Chapter 158

"It surprised me, what do you think it wants?" Failiela asked.

"I think you have been chosen to be its friend. Do you want a mammoth of your own?" I asked.

She looked at me as her eyes went wide open and asked, "Do you mean I could have one of my own?"

"Of course you may have one if you want it. All you have to do is be kind to it and care for it, but remember the little mammoth may think it is you that belongs to it. You will have to make it your friend though, like Deimeta has made Darta her friend."

Failiela looked absolutely thrilled at the prospect and I went to the gate and opened it. We had no trouble getting the curious one to come out and join us and it was soon sniffing all over Failiela and Deimeta. After a while I guess it decided Deimeta was spoken for and it paid most of its attention to Failiela.

"I think it likes her fine, Daddy, what do you think?"

"I think Failiela now has a mammoth of her own to care for. You must pick a name for it Failiela."

"I will have to think it over, I have never named anything before," she said, as she stroked the young male mammoth.

"Is it a boy or a girl?" she asked.

"It is a boy mammoth."

"Then I must give it a boy's name, I will ask mother to help me think of one," she said.

Danlo had turned Big Mother around and come back by now. He saw Failiela playing with the young mammoth.

"It will be good if she chooses a mammoth. They all seem to want company and while Big Mother does not mind if they come around me, sometimes she seems jealous if I pay to much attention to them," he said.

"It is a little funny, but I guess they have their ways. Who knew they would have ways about people though? Maybe we should ask others if they want to care for a young mammoth."

"I don't think it would do any harm. They will all need someone to train them, a little bit at least. If they just do as they please it might be troublesome later," Danlo said.

"It probably will get to be that way when they get larger. Are any of the other wranglers interested in them?"

"Not really, Talvo helps me with them most of the time when I need some help, but he likes the horses much better," Danlo said.

"I will ask my mates if they are interested in working with any of them?"

I went back to the cave then and Deimeta promised she would help Failiela and they would come back before time for supper. My spirits were perked up considerably now and I actually felt fine as I walked back into the cave.

I felt even better when I saw all my mates were in or near the kitchen. Most of them were directly involved in cooking something and it was always a good sign. The rest were helping where they could.

"Would any of you like to make friends with a mammoth and care for it?" I asked them, without preamble.

I could see all my Neanderthal mates thought I had a loose screw for even asking, but there was interest from Merita, Ameliea, Roweea, and Maia. Finally they got up the nerve to say so, but then Maia asked.

"What do we have to do to care for them?"

"I don't really know yet, but Deimeta seems to be able to do it so far and if it is difficult the wranglers will help you with them. I would probably like to help some too. I have to tell you though they seem to want to stay with just one person. They aren't shy about approaching others, but do tend to latch onto only one."

"It sounds like it would be fun to me, when will we start?" Ameliea asked.

"I think we should wait until tomorrow and then go to the mammoths early in the morning, just after breakfast. It will give us time to sort them out without having to rush."

"It sounds like fun to me too. I wonder if we can teach them to get along with the wolves later?" Maia asked.

"I don't see why not. Wolves are not normally a threat to mammoths. In fact I don't think anything is a natural threat to a mature mammoth, though I know sometimes the young ones are killed by predators, but I don't think it happens very often."

"I wondered what we were going to do with them and I think they are so very cute. I'm sure I will love caring for one and I know we can make the wolves behave with them if the mammoths don't mind them too much. The wolves behave better than some children I have seen," Merita said.

"I just know I will love to play with them and I will probably spoil mine," Roweea said.

"Well we can start on it tomorrow. I'm sure Deimeta will be thrilled to have some more company with them."

The others started in teasing them then about not trying to bring the mammoths in to eat at the table and with other good-natured fun poking. I tried to stay out of it and sat at the table. Shelalliea saw me and looked a question at me with her eyes, wondering if I wanted a coffee or a beer. I was tempted to ask for beer, but decided on coffee.

Drinking beer during the day didn't seem like a good habit to get into and I wasn't really as down as I had been earlier. She brought me a mug of coffee, a big kiss, and a lovely ass to fondle for a few seconds.

Supper was good and I was feeling better about things now so I got to enjoy it. Georgo and Dotallto still seemed a little somber, but when I asked them if they still wanted to go with me in the morning they perked up a little and we talked with some of the others about it.

"I think you should let some of us go with you," Geera said.

"You are probably right, but what makes you think so?"

"There are just as many women at the camp as there are men and even though you don't get to talk to them they still have a part in the decision, I'm sure of it. Dieta and I can go with you to talk to the women," she said.