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Oda looked at her hands before she answered “The infant is thin, but the health is good The infant has a weak neck,” she gestured, “but it’s getting stronger,” Oda added fervently

Ayla lookedper The infant was more stocky than Durc, closer to the build of Clan babies, but her bones were thinner She had the saeneral shape to her head, only the brow ridges were much smaller Her nose was alnathous, chinless jaw of the Clan The feer than norirl, auto her head, and saw the familiar early efforts of the baby to support her own head

“Her neck will get stronger, Oda Durc’s was even weaker when he was born, and look at him now”

“Do you think so?” Oda answered eagerly “This woman would ask the medicine woman of the first clan to consider this female infant as mate for her male infant,” Oda asked formally

“I think Ura would ood mate for Durc, Oda”

“Then you’ll ask your mate if he will allow it?”

“I have no mate,” Ayla replied

“Oh Then your son is unlucky,” Oda gestured with disappointment “Who will train him if you are not mated?”

“Durc is not unlucky,” Ayla insisted “Not all babies born to un-ur’s hearth; he does not hunt, but Brun hiood hunter, and a good provider He has a hunting tote-ur said it is the Gray Wolf”

“It doesn’t matter, an unlucky mate would be better than no nation “I hope you’re right Our -ur has not revealed Ura’s toteh for any woman’s totem”

“Except Ayla’s,” Uba interjected “Her totem is the Cave Lion She was chosen”

“How did you ever have a baby?” Oda asked with astonishht hard this tihter”

“My pregnancy was hard, too Do you have another daughter? Is she normal?”

“She was She walks in the next world, now,” Oda motioned sadly

“Is that why Ura was allowed to live? I’m surprised you were allowed to keep her,” Ayla remarked

“I didn’t want to keep her, but my mate made me It’s my punishment,” Oda confessed

“Your punishment?”

“Yes,” Oda nodded “I wished for a girl when my mate wanted a boy It’s just that I loved irl just like her My hts when I was pregnant He says if I had wished for a boy, my baby would have been norood woive me away, maybe because no one else would have me”