The Land of Painted Caves Read online

  As Ayla headed toward them, Jonayla started fussing. The change in lighting had disconcerted the baby. A couple of acolytes made a space for her, and she sat down between them, but before she could focus her attention on the proceedings inside, she had to settle her child. Thinking that she might be hungry, she exposed her breast and brought the baby to it. Everyone waited. She was the only one there with a child and she wondered if she had interrrupted something important, but she had been given a message that Zelandoni wanted to see her.

  When Jonayla settled down, the First said, “I’m glad to see you here, Ayla. We didn’t see you last night.”

  “No, we didn’t make it to the Meeting Camp,” she said.

  Some of the people who hadn’t met her before were surprised at the way she said certain words. It made them curious. It wasn’t like anything they had heard before. They had no trouble understanding her; she knew the language well, and had a pleasing low-pitched voice, but it was unusual.

  “Were you or the baby not feeling well?” the First asked.

  “No, we were fine. Jondalar and I went to check on the horses, and on our way back we saw Lanoga and Bologan trying to build a shelter. They didn’t have any materials for a lodge, and were trying to put up the tent poles. We stayed and built a lodge for them.”

  The First frowned. “Where were Tremeda and Laramar?”

  “Lanoga said they argued, Laramar left saying he was going to stay in a fa’lodge, Tremeda went after him, and neither one returned. Janida just told me that she saw Tremeda last night with some men who were drinking barma and gaming. I guess she got distracted,” Ayla said.

  “So it would seem,” the Zelandoni of the Ninth Cave said. Though she was First, she was still responsible for the well-being of her Cave. “The children have a place now?”

  “You built them an entire lodge?” said a man who was a stranger to Ayla.

  “Not as big as this one,” Ayla said with a smile, waving her hand to indicate the especially large shelter of the zelandonia. Jonayla seemed to have had enough. She let go and Ayla picked her up, put her over her shoulder and started patting her back. “They aren’t sharing with anyone so it just had to be big enough for the family, the children and Tremeda and Laramar, if he decides to come back.”

  “How nice of you,” someone said. The tone sounded rather derisive. Ayla looked and saw that it was Zelandoni of the Fourteenth who had spoken, an older, rather skinny woman whose thin hair always seemed to be falling out of her bun.

  Ayla noticed that Madroman, who was sitting near the Fourteenth, along with the Zelandoni of the Fifth Cave, turned to look at her with a condescending expression. He was the one whose front teeth Jondalar had knocked out in a fight when they were younger. She knew that Jondalar didn’t like him, and she suspected the feeling was mutual. She didn’t much care for him either. With her ability to interpret nuances of attitude and expression, she always felt a certain deceit in his manner, a falseness in his smiling greetings, a lack of sincerity in his offers of welcome and friendliness, but she had always tried to treat him politely.

  “Ayla has taken a special interest in the children of that family,” the First said, careful to keep the exasperation out of her voice. The Zelandoni of the Fourteenth had been an annoyance ever since the Zelandoni of the Ninth Cave had become First, always trying to provoke someone, particularly her. The woman had felt she was next in line and had expected to be made First. She never quite got over the fact that the younger Zelandoni of the Ninth had been chosen instead.

  “It seems they need it,” said the same man who had commented earlier.

  Jonayla had fallen asleep on her shoulder. Ayla took her carrying blanket and spread it out on the ground, the young acolyte on her right moved over to make room, then she put her infant down on it.

  “Yes, they do,” the First was saying, shaking her head; then she realized that Ayla didn’t know the man, and though he had no doubt heard of her, he had not met her. “I don’t think everyone here has met my new acolyte. Perhaps some introductions would be in order.”

  “What happened to Jonokol?” Zelandoni of the Fifth Cave asked.

  “He moved to the Nineteenth Cave,” the First said. “The White Hollow that was found last year enticed him. He always was more artist than acolyte, but he’s serious about the zelandonia now. He wants to be sure that whatever is done with the new cave is appropriate … no, more than that. He wants it to be right. That white cave has called him now, more than any training could have done.”

