Chapter 8

The next morning Torvon, Danug, Druwez and Talut started working with the clan men on the throwing spears. The alder shafts were straight for the most part but every so often you had to straighten a slight bend, Torvon showed them the straightener and how to use it. They spent the next three days working on the spears and each clan man had made two spears for themselves. Torvon said it was better to carry three but until they started hunting two would do. Taking four men at a time the four hunters showed them how to make their throws. After three days Torvon said they were ready for a hunt. Durc would use the spear thrower and the clan would use the throwing spears and each had made a third spear. Torvon and Ayla went out and found a small herd of bison. When they came back they led the hunters to a location where they could wait while the riders drove the animals to them. He showed them a small depression and said that they would drive the animals into it and they could throw down at the animals. While the hunters were getting set up Ayla and Torvon rode out and circled the herd and started them moving in the right direction. When they were near the clan the riders backed off and let the clan hunters make the kills. When the animals were well into the depression Vorn gave the hunters the signal to throw. All nine hunters started throwing down at the animals. When it was over they had killed fourteen animals. Durc had killed three of them with the short spears he used. Vorn got two and the others got one each. br brThe women and children arrived and started skinning and butchering the animals. Ayla and Torvon rode back to the valley and brought out enough pole drags to haul the load back. Once the meat and hides were ready they headed back to the valley. Durc told Ayla as they walked side by side that this was the best hunt that they had had in a long while. Torvon walked up beside Vorn and told him that he would accept only five processed furs for the spears. Vorn said that they had agreed that each hunter would give a fur for his first kill. Torvon said, “I know but your hunters need the furs more than I do, five is enough. If you would like we will bring you animals and for every two furs processed by you we will trade you one whole animal. This was a good offer and with those trades the clan could get enough meat to last through the winter season. Ayla's people had given them a new hunting weapon plus a way to obtain additional meat for the winter months. Deegie and Tornec invited Vorn and Brun to Aurochs camp to look at their earth lodge to see if they would like one. Like theirs. The lodge in the valley was smaller and simpler. When they got there the two clan men were surprised to find how large the lodge was. There were hearths for each family and the sleeping platforms had curtains for privacy. They had a cold room to store meat and vegetables and a steam bath. Torneg said that they would help the clan build a lodge just like this one. Vorn asked, Why would you help us. Tornec said, If we are going to trade with each other then we need to help each other whenever possible. A few days later they were back in the valley and had chosen a site for the clans new earth lodge Ayla and Durc were walking toward the eastern end of the valley when they came upon the bones and skull of a cave bear. Ayla made the clan signs for the spirit of the animal then told Durc that this skull would be just right to place over the entry to the lodge the same way as the Mamutoi did with their lodges it was the camp name. Durc agreed and after burying the bones of the animal they went back to the lodge to show the people. Durc told Ayla that he and Ura had not been able to mate because they had no home, but now with the new lodge they could. Looking at him Ayla said, When the clan moves into the earth lodge you and Ura can go to my cave for your seclusion after your mating and spend some time alone there. Durc looked at her and smiled. When they arrived back at the sight Ayla handed the skull telling Vorn that they had found it not far from the site. Taking the skull Vorn signed, Ursus is pleased, and this is a good sign. Brun looked at Ayla and signed, Again the daughter of Creb and Iza has brought good luck to this clan. I am glad that the Great Cave Lion did not let you die. If he had been Mamutoi she would have hugged him. The day they dedicated the new lodge they had a feast then Durc and Ura were mated. Ayla walked up the couple and told them, Always be happy with each other, hold onto each other and give all you can to each other. May Ursus and the Grey Wolf always walk with you. I will come to the cave each day to see if you need anything. Giving each a hug and kiss she turned and walked back to Torvon and the children then placed her arms around him. She had found her oldest son and now he was mated and she was happy for him. A few days later the camps were getting ready to leave