This story is finished up through the middle of the Mammoth Hunters (and still ongoing). Please read The Journey of the Watcher Part II after this one.
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"Oh donii, there's so much blood!" He said running toward his brother, "it's all my fault, I knew you'd follow me, but I never thought that the mother would call you too."
Fear for his own life had left him, as he rushed to the man being mauled by the cave lion. If he had been in a normal state of mind, he would have wondered why the lion had let him get so close to his "kill." The young man put his hands over the gash in his brother's leg, trying to stop the rich flow of blood.
"If Zelondoni were here, she'd know what to do," he moaned. "Why didn't I pay better attention to the healing art? I've got to find help." He said frantically looking around. " It may be too late already. I've got to find but I can't leave him." He looked up to the clear sky above and said in frustration, "what did you do to find help when I was gored by the rhino?"
He heard hurried footsteps, and looked up in relief. A young blonde woman was coming toward them. He saw her motion and grunt something to the lion. He stared in stunned shock as the l cave lion stopped the attack. His mouth stood agape as he watcher her fearlessly push the giant cave lion away.
The woman studied another figure lying on the ground. His neck was bent at an unnatural angle. With a start, he wondered who it was, he thought that he and his brother were the only two there. The man looked somehow familiar, but he stopped his speculation, it his brother was who mattered.
"Thank donii you're here! I don't know what to do, he's hurt and I was afraid to leave him to find help. You have to help him. This man must live." The last came out as command. Not a flicker of answer or acknowledgement crossed her features. She simply started her healing magic. It was as if he wasn't there.
He calmed somewhat knowing instinctively that this healer would be able to save his brother. He thought back to the events leading up to the attack. What a stupid thing to do, going into the lioness' cave after she took the doe that he had killed. He watched the lioness leave the blind canyon before entering, ignoring his brother's pleas.
He hadn't counted on the mate. The giant cave lion was on him before he could even turn to run. He shuddered at the memory. The lion had leapt and sunk its teeth into his neck while tearing his flesh with his claws. The last he heard was a sickening snap, then blackness.
Wait! His hands flew to his neck, feeling for any signs of injury. There was no blood, no scratches, and not even a hint of soreness. He looked down at his
body, and could not detect a single spot of blood staining his tunic. Dizziness engulfed him. How could he have survived the mauling without a scratch, unless-
His head snapped around to look at the other body. No, he couldn't look; he didn't want to know. Though his mind resisted, his found himself staring down at the lifeless body. The tunic was made in the Mamutoi fashion, much like the one that had been given to him when they had been found naked in quicksand. The brown colored hair now covered in blood also looked uncannily familiar. A coldness covered him heart as he sank to the ground. That body was his.
Comprehension slowly seeped through his shocked mind. "It's what I wanted," he thought to himself, "I followed the Mother River to the end, but it meant nothing. The only thing that meant anything to me was taken away, and I begged the Mother to take me too." The implications of his death were great to the young man. He had been too selfish in his own grief to realize that his brother would also suffer.
The cave lion came over to nose the body, but the woman again interceded, and pushed him away. He couldn't stop looking. She was an uncommonly beautiful woman, strong and confident. If he weren't in spirit form himself, he would've wondered if she was Donii incarnate.
"Brother, this is why you followed me. This is where I led you, where you would not have gone yourself." Shivers shook him as he remembered Shamud's prophecy. He wondered if Shamud had seen his fate also.
The yellow haired woman had done as much as she could, and loaded the wounded man on the travois. It was attached in such a way to a horse, that he would be transported as painlessly as possible back to her cave. He observed the ingenious contraption and held a greater respect for her.
Ayla began to drag the lifeless body nearer to a wall, amazing Thonolon with her feat of strength. She loosened a pile of rocks from the slope and as they fell, it covered his body making an effective covering from scavengers.
He watched in fascination as she moved with fluid grace, to send him on his way to the spirit world. He somehow understood what she was communicating. A knowledge of knowing came upon him. What was hidden to his human mind was opened up when his spirit left his body. He reached into her memories. The Clan burial brought out spirits that she was not even aware of.
With all of her grace and beauty communicating to the spirit world, it did him no good. The spirits wove around him and the woman. One in particular hovered conspicuously close; the giant cave lion.
He pierced Thonolan with a steely gaze and stated, "this man is not numbered among us. May Donii lead you quickly on your way."
With this blessing, Thonolon felt a release in his spirit, yet it was not a full release.
He couldn't enter their hearths, and relief swept through him. He didn't want to be in the Clan hearths, he wanted his own people, his own family. As the spirits continued their vigil, he felt no fear. Instinctively he knew he needed Zelondoni to help him. But who would tell Zelondoni of his death? How would she know where to send the spirits?
The Clan spirits were leaving, disappearing into the atmosphere. The cave lion hovered over Jondalar and breathed on him. It turned back to Thonolan and whispered, "she comes."
