"Well, if you want to watch the baby instead…"
The girl frowned; then she smiled. "Can we take him outside? It's not blowing, and I'll dress him warm."
"I guess you can," Solandia said.
Ayla looked down at the wolf who was looking up at her expectantly. "Watch the baby, Wolf," she said. He yipped, seemingly in response.
"I've got some good mammoth fat that I rendered out last fall," Solandia said as they walked to the area of her enclosed dwelling space. "We had good luck hunting mammoth last year. That's why we still have so much fat, and a good thing, too. It would have been a hard winter without it. I've started the fat melting." They reached the entranceway just as the children were running out, carrying the youngest. "Don't lose Micheri's mitts," Solandia called out after them.
Verdegia and Madenia were already inside. "I brought some ashes," Verdegia said. Madenia just smiled, a bit hesitantly.
Solandia was pleased to see her willing to get up out of bed and be around people again. Whatever they did at the hot spring, it seemed to have helped. "I put some cooking stones in the fire for tea. Madenia, would you make some for us?" she asked. "Then I'll use the rest to reheat the water melting the fat."
"Where do you want these ashes?" Verdegia asked.
"You can mix them with mine. I started them leaching, but not long ago."
"Losaduna said you use fat and ashes," Ayla commented.
"And water," Solandia added.
"That seems to be a strange combination."
"Yes, it is."
"What made you decide to mix those things together? I mean, how did you come to make it? The first time?"
Solandia smiled. "It was really an accident. We had been hunting. I had a fire going outside in a fireplace with a deep pit, and some fat mammoth meat roasting over it. It started to rain, hard. I grabbed the meat, spit and all, and ran for cover. As soon as it let up, we headed back here to the cave, but I forgot a good wooden cooking bowl, and went back for it the next day. The fireplace was full of water, with something that looked like thick foamy scum floating on it. I would never have bothered with it, except I dropped a ladle in it and had to reach in and fish it out. I went to the stream to rinse it off. It felt smooth and slippery, like good soaproot, but more, and my hands got so clean! The ladle, too. All the grease washed off. I went back and put the foam in the bowl, and brought it back."
"Is it that easy to make?" Ayla asked.
"No. It really isn't. Not that it's hard to make, but it does take some practice," Solandia said. "The first time I was lucky. Everything must have been just right. I've been working with it ever since, but it still fails sometimes."
"How do you make it? You must have developed some ways that work most of the time."
"It's not hard to explain. I melt clean rendered fat – any kind will work, but each one makes it a little different. I like mammoth fat best. Then I take wood ashes, mix them with warm water and let them soak for a little while. Then strain it through a mesh, or a basket with holes in the bottom. The mixture that leaches out is strong. It can sting or burn your skin, I found out. You need to rinse it off right away. Anyway, you stir the strong mixture into the fat. If you are lucky, you get a soft foam, that will clean anything, even leather."
"But you're not always lucky," Verdegia said.
"No. Lots of things can go wrong. Sometimes you can stir and stir and stir, and it won't mix. If that happens, heating it a little will sometimes help. Sometimes it separates and you get a layer that's too strong and a layer that's too greasy. Sometimes it curdles into lumps that are not quite mixed. Sometimes it comes out harder than others, but that's not bad. It tends to harden as it ages, anyway."
"But sometimes it does work, like the first time," Ayla said.
"One thing I've learned is that both the fat and the liquid from the ashes have to be about the same warmth as the skin of your wrist," Solandia said. "When you sprinkle a little on, it shouldn't feel either cool or warm. The ash liquid is harder to tell because it's strong and can burn a little, then you have to wash it off right away with cool water. If it burns too much, you know you need to add more water. It doesn't burn too bad, usually, but I wouldn't want to get it in my eyes. It can sting if you just get too close to the fumes."
"And it can stink!" Madenia said.
"That's true," Solandia said. "It can stink. That's why I usually go out into the middle of the cave to mix it, even though I get everything ready to mix here."
"Mother! Mother! Come quick!" Solandia's second daughter Neladia came dashing in, then ran out.
"What's wrong? Did something happen to the baby?" the woman said, rushing out after her. Everyone else followed behind and ran to the mouth of the cave.
"Look!" Dosalia said. They all looked outside. "The baby is walking!"
There was Micheri, standing up beside the wolf, hanging on to his fur, with a big self-satisfied smile, taking unsteady steps as Wolf carefully and slowly moved forward. Everyone smiled with relief and then delight.
"Is that wolf smiling?" Solandia asked. "It looks to me as though he is. He seems to be so pleased with himself that he's smiling."
"I think he is, too," Ayla said. "I have often thought he could smile."
"It's not only for ceremony, Ayla," Losaduna was saying. "We often use the hot waters just to soak. If you want to take Jondalar in just to relax, we have no objections. The Sacred Waters of the Mother are like Her other Gifts to Her children. They are meant to be used and enjoyed, and appreciated. Just as this tea you made should be appreciated," he added, holding up the cup.
Nearly the whole Cave, those that had not gone hunting, were sitting around a fireplace in the open central area of the cave. Most meals were very unstructured, except for special occasions. The people sometimes ate separately, in family groups, and sometimes with others. This time, those who had stayed at the cave had stopped for a midday meal and eaten together, largely because they were all interested in the visitors. The meal consisted of a hearty meat soup of lean, dried deer, made rich with the addition of some mammoth fat, which made it filling and satisfying enough. They were finishing off with tea that Ayla had made, and all had remarked on how good it was.
"When they come back, maybe we will use the pool. I think he'd enjoy a hot soak, and I'd like to share it with him," Ayla said.
"You'd better warn her, Losaduna," a woman said, with a knowing smile. She had been introduced as Laduni's mate.
"Warn me of what, Laronia?" Ayla said.
"Sometimes you have to choose between the Mother's Gifts."
"What do you mean?"
"She means the Sacred Waters can be too relaxing," Solandia said.
"I still don't understand," Ayla said, frowning. She knew everyone was talking about the subject, and there was an element of humor involved.
"If you take Jondalar for a hot soak, it will relax the strength right out of his manhood," Verdegia said, more direct than the others, "and it may take a couple of hours before it can stand up again. So don't expect too much of him, after a soak. Not right away. Some men won't soak in the Mother's Sacred Waters for that reason. They are afraid their manhood will drain out in the Sacred Waters and never come back."
"Can that happen?" Ayla asked, looking at Losaduna.
"Not that I've ever seen, or heard about," the man said. "If anything, the opposite seems to be true. A man is more eager, after a while, but I think that's because he's relaxed and feels good."