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He didn’t know that panic was a survival trait, in extreme circumstances When all else fails, and all rationala solution have been exhausted, panic takes over And sometimes an irrational act becoht of

He walked back, put a few more sticks of wood on the fire, then went to look for the alder staff, though it see a spear now He just felt so useless, he needed to do so He found it, then sat outside the tent, and with vicious strokes, began to shave one end

The next day was a nightmare for Jondalar The left side of Thonolan’s body was tender to the lightest touch and deeply bruised Jondalar had slept little It had been a difficult night for Thonolan and every tiot up But all he could offer bark tea, and that didn’t help , he cooked so, the wound was hot, and Thonolan was feverish

Thonolan woke from a restless sleep to his brother’s troubled blue eyes The sun had just dipped below the riht outside, in the tent it was harder to see The dilazed Thonolan’s eyes were, and he had beenin his sleep

Jondalar tried to s?”

Thonolan hurt too“I don’t feelrhinos,” he replied

They were silent for a while, neither knohat to say Thonolan closed his eyes and sighed deeply He was tired of fighting the pain His chest hurt with every breath, and the deep ache in his left groin seeht there was any hope, he would have endured it, but the longer they stayed, the less chance Jondalar would have of crossing the river before a stor to die was no reason his brother had to die, too He opened his eyes again

“Jondalar, we both knoithout help there’s no hope for me, but there’s no reason you …”

“What do you ht”

“There’s not enough time We don’t have a chance out here in the open Jondalar, keep , find a place to stay, you …”

“You’re delirious!”

“No, I …”

“You wouldn’t be talking like that if you weren’t You worry about gaining your strength—letto ot a plan”

“What plan?”

“I’ll tell you about it when I get all the details worked out Do you want so to eat? You haven’t eaten much”

Thonolan knew his brother wouldn’t leave while he was alive He was tired; he wanted to give up, let it end, and give Jondalar a chance “I’ry,” he said, then saw the hurt in his brother’s eyes “I could use a drink of water, though”

Jondalar poured out the last of the water and held Thonolan’s head while he drank He shook the bag “This is eet some more”

He wanted an excuse to get out of the tent Thonolan was giving up Jondalar had been bluffing when he said he had a plan He had given up hope—no wonder his brother thought it was hopeless I have to find soet across that river and find help

He walked up a slight rise that gave hi a broken branch snagged by a jutting rock He felt as trapped and helpless as that bare lie and freed it fro stone He watched the current carry it downstreao before it was snared by so else He noticed another , and he peeled ht again, not that the tea did ood

Finally he turned away from the Sister and went back to the s river He filled the waterbag and started back He wasn’t sure whatabove the sound of the rushing torrent—but when he did, he stared in open-mouthed disbelief

Soht for the bank where he stood Aa fierce crested head and large unblinking eyes, was co toward him He saw movement on the creature’s back as it drew near, heads of other creatures One of the smaller creatures waved

“Ho-la!” a voice called out Jondalar had never heard a more welcome sound

7

Ayla wiped the back of her hand across her sweaty forehead and s to insinuate her muzzle under the woht and followed her everywhere Ayla didn’t mind, she wanted the company

“Little horse, how rain should I pick for you?” Ayla motioned The small, hay-colored foal watched her motions closely It irl just learning the sign language of the Clan “Are you trying to learn to talk? Well, understand, anyway You’d have trouble talking without hands, but you see to understand me”

Ayla’s speech incorporated a few sounds; her clan’s ordinary language wasn’t entirely silent, only the ancient fore was The filly’s ears perked up when she spoke a word out loud

“You’re listening, aren’t you, little filly?” Ayla shook her head “I keep calling you little filly, little horse It doesn’t feel right I think you need a na for, the sound of your name? I wonder what your dam called you? I don’t think I could say it if I knew”

The young horse atching her intently, knowing Ayla was paying attention to her when she moved her hands in that way She nickered when Ayla stopped

“Are you answering me? Whiiinneeey!” Ayal tried to mimic her andhorse responded to the al neigh

“Is that your naain, bounded off a ways, then cahed “All little horses must have the same name, then, or ain and the horse whinnied back, and they played the gaame of sounds she used to play with her son, except Durc could make any sound she could Creb had told her she made many sounds when they first found her, and she knew she could make some no one else could It had pleased her when she discovered her son could make them, too

Ayla turned back to picking grain frorew in the valley, too, and rye grass sirew near the clan’s cave She was thinking about na the horse I’ve never named anyone before She s a horse Not any stranger than living with one She watched the young anilad she lives witha lump in her throat It’s not so lonely with her around I don’t knohat I’d do if I lost her now I a to name her

The sun was on its way dohen Ayla stopped and glanced at the sky It was a big sky, vast, ele cloud measured its depth nor arrested the eye from infinity Only the distant incandescence in the west, whose wavering circue,the aht left by the space between the radiance and the top of the cliff, she decided to stop