Durc watched the sun set in the western sky and sighed. It was time to stop and make camp. He was tired of traveling but the underlying excitement of his final destination continually pumped him full of nervous energy, making him reluctant to stop. He looked around, hoping to catch sight of his traveling companion, but didn't see him anywhere. It didn't matter really, he knew Baby would eventually find him sometime soon. They had eased into a routine as they crossed the lonely steppes together; they would start the morning walking side by side but by the time the sun reached its zenith, the lion got restless to go exploring on his own. After eating their midday meal and resting for a bit, the massive carnivore would start pacing the camp. Not long after that, he would head off in whatever direction held the most enticing scent.
The first time this happened, Durc fretted the whole day, wondering if he should go back and look for him. When he stopped to make camp for the night, he prepared enough food for both of them, then waited for the lion to find him. When Baby still had not appeared by the time Durc was ready for sleep, he decided he would go look for him the next morning. When he woke early the next day, he found his friend sleeping peacefully across the fire from him. After that, he knew the lion would catch up to him when he was ready.
So now, Durc set about his nightly routine, building a small fire and fetching water from the small stream he had decided to make camp next to. After spitting the giant hamster he had killed earlier, he headed back to edge of the stream. It was time for a wash. He stripped off his wrap and his foot coverings, then he carefully removed his amulet and laid it on top of the small pile. He shivered in the evening chill and stepped into the shallow water. He gasped; he was farther north and the water still held the icy temperature of early spring. He splashed the cold water over his body, still freezing, but enjoying removing the built up grime from constant traveling. After getting himself as clean as possible, he picked up a handful of the gritty sand from the bank and rubbed it into his hair, using it to scrub the itchy dirt and sweat from his scalp. He moved a little farther down stream and found a slightly deeper portion of the stream. He immersed himself, again catching his breath as the cold of the water seeped in to chill his body, and rinsed the sand and dirt from his hair.
He waded back to the bank and grabbed his wrap, grimacing at the thought of putting the dirty garment back on his clean body. He turned back to the stream, deciding to wash it. He had another he could wear while this one dried. After taking care of the domestic chore, he walked back upstream to his small camp and dug through his pack to find his extra wrap. As he tied the thongs around his waist, he heard the slight crunch of a footstep behind him. He whirled around quickly, searching for his sling, when he realized it was only Baby. The lion had silently approached the camp and Durc had only heard him when he reached the rocky bank. His heart still beating quickly, he signed to his friend.
"You scared me! You must try to let me know when you're here. It's a good thing I didn't have my sling with me, I might have hurt you."
Baby only looked at him and he realized what he had said. For the first time since his mother left his life so long ago, he felt the strange bubbling feeling in his throat and startled himself with the loud laughter he was at a loss to control. It had occurred to him that there wasn't much he could do to harm the large creature with such a paltry weapon. He laughed so hard, he fell to the ground. Baby came over to him, nudging him with his nose. With the woman, this was a sign of playtime, of happiness, but this was the first time he had heard the man laugh.
When the fit of laughter passed, Durc lay on the ground, the occasional hiccup reminding him of the strangeness of the sound. He wondered what it was, this odd urge he had felt within himself. He vaguely remembered something like this happening on the long day trips he took with his mother, but nobody in the rest of the Clan had ever made this sound. He wondered if any of the Others had this strange urge when something amused them. He sat up, looking at the lion. Baby again came to him and this time Durc ruffled his mane and hugged his huge head to his chest.
He rose and checked their dinner, to see if it was done. Finding the hamster nicely roasted, he removed the spit from the fire. Tearing the well-done meat in half, he tossed part to the lion and put his on a bone platter to cool. Baby sniffed the small treat, gingerly picking up the steaming meat between his teeth and carried it over to his side of the fire. After enjoying the simple meal, Durc readied everything for the mornings departure and crawled into his bed roll.
He lay for a while staring at the stars and wondering when he would reach the man in his dreams. They had only been traveling for half of the moon's cycle since leaving Baby's valley but he thought they were getting close. Today they had passed the rocky canyon he remembered from his dreams and then walked through an area that looked as if it might be the place the group of people in his dreams had stopped at to rest. The excitement had grown in him and he hoped they would reach these people's permanent camp today. When night had come and he still had seen no visible signs of a cave, he had decided to continue his search tomorrow.
