Chapter 37: Horses
Jonayla was the first to creep out of the travel tent the next morning. As she stood in the morning light, she felt the need to put on her deer-hide tunic. Summer was ending and fall was beginning to change the weather. Even now she could see frost on the pebbles near the brook as she washed herself in the cold water. She wasn't as meticulous as her mother about washing after sharing pleasures, but she had her mother's sense of cleanliness. When there was water available it never hurt to take advantage of it to freshen one's body.
Many people didn't feel that washing was important and during the cold winter it was almost impossible to really wash, but Jonayla had taken to heart that washing helped to fight evil spirits. It had been proven to her over and over again that by cleaning wounds well, her mother had cured people that others could not. It was the same thing as her mother's realization about how babies were made - between a man and a woman - by simple observation and by understanding what you were observing.
Jonayla now stood in the cold morning air, naked, with her tunic lying on the browning fall grass beside the brook. She stood in the stream of flowing water and cupped water in her hands to wet her skin, then using a pot of soap she always carried, she washed her body, from armpits to ankles. Using a hide travel cooking bowl, she gently poured the icy water over her shoulders to rinse away the soap suds, shivering slightly from the cold.
Cambarre had roused himself and had stuck his head out of the tent to see what the morning held weather-wise and noticed Jonayla naked, standing in the stream, washing. He thought for a moment about joining her but then thought better of it. He knew by now, how she and her mother liked to wash themselves and he wanted to please Jonayla by being as clean, but he thought, I'll wait until midday and bathe in the lake at First Place. That decided, he tore his gaze away from Jonayla's nakedness and pulled a leather tunic out of his pack to wear that morning on their ride to the Chimu.
-o-
The young couple were on the trail before the sun reached the top of their sheltering bluff. Star was running around the horses' legs playfully all the while being ignored by them, while Cambarre and Jonayla smiled contentedly as they rode toward their next destination, the Chimu's First Place.
It was late morning before Jonayla spotted the cooking fires from First Place and they increased their horses' pace to a trot. They both wanted to complete their mission and then make a slow and leisurely journey back to the Summer Meeting, arriving on the appointed day for newly mated couples. They were both eager to get back to their home cave and set up their dwelling before the first snowfall if possible.
The first thing Jonayla noticed as they neared First Place was a new corral with a shelter, which had been built to one side of the main cave opening. One of the two horses that she had traded to the Chimu leader Camma, was standing contentedly, munching on some harvested dried grass.
She was glad to see that the Chimu had followed her instructions for the care of their horses. She could see bundles of dried grass stored up in a loft area within the structure at the back of the corral area. There were also some rough clay jars that had been sealed off. She guessed that they were storage containers filled with gathered grains for the horses.
People were stopping in midstride as they saw the pair ride into their camp. At first Jonayla didn't understand why there were shocked expressions on every face. She knew it couldn't be the horses because they had grown accustomed to that over the past summer, but as she was about to ask Cambarre about it, she heard Star yapping as the small wolf frolicked around them.
Of course! These people had never seen a tame wolf before. Even a very young wolf would be intimidating to anyone who wasn't expecting to see one in their midst. Usually where there was a wolf pup there was a dangerous wolf adult or pack close by.
Luckily Cambarre saw a hunter that he knew from their time in the forests while looking for the false Shaman and his band. "Doroban, greetings," he called out to one of the men standing near the cave entrance, wide-eyed. "Tell everyone that this wolf belongs to Jonayla, who is daughter to the First Zelandoni who serves the Mother. The wolf will not hurt anyone and is not to be harmed." He hoped that knowing who was involved with this furry little beast would put them at some ease.
Doroban called back, so that everyone in hearing distance heard him, "That figures. I will never understand these things, but I'm not surprised that the wolf cub belongs to the First Zelandoni's daughter. My guess is there is a tale to tell about this wolf pup and how you came by it."
"Yes," Cambarre agreed, smiling. "You'll find the story of how Jonayla's mother found her own wolf cub is quite a tale too." It would be very interesting to see their reaction when he told them about Sky and where he'd come from.
"Greetings Doroban," Jonayla said as she jumped down from Gray. "Is Camma not here?"