for the summer meeting. Ayla and Torvon had agreed that they would come back with Latie and Byron to relieve Frebec and Fralie and their family and Tronec, Tronie and their family. Saying their goodbyes to everyone Lion camp and Aurochs camp left the valley headed for the summer meeting. As they were getting ready to turn south they noticed another group coming from the north. Ayla noticed that Lomie was being carried on a stretcher and walked over to see. They greeted each other and she was having trouble breathing. She called to Talut and asked him to stop so she could tend to Lomie's needs. Lomie said, Do not worry about me Ayla, I'll be fine. Ayla smiled and said You are my patient and I will decide when not to worry. Mamut walked up and said, Lomie you should listen to the daughter of Mammoth hearth. Lomie replied, Two against one is not fair. Then taking his hand she replied, I am glad you adopted her, she will be a credit to Lion camp and the Mamutoi. Ayla had a fire going for some calming tea and was making a cough syrup to relieve her congestion. After a few hours Lomie was breathing much easier and the larger group of camps headed south. The sun was just starting to drop toward the trees in the distance when Talut, Tarneg and Valez called for a halt and a hunt. While the hunters were gone Ayla, Latie and Nizzie sat with Lomie and talked. Ayla told her that she had found her son and the clan was living in her valley now she had the first family that she remembered and her Mamutoi family. She could see the pride in Ayla's eyes and said, I am happy for you my dear, you deserve to have all your children and family around you. They heard the shouts of the women as the hunters came back in to camp. The Mother had guided them to a herd of deer and they had killed twelve. And the women had found many greens and other vegetables not too far from camp. After the evening meal Ayla went to Wolf camp to check on Lomie. She made a relaxing tea and gave her some more of the cough medicine. She told the acolyte that she should check on her during the night and come for her if there was a problem. As she walked back to Lion camps tent she was thinking that this might be Lomie's last summer meeting and she was very sad for Wolf camp and the Mamutoi. When she entered the tent Mamut motioned her over and asked, How is she doing tonight? Ayla replied, I gave her a relaxing tea but she is still having trouble with the congestion in her lungs. I think I will go over there early in the morning and Take some powdered Rosemary and make steaming pot of hot water and have her inhale the steam vapors. That might help break up some more of the congestion. If it does we'll try it again when we make camp tomorrow night. The next morning she was up before anyone and had made the steaming mixture and it seemed to help her friend very much. The biggest problem was keeping Lomie from breathing in too much of the dust and other things blowing around on the steppes. Ayla fashioned a mask from a piece of damp fabric tied around her nose and mouth. She told the acolyte that she should rinse it out and put it back on the healer when it started to dry out. That night she checked on her and made the steaming pot of Rosemary again. She left a couple more masks for the acolyte to use the next day. Over the next few days the congestion seemed to be breaking up. Lomie was breathing much easier, but to be on the safe side Ayla still made her wear the masks. When they made it to Elk camp Lomie was much improved. As the meeting got underway Ayla was called to the lodge of the Mamutii. Lomie had asked that she tell everyone the way she had treated her congestion. Ayla explained that most people used the powdered Rosemary sprinkled on hot coals but that the smoke could irritate the lungs more than helping. If they mixed the powder in a bowl of boiling water and had the person inhale the steam there would not be anything to irritate the tissues. And if they kept the person from breathing in dust and other irritants they could help their patient get over it faster. But the masks had to be kept wet. Lomie told everyone that she felt better than she had in years and a lot of her problem could be the dust she was breathing in. Ayla's treatment was used on a number of older people and it worked well. Ayla was walking back to Lion camps tent when a young man came running into camp shouting that a hunter had been gored by a bison and was bleeding badly. She told the young man to take her to him, that she was a healer. When they arrived the young man was bleeding badly, she looked at the wound and told the other hunters to get a fire going to heat some water. After cleaning it she saw only one bleeder that was causing the problem. She noticed a young woman and motioned her over. She told her, I am going to try and sew the blood tube closed to stop the bleeding. If I can't he will die. Ayla exposed both sides of the tube and taking out