Now as he followed the patterns of the pinpoints of light in the night sky, he felt a little fear. What would these Others think? Would they allow a man of the Clan, a deformed man at that, to enter their cave? He had heard stories of the Clan's encounters with the Others and while his clan hadn't had any bad experiences, if you didn't count Broud's opinion of his mother, he was a little leery of actually finding them. He was still having dreams, dreams that showed him the life of the Others in quick glimpses. He was slowly learning some spoken words but it was not enough exposure for him to learn the complete language.
He knew that the Others used spoken language but the fluid sounds were hard for his unaccustomed ears to follow. He half hoped, half feared to find the people of his dreams. He knew they were real, after all, Baby had been real. It seemed rational to assume they were too. He felt that some powerful force was guiding him, sending him the nightly visions, but he had no idea why. He felt in his heart it had something to do with his mother.
He turned over and closed his eyes, thinking it would be a while before he slept. He didn't even feel it when he slipped over the edge of consciousness into slumber.
The next morning he woke early, eager to get started. He made a quick morning meal, doused the fire and repacked his bedroll. Signaling to Baby, he picked up his pack and started out. It would be today, he could feel it. There was an air of excitement about him, a feeling of expectation. He headed slightly northeast, scanning the horizon as he went. When he still had not seen anything by mid-morning, he was discouraged. I must have been wrong, he thought to himself, beginning to wonder if he had missed them. He was out of the familiar territory of his dreams and was getting a little worried that maybe he had gone too far.
He started to set down his pack, thinking he might as well rest for a while, when Baby let out a low growl. He turned to the giant cat, trying to see what was bothering him. He hadn't heard him growl at anything besides his dinner before. He looked in the direction Baby was staring, still not seeing anything. Just then, a cloud obscured the sun that had been glaring in his eyes all morning. It was then that he saw it.
Just on the horizon, a shape stood out against the backdrop of the bright blue sky. He squinted, trying to get a better look. What was it? He thought to himself. There was no place around that could hold a cave, just the wide-open steppes. He looked harder and thought he saw movement. He picked up his pack and slowly walked in the direction of the strange shape. Baby followed from a short distance behind him. As he grew closer, his eyes grew wide.
It was a cave, but not like one he had ever seen before. He saw two huge tusks of a great woolly mammoth rising up from the ground, at what appeared to be an entrance to a man-made cave. He stood at a distance, quietly watching the "cave". As he watched, a woman came out of the structure, carrying a basket of something with her. Again Baby emitted a low growl. Durc signaled to the lion to stay put and slowly approached the woman from behind.
He had been practicing a word. One from his dreams, that he had heard the old man say. As he walked up behind her he took a deep breath, gathering his courage, and said his one word for the first time to another living soul.
"Hola!" He said, with his deep, gritty voice, rusty from a lifetime of disuse.
Nezzie heard the greeting, but didn't recognize the voice. She spun around and the shock registered on her face.
"RYDAG!" She screamed, then fell to the ground, unconscious.
--
Durc watched the woman collapse in horror; what had he done? What had he said to her? He started to go to her, when he heard a loud bellow behind him. He turned to see a monster of a man running at him from the direction of the "cave", holding a spear high in the air, aimed directly at him. He jumped back away from the woman, sure this was the end of his life, when he heard a tremendous roar behind him. He had forgotten about Baby.
The man skidded to a stop, his face registering his own shock, as the massive lion put itself between him and the stranger. A few of the other people of the camp had followed Talut out of the lodge when they heard Nezzie's scream, they too, stopped a few paces behind the headman. The lion paced, agitated, but reluctant to attack this human. He would defend the One if necessary, but he didn't want to attack. Durc signaled the lion to his side and told him to sit. Baby complied, but stayed on his guard. He watched the man's every move.
Talut watched the massive beast obey the young man's signal. He recognized the stranger's use of the Clan language, and looked more closely at the man. He then saw what made Nezzie faint: this man could be Rydag, only a few years older. He was a man of mixed spirits. They stood that way for a few more seconds, each taking the measure of the other. Finally, Talut remembered the Clan greeting Ayla had taught them. He made the subtle gesture to the stranger and watched his eyes open wide.
