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Droog lifted the girl fro her close to hia walked by his side, patting and caressing the daughter she thought she had lost
People stared, pointedly stared, at Ayla as she walked by No one had ever been saved before, once they had been swept away It was a ain would a estures when she indulged in her particular idiosyncrasy It’s her luck, they said She alas lucky Didn’t she find the cave?
The fish were still flopping spased to find their way back into the stream after the clan realized what happened and raced to irl, but led under the net The clan went back to the task of hauling them in, then the an to clean them
“A fea sturgeon They all raced toward the big fish
“Look at it all!” Vorn s Fresh caviar was a treat they all relished Usually, everyone grabbed handfuls froed themselves Later catches would be salted and preserved for future use, but it was never quite as good as it was fresh from the sea Ebra stopped the boy and motioned to Ayla
“Ayla, you take first,” Ebra gestured
She looked around, embarrassed to be the center of attention
“Yes, Ayla take first,” others joined in
The girl looked at Brun He nodded She walked forward shyly and reached for a handful of shiny black caviar, then stood up and took a taste Ebra signaled and everyone dived in and grabbed a share, crowding around the fish happily They had been spared a tragedy, and in their relief, it felt like a holiday
Ayla walked slowly back to their shelter She knew she had been honored Taking slow of their acceptance It was a feeling she would never forget
After the fish had been landed and clubbed, theand preserving to the women Besides the sharp flint knives used to open the fish and filet the large ones, they had a special tool for scraping off scales It was a knife that was not only blunted along the back so it could be held easily in the hand, but a notch had been knocked off the pointed tip where the index finger was placed to control pressure so the scales could be scraped aithout tearing the skin of the fish
The clan’s net brought in e trout, even some crustaceans were part of the haul Birds drawn by the fish gathered to gorge on the entrails, stealing a few filets when they could get close enough After the fish were set out to dry in the air or over s out over them It allowed the net to dry and shohere repairs were needed, and it kept the birds fro the clan’s hard-won catch
Before they were through fishing, they would all be tired of the taste, and sht it was a welcoether The fish saved for the celebration, mostly cod whose delicate white flesh was a particular favorite when fresh, rapped in a bed of fresh grass and large green leaves and set over hot coals Although nothing was said explicitly, Ayla knew this feast was in her honor She was the recipient of ed on her by the woa
The sun had disappeared in the west and led off to their own shelters Iza and Aba were talking on one side of the large bonfire, died down to e Ona and Uba play Aga’s year-old son, Groob, was sleeping peacefully in her arms, contentedly full of warm milk
“Ayla,” the wo I have not always been nice to you”
“Aga, you have always been courteous,” Ayla interrupted
“That is not the sarown fond of h she was born to the hearth ofsays you will always carry a part of Ona’s spirit with you I don’t really understand the ways of the spirits, but Droog says whenever a hunter saves the life of another hunter, he keeps a piece of the spirit of the s, like brothers I’lad she is still here to share it with you If I ah to have another child, and if it is a girl, Droog has promised to name her Ayla”
Ayla was stunned She didn’t kno to respond “Aga, that is too great an honor Ayla is not a Clan name”
“It is now,” Aga said
The woman rose, motioned to Ona, and started toward her shelter She turned back for anow,” she said
It was the closest gesture people of the Clan had for “good-bye” Most often that was omitted; they simply left The Clan had no terratitude, but that carried a different connotation, generally a sense of obligation, usually from a person of lesser status They helped each other because it was their way of life, their duty, necessary for survival, and no thanks were expected or received Special gifts or favors carried the onus of obligation to return the of like value; this was understood and no thanks were necessary As long as Ona lived, unless an occasion arose where she, or, until she cae, her mother, could return the favor in kind and secure a piece of Ayla’s spirit, she would be in Ayla’s debt Aga’s offer was not the return of an obligation, it wasthank you
Aba got up to leave shortly after her daughter had gone “Iza always said you were lucky,” the old woirl “I believe it now”
Ayla walked over and sat beside Iza after Aba left “Iza, Aga told me I will always carry a piece of Ona’s spirit with ht her back, you were the one who ain You saved her life as much as I did Don’t you carry a part of her spirit, too?” the girl asked “You must carry pieces of many spirits, you have saved many lives”
“Why do you suppose a medicine woman has status of her own, Ayla? It’s because she carries part of the spirits of all her clan, both h her own clan She helps bring theh their lives When a woiven that piece of the spirit from everyone, even those whose life she hasn’t saved, because she never knohen she will
“When a person dies and goes to the world of the spirits,” Iza continued, “the medicine woman loses a part of her spirit Some believe it makes a medicine woman try harder, but most of them would try just as hard anyway Not every wohter of one Thereinside that makes her want to help people You have it, Ayla, that’s why I’ve been training you I saw it from the first when you wanted to help the rabbit after Uba was born And you didn’t stop to think of the danger to yourself when you went after Ona, you just wanted to save her life The hest status When you become a medicine woman, Ayla, you will be of my line”
“But I’hter, Iza You’re the only mother I remember, but I wasn’t born to you How can I be of your line? I don’t have your memories I don’t really understand what memories are”