her thread puller and some sinew then placed both in the hot water. She showed the young woman were to hold each side of the tubes and not to release the pressure until she told her to. After she had put four stitches in the tube she had the young woman let go. There was still one small area bleeding and after another stitch it stopped. She washed the wound out with a marigold solution and had the young woman hold both sides together while she stitched up the gash in the skin and told the hunters to make a stretcher to take him back to camp. This was something else that the Mamutii had not seen before and she was called back to tell how she had done it. She showed the thread puller to them and told them that Wymez had made them for Lion camp. And most of the women of the Mamutoi now had at least one in their sewing kit. The summer meeting progressed and it was getting close to time for Ayla, Torvon, Latie, Byron and their children to leave for the valley. On the day she left she made sure to check on Lomie and told her acolyte what to do if there were any problems. As she was about to walk out she turned and asked Lomie, When Wolf camp goes home why don't you come by Lion camp and spend some time with Torvon, the children and I. Lomie said, I would love to. I will talk to Valez and see if we can. The two women hugged and Ayla walked out to Whinny. Valez was talking to Torvon when she arrived and she asked, When you head home would you please bring Lomie by so I can check her out. You know how she is and I would feel better. Valez replied, That is what Torvon and I were just discussing before you came out. And yes I do know how hard headed that woman can be. And I am not ready for her to walk the spirit world either. Ayla took Whinny's halter and the two families headed north toward the valley. Latie and Ayla set up camp while Wolf kept an eye on the children. Torvon and Byron went hunting for an evening meal and brought back a young bison that would feed them for a number of days. It took two weeks traveling to make it to the valley and when they arrived, Frebec and Fralie and their family and Tronec, Tronie and their family had decided that they would head back to Lion camp instead of going to the summer meeting. The trip south would not be worth the effort to just have to turn around a few weeks later and come back. Ayla, Thyron and Reanna visited the clan the next morning. The two children were treating Brun as if he were their grandfather. And he enjoyed being with them and the other children as well. Later that night Ayla had a dream, Ursus was walking toward her and Creb stepped out from behind him. He signed, Daughter, you have given a son to the clan. Now it is time for the clan to find other sons and daughters like him and bring them together, they are the only future of the clan. When she awoke the next morning she went to see Goov. She stated, Mog-ur, I know that I am a female and know nothing of the spirit would but I had a spirit dream last night, Ursus and Creb came and told me that I had given a son to the clan and that there were other sons and daughters of the clan just like him that needed to be brought together. Goov looked at her then stated, I dreamed the same dream last night. I saw my teacher Creb talking to you afterward he told me that it was up to the clan to gather these children together. I will speak to Vorn about sending runners out to the caves to make contact. Will the daughter of Creb assist in this? Yes Mog-ur I will get the word out to our people about these children. The next day she heard that Brac and Grev had been sent out as runners to the other clans. Over the next few weeks she thought of how to handle the problem. There weren't that many mixed children in the camps of the Mamutoi, but there were places along the Great Mother River that had been rumored to have them. These peoples would need to be contacted so that the children could somehow be brought together. She would talk to Mamut when he returned in a few weeks. She spent the weeks working with the horses that were now getting big enough to start working and riding. They had twelve horses that could be ridden and would have another ten by next year. As it stood now they had enough horses to give each hunter in Lion and Aurochs camps a horse. In the weeks before winter set in these hunters needed to learn to hunt from the backs of the horses. They would need to talk to Talut and Tronec as soon as they returned. The day the camps arrived she went to see Mamut. She asked how Lomie was doing and he said that she was better than she had been in a long time. When she told him about the dream he said that he had been given the same dream and had advised the Mamutii that they needed to do something for the Mother. They had ordered that runners be sent out to the camps close to their area and the message passed on to the other peoples along the Mother River. Tholie was taking the message back to