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Jondalar moved in closer, took aim, and cast his spear Thein her thick neck below the stiff brush of a ently, then reared with a screa

“I’ll go get the packs,” Thonolan said as they jogged toward the fallen ani water here than carry a horse back to the river”

“We don’t have to dry it all Let’s take ant back to the river, then on’t have to carry water here”

Thonolan shrugged “Why not? I’ll get an axe to break the bones” He headed for the river

Jondalar pulled his bone-handled knife out of the sheath and made a deep cut across the throat He pulled out the spears and watched blood pool around the mare’s head

“When you return to the Great Earth Mother, thank Her,” he said to the dead horse He reached into his pouch and fondled the stone figurine of the Mother in an unconscious gesture Zelandoni is right, he thought If Earth’s children ever forget who provides for them, we ripped his knife and prepared to take his share of Doni’s provisions

“I saw a hyena on the way back,” Thonolan said when he returned “Looks like we’re going to feed more than ourselves”

“The Mother doesn’t like waste,” Jondalar said, up to his elbows in blood “It all goes back to Her one way or another Here, give me a hand”

“It’s a risk, you know,” Jondalar said, throwing another stick on the small fire A few sparks floated up with the sht air “What e do inter comes?”

“It’s a long time until winter; we’re bound to meet some people before then”

“If we turn back noe’ll be sure to meet people We could make it at least as far as the Losadunai before the worst of the winter” He turned to face his brother “We don’t even knointers are like on this side of the mountains It’s more open, less protection, fewer trees for fires Maybe we should have tried to find the Sariven us some idea of what to expect, what people live this way”

“You can turn back if you want, Jondalar I was going to in with … not that I haven’t been glad for your company”

“I don’t know …back to stare at the fire “I didn’t realize how long this river is Look at her” He waved toward the shiht “She is the Great Mother of rivers, and just as unpredictable When we started, she was flowing east Now it’s south, and split into sothe right river I guess I didn’t believe you would go all the way to the end, no matter how far, Thonolan Besides, even if we do meet people, how do you know they’ll be friendly?”

“That’s what a Journey is all about Discovering new places, new people You take your chances Look, Big Brother, go back if you want I mean it”

Jondalar stared at the fire, rhyth a stick of wood into the palm of his hand Suddenly, he ju up another host of sparks He walked over and looked at the cords of twined fibers strung out close to the ground between pegs, on which thin slices of o back to? For that matter, what do I have to look forward to?”

“The next bend in the river, the next sunrise, the next woman you bed,” Thonolan said

“Is that all? Don’t you want so more out of life?”

“What else is there? You’re born, you live the best you can while you’re here, and soo back to the Mother After that, who knows?”

“There ought to be ”

“If you ever find out, letforward to the next sunrise, but one of us should stay up, or we ought to build ers away if ant that ”

“Go to bed, Thonolan I’ll stay up; I’d lie awake anyway”

“Jondalar, you worry too et tired”

The sun was already up when Thonolan crawled out of the tent, rubbed his eyes, and stretched “Have you been up all night? I told you to wake me”

“I was thinking and didn’t feel like going to bed There’s soe tea if you want some”

“Thanks,” Thonolan said, scooping stea liquid into a wooden bowl He squatted down in front of the fire, cupping the bowl in both hands The early rass ith dew, and he wore only a breech-clout He watched s around the scant brush and trees near the river, chirping noisily A flock of cranes that nested on an island of s inon fish “Well, did you do it?” he finally asked

“Do what?”

“Find theof life Isn’t that what you orried about when I went to bed? Though why you’d stay up all night for that, I’ll never kno, if there was a woman around … Do you have one of Doni’s blessed hidden in the s … ?”

“Do you think I’d tell you if I did?” Jondalar said, grinning Then his smile softened “You don’t have towith you, all the way to the end of the river, if you want Only, ill you do then?”