"Why would you think she was gone?" Doroban asked.
Jonayla nodded toward the corral, "Because a horse is missing."
"Ah," the man smiled, "very astute. Camma is out hunting, or at least trying to hunt. She takes on too much, too quickly. She has been practicing with the spearthrower from horseback like your people do. We have very little skill with horses."
"I see," Jonayla said. "A leader needs to master hunting weapons and new ways in order to lead well. I'm not surprised that Camma is trying so hard."
"Yes, she is a good leader," Doroban agreed, and then out of curiosity he asked, "We didn't expect to see any Zelandonii again until after the snows. What brings you here?"
Cambarre said, "We have a message for Camma from the First Zelandoni. Do you know when she will return? We're on our mating trial period and need to be on our way as soon as possible."
Doroban grinned, "I'm surprised you can find the time to perform missions during your time away. I know that during my trial mating, I wouldn't have wanted to."
"That's the price one pays when mating the First Zelandoni's daughter, who is also an Acolyte," Cambarre joked. Both men chuckled companionably. Jonayla flushed slightly at their casual male attitude and the implied sexual meaning of their conversation.
"So, do you know if Camma will be back today?" Jonayla asked, trying to change the subject.
"Yes, she has been staying out all day, but definitely comes back each evening," Doroban replied, allowing himself to be diverted from the former topic.
"Would it be alright if we waited for her?" Jonayla asked.
"Of course," Doroban said cheerily. "The Zelandonii are always welcome here. Come in. Zolana, my mate will fix you some food and a nice tasty tea. Come." He suggested they corral and unburden their horses and waited until they had, then led them into the main cave.
A busy looking dark-haired woman was preparing food for that evening's meal, when they were introduced. "This is my mate. Zolana, you remember the Zelandoni's daughter? She is now mated to Cambarre, who all the women remember," Doroban chuckled.
The young Zelandonii couple were made comfortable and fed. Jonayla commented on the tea, it was a delightful mix of dried and crushed basil licorice leaves and linden flower. "Very tasty," she said as she sipped. "I haven't had a tea like this before. The basil licorice herb was a plant that could grow most anywhere."
Zolana smiled, "It is a traditional winter tea for the Chimu. It is served piping hot with honey and mint and on a cold winter day it warms the insides nicely."
"Yes, I can see that it would," Jonayla smacked her lips appreciatively. Actually the tea was a bit overpowering, but she could see that Zolana was proud of it and she knew that it would be a restorative drink in the cold of winter, so she drank it all and asked for a second cup.
-o-
Camma returned just as dusk was settling into night. She looked tired and worn. 'As worn as a robust, attractive woman in the prime of life could look,' Cambarre thought. She was as tall and as imposing a personage as he remembered, with her mass of flame red hair. As she jumped down from her horse he could see her muscled body flex and knew that there was still quite a reserve of strength there she could tap if necessary.
Camma had seen the horses in the corral and wondered who from the Zelandonii had come to visit. Her eyes widened in surprise as she recognized Jonayla and then her handsome companion. She rushed over and hugged Jonayla, exclaiming her delight in seeing her once again. Then she turned to Cambarre and hugged him to her also, holding the tight hug a little longer than was necessary. Jonayla smiled at that, she wasn't upset - she could even understand it - knowing that if their place were reversed, she'd have done the same.
"What brings you to us so close to cold weather?" Camma finally asked.
Savoring her next statement a little more than she knew she should, Jonayla said, "Cambarre and I are on our mating trial period and my mother asked us to perform a service for her since we had several hands of time that we must be away from the Summer Meeting on our own."
Cambarre reached out and took Jonayla's hand in his. "Yes, Zelandoni wanted us to tell you that next year the Summer Meeting will be held near the Nineteenth Cave, so that should you wish to attend, it will be an easier journey."
"That is very thoughtful," Camma said, looking at the clasped hands for a moment, then up into Jonayla's eyes. "First, let me wish you joy. You make a nice looking couple and I can see you're very happy," she said sincerely, "and it is wonderful news that the next Summer Meeting will be held so close to us. Once we've had a chance to trade for more horses and to catch some of our own, it will make it so much easier to travel farther afield. It was indeed very thoughtful of your Zelandoni to arrange this."
