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Jondalar’s relief was so evident when he saw Jetamio come out of the tent with the backfraotten them sooner She knew his problem, but he was so funny He thanked her profusely with unfaratitude, and then he headed for the patch of high brush He felt so ave Jeta

I suppose I did look rather ridiculous, he thought, but those trousers et, and cold Well, a little laughter is a small price to pay for their help I don’t knohat I would have done … I wonder how they knew? Perhaps the healer has other powers—that could explain it Right now, I’ powers He stopped At least I think that zelandoni has healing powers I haven’t seen Thonolan I don’t know if he’s better or not, I think it’s time I found out After all, he is my brother They can’t keep me away if I want to see him

Jondalar strode back to the camp, put his pack down beside the fire, deliberately took the tiain, and then headed for the tent

He nearly bu just as he ducked to enter The Shamud sized him up quickly, and before Jondalar could attely, stepped aside, and waved hi to the tall, powerful man

Jondalar gave the healer an appraising look No hint of relinquished authority showed in the piercing eyes evaluating hih any further disclosure of intent was as obscure as the a at first glance, was more ironic on second look Jondalar sensed that this healer, like , could be a powerful friend or a formidable enemy

He nodded, as though reserving judgment, briefly smiled his thanks, and went in He was surprised to see that Jeta Thonolan’s head, holding a bone cup to his lips

“I ht have known,” he said, and his s his brother awake, and apparently ain”

Both of the Brother?”

“Within three heartbeats of opening your eyes, youon you”

Thonolan’s grin was the ht about the prettiest woman around” Thonolan looked fondly at Jeta in the spirit world? And while I’ of it, just re blue eyes to yourself”

“Don’t worry about me, Little Brother Every tih”

“She can laugh atat the wo up fro to look adoring as he stared into her eyes

Jondalar looked fro on here? Thonolan just woke up, they can’t have said one word to each other, but I’d swear he was in love He looked at the woain, more objectively

Her hair was a rather nondescript shade of light brown, and she was smaller and thinner than the women Thonolan was usually attracted to She could alirl She had a heart shaped face with regular features and was really a rather ordinary-looking young woh, but certainly not exceptional—until she smiled

Then, by soht and shadows, soement, she became beautiful, completely beautiful So coht of her as beautiful himself She had only to s she didn’t usually smile often He reh it was hard to believe now She was radiant, vibrantly alive, and Thonolan was looking at her with an idiotic, lovesick grin

Well, Thonolan has been in love before, Jondalar thought I just hope she won’t take it too hard e leave

One of the laces that held closed the smoke-hole flap in the roof of his tent was frayed Jondalar was staring at it, but not seeing it He ide awake, lying in his sleeping roll wondering what had brought him out of the depths of sleep so quickly He didn’tto detect anything unusual that er After a few moments, he slipped out of his bedroll and looked carefully out of the opening of his tent but could find nothing wrong

A few people were gathered around the cay So bothered him, but he didn’t knohat Thonolan? No, between the skill of the Sha well No, it wasn’t Thonolan that was troubling him—exactly

“Hola,” he said to Jetamio as she looked up and smiled

She didn’t find hihable any un to ripen into friendship, though coestures and the feords he had learned

She gave him a cup of hot liquid He thanked her with the words he had learned that expressed the concept of thanks for the he could find a way to repay them for their help He took a sip, frowned, and took another It was an herb tea, not unpleasant, but surprising They custo His nose told hirain silance to explain the change in the

He quaffed his drink, put down the bone cup, and hurried back to his tent While waiting, he had finished s and even tipped them with flint points He picked up the two heavy shafts that were leaning against the back of the tent, then reached inside for his backfra spears, and walked back to the fire He didn’t know many words, but it didn’t take , and before the sun was

Jetaer whose laughing eyesevery ti, too She never missed a hunt if she could help it, not since she had been able to hunt Roshario urged her to go “He’ll be fine The Shamud can take care of him without you for a little while, and I’ll be here”

The hunting party had already started out when Jeta on her hood Jondalar had wondered if she hunted Young Zelandonii women often did For women, it was a matter of choice, and the custo children, wo a drive When they went on battue, every able-bodied person was necessary to drive a herd into traps or over cliffs

Jondalar liked woh he’d learned the feeling was by no means universal It was said that women who had hunted themselves appreciated the difficulties andprowess, and she had often joined a hunt even after she had children

They waited for Jetaht the te so fast that he wasn’t sure until they stopped beside a rassland searching for a way to reach the Mother He noticed the ice thickening along the edges when he filled up his waterbag He pushed back his hood, the fur around his face li he wasn’t alone in pulling it back on The air was decidedly nippy

Soathered around while Jondalar examined them A family of rhinoceroses had stopped for a drink, too, and not long before Jondalar

drew a plan of attack in the wet sand of the bank with a stick, noticing the ice crystals were hardening the ground Dolando asked a question with a stick of his own, and Jondalar elaborated on the drawing Understanding was reached and they were all eager to get ain

They broke into a jog, following the tracks The fast pace war blond hair crackled and clung to the fur of his hood It took longer than he expected to catch up, but when he sighted the reddish brooolly rhinos ahead, he understood The aniht north