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He turned back to Ayla. "Why don't I go and get that point? What basket was it in?" he asked, already on his way.
She told him and smiled nervously at the dark-haired woman after he left, but neither of them spoke. Jondalar was back almost instantly.
"Joplaya, I told Dalanar to come – I've been wanting to show him this point. Wait until you see it."
He carefully opened the wrapped package and uncovered a beautifully made flint point just as Dalanar came up. At the sight of the fine spear point, Dalanar took it from Jondalar and examined it closely.
"It's a masterwork! I have never seen such fine craftsmanship," Dalanar exclaimed. "Look at this, Joplaya. It's bifacially worked, but very thin, small flakes are removed. Think of the control, the concentration it must have taken. The feel of this flint is different, and the sheen. It seems almost… oily. Where did you get this? Do they have a different kind of flint in the east?"
"No, it's a new process, developed by a Mamutoi man named Wymez. He's the only knapper I've ever met who compares with you, Dalanar. He heats the stone. That's what gives it the sheen, and the feel, but even better, after it's heated, you can remove those fine flakes," Jondalar was explaining with great animation.
Ayla found herself watching him.
"They almost chip off by themselves – that's what gives you the control. I'll show you how he does it. I'm not as good as he is – I need to work on perfecting my technique – but you'll see what I mean. I want to get some good flint while we're here. With the horses, we can carry more weight, and I'd like to bring some Lanzadonii stone home with me."
"This is your home, too, Jondalar," Dalanar said quietly. "But, yes, we can go to the mine tomorrow and quarry some fresh stone. I'd like to see how this is done, but is this really a spear point? It looks so thin, and graceful, it almost seems too fragile to hunt with."
"They use these spear points for hunting mammoth. It does break more easily, but the sharp flint pierces the thick hide better than a bone point and will slide in between ribs," Jondalar said. "I have something else to show you, too. I developed it when I was recovering from the cave lion mauling, in Ayla's valley. It's a spear-thrower. With it, a spear will fly twice as far. Wait until you see how it works!"
"I think they want us to come and eat, Jondalar," Dalanar said, noticing people at the mouth of the cave, beckoning. "Everyone will want to hear your stories. Come inside where you can be comfortable and all can hear. You tease us with these animals that obey your wishes, and comments about cave lion maulings, spear-throwers, new stone-knapping techniques. What other adventures and marvels do you have to share?"
Jondalar laughed. "We haven't even begun. Would you believe we have seen stones that make fire and stones that burn? Dwellings made out of the bones of mammoths, ivory points that pull thread, and huge rivercraft used to hunt fish so big, it would take five men your size, one on top of the other, to reach tip to tail."
Ayla had never seen Jondalar so happy and relaxed, so free and unrestrained, and she realized how glad he was to be with his people.
He put an arm around both Ayla and Joplaya as they walked toward the cave. "Have you chosen a mate yet, Joplaya?" Jondalar asked. "I didn't see anyone who seemed to have a claim on you."
Joplaya laughed. "No, I've been waiting for you, Jondalar."
"There you go, making a joke again," Jondalar said, chuckling. He turned to explain to Ayla. "Close-cousins can't mate, you know."
"I have it all pla
"See what I mean, Ayla?" Jondalar said, turning to her but giving Joplaya a squeeze. "Always joking. Joplaya is the worst tease." Ayla wasn't sure she understood the joke.
"Seriously, Joplaya, you must be promised anyway."
"Echozar has asked, but I haven't decided yet."
"Echozar? I don't think I know him. Is he Zelandonii?"
"He's Lanzadonii. He joined us a few years ago. Dalanar saved his life, found him almost drowned. I think he's still in the cave. He's shy; you'll understand why when you meet him. He looks… well, different. He doesn't like meeting strangers, he says he doesn't want to come with us to the Zelandonii Summer Meeting. But he's sweet when you get to know him, and he'd do anything for Dalanar."
"Are you going to the Summer Meeting this year? I hope so, at least for the Matrimonial. Ayla and I are going to be mated." This time he gave Ayla a squeeze.
"I don't know," Joplaya said, looking at the ground. Then she looked at him. "I always knew you would never mate that Marona woman who was waiting for you the year you left, but I didn't think you'd bring a woman back with you."
Jondalar flushed at the mention of the woman he had promised to mate and left behind, and he didn't notice Ayla stiffen as Joplaya hurried toward a man just coming out of the cave.
"Jondalar! That man!" He caught the startled tone in her voice and turned to look at her. She was ashen.
"What's wrong, Ayla?"
"He looks like Durc! Or maybe the way my son will look when he grows up. Jondalar, that man is part Clan!"
Jondalar looked closer. It was true. The man Joplaya was urging toward them had the look of the Clan. But as they approached, Ayla noticed one striking difference between this man and the men of the Clan she knew. He was almost as tall as she.
When he neared, she made a motion with her hand. It was subtle, hardly noticeable to anyone else, but the man's large brown eyes opened wide with surprise.
"Where did you learn that?" he asked, making the same gesture. His voice was deep, but clear and distinct. He had no problem speaking; a sure sign he was a mixture.
"I was raised by a clan. They found me when I was a little girl. I don't remember any family before that."
"A clan raised you? They cursed my mother because she gave birth to me," he said bitterly. "What clan would raise you?"
"I didn't think her accent was Mamutoi," Jerika interjected. Several people were standing around them.
Jondalar took a deep breath and squared his shoulders. He had known from the begi
"She is Mamut? One Who Serves the Mother? Where is her mark? I don't see any tattoo on her cheek," Jerika said.
"Ayla learned to heal from the woman who raised her, a medicine woman of the people she calls Clan – flatheads – but she's as good as any zelandoni. The Mamut was only starting to train her to Serve the Mother before we left; she was never initiated. That's why she has no mark," Jondalar explained.
"I knew she was zelandoni. She has to be to control animals like that, but how could she learn healing from a flathead woman?" Dalanar exclaimed. "Before I met Echozar, I thought they were little more than animals. I understand from him that they can talk, in a way, and now you say they have healers. You should have told me, Echozar."
"How would I know? I'm not a flathead!" Echozar spat the word out. "I only knew my mother, and Andovan."
Ayla was surprised at the venom in his voice. "You said your mother was cursed? And yet she survived to raise you? She must have been a remarkable woman."
Echozar looked directly into the gray-blue eyes of the tall blond woman. There was no hesitation, no drawing back to avoid staring at him. He felt strangely drawn to this woman he had never seen before, comfortable with her.