the fray. I don't believe we have ever had anything like this happen in the history of the Zelandonii. I don't want to make a mistake or take a side that might be in the wrong. No matter how you feel about Clan people, I'm sure you would want to know what is going on before we try to intervene. Right now, the problem is mainly at the border of the Zelandonii lands, but the violence has begun to spread. Tormaden, leader of the Nineteenth Cave, has asked for help and it is our responsibility to go to his aid," Ayla stated.

"I agree that we don't want this conflict to overflow into our lands and I am willing to listen to your council. We will be there the day after tomorrow," Deanna replied.

Ayla thanked the leader and her Zelandoni. Finishing her tea, she mounted her horse and left them using the gesture of farewell as she returned to her family and the man of the Clan to resume their journey south.

-o-

That evening when camp was made and everyone had eaten their fill, Ayla decided to encourage the silent Groog to tell his story of how he had come to be captured by Brukeval and his men. She finished her portion of the hearty stew that Jonayla had made from yet another rabbit that her brother's sharp eyes had seen during the day's journey.

Ayla set her bowl aside and signaled to Groog, "This woman would ask Groog, how he came to be captured and beaten by the Chimudonii in the north." She spoke his name and that of the Chimudonii, so that the others noticed that she was signing to him. Jondalar and the children became silent and watched as the two conversed.

Groog, wanted to tell his story, it was just hard to overcome his natural reluctance to speak of important things to a female. But he knew that it must be done or he would fail his Mog-ur and his Clan. To make it easier to do, he addressed himself to the man, even though they all knew he was answering Ayla's question, "I was sent by my Mog-ur because I serve him and he thought since I was of mixed spirits it might be easier for me to communicate with the Others."

Ayla nodded, asking Jondalar to encourage him to continue. She knew he was formally addressing him and not her, but she didn't really mind. She was asking questions; she was getting answers. Jondalar made the signs asking the man to continue.

Groog looked relieved when he realized that the woman understood his dilemma and was willing to communicate through the man. He continued, "For two summers we have come under attack by men of the Others. This was done for no apparent reason that we could understand. It all started when our cave was suddenly attacked by the Others. We were forced to run away from our home, leaving everything behind. When we came back to retrieve our belongings we found that everything had been piled together and burned."

Groog was signing very fast now, his emotions rising to the surface. Jondalar could no longer understand him but just nodded and looked sympathetic, hoping that this expression of concern was the correct one to show under the circumstance. Ayla didn't miss a word.

Groog looked from the man to the woman and continued excitedly, "We were very angry when we realized what had happened. We had been attacked for no reason and all of our belongings were destroyed. Then, when we moved to a new cave and began to rebuild our supplies, we were attacked again." He gestured to Jonayla's spearthrower sitting on top of the gear beside her sleeping furs. "They killed Norgreb, one of our best hunters, using one of those things.

"We fought back then, we had no choice. They behaved like animals, unthinking and destructive for no reason. They were worse than animals, only wanting to kill us. So we finally left our new cave and moved farther away from them. But that didn't help because they followed us and attacked us again and again.

"We don't know what to do," Groog signed with frustration. "Over the past winter season we have lost three more hunters and two of our women to these killers. Now they hunt us even in the dead of winter. We will not continue to be killed without retaliation. If this continues, our leader will talk to other Clans and we will combine our strength and fight back, killing those who kill us."

Groog stopped with a sigh and looked at the fire burning in the hearth. The sky was fully dark now and the flames flickered across the Clan man's face. Jonayla could see his distress, she'd just listened to his story, understanding every word he had conveyed and she knew without a doubt that the Clan was serious about this. His face was so foreign looking to her that she could understand why some of the Zelandonii thought the Clan weren't human.

Ayla looked at the man and signed, "I will be talking with our leaders soon and we will do something about this. Even though the Chimudonii are not of our people, they should not be attacking Clan or anyone else. I'm afraid the instigator is a Zelandonii. It was Brukeval and his men that attacked you. Brukeval is full of hate. He is a man who has a sickness in his mind for which there is no cure that I know of."

"Groog, I will bring your cause to our leaders a few days from now. This woman would ask you to participate in the meeting. My son or daughter will translate everything into your language so you will know what is being said. Is this acceptable to you?"

With a nod of agreement, Groog overcame thousands of years of societal conditioning. He had responded to a woman's request on a serious subject that affected the Clan. That one nod broke a tradition that had gone unbroken since the dawn of mankind. This was not lost on Ayla, even if the rest of her family didn't realize the significance of it.