Chapter 2
The Weavers Gather
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Rounding a bend in the river, Thonolan gaped at the strange cave like dwelling. People were emerging from a perfectly arched entrance curious about the visitors. The cave seemed to rise out of the ground in a long and symmetrical shape.
"It's man made," Brazie offered to the confused veejia.
Her revelation made the dwelling seem all the more impressive. Thonolan had never seen such a living place that was made by human hands. It seemed quite large and strong enough to withstand the weather extremes. Temporary summer dwellings, lean-tos or travelling tents were the only kinds of made homes he had seen. These innovative people had gained respect in his eyes.
A nervous nicker punctuated the mare's growing nervousness. Thonolan jolted himself back into his responsibilities and went over to calm the mare. Before he could reach them, Jondalar had already started to defuse the potentially dangerous situation.
"Talut! No one must touch the horses unless Ayla allows it!"
"Stay back! You heard him." Thonolan jumped back from the booming voice of the headman. Seeing him close up for the first time, Talut seemed much larger than what he had thought. He was a giant of a man but he instinctively knew that Talut's character matched his physical strength.
Brazie laid a hand on Thonolan's arm and guided him closer. "I'd like you to meet my brother, Tarnov."
Formal greetings were exchanged as he observed the young boy. Tarnov was slightly younger than Brazie but held the same stoic look that Nalie had first given him. "And this is my great mother Bectie." Thonolan turned once again in greeting. She was a wizened looking old woman whose eyes didn't miss much. Bectie reminded him of a salty dog-wolf he had once seen near a hunt.
"What has happened to your family that so many are here in the in-between?"
Bectie shook her head, "it's quite a long story, I'll tell you later. We have plenty of time young one." She fixed her steely gaze upon him. "There is one more you need to meet." She gestured to a man who had been impassively observing them. "This is Bruzec, leader of the aurrochs camp. Mate of my eldest great daughter."
Thonolan began to wonder how many more there could be. Surely with so many veejias around the camp was well blessed. Perhaps he wasn't needed on this part of the journey.
Turning to study the people of the camp, he was suddenly struck again with the feeling. Stronger was the longing for normalcy and understanding. Searching for the source, he gasped at the same time Ayla spotted him.
Oba nervously approached Thonolan and stood bowing her head. She waited in expectation of his tap. Moments passed as she stood in front of him and she reluctantly peeked up to see if he was still there. Disappointment flooded through her. He doesn't even see me. How can I communicate to this man? She thought about her interaction with Tarnov and Bruzec. She had never had an occasion where she sought out their attention. They had tolerated the differences of customs, but hadn't felt completely comfortable with her submissive postures. Do I dare approach him in the way of a woman of the Others? Even when she had lived with the man of the Others, she had not given up all her good clan manners. Straightening her spine, Oba stepped in front of Thonolan.
"A child of mixed spirits," Thonolan exclaimed, "what is he doing here?" These Mamutoi must indeed be a unique group if they could take in such a child and care for him, he added to himself. As he looked closely at this strange child he couldn't help but note how close he looked to Durc. A figure shifted into his line of view and he looked up in annoyance.
"This woman would like to tell you of her son," she gestured with her eyes downcast. Out of necessity, she reluctantly looked up to gauge his response.
"He is your son?" Thonolan whispered incredulously forgetting his annoyance, "please tell me about him. How is it that he was taken in by these people?"
She nodded, pleased at his response. "Rydag, my deformed child," she began hesitantly, "was born soon after I made contact with the lion camp. He was my only redeeming hope after I had been cursed."
"Death cursed?"
Oba stiffened and nodded, "after I was cursed, I wandered waiting for my totem to find me and guide me home. The last I remember was falling down a ravine, then nothing." She paused and glanced up nervously. Seeing that she had his full interest, she continued. "I woke up to a fire and warm furs. I thought I was at last in my hearth in the sky, but I was wrong. A man of the Others had found me and nursed me back to health." She omitted her disorientation and shock when she discovered how different the Others were. Flushing, she recalled how different they were in every way. Oba had been quite disconcerted to find that the man of the Others preferred her to face him.
