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“I could carry that horse easier than she could carry me!” he said

Jondalar chuckled It hadn’t been hard to follow Talut’s line of thought Several people smiled, or chuckled, and Jondalar realized theya horse It was not so strange It had occurred to him when he first saw Ayla on Whinney’s back

Ayla had seen the shocked surprise on the faces of the s for her, she would have kept on going right back to her valley She’d had enough of disapproval during her younger years for actions that were not acceptable And enough freedo alone, not to want to subject herself to criticis her own inclinations She was ready to tell Jondalar he could visit these people if he wanted; she was going back

But when she returned, and saw Talut still chuckling over histhe horse, she reconsidered Laughter had becoh when she lived with the Clan; it made them nervous and uncohed out loud It was Baby, and Whinney, who had taught her to enjoy the feeling of laughter, but Jondalar was the first person to share it openly with her

She watched theeasily with Talut He looked up and sic of his impossibly vivid blue eyes touched a place deep inside that resonated with a war up of love for hio back to the valley, not without hi constriction to her throat, and the burning ache of tears held back

As she rode toward the as the red-haired er than the other three irl with theroup of people surreptitiously, not wanting to stare

Her bodyover, she slid off Both horses seemed nervous as Talut approached, and she stroked Whinney and put an arm around Racer’s neck She was as much in need of the familiar reassurance of their presence as they were of hers

“Ayla, of No People,” he said, not sure if it was a proper way to address her, though for this woht be, “Jondalar says you fear harm will co as Talut is headman of the Lion Ca one I would like you to visit, and bring the horses” His smile broadened with a chuckle “No one will believe us otherwise!”

She was feeling more relaxed about it now, and she knew Jondalar wanted to visit She had no real reason to refuse, and she was drawn to the easy, friendly laughter of the huge red-haired man

“Yes, I co, and wondered about her, her intriguing accent, her awesome ith horses Who was Ayla of No People?

Ayla and Jondalar had ca, before they met the band from the Lion Cae to cross without difficulty, and not worth the effort if they were going to turn around and retrace their route The steppeland east of the valley where Ayla had lived alone for three years had beenwoman hadn’t bothered to take the difficult roundabout way to the west out of the valley very often, and was largely unfah they had started out toward the west, they had no particular destination innorth, and then east instead, butforays

Jondalar had convinced her toHe wanted to take her home with him, but his home was far to the west She had been reluctant, and scared, to leave her secure valley to live with unknown people in an unknown place Though he was eager to return after traveling forthe winter with her in the valley It would be a long trek back—likely to take a full year—and it would be better to start in late spring, anyway By then, he was sure he could convince her to come with him He didn’t even want to consider any other alternative

Ayla had found hi of the war its last days, and she knew the tragedy he had suffered They fell in love while she was nursing hi the barriers of their vastly different backgrounds They were still learning each other’s ways and moods

Ayla and Jondalar finished breaking ca people, packed their supplies and equipment on the horse, rather than in backframes or haversacks which they would have carried theh they had soht Whinney and her colt would be less nervous if they saw her The two of the Racer by a long rope attached to a halter, which he had devised Whinney followed Ayla with no visible guidance

They followed the course of the river for several h a broad valley that sloped down fro hay, seed heads nodding ripe and heavy, billowed in golden waves on the near slopes id air that blew in fitful bursts frolaciers to the north On the open steppes, a few bent and gnarled pine and birch trees huddled along watercourses, their roots seeking thewinds Near the river, reeds and sedges were still green, though a chill wind rattled through deciduous branches, bereft of leaves

Latie hung back, glancing now and then at the horses and the wohted several people around a bend in the river Then she ran ahead, wanting to be first to tell of the visitors At her shouts, people turned and gawked

Other people were coe hole in the riverbank, a cave of some sort, perhaps, but like none she had ever seen before It see the river, but it did not have the randorew on the sod roof, but the opening was too even, too regular, and felt strangely unnatural It was a perfectly symmetrical arch

Suddenly, at a deep emotional level, it struck her It was not a cave, and these people were not Clan! They did not look like Iza, as the only mother she ree eyes shadowed by heavy brow ridges, a forehead that sloped back, and a chinless jaw that jutted forward These people looked like her They were like the ones she had been born to Her mother, her real mother, must have looked like one of these women These were the Others! This was their place! The realization brought a rush of excitele of fear

Stunned silence greeted the strangers—and their even stranger horses—as they arrived at the permanent winter site of the Lion Camp Then everyone seemed to talk at once

“Talut! What have you brought this tiet those horses?” “What did you do to them?” Someone addressed Ayla: “How do you make them stay?” “What Camp are they from, Talut?”

The noisy, gregarious people crowded forward, eager to see and touch both the people and the horses Ayla was overwhelmed, confused She wasn’t used to so , particularly all of the her ears, head high, neck arched, trying to protect her frightened colt and shy away fro in

Jondalar could see Ayla’s confusion, and the nervousness of the horses, but he couldn’t make Talut or the rest of the people understand Thein circles Suddenly, she could stand it no longer She reared up, neighing in fear, and lashed out with hard hooves, driving the people back

Whinney’s distress focused Ayla’s attention She called her name with a sound like a c

oestures she had used to coht her to speak

“Talut! No one must touch the horses unless Ayla allows it! Only she can control theerous if she is provoked or feels her colt is threatened Soet hurt,” Jondalar said

“Stay back! You heard hi voice that silenced everyone When the people and horses settled down, Talut continued in a more normal tone “The woman is Ayla I promised her that no harm would come to the horses if they came to visit I promised as headman of the Lion Camp This is Jondalar of the Zelandonii, and a kinsrin of self-satisfaction, he added, “Talut has brought some visitors!”

There were nods of agreened curiosity, but far enough away to avoid the horse’s kicking hooves Even if the strangers had left that ossip to last for years to co with the river people to the southwest, had been talked about at Sus The Mamutoi traded with the Sharamudoi, and since Tholie, as a kinswoman, had chosen a river man, the Lion Camp had been even n men to walk into their Caic control over horses

“Are you all right?” Jondalar asked Ayla

“They frightened Whinney, and Racer, too Do people always talk at once like that? Wo, and they are so loud, how do you knoho is saying what? Maybe we should have gone back to the valley” She was hugging the iving it

Jondalar knew Ayla was almost as distressed as the horses The noisy press of people had been a shock for her Maybe they shouldn’t stay too long Perhaps it would be better to start with just two or three people at a tiain, but he wondered what he’d do if she never really did Well, they were here now He could wait and see