He knew how to speak the Clan language! Durc thought all the Others spoke with mouth sounds, where had he learned to speak properly? The sign was rough, not much more than baby talk really, but the meaning was clear. It took him a moment but Durc finally returned the gesture. He watched the man nod, and signaled Baby away. The lion rose, walking slowly out of the camp, looking back over his shoulder the whole way, reminding the people of the consequences of harming the One.
It finally registered on Talut that the lion was obeying the mixed man. He had seen tame animals before, Ayla had shown his whole camp that it could be done, but a cave lion? Then he remembered that Ayla had had a cave lion once. He remembered seeing her ride the back of it, at the summer meeting. He remembered the size of him, he was huge, with a reddish mane...
Talut did a double take of the lion slowly leaving the camp, it too was massive with a reddish mane. Could it be the same one? No, he thought, it's too much of a coincidence. It couldn't possibly be the same lion. He brushed the thought aside and concentrated on the man again, wondering where he came from and what he was doing in his camp. After the initial greeting both had remained still and silent, the rest of the people grouped behind the red-haired headman watched the drama silently, all still afraid to move.
Durc raised his hands again, started to say something, and then dropped them again changing his mind. He really didn't know how to explain his presence to this man. He could communicate at least a little with him but neither had enough knowledge of the other's language to explain fully. He wished for someone who could understand him.
Talut watched the young man start to say something, then drop his hands in frustration. He wasn't much more than a boy really, he decided to start with the basics. He raised his hand and tapped his chest.
"Talut," he said, slowly, so the boy, who he knew was not accustomed to words, could hear the unfamiliar sound.
Durc listened to him carefully, straining to hear all the inflections with untrained ears. He knew this was the giant man's name and name sounds were important. He wanted to get it right.
"Taaaluut" he repeated, dragging out the syllables. He saw the man grin and was startled for a moment. He had not expected aggression. Then he remembered Uba telling him that his mother did this same grimace with her mouth when she was happy. He relaxed a little and said the name again, with a little more confidence this time.
"Talut." The big man grinned again and nodded. Durc tried to return the smile, but the muscles in his face were not used to the movement, and it was rather stiff. Talut reached over and tapped his chest. He obviously wanted him to tell him his name. Durc opened his mouth to answer him, when someone hollered the other man's name from behind him.
"Talut! Who are you speaking to? What was the sound I heard? It sounded like a scream, is everybody alright?" Mamut asked, walking up from behind the headman. It was then that he saw Nezzie, still on the ground where she fell. At some point in time, during the confrontation between Durc and Talut, she had roused herself, but remained on the ground watching like everyone else. He dropped his walking stick, and hobbled over to her quickly, not even looking in Durc's direction.
"What are you doing standing here when this woman obviously needs help?" Mamut asked, a tone of censure in his aged, cracking voice.
"We weren't allowed to move Mamut. Besides, she just fainted, she'll be alright won't she?" He asked, concern for his mate creeping into his voice.
"I'm fine, really..." Nezzie said, but nobody was listening to her.
"What do you mean you weren't allowed to move?" the old man asked, slowly rising from Nezzie's side, after assuring himself that she was indeed alright.
Talut just pointed to the far edge of the camp where Baby was sitting, still watching the proceedings carefully. Everybody had remained aware of the cave lion's presence and nobody dared to make any sudden moves, lest they be misinterpreted. The old Mamut turned slowly and looked to where he was pointing. He saw the massive lion sitting there and knew the lion saw him as well. The large beast stared at him for a moment, neither one breaking eye contact. Then suddenly, the lion yawned and lay down, with his head on his front paws.
The old magician smiled and nodded to the magnificent beast then turned to greet the stranger. His face held no surprise and his eyes twinkled as he stepped forward and said "Durc! I'm so glad you finally made it."
--
Stunned silence followed Mamut's greeting to the stranger. Mamut stepped forward and lifted the young mans hands.