  “Where are the Nineteenth Cave? Are they coming this year?”

  “I believe they are, but they haven’t arrived yet,” the One Who Was First said. “I will be glad to see Jonokol; I miss his skills, but fortunately Ayla arrived with many skills of her own. She is already a fine healer, and brings some very interesting knowledge and techniques. I am pleased she has begun training. Ayla, will you stand so I can introduce you formally?”

  Ayla got up and took a few steps to stand beside the First, who waited until everyone was looking at them, then said, “May I present to you Ayla of the Zelandonii, mother of Jonayla, Blessed of Doni, acolyte of the Zelandoni of the Ninth Cave, the One Who Is First Among Those Who Serve The Great Earth Mother. She is mated to Jondalar, son of Marthona, former leader of the Ninth Cave and brother to Joharran, present leader. Formerly she was a Mamutoi of the Lion Camp, the Mammoth Hunters who live far to the east, and an acolyte of Mamut, who adopted her as Daughter of the Mammoth Hearth, which is their zelandonia. She was also chosen and physically marked by the spirit of the Cave Lion, her totem, and is protected by the spirit of the Cave Bear. She is a friend of the horses, Whinney and Racer, and the new filly, Gray, and the four-legged hunter she calls Wolf.”

  Ayla thought it was a very comprehensive reciting of her names and ties, complete with explanations. She didn’t know if she was actually an acolyte of Mamut, but he had adopted her to the Mammoth Hearth and he was training her. The Donier hadn’t mentioned that she had also been adopted by the Clan, whom they called Flatheads. The only reference was that she was protected by the spirit of the Cave Bear. Ayla doubted if Zelandoni fully understood that it meant she was one of them, she was Clan—at least she was until Broud disowned her, cursed her, and made her leave.

  The man who had spoken earlier approached Ayla and the First. “I am Zelandoni of the Twenty-sixth Cave, and in the name of Doni, I welcome you to this Summer Meeting Camp that we are hosting.” He held out both hands.

  Ayla took his hands. “In the name of the Great Mother of All, I greet you, Zelandoni of the Twenty-sixth Cave,” she said.

  “We have found a new deep hollow. It has wonderful resonance when we sing, but it is very small,” the man said. He was obviously quite excited about it. “One must crawl in like a snake, and it is best for only one or perhaps two people, though three or four could go in. I think it is too small for the First, I am sorry to say, though I would certainly let her make that decision. I promised Jonokol I would show it to him when he came. Since you are now the First’s acolyte, Ayla, perhaps you would like to see it, too.”

  The invitation caught her by surprise, but she smiled, then said, “Yes, I would like to see it.”

  7

  The Zelandoni Who Was First had mixed feelings upon hearing about the new cave. New discoveries of hollows that were likely to be entries to the Mother’s Sacred Underworld were always exciting, but the thought that she might be excluded for purely physical reasons was disappointing, though the idea of crawling on her belly into a small space was not exactly appealing anymore. It did, however, please her that Ayla was accepted enough to be offered the opportunity in her place. She hoped it meant that her choice of a newcomer as an acolyte was already taken for granted. Of course, having a woman with such obviously unusual powers safely under the authority of the zelandonia was probably a relief to many. That she was also an inherently normal and attractive young mother made her acceptance easier.

  “That is
an excellent idea, Zelandoni of the Twenty-sixth Cave. I had planned to begin her Donier Tour later this summer, after the First Matrimonial and Rites of First Pleasures ceremonies. A visit to a new sacred hollow could be an early introduction, and give her a chance to understand from the beginning how sacred sites are known to the zelandonia,” the First Donier said. “And while we are talking about introductions and training, I notice several of the newer acolytes here. This seems a good time to reveal some knowledge they will need to know. Who can tell me how many seasons there are?”

  “I can,” said a young man. “There are three.”

  “No,” said a young woman. “There are five.”

