page27 (1/2)

Iza told Ayla to hold open the old ain while she carefully placed the wooden spike at the base of the aching tooth She gave the peg a sharp bloith a stone held in her hand to loosen it Creb juht it would be Then Iza tied the piece of sinew around the loosened tooth and told Ayla to secure the other end around one of the posts set firround that was part of the fra to dry

“Now, move his head back until the cord is taut, Ayla,” Iza told the girl With a quick jerk, Iza yanked on the sinew “Here it is,” she said, and held up the cord with the heavy eraniu hole and dipped a small piece of absorbent rabbit skin in an antiseptic solution of balsaum bark and a few of the dried leaves, and packed his jaith the damp leather

“Take your tooth, Mog-ur,” Iza said, putting the decayed ician “It’s all over”

He clenched it in his hand, then let it drop as he lay down “Must give Ursus,” he fuily

The clan watched to see hoell Creb recovered after Ayla assisted the ery When his mouth healed quickly without any coirl’s presence didn’t alienate the spirits Itto allow her to assist when Iza helped theressed, Ayla learned to treat burns, cuts, bruises, colds, sore throats, stomachaches, earaches, and many of the minor injuries and ail

In time, members of the clan went as easily to Ayla as to Iza for treat herbs for Iza and saw the etting old and wasn’t well and Uba was too young The clan was getting used to the strange girl in their irl born to the Others ht someday be the medicine woman of their clan

It was during the coldest time of the year, after the winter solstice and before the first breakup of spring, that Ovra went into labor

“It’s too early,” Iza told Ayla “She should not deliver until spring, and she hasn’t felt o well I think her baby will be stillborn”

“Ovra wanted this baby so nant Can’t you do anything?” Ayla asked

“We’ll do e can, but there are sos that are beyond help, Ayla,” the medicine woman replied

The whole clan was concerned about the early labor of Goov’s mate The women tried to offer moral support while the men waited anxiously nearby They had lost severalthe earthquake and looked forward to any increases in their number New babiesworow and provide for therew old The continuation and survival of the clan was essential to individual survival They needed each other and were saddened that Ovra would probably not give birth to a living baby

Goov was more worried for hishe could do He didn’t like to see Ovra suffering, especially when the outco but unhappy She wanted the baby; she had felt inadequate to be the only woman in the clan without children Even the iven birth, as old as she was Ovra had been elated when she finally becanant, and now Goov wished he could think of some way to ease her loss

Droog seeer man better than anyone He’d had occasion to have silad she had given birth to Goov, and Droog had to adotten used to theht yet develop an interest in toolht, especially now that she eaned and was beginning to i had never had a girl around his fire before, and she was so young when he had h Ona had been born to his hearth

Ebra and Uka were sitting beside Ovra, sy, while Iza prepared hter’s expected child, too, and held Ovra’s hand while she strained Oga had gone to prepare an eveningwith Broud, and had asked Goov as well Ika offered to help, but when Goov declined, Oga said she didn’t need help Goov didn’t feel ’s hearth and was finally coaxed by Aba to try a few bites

Oga was distracted, worried about Ovra, and was beginning to wish she hadn’t turned down Ika’s offer She didn’t kno it happened, but as she was serving bowls of hot soup to the -hot soup spilled on Brun’s shoulder and arm

“Aarghhh!” Brun cried as the scalding liquid poured over hi his teeth at the pain Every head turned and every breath was held The silence was broken by Broud

“Oga! You stupid, cluesticulated to cover up his e

“Ayla, go help hinaled

Broud advanced toward his mate with his fists doubled, ready to punish her

“No, Broud,” Brun gestured, putting out his hand to stop the youngto hiled not to show the pain he felt “She couldn’t help it Beating her will do no good” Oga was cru with humiliation and fear

Ayla was apprehensive She had never treated the leader of the clan, and regarded hirabbed a wooden bowl, then raced to the mouth of the cave She scooped up ato the ground in front of him

“Iza sent irl to help hied her

Brun nodded He harbored doubts about Ayla beco the clan’s medicine woman, but under the circumstances he had little choice but to allow her to treat hiry red burn, feeling Brun’s hard muscles relax as the snow eased the pain She ran back, found the dried horsemint, and added hot water to the leaves After they softened, she put snow in the bowl to cool it quickly and returned to her patient With her hand she applied the soothingmore tension leave the leader’s rock-hard muscular body as she worked Brun breathed a little easier The burn still hurt, but it was far irl relaxed a little

She does see to behave well, as a woman should; perhaps all she needed was a little rows up, ill be without a medicine woman Perhaps Iza is wise to train her

Not long afterward, Ebra came and told her lanced in her direction, shaking his head And a boy, too, he thought She must be heartbroken, everyone kno etting pregnant again Who would think a Beaver totereat pity for the young woedy But Ovra understood Brun’s reason for co to Goov’s hearth a few days later to tell her she should take as long as she wanted to recuperate froated at Brun’s fire, the leader seldom visited the other men’s hearths, and very rarely talked to the wo could ease her pain

Iza insisted that Ayla continue to treat Brun, and as the scald healed, the clan accepted her even more Ayla felt easier around the leader afterward He was, after all, only human

12