"This is how we greet new people," he signed to Durc. "it shows that you have no malicious intentions, that you have no weapons in your hands."
Durc watched the man's flowing hand movements. He has lived with a Clan before, he thought. He raised his hands again and the ancient man grasped them.
"In the name of the Great Earth Mother Mut, I welcome you Durc to the Lion camp of the Mamutoi," said Mamut, using signs and spoken words at the same time, so the mixed man could start learning the flow of the language. "I have been expecting you for quite sometime now, how was your journey?"
"It was long but I was happy to make it. How is it that I already know of you? I have seen you in my dreams and the lion too. What is happening? Why did the spirits send me here?" Durc asked, his need for answers overwhelming him.
"All in good time, we will have plenty of time to answer your questions later. You must meet the rest of the camp, they are waiting." He indicated the people behind him.
Durc looked behind the old man and saw a sea of faces staring at him. While they were so absorbed with each other, the rest of Lion Camp had come outside to see what all the commotion was. The people that were already there had filled them in on what was going on, and who the visitor was, now they all stood there stunned at the presence of Ayla's son. Mamut turned toward them.
"Durc, this is the Lion Camp of the Mamutoi. Mamutoi means Children of the Earth Mother that live in the north. This group of people, this 'cave,' is called Lion Camp. There are many groups, or camps, as we call them, of Mamutoi. We are The Mammoth Hunters." Then he spoke directly to the people of Lion Camp.
"If you don't mind, we are going to skip all the formal introductions, he really wouldn't understand them anyway yet. Talut, I would like permission for Durc to stay at my hearth, he will need guidance while he is here, I think I can help him."
"Of course he can stay, Mamut! I would not think to turn him away," Talut replied.
Then the headman stepped forward, also with his hands raised, and grasped the young man's hands before dropping them so he could speak to him. "This man welcomes you Durc, son of Ayla." His use of the signs was limited, but it was enough to convey his meaning, and stun Durc.
"You knew my mother? How?" the young man said, confused.
Mamut was translating the signs to clarify for the rest of the camp. When he was through, Talut nodded, but looked a question at the old man.
Mamut then turned back to Durc, talking and signing at the same time. "Yes, we all know Ayla, but there is much to discuss. Would you please stay at my hearth as my guest, and we can talk more there? You must rest and we can prepare you something to eat, you must be tired after so long a journey." Durc nodded, but was hesitant to go inside.
"Don't worry Durc," Mamut said "It is just like a cave only bigger," thinking he was leery of the building.
"No, it's not that. What should I do about Baby?" Durc explained, nodding his head slightly toward the lion still lying at the edge of the encampment.
Talut was still standing with them and was watching the conversation. Durc had just solved a puzzle for him. "It is the same cave lion! I thought I had seen him before, he was raised by your..." he started.
"Now is no the time for that Talut," Mamut interrupted. "Durc, will he obey your signals?" At Durc's nod the old man continued, "Well, just tell him to stay, or maybe to go somewhere else for the night. I don't think he would attack us but I don't think the people of Lion Camp would be willing to house a cave lion. A horse, yes, and even a wolf, but I think Baby would scare them."
Durc was having trouble following him, what was that about horses and wolves? Durc just passed it off a a miscommunication, but he understood the rest. He turned back to go talk to Baby. As he approached the lion, Baby stood and met him halfway to rub against his legs. Durc hunkered down to look the lion in the eye and spoke to him in the silent flowing motions of the Clan,
"I have to stay here for a while, I need to talk to this man, he has much to teach me. I need you to go for a while, I don't think you would be comfortable here. Go, and find a place to stay until it's time to continue our journey, I will come to find you soon, so don't go too far." He petted and scratched the huge lion, taking comfort in the presence of his friend.
The lion had recognize the signal to "Go" and somehow understood that while he could not stay here with him, his new found friend was not abandoning him. He would look for a place to stay while he waited. He rubbed himself against his legs once again before turning and, looking back over his shoulder once more, headed out into the open steppes.
Durc watched him go, knowing that the lion would wait for him. He turned and went back to the old man's side by Talut and the three of them walked into the lodge together.