"Was your son with you then?" Thonolan queried. He sensed her hesitation and knew she wasn't telling him everything.
She shook her head; "it was much later that I found that I was blessed. He took me with him, I think he was journeying somewhere. When I became pregnant, it confirmed the fact that I was not dead. The child would have redeemed my status." Thonolan nodded, knowing that women who had children were more desirable. "It was the day that the earth shook that..."
A large motherly woman rushed out of the entrance and swept through Oba. Temporarily disoriented, Oba looked around at the woman. Her brown liquid eyes grew wide, "Rydag!" She shouted and rushed over to her son.
Thonolan turned, alarmed at her shout. It was the first time he had heard her vocalize. Looking past the crowd of people, he spotted Ayla leading Whinney with Rydag riding on top. "Oba, he'll be fine, Whinney won't hurt him."
The woman looked at him with concern in her eyes. She had quickly gotten past her fear of the horse when she saw the expression on her son's face and sensed there was no danger. "He can't get too excited, it's not good for his heart. Yet, I have never seen him happier." She watched with pride as her son was treated to the first ride for the lion camp.
Thonolan also observed the trio, but his thoughts drifted. The feeling of longing from this boy had lessened slightly. But can such small favors make up for a childhood of abnormality? He didn't envy Oba her responsibility. If she was to gain status for her son and ascend with him, she had a ways to go. His heart is not strong, though. She may not have much time.
Their situation puzzled him; he still had not learned how they had come to the lion camp. He turned to ask for her to continue the story. "Oba, would you..." His voice trailed off as he spotted another member of the camp. "Great Mother, who is that?"
Bectie had been watching the exchange with feigned interest. "That, dear boy, is trouble for them, and trouble for you."
(TMH pp.8-10)
The Weavers Gather
-----------
Rounding a bend in the river, Thonolan gaped at the strange cave like dwelling. People were emerging from a perfectly arched entrance curious about the visitors. The cave seemed to rise out of the ground in a long and symmetrical shape.
"It's man made," Brazie offered to the confused veejia.
Her revelation made the dwelling seem all the more impressive. Thonolan had never seen such a living place that was made by human hands. It seemed quite large and strong enough to withstand the weather extremes. Temporary summer dwellings, lean-tos or travelling tents were the only kinds of made homes he had seen. These innovative people had gained respect in his eyes.
A nervous nicker punctuated the mare's growing nervousness. Thonolan jolted himself back into his responsibilities and went over to calm the mare. Before he could reach them, Jondalar had already started to defuse the potentially dangerous situation.
"Talut! No one must touch the horses unless Ayla allows it!"
"Stay back! You heard him." Thonolan jumped back from the booming voice of the headman. Seeing him close up for the first time, Talut seemed much larger than what he had thought. He was a giant of a man but he instinctively knew that Talut's character matched his physical strength.
Brazie laid a hand on Thonolan's arm and guided him closer. "I'd like you to meet my brother, Tarnov."
Formal greetings were exchanged as he observed the young boy. Tarnov was slightly younger than Brazie but held the same stoic look that Nalie had first given him. "And this is my great mother Bectie." Thonolan turned once again in greeting. She was a wizened looking old woman whose eyes didn't miss much. Bectie reminded him of a salty dog-wolf he had once seen near a hunt.
"What has happened to your family that so many are here in the in-between?"
Bectie shook her head, "it's quite a long story, I'll tell you later. We have plenty of time young one." She fixed her steely gaze upon him. "There is one more you need to meet." She gestured to a man who had been impassively observing them. "This is Bruzec, leader of the aurrochs camp. Mate of my eldest great daughter."
