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“Let rown so much”
Uba picked hiht him to her mother She put the baby on Iza’s lap, but he was in no gled to get down again
“He’s strong and healthy,” Iza said, “and he doesn’t have any proble his head up”
“He even has a irl that has been promised for him”
“A , and with his deformity”
“There was a wohter She came and talked to us the first day,” Uba explained “The baby even looks like Durc, at least her head does Her features are a little different The mother asked if they could be hter would never find a ed it I think she will be co, even if she’s not a woman Ebra said she could live with her until they were both old enough to mate Oda was so happy, especially after Ayla made the drink for the ceremony”
“So they did accept Ayla as a estured, then she stopped Talking ain rejuvenated her spirit, if not her body She rested for a while, then asked, “What is the girl’s name?”
“Ura,” Iza’s daughter answered
“I like the naain, then asked another question “What about Ayla? Did she find a ?”
“The clan of Zoug’s kin is considering her They refused at first, but after she was accepted as a medicine woman, they decided to think it over There wasn’t tiht take Ayla, but I don’t think they want Durc”
Iza just nodded, then closed her eyes
Ayla was grindingthe boiling water with the root for the right color and flavor, i, but she brushed hiain
“Give him to me, Uba,” Crebin Creb’s lap, intrigued with the rew tired of that, too He rubbed his eyes and struggled to get loose of the restraining arain He was tired, and he was hungry Ayla was standing over the fire and hardly see Creb heaved hinaled Uba to put the boy into his ar heavily without his support, he shuffled to Broud’s hearth and laid Durc in Oga’s lap
“Durc is hungry and Ayla is busy a?”
Oga nodded, took the baby frolowered, but one dark glance froer quickly His hatred of Ayla did not extend to the -ur too e, however, that the great holy man seldo his activities to the spirit world Mog-ur had never tried to prevent Broud fro female who shared his hearth, but Broud had no wish to lock horns with the ician directly
The h the bundles that had been durease that was his share of the rendered fat from the ceremonial animal Uba saw him and hurried over to help Creb took it with hih he was sure it was hopeless, he was going to use every bit of ic at his command to help Ayla try to keep Iza alive
The roots had finally boiled long enough and Ayla scooped out a cup of the liquid, impatient now for it to cool The war her head up just as Iza had done for her when she was a five-year-old and near death, had revived the old medicine woman somewhat She had eaten little since she had taken to her bed, and not ht to her often went untouched It had been a desolate, lonely summer for Iza With no one around to watch her and ot, or just didn’t bother The other three had all tried to help when they saw she was failing, but they didn’t kno
Iza had roused herself when Dorv’s end was near, but the oldest member of the clan went quickly and there was little she could do except try to make him more comfortable His death had cast a pall on the others The cave seeone and it made them all realize how close they were to the next world His was the first death since the earthquake
Ayla was sitting beside Iza, blowing on the liquid in the bone cup and tasting now and then to see if it was cool enough Her concentration on Iza was so coo into his s her She heard the soft bubbling sounds of Iza’s breath and knew she was dying, but wouldn’t let herself believe it She searched her memory for treatments
A poultice of the inner bark of balsa the steam will help, too Blackberries and wort, and maidenhair No, that’s just for a minor cold Burdock roots? Maybe Starchwort? Of course, and the fresh root is best in fall Ayla was determined to fill Iza with teas, cover her with poultices, and drown her in stea the life of her ht of Iza’s death
Though Uba was acutely conscious of the seriousness of her mother’s illness, she was not unaware of Brun’s presence It was not common for men to pay a visit to another man’s hearth when he wasn’t there, and Brun made Uba nervous She scurried to pick up the bundles strewn around the hearth to tidy it up, glancing froive her direction, she didn’t kno to handle Brun’s visit No one acknowledged him, no one welcomed him, as she supposed to do?
Brun observed the trio of fe medicine wohest-ranked wo, and Uba, destined to be aShe was the baby girl as petted and coddled, and welcomed, once a healthy boy had been born to take over the leadership He had always felt protective toward her He would never have chosen the man who had been her art who ridiculed his crippled brother Iza had no choice, but she handled it well Yet she had been happier since her ood medicine woman The clan would miss her
Iza’s daughter is growing up, he thought, watching her Uba will be a wo about a ood mate, one ill be compatible It’s better for a hunter, too, if his mate is devoted to him But who is there except Vorn? There’s Ona to consider, too, and she can’tis a man If she beco is ready to mate Perhaps I should push hih to relieve his needs, he’s old enough to becoood influence on him, and he likes to show off around her Perhaps there is an attraction there Brun filed his thoughts away in his orderly mind for future reference
The elecampane-root tea was cooled and Ayla wakened the old wo her head while she fed her the h this ti the frail woest; now she looks older than Creb I remember the time she set my broken arm She wasn’t much older than Ayla hen she set Brac’s, but a woood job, too It?
?s never givenold, too My hunting days will soon be over, and I’ll have to pass the leadership to Broud
Is he ready for it? He did so well at the Clan Gathering, I alave it to him then He’s brave; everyone told ht be chosen to go with Ursus It would have been an honor, but that’s one honor I was glad to forgo Gorn was a good ’s clan It always is when Ursus chooses Sometimes it’s lucky not to be honored; the son of my mate still walks this world And he is fearless Maybe too fearless A bit of daring and recklessness is fine for a young man, but a leader must be more sober He must consider his men He must think and plan so the hunt will be successful, yet not endanger his men needlessly Maybe I should start to let hiot to learn there’sThere’s responsibility and self-control
What is it about Ayla that brings out the worst in hi with her? She may look a little different, but she’s still a wo’s kin will take her? It would seeotten used to her And she is a good medicine woman, an asset to any clan I’ll do what I can to make sure they appreciate her value Look at her—not even her son, the son she was ready to follow to the next world, can take her mind off Iza Not many would brave a cave bear to save a man’s life She can be fearless, too, and she’s learned to control herself She behaved well at the Gathering, in every way a proper wo but praise for her by the time it was over
“Brun,” Iza called out in a weak voice “Uba, bring the leader sohter She was still the propera fur for Brun to sit on This worets she is unable to serve the leader herself”
“Iza, don’t trouble yourself I didn’t co down beside her bed
“How long have you been standing there?” Iza asked
“Not long Ayla was busy; I chose not to disturb her, or you, until she was through You were ”
“Was it successful?”
“This clan is still first The hunters did well; Broud was chosen first for the Bear Ceremony Ayla did well, too She received many compliments”