"When we crossed the river south of here it occurred to me that in the spring the snowmelt will make the water much higher than it is now. You'll need to have many ropes to help guide the people through the fast moving water," Jonayla said, a little concerned. "Maybe we can get some of the Zelandonii to bring their horses and we could make some floating travois to help carry your supplies over. I know there will be many Zelandonii willing to help."
"Yes, I'm sure there will be. It appears to be a trait of the Zelandonii men to help their neighbors, we are truly blessed. It just amazes me that we might never have known each other without the trouble that those two bad Zelandonii created in our territory. I would almost thank Brukeval and Madroman, if they hadn't caused so much trouble for my people."
"How are your people recovering now?" Jonayla asked, hoping the news was good.
"We're doing fine. We have all been out on the hunt to make up for lost time. I think we have put away enough preserved meat to get us through the winter and all of the older people are visiting the traditional places to gather the late grains and digging roots. The kills made by the Zelandonii hunters before you left us really made the difference. That, and the game driven towards our hunters as they tried to evade your hunters meant that our hunt was ended at the normal time.
"Jonayla, since you and Cambarre are here, maybe you two could give us a day and help us with our spearthrower from horseback proficiency? We could use some expert advice, to help correct mistakes we might be making. We didn't have horses until you were leaving and no one to show us the best ways to hunt from horseback," Camma looked beseechingly at Cambarre and then at Jonayla.
The young couple wanted to get away on their own, but understood that the Chimu needed their help and the request wasn't something they could refuse in good conscience. "We are in a hurry to head back south, but a day of practice and pointing out what works best couldn't hurt," Jonayla offered.
Cambarre nodded agreement, and then said, "Do you have someone else to ride a second horse so we can show two of you?" Then he looked at Jonayla, "Maybe we could use our pack horse to train a third hunter. That would allow three hunters an entire day of training in hunting from horseback."
"Wonderful, we're all grateful to you. We'll start first thing in the morning. I promise I won't keep you beyond the one day. I remember when I was on my trial mating period and I know how much you would like to be alone," Camma smiled knowingly.
There were many more Chimu at that evening's meal than those who usually stayed at First Place. The Second Cave had been reoccupied, but many from there had heard about the visiting Zelandonii and had come to see and hear them. Visitors to the Chimu caves were rare and winter was not far off, so hearing news from other people and places was always a special treat.
Jonayla and Cambarre didn't disappoint their hosts. With the story about Jonayla and Durc finding wolf pups and then their mother's miraculous Wolf from the Sky and their run-in with the Clan only the day before, they had much to tell.
By the time they were finished telling their stories, it was getting late. Camma suggested that they turn in - to many groans of disappointment - in order to get an early start in the morning. Camma walked with the Zelandonii couple to the guest hearth that had been made ready for them. "I almost forgot to ask you if you had seen Melodene the mate of Monkam who walks the Spirit World. He lost his life during the troubles. Do you remember Melodene? She was the one who led the Zelandonii here."
"Yes," Cambarre said, "she followed our path south and found us at the Nineteenth Cave. Then she traveled with us to the Summer Meeting."
Jonayla added, "I think Melodene will be returning with us to the Ninth Cave when we leave the Summer Meeting. She now lives with Willamar, who is a member of my family. We were all surprised because of the age difference, but they took to each other from the first. I think that Melodene experienced a hard life before and after her mate's death, and Willamar shows her respect and loving care." Jonayla thought for a moment, and then said, "I think that Willamar gets just as much out of the relationship. Melodene's youth, makes him act younger himself, he moves faster and seems happier, so it is a good relationship."
Camma had listened silently. "I'm glad to hear it. I was worried when she disappeared shortly after the Zelandonii left us. I hoped that she had followed you, but didn't expect her to be taken in. I am grateful. It is good to know that she fares well. She did have a horrible time and maybe this will heal her."
Camma wished them a good night's sleep, and with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes, she left them alone and returned to her own place within the cave.
Jonayla watched the tall redheaded leader walk to her own hearth. If she hadn't already known that Camma was a good leader, her obvious concern over one of her people who had left for places unknown would have proven her worth as one. Jonayla hoped that the Chimu would join her people and become one with the Zelandonii; it would be a good thing for both the Chimu and the Zelandonii.