  The First smiled. “One of you says three, another says five. Can anyone tell me which is correct?”

  No one spoke for a while; then the acolyte next to Ayla on the left said, “I think both are.”

  The First smiled again. “You are correct. There are both three and five seasons, depending upon how you count them. Can anyone tell me why?”

  No one spoke up. Ayla remembered some of Mamut’s teachings, but she felt somewhat shy and hesitant to speak. Finally, when the silence grew awkward, she said, “The Mamutoi also have both three and five seasons. I don’t know about the Zelandonii, but I can tell you what Mamut told me.”

  “I think that would be quite interesting,” the First said, looking around and seeing nods of agreement from others of the zelandonia.

  “The downward-pointing triangle is a very important symbol to the Mamutoi,” Ayla began. “It is the symbol of woman, and it is made with three lines, so three is the number of the power of … I don’t quite know the word … motherhood, giving birth, creating new life, and is very sacred to Mut, to the Mother. Mamut also said the three sides of a triangle represent the three major seasons, spring, summer, and winter. But the Mamutoi recognize two additional seasons, the ones that signal change, fall and midwinter, making five seasons. Mamut said five is the Mother’s hidden power number.”

  Not only were the young acolytes surprised and interested, the older Zelandoni were fascinated by what she said. Even those who had met her the year before and had heard her talk noticed the way she spoke, her accent. To those who were seeing her for the first time, especially if they were young and had not traveled much, her voice seemed absolutely exotic. For most of the zelandonia she had spoken of information unknown to them but that essentially agreed with their way of thinking, which tended to confirm their own beliefs. That gave her added credence and an element of prestige. She was traveled, knowledgeable, but not really threatening.

  “I didn’t realize the ways of the Mother were so similar even from such a great distance,” said Zelandoni of the Third. “We also speak of three main seasons—spring, summer, and winter—but most people recognize five: spring, summer, autumn, early winter, and late winter. We also understand that the inverted triangle represents woman and that three is the number of generative power, but five is a more powerful symbol.”

  “That is true. The ways of the Great Earth Mother are remarkable,” the First said, then continued with the instruction. “We talked about the counting-word five before, the five parts of an apple, five fingers on each hand, five toes on each foot, and how to use the hands and counting words in a more powerful way. There are also five Primary, or Sacred, colors. All other colors are aspects of the main colors. The first color is Red. It is the color of blood, the color of life, but just as life does not last, the color red seldom stays true for long. As blood dries it darkens, becomes brown, sometimes very dark.

  “Brown is an aspect of red, sometimes called old red. It is the color of the trunks and branches of many trees. The red ochers of the earth are the dried blood of the Mother, and though some can be very bright, almost new looking, they are all considered old Red. Some flowers and fruits show the true color of Red, but flowers are ephemeral, as is the red color of fruits. When red fruits, such as strawberries, are dried, they turn to old Red. Can you think of anything else that is Red, or an aspect of it?”

  “Some people have brown hair,” said an acolyte sitting behind Ayla.

  “And some people have brown eyes,” Ayla said.

  “I’ve never seen anyone with brown eyes. The eyes of everyone I know are blue or gray, sometimes with a little green,” said the young male acolyte who had spoken earlier.

  “The people of the Clan who raised me all had brown eyes,” Ayla said. “They thought my eyes were strange, perhaps even weak, because they were so light.”

  “You are talking about Flatheads, aren’t you? They’re not really people. Other animals have brown eyes, and a lot of them have brown fur,” he said.

  Ayla felt her anger flare. “How can you say that? The Clan are not animals. They are people!” she said through gritted teeth. “Have you ever even seen one?”

  The First jumped in to quell the incipient disruption. “Acolyte of the Zelandoni of the Twenty-ninth Cave, it is true that some people have brown eyes. You are young and obviously inexperienced. That is one reason that before you become a full Zelandoni, you need to make a Donier Tour. When you travel south, you will meet some people with brown eyes. But perhaps you should answer her question. Have you ever seen the ‘animal’ you call a Flathead?” she said.

