Ayla stepped out of the Ninth Cave. She was tired from her efforts with the stanger, who seemed to be getting better every day. Looking about her, she recognized signs of ritual, rituals she had been too new to recognize and too involved in her healing to register.

Something important had happenned last night, and (from all signs) was going to happen again that night. People were moving around purposefully, they were preparing food different from that which she had seen earlier. She did not know the reasons for it, but she didn't expect to understand the customs of her new people yet.

She wandered around the area, just feeling the daylight again. For the time, that was prize and celebration enough. Coming to a stream, she waded in. "Past time to clean myself", she decided. The water was very cold, and she couldn't stay in long, but she managed to rub the water all over herself and wash away the worst of the sweat and pests.

As she dried herself by the streamside, it occurred to her that the Shortest Day had recently gone by. She expected that the newly growing sun should be noticed by now. That had always been a day that pleased her - when one could tell that the Sun was growing stronger again. The Clan had had rituals about that.

Returning to camp, she met Jondolar at the men's area. She had been nervous about meeting him there at first, but that was a habit from the Clan time. It was more a knapping area to the Zelandonii, but she still thought of that as "Men's".

"Ayla"! Jondolar smiled, "You look so beautiful". Ayla flushed. She was still not used to the idea that she was nice-looking. Her skin was bright from the cold of the water, and she *was* very clean at the moment, but she hadn't really expected Jondolar to notice that.

Jondolar continued, "Are you ready for the celebration tonight"? Ayla wasn't sure she was, as she had no idea what celebration he meant. Jondolar saw the look on her face. It still amazed him how little he knew of this wonderful woman and the life she had led.

He began: Well, we celebrate the victory of the Sun over the Darkness. It takes a few days to tell when that has occured, but when we can see the Sun growing stonger, we celebrate it's return. The days grow longer now, and the warmth returns eventually.

Ayla considered his words. "Jondolar, when I was with the Clan, they recognized this change also. In my cave in the VOH, I tried to celebrate this as well. I like to celebrate this day".

Jondolar contemplated her words. The Clan also noticed this change? Well, why not; they appreciated warmth and better hunting too. Still, it was an odd thought. The Clan caring for their children and each other was one thing, but that they could understand the Sun Days was something to think about!

Jondolar stood up from his knapping, and led Ayla to the central fires. "Form here", he said, "we will honor the return of the Sun and the warmth it gives. We will give food and share it among ourselves. We will dance and honor the Mother for returning the Sun to us".

Later that night, Ayla was watching the celebrations. Some people rose up and declared their gratefulness to the returning Sun. Some expressed their joy through dance.

Ayla was staring at the major lighting fire. It was down to about 3 feet high at the flames. She hadn't been much into ritual, but an idea struck her. She *did* understand ceremony. She recalled Creb and his demonstrations of the world beyond nature; she recalled her own celebrations of the Sun Days. The dancing was going on all around her, and there had been strange foods, herbs, and beverages to enjoy.

Fire was warmth, fire was food, fire was light in the darkness. Fire was also the consumer, the taker, the destroyer. The fire's warmth helped in childbirth, in illness, it also took the bodies of the dead.

She knew, suddenly what she had to do. In her mind, she took all the fears of the last year and "aimed" them at the fire. Then, with a ululating cry, she ran toward the fire and leapt over it.

The encampment went silent in surprise. Some ran to Ayla to see if she was injured. Others looked to see if others would do the same. Jondolar had been the first by Ayla's side. He saw the wild light in her eyes, and he saw she was unharmed.

Jondolar was not quite the agile leaper that Ayla was. His lower furs were singed, and he had a bit of leg-hair curled up. Still, he had made the leap also! Singed, but proud, Jondolar smiled and made an inviting motion to others to jump the fire.

Some did, some didn't, and some pretended not to notice. But Ayla and Jondolar were given a degree of deference from that day forward, and the ritual of the fire-jumping was part of the Zelandonii celebration of the Sun Day forever afterwards...

Back to the List