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He laughed You deprived him all su so eager, now that he knohat he’s missed But don’t push her She may need to rest—she’s not used to it He raced up the path and entered the cave quietly The horses were out to pasture They , and she’s still not awake Is she all right? Maybe I should wake her She rolled over and exposed a breast, adding ihts
He contained his urge and went to the fireplace to pour himself more tea, and wait He noticed a difference in her rando
“Jondalar! Jondalar! Where are you?” she cried, bolting up
“Here I a to hione”
“I’ht here” He held her until she quieted “Are you all right now? Let et you some tea”
He poured the tea and brought her a cup She took a sip, and then a bigger drink “Who made this?” she asked
“I did I wanted to surprise you with hot tea, but it’s not so hot anymore”
“You made it? For me?”
“Yes, for you Ayla, I have never said this to a woman before I love you”
“Love?” she asked She wanted to be sure he ht mean “What does ‘love’ mean?”
“What does …! Jondalar! You poreat Jondalar, the one every woman wants You believed it yourself So careful to withhold the one word you thought they all wanted to hear And proud that you’ve never said it to a woman You finally fall in love—and you couldn’t even admit it to yourself Doni had to tell you in a drea to admit he loves a woman You almost expected her to faint with surprise, and she doesn’t even know theof the word!”
Ayla watched hi to himself about love She had to learn that word
“Jondalar, what does ‘love’ mean?” She was serious, and she sounded a trifle annoyed
He knelt down in front of her “It’s a word I should have explained long ago Love is the feeling you have for someone you care for It is what a mother feels for her children, or a man for his brother Between a man and a woman, it means they care for each other so ether, not ever be apart”
She closed her eyes and felt her ht? Did she really understand?
“Jondalar,” she said, “I did not know that word, but I know theof that word since you caer you were here, the more I knew it So ” She closed her eyes, but the tears of relief and joy would not stay back “Jondalar, I … love, too”
He stood up, bringing her with hi her like some newfound treasure that he didn’t want to break or lose She put her arh he were a dreao He kissed her mouth, and her face salty with tears, and, when she laid her head against hiolden hair to dry his own eyes
He could not speak He could only hold her andher He’d had to travel to the far ends of the earth to find a woo now
• • •
“Why not just stay here? This valley has so much With two of us, it will be so much easier We have the spear throwers, and Whinney is a help Racer will be, too,” Ayla said