-o-
Camma woke Jonayla and Cambarre before dawn. "We want to get an early start. I have some grains with berries heated and ready to eat and some winter tea made."
They rose and dressed, then hurried to the main hearth and ate quickly with Camma, Doroban and Chandalar, a man from the Second Cave of the Chimu. He was one of their best hunters and Camma had chosen him to ride the extra horse for the day. Zolana, Doroban's mate, served the food that Camma had prepared.
As dawn's light filtered through the trees that crested the nearby hills, the five riders - two very confident ones and three looking less so - rode to the west, toward where Camma had seen a herd of Auroch the afternoon before.
Jonayla and Cambarre called out suggestions and instructions to the three Chimu that accompanied them. Camma had learned the basics by trial and error and therefore was better at controlling her horse than the other two. Doroban had little experience, having preferred to hunt on foot, the way he had always done. To the Zelandonii couple's surprise, Chandalar was catching on very quickly, as though he naturally understood how to control a horse's movements.
Jonayla was very impressed by the man's natural ease with the horse. "I think you may be a natural horseman, I've never seen anyone take to riding so quickly."
"It does feel right to me somehow," the man said as he patted the neck of his horse. "I can see so much more from up here too. I can readily see the advantage that a person has by riding on the back of a horse. It should make hunting easier and I think safer too once I fully learn how."
"Yes," Jonayla replied. "Being able to get out of the way of an enraged bison is a good thing. A horse can also help hide you from the animals you hunt. Many migrating animals have never seen a person on a horse so they don't recognize us as anything dangerous. That allows you to get close, especially if you disguise yourself wrapped in a hide, with a little horse urine on it, so they won't smell your human odor."
"Interesting," Chandalar replied, not sure if he really wanted to wrap himself in horse urine.
"Look!" Camma said excitedly.
Jonayla and Cambarre looked in the direction the red haired woman was pointing.
They could see a small herd of horses in a meadow some distance away. The wild horses hadn't noticed them yet. The herd was upwind of the five riders so no human scent had reached them. Not surprisingly, their own horses nickered when they caught the scent of the wild herd.
"I see some foals," Camma said, even more excited now. "Do you think there is any way we might catch them?"
"It is not likely," Jonayla replied. "We have the right amount of people, but I don't know if you can ride well enough yet to be able to herd wild horses into a surround. We would also have to make a surround and the horses would be gone before we could do that."
"No they wouldn't!" Camma said with an urgent tone in her voice. "There is a surround not much further down that valley. We hunt here fairly often and there are several killing surrounds. They're in good repair and even better, the one closest to us hasn't been used this year, so there would be no smell of death to frighten the horses."
"Well, in that case!" Jonayla said excitedly, "I think we should try to catch some horses."
They moved up to the trees and dismounted. "See the patches on the inside of our horse's legs? Peel off the top layer of hair, it's matted and will peel away. These are patches that every horse has," Jonayla said. "You can smell them, they smell strongly of horse. Rub the matt on your hands and face and any skin exposed to the air, to transfer the horse's smell to your skin."
Jonayla showed them how to do it, demonstrating as she instructed. "We need to be careful not to frighten them so much as to make them frantic. It is alright to make them burst into a gallop, but only when they have no place to go other than into the surround."
Cambarre knew that Jonayla had built up a small herd of horses and that she'd spent many moons in the field doing just what they were doing now. It was still amazing to see her in action, so confident as if every move was from long tradition, rather than having been learned on her own over the past few years.
"Now," Jonayla said as she watched the others rubbing the mats of smelly hair all over their exposed skin. "Where is the surround you spoke of?" she asked Camma.
Chandalar spoke up first, "I was there just a couple of days ago and although it is in good shape the gate barrier is closed. Someone will have to go there first to open it. It is a barrier that opens in the middle and will need two people to close it quickly once the horses are corralled."