  “Well … no, but everyone says they look like bears,” the young man said.

  “When she was a child, Ayla lived among the ones that the Zelandonii know as Flatheads, but that she calls the Clan. They saved her life after she lost her parents; they took care of her, raised her. I think she has more experience with them than you. You also might ask Willamar, the Trade Master, who has had more contact with them than most. He says they may look a little different, but they behave like people and he believes they are. Until you have had some direct contact yourself, I think you should defer to those who have had personal experience with them,” the First said, in a stern, lecturing tone.

  The young man felt a flare of anger. He didn’t like being lectured, and he didn’t like that the ideas of a foreigner should be given more credence than those he had heard all his life. But after his Zelandoni signaled with a shake of his head, he decided not to dispute the One Who Was First Among Those Who Served The Great Earth Mother.

  “Now, we were speaking of the Five Sacred Colors. Zelandoni of the Fourteenth Cave, why don’t you tell us about the next one,” the First said.

  “The second primary color is Green,” the Zelandoni of the Fourteenth began. “Green is the color of leaves and grass. It is also a color of life, of course, plant life. In winter you will see that many trees and plants are brown, showing that their true color is old red, the color of life. In winter the plants are only resting, gathering strength for their new green growth in spring. With their flowers and fruits, plants also show most of the other colors,”

  Ayla thought her delivery was flat, and if the information itself had not been so interesting, she could make it seem dull. No wonder the rest of the zelandonia didn’t select her to be First. Then Ayla wondered if she just thought that because she knew how much the woman annoyed her Zelandoni.

  “Perhaps the Zelandoni whose Cave is hosting this Summer Meeting would tell us about the next Sacred Color?” the First interjected just as the Fourteenth was taking a breath to continue. The Fourteenth couldn’t really object, under the circumstances.

  “Yes, of course,” he said. “The third primary color is Yellow, the color of the sun, Bali, and the color of fire, although there is also much red in both, which shows that they have a life of their own. You can see the red in the sun mostly in the morning and in the evening. The sun gives us light and warmth, but it can be dangerous. Too much sun can make skin burn, and dry out plants and watering holes. We have no control over the sun. Not even Doni, the Mother, could control her son, Bali. We can only try to protect ourselves from him, get out of his way. Fire can be even more dangerous than the sun. We do have some control of it, and it is very useful, but we should never get careless with fire,
nor take it for granted.

  “Not all things that are yellow are hot. Some soil is yellow, there is yellow ocher as well as red ocher. Some people have yellow hair,” he said, looking directly at Ayla, “and of course, many flowers show its true color. They always age to brown, which is an aspect of Red. It is for that reason that some argue that Yellow should be considered an aspect of Red and not a Sacred Color in its own right, but most agree that it is a primary color that attracts Red, the color of life.”

  Ayla found herself fascinated by the Zelandoni of the Twenty-sixth Cave, and observed him more closely. He was tall, muscular, with dark blond, almost brown hair with streaks of lighter color, and dark eyebrows that blended into his Zelandoni tattoo on his left forehead. The tattoo was not quite as ornate as some, but very precise. His beard was brown with a reddish tone, but small and with a distinct shape. She thought he must use a sharp flint blade to trim it, to keep it that way. He was probably approaching middle age, his face had some character, but he seemed young and vibrant and quietly in control.

  She thought most people would think that he was handsome. She did, though she didn’t fully trust her sense of who was attractive to her own kind of people, the “Others” to the Clan. Her perception of who looked good was strongly influenced by the standards of the people who raised her. She thought people of the Clan were handsome, but most of the Others did not, though many had never seen any, and most of those who had, had only seen them from a distance. She watched some of the young women acolytes and decided that they were attracted to the man who was speaking. Some of the older women seemed to be, too. In any case, he was very good at communicating the lore. The First seemed to agree. She asked him to continue.