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“I was going to wait until I was sure, but he guessed He o into isolation He’s very happy about it,” Uba motioned proudly

“Is he a good mate, Uba? Are you happy?”

“Oh, yes He’s a goodto have a baby, he told lad I didn’t waste any ti one started He said he asked for me even before I became a woman”

“That’s wonderful, Uba,” Ayla said

She didn’t add that there wasn’t anyone else in the clan he could have mated, except herself But ould he want ly woman when he could have someone as attractive as Uba, and she was born to Iza’s line What’s the uess Iabout ill happen to ood care of hi time It just seeoes out of the cave anymore If he doesn’t exercise, he won’t be able to leave the cave

“What are you thinking about, Ayla? You’ve been so quiet lately”

“I was thinking about Creb I’m worried about him”

“He’s getting old He’s one I stillto hate it when Creb walks in the next world”

“So will I, Uba,” Ayla gestured with feeling

Ayla was restless She hunted often, and when she wasn’t hunting, she worked with tireless energy She couldn’t stand not having soh the stores of ed them, then scoured the countryside to replenish old or used-up anized the whole hearth She wove new baskets and mats, made wooden bowls and platters, containers of stiff rawhide or birchbark, s, hats, hand and foot coverings for the next winter She waterproofed bladders and stomachs for water and other liquids, constructed a new fra and sinew to support skins for boiling over the fire She nicked out flat stones to make a deeper well for fat for lamps, and she dried new moss wicks, knapped a new set of knives, scrapers, saws, borers, and axes, searched the seashore for shells to make spoons, ladles, and s with the hunters to dry the etables with the worains to a superfine texture to make it easier for Creb and Durc to chew And still she couldn’t find enough to do

Creb became the object of her intense interest Ayla pampered him, cared for him as she never had before She cooked special foods to encourage his appetite, made medicinal brews and poultices,walks for exercise He seeain so The special closeness, the easy warone They usually walked in silence The conversation they did have was strained, and there were no spontaneous demonstrations of affection

Creb was not the only one growing old The day that Brun watched the departing hunters froe until they were tiny dots on the steppes below jolted Ayla into a sudden awareness of how ray, and itchasms into the skin at the corners of his eyes His hard, h he was still powerful He walked back to the cave slowly and spent the remainder of the day within the boundaries of his hearth He ith the hunters the next time; but the second time Brun stayed behind, Grod did too, still the loyal lieutenant

One day near the end of su into the cave

“Ma!”

Ayla rushed to thewith everyone else, to watch the stranger walking up the path from the seacoast

“Ayla, do you think he estured excitedly

“I don’t know I don’t know any more than you, Uba”

Ayla’s nerves were taut, and her e’s kin, and afraid he would be He stopped to talk to Brun, then walked with the leader to his hearth Not long afterward, Ayla saw Ebra leave and head straight for her