"Chandalar, you and Doroban should go into the trees to our right, far enough so the horses grazing in the meadow won't see or hear you. Leave your horses screened by the trees and then open the barriers on this side of the surround. You should crouch down behind the barriers so you won't be seen by the horses. When we drive them to the surround you must quickly close the barriers behind the horses." Jonayla looked around at the scene before them, one last time, then concluded, "I think we should be able to make this work if you can do that."
Camma instinctively knew that Jonayla was the expert when it came to the task before them and had no second thoughts about instantly obeying her instructions. She and Doroban were mounting their horses when Jonayla called after them.
"Camma will be riding down the middle of the meadow, Cambarre and I will take each side trying to steer the horses to the surround. Keep in mind that this may not work, it doesn't every time. If the lead stallion, that brown male in the middle of the herd is smart enough, he could lead them around the trap no matter how hard we try to guide them into it."
As Chandalar and Doroban rode into the trees, Jonayla continued her instructions. Camma and Cambarre both listened intently since this was the first time they had tried to herd horses. "We don't want to make the wild horses any more fearful of us than we have to. We'll let our horses slowly walk into the meadow and then spread out as if they are grazing. Lean forward against the neck of your horse to make yourself harder to see and remain that way. If the stallion becomes aggressive, just shout, but don't wave your arms unless he tries to attack you.
"Camma, once we get them moving you should fall back about fifty paces so Cambarre and I can herd them together. You should just zigzag back and forth in the open field but stay behind us keeping the horses on the move and discourage them from bolting back the way they came. It will be alright to sit up, but don't flap your arms or make any sounds unless the horses start to head back your way. Just seeing you sit up should make them nervous enough to keep edging away from you and toward the surround."
Following Jonayla's instructions, Cambarre and Camma slowly moved their horses into the open meadow and waited as Jonayla moved into position on the far side of the field. First one, then another and then another of the herd looked up and stared at the intruders. Then the stallion raced to put himself between his herd and the danger he sensed. He came to a stop some distance away and stood hesitantly, watching them. He could see and smell two strange male horses and one female. This was unusual and made the stallion unsure what to do.
Then Jonayla urged Gray forward and yelled, "Whoop! Whoop!" Hugging Gray's neck she trotted toward the hesitating stallion. This was a critical moment; Cambarre knew it and did as Jonayla had done. That unnerved the stallion just enough to make him turn back toward the herd and gallop to the far side of the meadow.
Jonayla urged Gray forward again, this time at a slow walk. Cambarre did the same and after a few moments Camma followed, slowly zigzagging her horse. The herd was uneasy and moved away from them, but they were not so frightened that they would gallop away.
This went on for some time with the herd stopping and then moving away again as the three strange horses kept walking toward them. Then Jonayla signed to Cambarre to look at the horizon. There in the distance was the corral. It blended into its surroundings, made from tree trunks and thorn bushes. The barrier was standing wide open and there was no sign of the two gate keepers.
Jonayla was grateful that Chandalar and Doroban were experienced hunters. 'They might be new to horses, but they knew how to hide themselves and that might be enough to make this work,' Jonayla thought. Now she urged Gray a little to the right, making sure as they approached the corral that the space between Cambarre and herself was closing up. Cambarre saw this and moved left, mirroring Jonayla's move.
Suddenly the stallion's instincts kicked in and he tried to move toward the right, but that in itself was a mistake, Jonayla controlled that side of the field and both she and Grey knew what they were doing. Jonayla shouted, "Camma! When the stallion starts moving to the center, gallop in toward the opening and yell, but now you both must lean down so they can't see you!"
Both Cambarre and Camma followed her instructions without hesitation. Yelling and galloping toward the herd, leaning forward against their horse's necks. This forced the stallion to turn and race away, even more confused, right into the corral. He was a powerful horse and when he saw the barrier in front of him he bunched the massive muscles of his hindquarters and secured freedom by leaping over the thorn bushes opposite the surround entry. His followers were not as powerful, or maybe they just didn't know what to do, because the rest of the herd piled into the surround and began to nervously mill around as Chandalar and Doroban rushed to close the barrier.
Three men and one woman shouted in excitement. They had succeeded in capturing the whole herd except for the Stallion and they were jubilant. Jonayla had remained quiet and called out. "Be silent!" she said in a commanding voice. "Now we need to cull the foals from the herd and let the rest go. We must calm them as much as we can, and yelling won't help us do that."
