people around who would know how to help.
I will keep drinking Iza’s tea every morning, and I won’t say anything. She was right. I shouldn’t talk too much about babies starting from a man’s organ, either. It made Jondalar so worried when I mentioned it, he thought we’d have to stop having Pleasures. If I can’t have a baby yet, at least, I want to have Pleasures with him.
Like those mammoths were having. Is that what that big mammoth was doing? Making a baby start in that dark red one. That was so wonderful, sharing their Pleasures with the herd. I’m so glad we stayed. I kept wondering why she was running away from all those others, but she wasn’t interested in them. She wanted to choose her own mate, not go with anyone who wanted her. She was waiting for that big light brown bull, and as soon as he came, she knew he was the one. She couldn’t wait, she ran right to him. She had waited long enough. I know how she feels.
Wolf loped into the clearing, proudly holding up an old rotting bone for her to see. He dropped it at her feet and looked up expectantly. “Whew! That smells rotten! Where did you get that, Wolf? You must have found where someone’s leavings were buried. I know you love rotten. Maybe this is a good time to see how you like hot and strong,” she said. She picked up the bone and spread some of the mixture she had been making on Wolf’s prize. Then she threw it into the middle of the clearing.
The young animal eagerly dashed after it, but he sniffed it warily before he picked it up. It still had the wonderful rotten odor he adored, but he wasn’t sure about that other strange smell. Finally he snatched it with his mouth. But very quickly he dropped it and began snorting and snuffling and shaking his head. Ayla couldn’t help it. His antics were so funny that she laughed out loud. Wolf sniffed the bone again, then backed off and snorted, looking very displeased, and ran toward the spring.
“You don’t like that, do you, Wolf? Good! You’re not supposed to like it,” she said, feeling the laughter bubbling up inside her as she watched. Lapping water didn’t seem to help much. He lifted a paw and rubbed it down the side of his face, trying to wipe his muzzle, as thoughhe thought that would get rid of the taste. He was still snorting and huffing and shaking his head as he ran into the woods.
Jondalar crossed his path, and when he reached the glade he found Ayla laughing so hard there were tears in her eyes. “What is so funny?” he asked.
“You should have seen him,” she said, still chortling. “Poor Wolf, he was so proud of that rotten old bone he found. He didn’t know what happened to it, and he tried everything to get the taste out of his mouth. If you think you can stand the smell of horseradish and camphor, Jondalar, I think I’ve found a way to keep Wolf away from our things.” She held out the wooden bowl she had been using to mix the ingredients. “Here it is.’ Wolf repellent!’ ”
“I’m glad it works,” Jondalar said. He was smiling, too, but the glee that filled his eyes wasn’t caused by Wolf. Ayla finally noticed that his hands were behind his back.
“What have you got behind your back?” she asked, suddenly curious.
“Well, it just happens that when I was out looking for wood I found something else. And if you promise to be good, I just might give you some.”
“Somewhat?”
He brought the filled basket in front of him. “Big, juicy, red raspberries!”
Ayla’s eyes lit up. “Oh, I love raspberries.”
“Don’t you think I know it? What do I get for them?” he asked with a twinkle in his eye.
Ayla looked up at him and, walking toward him, smiled, a big beautiful wide smile that filled her eyes and beamed her love for him, and the warmth she had been feeling, and her delight because he wanted to give her a surprise.
“I think I just got it,” he said, letting out the breath he realized he’d been holding. “Oh, Mother, you are
I will keep drinking Iza’s tea every morning, and I won’t say anything. She was right. I shouldn’t talk too much about babies starting from a man’s organ, either. It made Jondalar so worried when I mentioned it, he thought we’d have to stop having Pleasures. If I can’t have a baby yet, at least, I want to have Pleasures with him.
Like those mammoths were having. Is that what that big mammoth was doing? Making a baby start in that dark red one. That was so wonderful, sharing their Pleasures with the herd. I’m so glad we stayed. I kept wondering why she was running away from all those others, but she wasn’t interested in them. She wanted to choose her own mate, not go with anyone who wanted her. She was waiting for that big light brown bull, and as soon as he came, she knew he was the one. She couldn’t wait, she ran right to him. She had waited long enough. I know how she feels.
Wolf loped into the clearing, proudly holding up an old rotting bone for her to see. He dropped it at her feet and looked up expectantly. “Whew! That smells rotten! Where did you get that, Wolf? You must have found where someone’s leavings were buried. I know you love rotten. Maybe this is a good time to see how you like hot and strong,” she said. She picked up the bone and spread some of the mixture she had been making on Wolf’s prize. Then she threw it into the middle of the clearing.
The young animal eagerly dashed after it, but he sniffed it warily before he picked it up. It still had the wonderful rotten odor he adored, but he wasn’t sure about that other strange smell. Finally he snatched it with his mouth. But very quickly he dropped it and began snorting and snuffling and shaking his head. Ayla couldn’t help it. His antics were so funny that she laughed out loud. Wolf sniffed the bone again, then backed off and snorted, looking very displeased, and ran toward the spring.
“You don’t like that, do you, Wolf? Good! You’re not supposed to like it,” she said, feeling the laughter bubbling up inside her as she watched. Lapping water didn’t seem to help much. He lifted a paw and rubbed it down the side of his face, trying to wipe his muzzle, as thoughhe thought that would get rid of the taste. He was still snorting and huffing and shaking his head as he ran into the woods.
Jondalar crossed his path, and when he reached the glade he found Ayla laughing so hard there were tears in her eyes. “What is so funny?” he asked.
“You should have seen him,” she said, still chortling. “Poor Wolf, he was so proud of that rotten old bone he found. He didn’t know what happened to it, and he tried everything to get the taste out of his mouth. If you think you can stand the smell of horseradish and camphor, Jondalar, I think I’ve found a way to keep Wolf away from our things.” She held out the wooden bowl she had been using to mix the ingredients. “Here it is.’ Wolf repellent!’ ”
“I’m glad it works,” Jondalar said. He was smiling, too, but the glee that filled his eyes wasn’t caused by Wolf. Ayla finally noticed that his hands were behind his back.
“What have you got behind your back?” she asked, suddenly curious.
“Well, it just happens that when I was out looking for wood I found something else. And if you promise to be good, I just might give you some.”
“Somewhat?”
He brought the filled basket in front of him. “Big, juicy, red raspberries!”
Ayla’s eyes lit up. “Oh, I love raspberries.”
“Don’t you think I know it? What do I get for them?” he asked with a twinkle in his eye.
Ayla looked up at him and, walking toward him, smiled, a big beautiful wide smile that filled her eyes and beamed her love for him, and the warmth she had been feeling, and her delight because he wanted to give her a surprise.
“I think I just got it,” he said, letting out the breath he realized he’d been holding. “Oh, Mother, you are
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