Durc stood and stared at the inside of the lodge of Lion Camp. He hadn't even made a few feet past the door before being overwhelmed at the sights before him. It was huge! And there were so many things he had never seen before. Mamut just took his arm and led him through the center of the lodge, as he stared in wonder at the bright colors and decorations. He could not even begin to understand some of the things that he saw and looked for things that he recognized to restore his perspective.
They reached a large central hearth and Mamut led him inside. The old man indicated that he should sit, and so he did. He looked around at the patterns and designs that decorated the outer walls of the hearth, wondering what they meant. The woman that had fainted at the first sight of him stepped into the hearth and handed Mamut a platter of delicious smelling food, before giving Durc a gentle smile and returning the way she had come. When Mamut, in turn, handed him the platter and a bone cup filled with some aromatic tea, he realized just how famished he was. He nodded his gratitude, and concentrated on devouring the meal.
When he was finished, he looked up to see the holy man watching him. When Mamut saw the questioning gaze, he decided it was time to give this young man some of the answers he craved.
"I am Mamut, I am this camp's One who Serves the Mother. I am, to these people, like your Clan's Mogur. Here, One who Serves can be many different things. Some are healers, some are artists, some are musicians, or some intercede with the Spirit World, like me. You will find that there are more differences than likenesses between us and the Clan. You will have a lot to learn before you continue your journey."
"Mamut," Durc said, straining to get this man's name right, "You keep talking about this 'Mother'. Who is this mother you keep mentioning?
"The Great Earth Mother. The Mamutoi call her Mut. She is the creator of all life on this earth. She gave birth to all living things and all Her children answer to Her and will eventually return to Her side. It is our belief that She protects and cares for Her children, and we honor Her in all things we do. Even the Great Cave Bear answers to the wishes of the Mother."
"The Cave Bear is the protective totem of the whole Clan! You're telling me that there is something greater that even Him?" Durc asked, astonished.
"Yes, the Mother gave the care and protection of the Clan over to Him, but She still guides Him."
"How is it that I saw you in my dreams?" Durc asked. "That is how I knew to find you, it was all in these dreams I've been having."
"No one can look on the face of the Mother, so sometimes when she needs to talk to us directly, she comes through our dreams," Mamut explained. "It was She that was telling you, showing you the way you must go. It is your destiny, you must follow Her path. I have been having the dreams as well, that's how I knew you were coming. She sent you to me, so I could start you on the path She has set for you."
"But, why you? Why here? Where is it I must go?" Durc asked, relieved to finally be able to get some answers.
"She sent you to me because we have a few things in common, Durc. I have lived with the Clan before, your Clan as a matter of fact."
"You lived with a Clan? My Clan? When?" Durc could not believe what he was seeing.
"It was long ago, when Brun was still very young, not much more than a baby. It is because I know the Clan ways, and the Clan language, that you were sent to me. That, and one other thing. We have more than the Clan in common Durc. I knew your mother as well." He again saw the shock on the young man's face.
"How could you know my mother? She was not even with the Clan when you were there and now, she has been dead for many years." The sadness in his heart was apparent when Durc spoke of his mother.
"NO! Your mother is not dead Durc, she is very much alive, and she lived with us for one whole cycle of the seasons before she left. She told us of her life with the Clan, about Broud, and the agony it was for her to leave you behind. She may be dead to the Clan, but Durc, she is very much alive, and it is her that the Mother is sending you to."
Durc could only stare at the man, his mother was alive!
--
His mother was alive! He could not believe what he was seeing; for years he had wished his mother to return to him. He had felt it, known this journey involved her but never really let himself believe it. It was too much to hope for. Brun had been right, she wasn't dead. She really had overcome the Death Curse. How?
"How? How could she live through a Death Curse? Nobody is strong enough to survive it!" he asked the wise old man.
"Durc, you must understand, the power of the Death Curse is that the people of the Clan believe it. A Death Curse doesn't actually kill people, it just makes them want to die, so they do. You cannot kill somebody with words, only the Mother deems who should live and who should die. Many people have been cursed with death, only to leave and live full, happy lives elsewhere. It was the Mother's will that your mother should live," the old man explained to him.