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"Oh donii, there's so much blood!" He said running toward his brother, "it's all my fault, I knew you'd follow me, but I never thought that the mother would call you too."
Fear for his own life had left him, as he rushed to the man being mauled by the cave lion. If he had been in a normal state of mind, he would have wondered why the lion had let him get so close to his "kill." The young man put his hands over the gash in his brother's leg, trying to stop the rich flow of blood.
"If Zelondoni were here, she'd know what to do," he moaned. "Why didn't I pay better attention to the healing art? I've got to find help." He said frantically looking around. " It may be too late already. I've got to find but I can't leave him." He looked up to the clear sky above and said in frustration, "what did you do to find help when I was gored by the rhino?"
He heard hurried footsteps, and looked up in relief. A young blonde woman was coming toward them. He saw her motion and grunt something to the lion. He stared in stunned shock as the l cave lion stopped the attack. His mouth stood agape as he watcher her fearlessly push the giant cave lion away.
The woman studied another figure lying on the ground. His neck was bent at an unnatural angle. With a start, he wondered who it was, he thought that he and his brother were the only two there. The man looked somehow familiar, but he stopped his speculation, it his brother was who mattered.
"Thank donii you're here! I don't know what to do, he's hurt and I was afraid to leave him to find help. You have to help him. This man must live." The last came out as command. Not a flicker of answer or acknowledgement crossed her features. She simply started her healing magic. It was as if he wasn't there.
He calmed somewhat knowing instinctively that this healer would be able to save his brother. He thought back to the events leading up to the attack. What a stupid thing to do, going into the lioness' cave after she took the doe that he had killed. He watched the lioness leave the blind canyon before entering, ignoring his brother's pleas.
He hadn't counted on the mate. The giant cave lion was on him before he could even turn to run. He shuddered at the memory. The lion had leapt and sunk its teeth into his neck while tearing his flesh with his claws. The last he heard was a sickening snap, then blackness.
Wait! His hands flew to his neck, feeling for any signs of injury. There was no blood, no scratches, and not even a hint of soreness. He looked down at his
body, and could not detect a single spot of blood staining his tunic. Dizziness engulfed him. How could he have survived the mauling without a scratch, unless-
His head snapped around to look at the other body. No, he couldn't look; he didn't want to know. Though his mind resisted, his found himself staring down at the lifeless body. The tunic was made in the Mamutoi fashion, much like the one that had been given to him when they had been found naked in quicksand. The brown colored hair now covered in blood also looked uncannily familiar. A coldness covered him heart as he sank to the ground. That body was his.
Comprehension slowly seeped through his shocked mind. "It's what I wanted," he thought to himself, "I followed the Mother River to the end, but it meant nothing. The only thing that meant anything to me was taken away, and I begged the Mother to take me too." The implications of his death were great to the young man. He had been too selfish in his own grief to realize that his brother would also suffer.
The cave lion came over to nose the body, but the woman again interceded, and pushed him away. He couldn't stop looking. She was an uncommonly beautiful woman, strong and confident. If he weren't in spirit form himself, he would've wondered if she was Donii incarnate.
"Brother, this is why you followed me. This is where I led you, where you would not have gone yourself." Shivers shook him as he remembered Shamud's prophecy. He wondered if Shamud had seen his fate also.
The yellow haired woman had done as much as she could, and loaded the wounded man on the travois. It was attached in such a way to a horse, that he would be transported as painlessly as possible back to her cave. He observed the ingenious contraption and held a greater respect for her.
Ayla began to drag the lifeless body nearer to a wall, amazing Thonolon with her feat of strength. She loosened a pile of rocks from the slope and as they fell, it covered his body making an effective covering from scavengers.
He watched in fascination as she moved with fluid grace, to send him on his way to the spirit world. He somehow understood what she was communicating. A knowledge of knowing came upon him. What was hidden to his human mind was opened up when his spirit left his body. He reached into her memories. The Clan burial brought out spirits that she was not even aware of.
With all of her grace and beauty communicating to the spirit world, it did him no good. The spirits wove around him and the woman. One in particular hovered conspicuously close; the giant cave lion.
He pierced Thonolan with a steely gaze and stated, "this man is not numbered among us. May Donii lead you quickly on your way."
With this blessing, Thonolon felt a release in his spirit, yet it was not a full release.
He couldn't enter their hearths, and relief swept through him. He didn't want to be in the Clan hearths, he wanted his own people, his own family. As the spirits continued their vigil, he felt no fear. Instinctively he knew he needed Zelondoni to help him. But who would tell Zelondoni of his death? How would she know where to send the spirits?
The Clan spirits were leaving, disappearing into the atmosphere. The cave lion hovered over Jondalar and breathed on him. It turned back to Thonolan and whispered, "she comes."