Valez looked down across the water, and then at Talut. Ayla could see he was thinking. "I don't like to say this, Ayla, but it could be dangerous to leave them there alone."
"Why?" she asked, with an edge of panic to her voice.
"Hunters. They look like any other horses, particularly the mare. The dark color of the young one is unusual enough. We should be able to pass the word not to kill any brown horses, especially if they seem very friendly. But the other one… every other horse on the steppes is that color, and I don't think we can ask people not to kill horses. It is the favorite meat of some people," Valez explained.
"Then I'll have to go with her," Ayla said.
"You can't do that!" Deegie cried. "You'll miss out on everything."
"I can't let anything hurt her," Ayla said. "I'll just have to miss things."
"That would be too bad," Tulie said.
"Can't you think of something?" Deegie said.
"No… if only she was brown, too," Ayla said.
"Well, why not make her brown?"
"Make her brown? How?"
"What if we mix some color like I do for leather, and rub it on her."
Ayla thought for a while. "I don't think it will work. It's a good idea, Deegie, but the trouble is, making her brown really won't make much difference. Even Racer is still in danger. A brown horse still looks like a horse, and if someone is hunting horses, it won't be easy to remember not to kill brown ones."
"That's true," Talut said. "Hunters think about hunting, and two brown horses that aren't afraid of people would make very tempting targets."
"How about a different color like…red. Why not make Whinney a red horse? A bright red horse. Then she'd really stand out."
Ayla made a face. "I don't like the thought of making her a red horse, Deegie. She would look so strange. It is a good idea, though. Everyone would know she is not an ordinary horse. I think we should do it, but a bright red horse…Wait! I have another idea." Ayla rushed into the tent. She dumped her traveling pack out on top of her sleeping furs, and found what she was looking for near the bottom. She ran out with it.
"Look, Deegie! Remember this?" Ayla said, opening out the bright red hide she had dyed herself. "I never could think of anything to make with it. I just liked it for the color. I can tie this on Whinney when she's out in the meadow alone."
"That is a bright red!" Valez said, smiling and nodding his head. "I think it will work. With that on, anyone who saw her would know she is a special horse, and would probably hesitate to hunt her, even without being told. We can announce it tonight that the horse with the red cover and the brown one with her are not to be hunted."
"It might not hurt to tie something on Racer, too," Talut said. "It wouldn't have to be as bright, but something made by a person so anyone who gets close enough to throw a spear will know he is not ordinary."
"I would suggest," Marlie added, "that since all people are not entirely reliable, sometimes telling is not enough. It might be wise for you and your Mamut to contrive some prohibition against killing the horses. A good curse could scare off anyone who might be tempted to see how mortal those animals are."
"You can always say that Rydag will send Wolf to get anyone who hurts them," Branag said, with a smile. "That story is probably all over the Meeting by now, and grown bigger with each telling."
"That may not be such a bad idea," Marlie said, standing up to go. "At least it could be spread around as a rumor."
They watched the co-leaders of the Wolf Camp go, then shaking her head sadly, Tulie went to finish getting settled in. Talut decided to go find out who was organizing competitions to set up a spear-thrower competition, and stopped to talk to Brecie and Jondalar. The three left together. Deegie and Branag walked with Ayla toward the horses.
"I know just the person to tell to start the rumor going," Branag said. "With the stories going around already, even if they aren't entirely believed, I think they will avoid the horses. I don't think anyone will want to take a chance that Rydag might send the wolf after him. I've been meaning to ask, how did Rydag know to signal the wolf?"
Deegie looked at the man to whom she was Promised with surprise. "I guess you don't know, do you? I don't know why I should think that just because I know something, you know it, too. Frebec wasn't just making something up to defend Lion Camp. He was telling the truth. Rydag understands everything that everyone says. He always has. We just didn't know it until Ayla taught us all his sign language so we could understand him. When Frebec was pretending to walk away, he told Rydag, and Rydag asked Ayla. We all knew what they were saying, so we knew what was going to happen."
"Is that true?" Branag asked. "You were talking to each other and no one knew it!" He laughed. "Well, if I'm going to be in on the Lion Camp's surprises, maybe I should learn this secret language, too."
"Ayla!" Crozie called, coming out of the tent. They stopped and let her catch up. "Tulie just told me what you decided to do to mark the horses," she said, coming toward them. "Smart idea, and red will stand out on a light-colored horse, but you don't have two bright red hides. When I was unpacking, I found something I'd like you to have." She unwrapped a bundle that had recently been untied, took out a folded hide and shook it open.
"Oh, Crozie!" Ayla exclaimed. "This is beautiful!" she breathed in wonder at a chalk-white leather cape decorated with ivory beads in subtle repetitive triangles, and hedgehog quills, dyed ochre red and sewn on in patterns of right-angled spirals and zigzags.
Crozie's eyes lit up at her admiration. Having made a tunic, Ayla understood the difficulty of making leather white. "It's for Racer. I think white against his dark brown coat will stand out."
"Crozie, it's too beautiful for that. It will get dirty and dusty, and especially if he tries to roll with it on, it will lose the decorations. I can't let Racer wear this out in the field," Ayla said.
Crozie looked at her sternly. "If someone is out hunting horses and sees a brown horse with a white decorated cover on his back, do you think that hunter is likely to aim a spear at him?"
"No, but you have put too much work into that to let it get ruined."
"The work was put in many years ago, Crozie said, then with a softening expression and a misting of her eyes, she added, "It was made for my son, Fralie's brother. I have never been able to give it to anyone else. I could not bear to see someone else wear it, and I could not throw it away. I have just dragged it around from place to place, a useless piece of hide, the work wasted. If this hide will help protect that animal, it will no longer be useless, the work will have some value. I want you to have it, for what you have given me.
Ayla took the proffered package, but looked puzzled. "What have I given you, Crozie?"
"It's not important," she said abruptly. "Just take it."
Frebec, hurrying into the tent, looked up and saw them, and smiled, full of self-satisfaction, before going in. They smiled back.
"I was very surprised when Frebec came forward to defend Rydag," Branag commented. "I would have thought he would be the last one."
"He's changed a lot," Deegie said. "He still likes to argue, but he's not so hard to get along with. He's willing to listen sometimes."