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He found a stick to loosen the soil and covered the essence of his Pleasures with the earth of the Mother Zelandoni had told him it was a waste of the Mother’s Gift to spill it, but if it was necessary, it should be given back to Her, spilled on the ground and covered Zelandoni was right, he thought It was a waste, and there had been no pleasure in it

He walked alongside the strea by the large boulder with her arm around the colt and her forehead pressed on Whinney’s neck She looked so vulnerable, clinging to the ani on hi her He was sure he had caused her distress, and he felt ashah he had committed some reprehensible act With reluctance, he came out of the woods

“There are times when a man can’t wait to make his stream,” he lied, with a weak smile

Ayla was surprised Why should he make words that were not true? She knehat he had done He had relieved himself

A man of the Clan would have asked for the leader’s mate before he would have relieved hily as she ould have been signaled, if there was no other woman No adult male would relieve himself Only adolescents, who had reached physical maturity but had not yet made their first kill, would consider it But Jondalar had preferred to take care of hinal her She was beyond hurt; she was humiliated

She ignored his words and avoided a direct look “If you want to ride Whinney, I’ll hold her while you get up on the rock and put your leg over I will tell Whinney you want to ride Maybe she will let you”

That was the reason they had stopped picking, he recalled What had happened to his enthusias froive the i was nore boulder while Ayla guided the horse closer, but he avoided eye contact, too

“How do you o where you want?” he asked

Ayla had to consider the question “I do not o”

“But how does she knohere you want to go?”

“I don’t know …” She didn’t; she hadn’t thought about it

Jondalar decided he didn’t care He illing to go wherever the horse would take hi to take him at all He put a hand on her withers to steady hierly straddled the horse

Whinney cocked her ears back She kneasn’t Ayla, and the load was heavier and lacked the ihs and legs But Ayla was close, holding her head, and the man was familiar The mare pranced with uncertainty but settled down after a few moments

“What do I do now?” Jondalar asked, seated on the s on either side—not quite knohat to do with his hands

Ayla patted the horse with fae that was part gesture, part clipped Clan words, and part Zelandonii “Jondalar would like you to give him a ride, Whinney”

Her voice had the urging-forward tone, and her hand exerted gentle pressure; cue enough to the animal so attuned to the woman’s directions Whinney started forward

“If you need to hold on, put your arms around her neck,” Ayla advised

Whinney was used to carrying a person on her back She didn’t juuidance, she moved with hesitancy Jondalar leaned forward to pat her neck, as much to reassure himself as the horse, but the movement had a similarity to Ayla’s direction to move faster The unexpected forward jolt caused the man to follow Ayla’s advice He wrapped his ar far forward To Whinney, it was a signal to increase speed

The horse broke into an all-out gallop straight across the field, with Jondalar hanging on to her neck for all he orth, his long hair strea behind him He could feel the wind in his face, and, when he finally dared open his eyes a crack, he saw the land —and thrilling! He understood Ayla’s inability to describe the feeling It was like sliding down an icy hill in winter, or the tieon, butHis eye was drawn by a blur ofbeside hisher pace

He heard a distant whistle, sharp and piercing, and suddenly the horse wheeled around in a tight turn and galloped back

“Sit up!” she called to Jondalar as they approached When the horse slowed, nearing the wohter Whinney cantered to a halt beside the stone

Jondalar was shaking a bit when he dislistened with excitement Ayla patted the mare’s sweaty flanks, then followed her more slohen Whinney trotted toward the beach near the cave

“Do you know that colt kept up with her the whole way? What a racer he is!”

From the way Jondalar used it, Ayla sensed there was“What is a ‘racer’?” she asked