"It was a long, lonely time for her, before she found her own kind of people. She told us she lived completely alone for three cycles of the seasons before she came here and joined us. She led a difficult life with the Clan, Durc. You are a combination of both races, so it was easier on for you than it was for her. She had to fight her inner self every day to conform to the Clan's strict traditions. Every small inclination of our people was taboo with the Clan. Like smiling or laughing, open displays of affection, or crying, all of these things are normal for our race. Our women are not born to be dominated, they have the blood of the Mother running through their veins. Here they are honored, powerful people. All of these things your mother had to overcome to conform to the life of a good Clan woman, it was an everyday battle. Despite all that, she would have stayed there forever, if it weren't for Broud." At Durc's sudden angry expression, he nodded.
"Yes, she told us about the difficulty Broud caused in her life but in spite of that, she would have stayed because she had love too. She had Iza, and Creb, Brun and Uba, and especially you Durc. Her love for you gave her a strength like I've never seen before. It was the Mother's choice that Ayla leave, She just used Broud to serve Her own ends. The Mother had plans for Ayla, she had no choice but to follow the path that the Mother laid out for her, she had to follow her destiny. Just as you did. Again the Mother used Broud to serve her own desires. You too must follow your own destiny. You would not have left either if not for Broud, correct?"
"Yes, well, in a way. Broud transferred his hatred of my mother to me when she 'died', he did everything in his power to make my life difficult. He walks in the world of the spirits now, Baby killed him when he came for me but I left anyway. I had been having the dreams for a while by then, I knew I had to come. Now I know why I saw you in my dreams, but I still haven't made the connection with the cave lion. I have never seen a cave lion that would not attack humans before," Durc said, a little confused.
The old man chuckled at this, of course he would not understand. He saw the young man's confused expression and was glad he could provide a few answers. Durc looked up at the Mamut's laugh, he did not see what was so funny.
"Of course there is a connection! The cave lion you have been traveling with was raised by your mother, Durc. That's why the Mother sent him to you; in a way, you are both Ayla's sons. If he is to travel with you all the way back to the Zelandonii, the Mother may have a plan for him too." At Durc's astonished face, he thought he should explain it better.
"When Ayla was living alone in her valley, she decided to go hunting. Well, after killing her game, she ran across a baby cave lion, he was hurt and his mother had left him for dead. She was lonely and felt responsible for him, so she took him back to her cave with her. She healed him and he grew up with her and her horse."
Durc seemed to be at a loss for words, he just looked the question at him.
"Yes, I said a horse. She had also found a baby horse when she killed its mother for food, not long after she found her valley. She raised her too, and even rides on the back of that mare. It is an awesome sight to see, believe me. She brought her with her when she came here, Whinney, that's the name she gave the horse, and her foal Racer. While she lived with her, Whinney went back to a herd for a while. When she came back, she was pregnant. While Ayla was here, she taught us how to care for them. We have five of our own now. Latie, who was only a girl just turned woman when your mother lived with us, cares for them. She fell in love with Whinney the first time she saw Ayla riding her, and begged her mother's mate to get her one, so the next time we hunted horses, we made sure not to kill the young. We are planning another horse hunt in a few days, to try to get some more foals." The old man had an unfocused look in his eyes as he thought about the adopted daughter of his hearth and the plans of his people.
"A horse and cave lion? Mamut, what is Zelandonii?" Durc asked, already picking up the Mamutoi language. It seemed for every question that was answered, there were more to replace it.
Durc's question brought Mamut out of his reverie, he could see the young man would have his mother's gift of learning new languages.
"Zelandonii is the name of a people that live far to the west. Like the Mamutoi they are children of the Great Mother. Before your mother came here, she decided to go riding one day and she heard a man scream. Baby had already left to start his own pride and all she had was Whinney. She followed the scream and found that Baby had attacked two men after they had invaded his den. He had killed one and seriously injured the other. It was the first man of the Others she had seen, so she stopped the cave lion from attacking further and, using Whinney, she took him back to her cave. She spent a long time healing him and they spent a while in her valley together. His name was Jondalar and the Zelandonii are his people. Your mother went back to his home with him, they are going to mate there. It is their land, more than a full cycle of the seasons west of here, that is your final destination."
