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Ayla had seen his grimace of pain and knew the extent of his injuries She was an experienced medicine woman She had prepared the datura before he even woke up She watched the wrinkles on his forehead smooth out and his body relax, then put out the la beside the man, but she was far from sleepy

By the glow of the banked coals, sheWhinney nicker softly, she crossed over to her She was pleased to see the e scent of the man in the cave hadthe h to lie down Ayla sat down below Whinney’s neck and in front of her chest, so she could stroke her face and scratch around her ears The foal, who had been lying near his daot curious He nuzzled between theers She felt the suction, but he let go when he discovered she had nothing for him His need to suck was satisfied by his mother

He’s a wonderful baby, Whinney, and he’ll grow up strong and healthy, just as you did You have someone now, like you, and so do I It’s hard to believe After all this time, I’m not alone anymore Unexpected tears came to her eyes How many, many moons have passed since I was cursed, since I’ve seen anyone And now someone is here Ato live She wiped her tears with the back of her hand His eyes made water like this, too, and he smiled at me And I smiled back

I am one of the Others, just as Creb said Iza told me to find my own kind, to find ht here forhim?

Baby! Baby gave him to me! He was chosen, just as I was chosen Tested and ave me And now his totem is the Cave Lion, too It means he could be h for a woman with a Cave lion totem I could even have more babies

Ayla frowned But babies aren’t really an inside me Men start babies, not totems Don-da-lah is a man…

Suddenly Ayla thought of his organ, stiffened with the need to lose his water, and she ree pulsing inside that s? They had started when she watched Whinney and the dark brown horse …

A dark brown horse! And now she has a dark brown foal That stallion did start a baby in her Don-da-lah could start a baby in me He could be my mate…

What if he doesn’t want me? Iza said men do that if they like a woman Most men Broud didn’t like me I wouldn’t hate it if Don-da-lah … Suddenly she flushed I’ly! Why should he want to do that to ht have a mate What if he wants to leave?

He can’t leave He has to teach ain Would he stay if I could understand his words?

I’ll learn them I’ll learn all his words Then o now I’ve been alone too long

Ayla jumped up, al into deep velvet blue; night was nearly over She watched shapes of trees and fao in and look at thehi

Maybe he won’t like it if I hunt? I already decided I wasn’t going to let anyone stopInstead she walked down to the beach, doffed her wrap, and took a ood and see place no longer existed after the spring flood, but she had discovered another place downstream a short ways and headed in that direction

Jondalar woke up to the s, whichto eed to prop hione, and so were the horse and her foal, but the place they had occupied was the only other place in the cave that looked re place, and there was only one hearth The woman did live here alone, except for the horses, and they could not be considered people

But then, where were her people? Were there other caves nearby? Were they on an extended hunting trip? In the storage area were cave furnishings, furs and leathers, plants hanging froe Cave Was it just for her? If she lived alone, why did she need so much? And who had carried hiht him and left him with her

That htfor it—at least she see—but she is competent No doubt of that She probably came here to impose some test on herself, to develop some special skill—maybe with animals—and her people found me, and there wasn’t anyone else, so she let them leave me here She must be a very powerful zelandoni to have such control over animals

Ayla ca a dried and bleached pelvic-bone platter, with a large, freshly baked trout on it She smiled at him, surprised to find hied the furs and straw-stuffed leather pads so that he could sit ave him a bark tea to start with, to keep down the fever and alleviate pain She put the platter across his lap, then went out and returned with a bowl of cooked grain, fresh peeled thistle stalks and cow parsley, and the first wild strawberries

Jondalar was hungry enough to eat anything, but after the first few bites, he slowed down to appreciate the taste Ayla had learned Iza’s ith herbs, not only as rain were enhanced by her deft hand The fresh stalks were crisp and at the right stage of tenderness, and the wild strawberries, though few, brought their oard of sweetness with no assistance from anyone but the sun He was ied as a fine cook, and though the flavors were not the same, he understood the subtleties of food well prepared

It pleased Ayla that he took tiht his She left the head co was down and only a little soreness reht carry so Would it heal properly? Would he regain full use? Some use? Or would he be a cripple?