Page 171 of The Mammoth Hunters (Earth's Children 3)

Frebec nodded and left.

; The delegation that had come to make an offer were too curious to leave now. Vincavec was the first to reach them, saw the delegation, Ayla, and Tulie, and quickly understood the gist of the circumstances. He let his backframe drop, and came forward with a smile.

“Tulie, it must be auspicious that you are the first person we see, since you are the first person I wanted to see,” Vincavec said, reaching for both her hands and rubbing her cheek with his cheek like a dear old friend.

“Why should I be the first person you want to see?” Tulie said, smiling in spite of herself. He was a charmer.

He ignored the question. “Tell me, why are your guests dressed in their finest? A delegation, perhaps?”

A woman spoke up. “We have made an offer to adopt Ayla,” she said with dignity, as though the offer had not been effectively turned down. “My son has no sister.”

Even Ayla could almost see Vincavec’s mind working, but it took only a moment for him to understand the entire situation, and a moment more to make a decision and act on it.

“Well, I am going to make an offer, too, more formally later, but to give you something to think about, Tulie, I want to propose a joining.” He turned to Ayla and took both of her hands. “I want to join with you, Ayla. I want you to come and make my Mammoth Hearth something more than a name. Only you can give me that, Ayla. It is your hearth to bring, but in return, I can give you Mammoth Camp.”

Ayla was startled, and overwhelmed. Vincavec knew she had already made a commitment. Why would he ask for her? Even if she wanted to, could she suddenly change her mind and join with him? Was it so easy to break a Promise?

“She is already Promised to Ranec,” Tulie said.

Vincavec looked directly at the big headwoman, and smiled knowingly, then reached into a pouch and pulled out his closed hand. He opened it and held in his palm two beautiful, polished, matched pieces of amber. “I hope he has a good Bride Price, Tulie.”

Tulie’s eyes opened wide. His offer was enough to take her breath away. He had effectively told her to name her price, and name it in amber if she wanted to, though of course, she wouldn’t, not entirely. Her eyes narrowed then. “It is not for me to decide, Vincavec. Ayla makes her own choices.”

“I know, but take these as my gift to you, Tulie, for all your help in building my lodge,” he said, and pressed them on her.

Tulie was torn. She should refuse. To accept them would give him an advantage over her, but it was Ayla’s decision, and Promised or not, she was free to make that choice. Why should she object? As she closed her hand over the amber, she saw Vincavec’s expression of triumph, and Tulie felt as though she had been bought for two pieces of amber. He knew she would consider no other offer. If he could convince Ayla, she was his. But Vincavec doesn’t know Ayla, Tulie thought. No one does. She might call herself Mamutoi, but she was a stranger still, and who could tell what would move her. She watched as the man with the startling tattooed face turned his full attention on the young woman, and she saw Ayla’s reaction. Without question, there was interest.

“Tulie! How nice to see you again!” Avarie was approaching, holding out her hands. “We’re so late, all the best places are taken. Do you know a good place to set up Camp? Where are you set up?”

“Right here,” Nezzie said, coming up to greet the Mammoth Camp’s headwoman next. She had been very interested in the exchange between Tulie and Vincavec, and had noted his expression, too. It was not going to make Ranec happy to know Vincavec was going to make an offer for Ayla, but Nezzie wasn’t at all sure that the Mamut-headman of the Mammoth Camp was going to find Ayla all that easy to convince, no matter what he offered.

“You’re here? So far away from everything?” Avarie said.

“With the animals, it’s the best place for us. They get nervous around crowds,” Tulie said, as though it had been chosen on purpose.

“Vincavec, if Lion Camp is here, why don’t we Camp nearby?” Avarie said.

“It is not a bad place. There are advantages, more room to spread out.” Nezzie said. If both Lion Camp and Mammoth Camp are here, she thought, some of the interest from the center will move here, too.

Vincavec smiled at Ayla. “I can think of nothing I’d rather do than set up near Lion Camp,” he said.

Talut came striding into Camp then, and greeted the co-leaders of Mammoth Camp in his booming voice. “Vincavec! Avarie! You finally made it! What held you up?”

“We made some stops along the way,” Vincavec said.

“Ask Tulie to show you what he brought her,” Nezzie said.

Tulie still felt a little embarrassed, and wished Nezzie hadn’t said anything, but she opened her hand and held out the amber for her brother to see.

“Those are beautiful pieces,” Talut said. “You decided to do some trading, I see. Did you know Willow Camp has white spiral seashells?”

“Vincavec wants more than seashells,” Nezzie said. “He wants to make an offer for Ayla … for his hearth.”

“But she’s Promised to Ranec,” Talut said.

“A Promise is only a promise,” Vincavec said.