"You keep mentioning a valley, where is this valley?" Durc asked, a suspicion growing in his mind.
"Well, I've never been there, but she said it was about half a moon's cycle southwest of here. She said it had a river going through the middle and her cave was up high and it was a good thing, because it flooded every spring. She also said that the herd of horses came back to the valley the day she and Jondalar left and ended up with us."
"I know that valley! I saw it in my dreams too and we stopped there on our way here. I even found her cave, but I didn't know who had lived there. There were a lot of things still left in the cave, I took some of them with me," Durc said, wishing he had known that it was his mother's cave while he had been there.
"Ayla told me she thought her totem guided her there, maybe he guided you there too," Mamut told him.
"Was she happy here?" Durc asked.
"Yes, I think so. She said she thought her totem was happy here because we are Lion Camp." Mamut smiled with fondness at the though of the daughter he missed so much, "She made a lot of friends here, there were many people who loved her and she them. There was one boy especially who touched her heart, because he reminded her of you. He was also a child of mixed spirits, his name was Rydag, and he was about your age."
"Rydag! That's the name that woman called me but if he was from your camp, why did she get so scared?" Durc asked, puzzled.
"Rydag returned to the Mother's side when Ayla still lived with us. He was sickly, Ayla said it was something wrong with the big muscle in his chest that pumps the blood. You look so much like him, you scared Nezzie nearly to death, she was the one who adopted Rydag when his Clan mother died."
"You had a woman of the Clan living with you as well?" Surprise was written all over his face.
"No, Nezzie found her hiding near the camp, already in labor. She died right after giving birth," he explained. "Your mother tried to take care of Rydag but she said there was nothing that would completely cure him, he died at our summer meeting. Your mother fought to give him a proper burial, but when the council said no, she gave him a Clan burial."
Durc was outraged. "Why would his own people not bury him? What kind of people are you, not to give a child guidance through the spirit world?" Durc asked, his signs clipped and angry.
The old Mamut sighed; he might as well tell him what to expect. "It is hard to explain and it will make you angry, Durc, but try to remember that since meeting your mother a lot of our people have changed. For years, our people were ignorant of the Clan ways, most people considered them animals..."
"Animals! My people are not animals! How dare they say so..." Durc could not hold in his rage, but Mamut interrupted him.
"Durc, calm down! I told you this would make you angry but try to listen. No, the Clan are not animals but most did not know that. It was a difficult time but we have learned since then, well, most of us anyway. There are still some who consider Clan animals, not animals to be hunted, but animals just the same. The council would not accept Rydag as human, therefore would not give him a human burial. Children of mixed spirits, like Rydag, like you Durc, were considered an abomination; unholy, an offense to the Mother. They were thought to be a half-animal, half-human mixture, and were spurned by our people. Your mother stood up to them all. She taught us that the Clan, that children like you and Rydag, were not animals but simply people, just a different kind of people. Her rage was even stronger than yours and she let everybody know it.
"It took some time but eventually people listened. How could they ignore her? Your mother is a very powerful woman, even more so than she knows. You must be prepared Durc, you must know what to expect. There are some that will still call you an animal or a flathead, that was what our people used to call the Clan. Your mother gave us a whole new insight into Rydag and it changed his life for the short time he had left. He could never talk, so most assumed he could not understand. You mother taught him the Clan signs and it opened up a whole new world for him and he adored her for it. To her, he was another son to love when she had lost you, to him she was just somebody who loved him for who he was. They were very close. It was ... it was a very special relationship."
Durc had calmed a little, hearing the things his mother had done. He missed her and now he knew for sure that she was out there somewhere. He was going to find her.
"Durc, it's been a long evening, why don't you get some sleep, you can meet the rest of the camp tomorrow," Mamut said, seeing how late the evening had gotten. "We can talk some more in the morning if you like."
Durc nodded, his long travels finally catching up with him. He had much to think about and still much to learn. Mamut showed him the bed platform and got him some extra furs. After the old man had left and drawn the hide across the doorway, Durc crawled into the furs and stared at the ceiling of the lodge. He thought of his mother and his eyes drifted closed, the smile still on his face.
