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Iza was beside herself orry; she couldn’t understand the drastic change in Ayla She kneas because of Broud’s inexplicable interest in her, but why it should have that effect was beyond the wo her constantly, and when the young wos, she was afraid that whatever evil spirit had gotten into her was gaining a greater hold

But Iza was an experienced medicine woman She was the first to notice when Ayla did not keep herself in the nominal isolation required of wohter even closer She could hardly believe what she suspected But by the ti into full heat, Iza was sure Early one evening when Creb ay from the hearth, she beckoned to Ayla

“I want to talk to you”

“Yes, Iza,” Ayla replied, hauling herself up fro down in the dirt near the woman

“When was the last time your totem battled, Ayla?”

“I don’t know”

“Ayla, I want you to think about it Have the spirits fought within you since the blossoms dropped?”

The young woman tried to think “I’m not sure, maybe once”

“That’s what I thought,” Iza said “You’re getting sick in the s, aren’t you?”

“Yes,” she nodded Ayla thought her sickness was because everyfor her, and she hated it someal, too

“Have your breasts felt sore?”

“A little”

“And they’ve grown larger, too, haven’t they?”

“I think so Why are you asking? Why all these questions?”

The woman looked at her seriously “Ayla, I don’t kno it happened, I can hardly believe it, but I’m sure it’s true”

“What’s true?”

“Your tote to have a baby”

“A baby? Me? I can’t have a baby,” Ayla protested “My tote”

“I know, Ayla I can’t understand it, but you are going to have a baby,” Iza repeated

A look of wonder crept into Ayla’s unresponsive eyes “Can it be true! Can it really be true! Me, have a baby? Oh, mother, hoonderful!”