"But I thought we could kill the adults. We could use the meat this winter," Camma said as quietly as possible.
"No, not if you want to take the young. If we had more people who could kill the rest of the herd after we take the young away, that would be one thing, but to kill them with their young close by would not be a good way to start training them," Jonayla said. "Besides, when you start to rely on your horse and have horses around you all the time you stop wanting to hunt them for food. You'll see what I mean in time. But for now, it's not possible, not if you want to get the young away to your home corral."
Camma understood what she meant and said no more. They gathered at the now closed gate and Jonayla continued her instructions, "When it comes to culling the young from the herd, we'll have a far better chance if we act and think like wild horses. By mimicking its body language we can communicate with it, giving it a better understanding of what we want it to do. Horses are smart and learn quickly.
"Be calm. Horses are sensitive to the feelings of humans and if they sense that you are excited or nervous, they will feel the same. We will need to go into the corral and seek out those we want to take away. Walk slowly towards the horse you choose and avoid staring into its eyes. Predators will stare a horse in the eye, so we don't want them to think of us in that way.
"When you are close to the horse you want, begin to talk quietly and soothingly and avoid making any sudden movements which can scare it. If possible, walk sideways toward it. That is a non-threatening posture to a horse."
Jonayla climbed over the surround gate and demonstrated as she continued to talk in a soothing voice to a small, dark brown colt with a light tan belly. "When you get close enough to the horse, slowly, but firmly compliment the horse and tell them about all their good characteristics to make them feel calmer around you," she said, reaching out.
"There, there, you beautiful, wonderful horse. You will be a magnificent horse, a strong hunter who all the people will honor for your bravery and stamina. You are the most beautiful horse in the world and everyone will be envious of you when they see how beautiful you are." Jonayla kept up this soothing talk as she slowly held out her hand toward the colt.
Jonayla continued to give instructions to the others in the same soft sing-song way to keep the horse calm as possible. "Slowly move forward, and when you get close enough so you can pet it, slowly put your hand out with the fingers together. Don't put your hand out with your fingers spread out, this can give the horse the impression you are a wild animal with claws. Touch its neck," she said, resting her hand of the colt's neck. The small horse stood, shivering with nervousness.
Jonayla clicked her tongue soothingly, and then told the colt how handsome he was and how big he would be when he was grown. "Make an attempt to study a horse's body language," she instructed the others, still in a soothing voice. "This will allow you to understand how horses communicate with one another in the herd."
All this time Jonayla held a rope looped in one hand behind her back. "Once you're in the corral with the horses, always keep in mind that they are very strong. They weigh many times your weight and can kill you with one kick. One misstep on your part can get you killed or maimed. Be very, very cautious," she warned as she brought out the rope and carefully slipped it over the colt's neck, all the while speaking to it soothingly.
She slowly led the colt to the surround gate and indicated with a nod that Doroban should open his side a little. Jonayla slowly led the colt out and handed lead rope to Camma. "Walk him away from the corral. Always talk soothingly to him, let him smell your hand; he will smell your horse's odor on it and will feel reassured. Carefully lead him back to First Place on foot with your horse at his side, without stopping for any reason.
"I will bring the others out one at a time and each of you try to get your horse back to First Place without stopping," she said, still in a quiet soothing way. "If the young horse bolts, let it go, don't chase it, it will only make it harder to get the rest out of the surround if the mares hear a foal's fearful voice."
-o-
They took two colts and two fillies that day, all the young in the small herd. When Cambarre was away safely with the last young horse Jonayla waited for several more hands of time before pulling the barrier away and letting the horses free from the enclosure. This delay was necessary to allow the others to get far enough away so the mares wouldn't follow their foals.
As she mounted Grey, Jonayla looked back at the herd and waved, "Thank you! We will care for your children and honor them," she called out as they disappeared in the distance.
Watching the herd until the last one was out of sight, Jonayla finally reined Gray around and began the ride back to First Place. They had started out for a hunting lesson, only to find a much richer catch than animals for food. The Chimu now had six horses, assuming they could keep them fed through the winter. That would be an important discussion she must have with Camma before she and Cambarre left.