Thonolan began to wonder how many more there could be. Surely with so many veejias around the camp was well blessed. Perhaps he wasn't needed on this part of the journey.
Turning to study the people of the camp, he was suddenly struck again with the feeling. Stronger was the longing for normalcy and understanding. Searching for the source, he gasped at the same time Ayla spotted him.
Oba nervously approached Thonolan and stood bowing her head. She waited in expectation of his tap. Moments passed as she stood in front of him and she reluctantly peeked up to see if he was still there. Disappointment flooded through her. He doesn't even see me. How can I communicate to this man? She thought about her interaction with Tarnov and Bruzec. She had never had an occasion where she sought out their attention. They had tolerated the differences of customs, but hadn't felt completely comfortable with her submissive postures. Do I dare approach him in the way of a woman of the Others? Even when she had lived with the man of the Others, she had not given up all her good clan manners. Straightening her spine, Oba stepped in front of Thonolan.
"A child of mixed spirits," Thonolan exclaimed, "what is he doing here?" These Mamutoi must indeed be a unique group if they could take in such a child and care for him, he added to himself. As he looked closely at this strange child he couldn't help but note how close he looked to Durc. A figure shifted into his line of view and he looked up in annoyance.
"This woman would like to tell you of her son," she gestured with her eyes downcast. Out of necessity, she reluctantly looked up to gauge his response.
"He is your son?" Thonolan whispered incredulously forgetting his annoyance, "please tell me about him. How is it that he was taken in by these people?"
She nodded, pleased at his response. "Rydag, my deformed child," she began hesitantly, "was born soon after I made contact with the lion camp. He was my only redeeming hope after I had been cursed."
"Death cursed?"
Oba stiffened and nodded, "after I was cursed, I wandered waiting for my totem to find me and guide me home. The last I remember was falling down a ravine, then nothing." She paused and glanced up nervously. Seeing that she had his full interest, she continued. "I woke up to a fire and warm furs. I thought I was at last in my hearth in the sky, but I was wrong. A man of the Others had found me and nursed me back to health." She omitted her disorientation and shock when she discovered how different the Others were. Flushing, she recalled how different they were in every way. Oba had been quite disconcerted to find that the man of the Others preferred her to face him.
"Was your son with you then?" Thonolan queried. He sensed her hesitation and knew she wasn't telling him everything.
She shook her head; "it was much later that I found that I was blessed. He took me with him, I think he was journeying somewhere. When I became pregnant, it confirmed the fact that I was not dead. The child would have redeemed my status." Thonolan nodded, knowing that women who had children were more desirable. "It was the day that the earth shook that..."
A large motherly woman rushed out of the entrance and swept through Oba. Temporarily disoriented, Oba looked around at the woman. Her brown liquid eyes grew wide, "Rydag!" She shouted and rushed over to her son.
Thonolan turned, alarmed at her shout. It was the first time he had heard her vocalize. Looking past the crowd of people, he spotted Ayla leading Whinney with Rydag riding on top. "Oba, he'll be fine, Whinney won't hurt him."
The woman looked at him with concern in her eyes. She had quickly gotten past her fear of the horse when she saw the expression on her son's face and sensed there was no danger. "He can't get too excited, it's not good for his heart. Yet, I have never seen him happier." She watched with pride as her son was treated to the first ride for the lion camp.
Thonolan also observed the trio, but his thoughts drifted. The feeling of longing from this boy had lessened slightly. But can such small favors make up for a childhood of abnormality? He didn't envy Oba her responsibility. If she was to gain status for her son and ascend with him, she had a ways to go. His heart is not strong, though. She may not have much time.
Their situation puzzled him; he still had not learned how they had come to the lion camp. He turned to ask for her to continue the story. "Oba, would you..." His voice trailed off as he spotted another member of the camp. "Great Mother, who is that?"
Bectie had been watching the exchange with feigned interest. "That, dear boy, is trouble for them, and trouble for you."
(TMH pp.8-10)