her people and they could pass it on to those up river. Now the only thing left to do was wait. Mamut also said the Lomie would be at Lion camp within the week. Next she went to see Talut and Troneg about the horses and setting up training sessions for ridding. Talut just looked at her smiled and said, I would sooner walk if you don't mind. These animals are so small I think I would break them if I got on one. She just laughed at the big man and gave him a hug. The leaders said she could start training the hunters in the spring and some of the other camps might want to send someone down for the training. A few days later they left headed for Lion camp, she wanted to be there when Lomie arrived and check he out before they headed back north. Three days after they made it back Wolf camp arrived. While Ayla and Lomie visited Valez and Talut talked about the hunters coming down from Wolf camp in the spring to learn to ride and care for horses. Lomie asked Ayla if she would train her acolyte over the winter to show him how she sewed up the wounds and blood tubes. Ayla said that she would train him and she could use animal parts as they were close to what they would be working with in humans with a few minor differences. The young man's name was Norm and he agreed to stay the winter and work with her. A few days later Wolf camp left headed home. Ayla took Norm out and asked him questions about the plants she pointed out and what they were used for. She also showed him a couple that he didn't know and what she used them for. She also showed him a plant that she claimed could keep a woman from being blessed. He asked, Have you ever used it on someone? She replied, Yes, there is a woman with the clan that Iza gave it to everyday as a tea because she was unable to hold a baby. She was still taking it when I left and had not gotten pregnant again. But it should only be used as a last resort. The Mother I think will allow it for a time but then she will allow the woman to get pregnant again Most of the winter was uneventful but toward the last moon Fralie's son Tasher had stumbled and fallen into the fire. He had a severe burn on his forearm. When they arrived Ayla grabbed a bowl and had Norm bring in some snow from outside. When he came back she had the boy put his arm on a table and she started piling the snow on and around the burn. She then went back to the mammoth hearth and brought back a plant. Then when the snow had mostly melted she lightly patted the area dry and squeezed the juice from the stem and then wrapped the wound and told Fralie to watch it closely and she would check on him later. Toward the end of winter one of the fillies had cut her back leg near the hip and Ayla had given her a strong tea and she was sleeping. Looking at Norm she said, You will sew up this wound. She told him how to scrape the hair from around the wound with a sharp blade made by Wymez and then after cleaning the wound she had him stitch to wound closed. When the fillie awoke they gave her plenty of water to drink and some hay and grain. Norm checked on the filie each day and brushed and rubbed her down. It got to the point that she would come running when she saw the man come out of the lodge. Ayla smiled and said, I think you have made a friend. If you take care of her maybe in the spring of next year she will let you ride on her back. Looking at her he smiled back and said. I would like her even if she didn't let me ride on her. When winter broke they held a hunt and brought in eight red deer. At the Mother festival Norm asked her if she would share pleasures with him and she said yes. She enjoyed the young man and they spent the night together. The next morning she and Mamut were sitting at the mammoth hearth talking when he came out of the platform and blushed. Ayla handed him a cup. Norm sat and told her that he had learned a lot from her over the course of the winter and would take that knowledge back and pass it on the those who needed it to help others. Three days later Norm was getting ready to leave when Ayla came out asking if he had forgotten something. He replied, I don't think so. She walked over to the surround and opened the gate and the filly ran out to him. She said, I think she wants to go home with you. He hugged and patted the filly and thank her for the animal then started off with the filly following and kicking up her heels. Torvon came and put his arm around her and said, I think you made him a very happy young man and I don't mean for just the horse. Grinning he backed away as she tried to slap his arm. Later she asked him, Are you upset that I spent the entire night with him? He replied, Not unless it changed the way you feel for me. Looking into his eyes she replied, Nothing has changed the way I feel for you but he was so young and eager that I was enjoying it very much. Besides we didn't do it that many times. They both laughed and started walking back toward the earth lodge.