"How about over there, near the wall," Barzec suggested. "It's not too level, but we can even it out."
"It looks fine to me. Are there any objections?" Talut said, looking pointedly at Ayla. She and Jondalar just led the animals that way, wanting to get them settled. The Lion Camp began clearing out rocks and brush and leveling a place to set up their large, double-skinned, communal tent.
Living in a tent was made much more comfortable by using two layers of hides. The insulating layer of air between helped to keep the warmth in, and moisture condensing in the cool of the evening ran down the inner side of the outer hides to the ground. The inner hides, which were tucked under the interior ground cloths, kept drafts out as well. Though not nearly as permanent as the earthlodge at Lion Camp, it was a more substantial structure than the single-wall overnight shelter that was only a part of the full summer tent, which they used when traveling. They referred to their summer home as Cattail Camp to differentiate the summer location, wherever it happened to be, from the winter site, when they spoke of it, though they still thought of themselves as belonging to a group called Lion Camp.
The tent was divided into four interdependent conical sections, each with a separate fireplace, supported by sturdy, flexible young trees, although mammoth rib bones, or other long bones, could have and had been used. The central section, which was largest, would house the Lion Hearth, the Fox Hearth, and the Mammoth Hearth. While the tent lodge was not as roomy as the earthlodge, it would be used primarily for sleeping, and it was seldom that everyone would be in the tent sleeping at the same time. Other activities, private, social, and public, would take place outdoors, so setting up also meant defining territory beyond the walls of the tent. The placement of Cattail Hearth, the main exterior cooking hearth, was a matter of some importance.
While they worked to set up their tent and stake out their territory, the rest of the people at the Meeting began to recover from their initial stunned silence, and began to talk excitedly among themselves. Ayla finally discovered the source of the peculiar muted roar. She recalled, when she first arrived at Lion Camp, how noisy she thought it was when everybody spoke at once. This was that noise many times over; it was the combined voices of the entire throng.
No wonder Whinney and Racer were so skittish, Ayla thought. The constant hum of humanity made her skittish, too. She wasn't used to it. The Clan Gathering had not been as big, but even if it had, it would never have been as noisy. They used few words to communicate; a gathering of the people of the Clan was quiet. But with people who used verbal speech, except for rare occasions, it was always noisy within an encampment. Like the wind on the steppes, the voices never ceased, they only varied in intensity.
Many people hurried to greet the Lion Camp, offering to help set up and arrange their place, and were greeted warmly, but Talut and Tulie passed several meaningful glances between themselves. They didn't remember having so many friends who were so willing to help before. With the help of Latie, Jondalar, and Ranec, and for a while, Talut, Ayla set up a place for the horses. The two young men worked together easily, but spoke little. She turned down offers of help from the curious, explaining that the horses were shy and strangers would make them nervous. But that only made it obvious that she was the one in control of the animals, and engendered more curiosity. Word of her spread quickly.
At the farthest edge of the encampment, slightly around a curve of the wall of the ravine that opened onto the river valley, they constructed an awninglike lean-to, utilizing the hide tent she and Jondalar had used when they traveled together, supported by small trees and sturdy branches. It was somewhat hidden from the sight of the people camped in the hollow, but the view of the river and the beautiful wooded meadows across was expansive.
They were moving in and setting up places to sleep in the somewhat more crowded quarters when a delegation from Wolf Camp, along with several others, came to welcome them officially. They were in the host Camp's territory, and though it was expected, it was more than courtesy to extend to all visitors the use of the Wolf Camp's hereditary fishing weirs, berry, nut, seed, and root beds, and hunting grounds. Even though the Summer Meeting would not last the entire season, hosting such a large group would take its toll, and it was necessary to find out if some particular area should be avoided so as not to overtax the resources in the region.
Talut had been quite surprised when told of the change in the location of the Summer Meeting. The Mamutoi didn't, as a rule, meet at a home Camp. Usually they chose some location that was out on the steppes or in some large river valley that could accommodate such concentrations of people more easily.
"In the name of the Great Mother of all, the Lion Camp is welcome," a thin, gray-haired woman said.
Tulie was shocked to see her. She had been a woman of uncommon grace and robust health, who had shouldered the responsibility of her co-leadership with ease, but she seemed to have aged ten years in the last season. "Marlie, we appreciate your hospitality. In the name of Mut, we thank you."
"I see you have done it again," a man said, grasping both of Talut's hands in greeting.
Valez was younger than his sister, but for the first time, Tulie noticed that he also showed signs of age. It made her suddenly aware of her own mortality. She had always thought Marlie and Valez were close to her in age.
"But I think this is your biggest surprise," Valez continued. "When Toran came running in, shouting something about horses walking across the river with you, everyone had to go and look. And then someone spied the wolf…"
"We won't ask you to tell us about them now," Marlie said, "though I must admit I am curious. You'll just have to repeat it again too many times. We might as well wait until this evening so you can tell everyone at once."
"Marlie is right, of course," Valez said, though he had been ready to hear the story right then. He also noticed that his sister seemed especially tired. He feared this would be her last Summer Meeting. That was why he had agreed to host it when the place that had originally been selected was washed out by a change in the course of the river. They would be handing over their co-leadership this season.
"Please make use of whatever you need. Are you settled in comfortably? I'm sorry you have to be so far away, but you are late. I wasn't even sure that you were coming," Marlie said.
"We took a roundabout way," Talut agreed. "But this is the best place. It's better for the animals. They aren't used to so many people."
"I'd like to know how they got used to one!" a voice called out. Tulie's eyes lit up as a tall young man approached, but Deegie got to him first.
"Tarneg! Tarneg!" she cried out as she rushed to embrace him. The rest of the Aurochs Hearth was not far behind her. He hugged his mother, and then Barzec, and all had tears in their eyes. Then Druwez, Brinan, and Tusie clamored for his attention. He put his arms around the shoulders of both boys, hugged them and told them how much they had grown, and then picked up Tusie. After a mutual hug and a tickle which produced delighted giggles, Tarneg put her down.
"Tarneg!" Talut boomed.
"Talut, you old bear!" Tarneg returned in a voice as powerful as the two men hugged. There was a strong family resemblance – he was nearly as much a bear as his uncle – but Tarneg had his mother's darker coloring. He bent down to rub Nezzie's cheek with his, then with a mischievous grin, he put his arms around the rotund woman and picked her up.
"Tarneg! What are you doing? Put me down," she scolded.
He set her lightly down on her feet, then winked at her. "Now I know I'm as good a man as you, Talut," Tarneg said, and laughed out loud. "Do you know how long I've wanted to do that? Just to prove I could?"