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He laid the spears down outside the entrance to the small break in the canyon wall, then went in He was restless and didn’t quite knohat to do with hiether, and added a few sticks, then went out to the front edge of the shelf and looked down the valley The colt’s gy young horse As he pulled his fingers through the aniht of winter
He tried to think of so quality, one so like the next that time seemed held in suspension Decisions were easy to put off To cold … to think about leaving He noticed the simple breech-clout he wore
“I don’t grointer coat like you, little fellow I ought toawl to Ayla and never made another one Maybe that’s what I should do—make a few etting hurt”
He went back into the cave, stepped over his sleeping furs, and cast a longing look at Ayla’s side of the fireplace He rue and found some skins that had been rolled up and put away That wo the velvety soft texture Maybe she’d let h
If those spear throork, I should get enough hides toto wear Maybe I could carve a charood luck It wouldn’t hurt Here’s a coil of thong Maybe I canfor Racer out of this He’s such a runner—wait until he’s a stallion Would a stallion let soo where I wanted him to?
You’ll never know You won’t be here when he’s a stallion You’re leaving
Jondalar picked up the coiled thong, stopped off to get his bundle of flint-knapping tools, and went down the path to the beach The strea, and he felt hot and sweaty He took off his breechclout and waded in, then started pulling upstreaainst the current He usually turned back when he reached the narrow gorge This time he decided to explore further He made it past the first rapids and around the last bend, and saw a roaring wall of white water Then he headed back
The swi that he had e He pulled his hair back, squeezed it out, and then his beard You’ve worn this all summer, Jondalar, and it’s almost over Don’t you think it’s time?
First I’ll shave, thento keep Racer out of the way I don’t want to just put a rope around his neck Then I’ll make an awl, and a burin or two so I can carve a charht A et how around Ayla I may not be up to her standards, but I think I can still put a h on the Journey
What kind of carvings should I put on the spear throwers? A donii would bring the best luck, but I gave mine to Noria I wonder if she ever had a baby with blue eyes? That certainly is a strange idea Ayla has, about a ht that hat that old Haduma wanted First Rites Ayla’s never had First Rites She’s been through soNot bad with a spear thrower either I think I’ll put a bison on hers Will they really work? Wish I had a donii Maybe I could make one …
Jondalar started watching for Ayla fro sky darkened When the valley b
ecae so she could find her way, and he kept thinking he heard her co up the path Finally he e of the streaone farther if he hadn’t heard the pounding of hooves approaching
“Ayla! What took you so long?”
She was taken aback by his pere for herds You know that”
“But it’s after dark!”
“I know It was almost dark before I started back I think I’ve found the place, a herd of bison southeast …”
“It was nearly dark and you were still chasing bison! You can’t see a bison in the dark!”
Ayla couldn’t understand why he was so excited, or his de at bison in the dark, and why do you want to stand here talking?”
With a high-pitched nicker, the colt appeared in the circle of light froainst his dam Whinney responded, and before Ayla could diss It occurred to Jondalar then that he had been acting as if he had soht to question Ayla, and he turned away frorateful for the dark that hid his red face He followed behind while she plodded up the path, so embarrassed that he didn’t notice her weary exhaustion
She grabbed a sleeping fur and, wrapping it around her, hunkered near the fire “I forgot how cold it gets at night,” she said “I should have taken a rap, but I didn’t think I’d be gone this long”
Jondalar saw her shiver and washot to drink” He poured some hot broth into a cup for her