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“But Creb was deformed He was allowed to live,” Ayla protested
“His mother’s mate was the leader of the clan; he allowed it You have no mate, Ayla, noyour child could be unlucky if you gave birth before you were mated Doesn’t his deformity prove it, Ayla? Why let a child live that will have nothing but bad luck all his life? It’s better to get it over now,” Iza reasoned
Reluctantly, Ayla pulled her son away fro her eyes “Oh, Iza,” she cried, “I wanted a baby so ht I’d have one I was so happy I didn’t care if I was sick, I just wanted my own baby It was so hard, I didn’t think he’d ever come, but when you said he’d die, I had to push If he has to die anyas it so hard? Mother, I want et rid of him”
“I know it’s not easy, Ayla, but it must be done” Iza’s heart ached for her The baby was searching for the breast so abruptly withheld, for the security and to satisfy his need to suck She had no milk for him yet, that would take a day or so; there was only the thick, milky fluid that could impart to the infant her own immunity to diseases for the first few o with a lusty howl, flailing his ar off the cover His cry filled the cave with the dery, red-faced infant Ayla couldn’t stand it She put him back to her breast
“I just can’t do it,” she gestured “I won’t do it! My son is alive He’s breathing HeDid you hear him cry? Did you ever hear a baby cry like that? Did you see him kick? Look how he sucks! I want hi to keep him I’ll leave before I’ll kill him I can hunt I can find food I’ll take care of him myself!”
Iza paled “Ayla, you can’t o? You’re too weak, you’ve lost a lot of blood”
“I don’t know, ive him up” Ayla was ada o anyplace; she’d die herself if she tried to save the baby Iza was appalled to think Ayla would flaunt the customs of the Clan, but Iza was sure she would
“Ayla, don’t talk like that,” Iza pleaded “Give him to me If you can’t, I’ll do it for you I’ll tell Brun you are too weak; that’s reason enough” The woone, it will be easier to forget him”
“No! No, Iza,” Ayla shook her head forcefully, clinging tighter to the bundle in her ar only one hand to speak with Creb’s abbreviated sy to keep hi to keep my baby”
Uba atching the to delivery, as she had seen other woive birth before No secrets of life or death ithheld from children; they shared the fate of the clan as irl as playmate and friend, htened the girl, but Ayla’s talk of leaving frightened her even one before, when everyone said she would never come back Uba was sure if Ayla left now, she would never see her again
“Don’t go, Ayla,” the girl ran up gesturing frantically “Mother, you can’t let Ayla leave Don’t go away again”
“I don’t want to go, Uba, but I can’t let my baby die,” Ayla said
“Can’t you put hih up in a tree like the mother in Aba’s story? If he lives for seven days, Brun will have to let you keep hied
“Aba’s story is a legend, Uba,” Iza explained “No baby can live outside in the cold with no food” Ayla wasn’t paying attention to Iza’s explanation; Uba’s childish suggestion had given her an idea
“Mother, part of that legend is true”
“What do you mean?”
“If my baby is still alive after seven days, Brun has to accept him, doesn’t he?” Ayla asked earnestly
“What are you thinking, Ayla? You can’t leave hi he’ll still be alive after seven days You know it’s impossible”
“Not leave hio there and take hi day Brun will have to let me keep him then There’s a small cave …”