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“What do you say, Ayla? Would you like to visit?

” Jondalar asked, switching to Zelandonii so she could answer truthfully without fear of offending “Isn’t it time you met your own kind? Isn’t that what Iza told you to do? Find your own people?” He didn’t want to see without anyone else to talk to, he was anxious to visit

“I don’t know,” she said, frowning with indecision “What will they think of me? He wanted to knoho my people were I don’t have any people any more What if they don’t like me?”

“They will like you, Ayla, believe me I know they will Talut invited you, didn’t he? It didn’t matter to him that you have no people Besides, you’ll never know if they will accept you—or if you will like theive therown up with, you know We don’t have to stay long We can leave any time”

“We can leave any time?”

“Of course”

Ayla looked down at the ground, trying to o with them; she felt an attraction to these people, and a curiosity to know ht knot of fear in her sto on the rich grass of the plain near the river, and her fear intensified

“What about Whinney! What e do with her? What if they want to kill her? I can’t let anyone hurt Whinney!”

Jondalar hadn’t thought about Whinney What would they think? he wondered “I don’t knohat they will do, Ayla, but I don’t think they would kill her if we tell them she is special and not meant for food” He re of awe over Ayla’s relationship with the horse It would be interesting to see their reaction “I have an idea”

Talut did not understand what Ayla and Jondalar said to each other, but he knew the wo to coax her He also noticed that she spoke with the sae, the headman realized, but not hers

He was pondering the enigma of the woman with a certain relish—he enjoyed the new and unusual; the inexplicable challenged him But then the mystery took on an entirely new dimension Ayla whistled, loud and shrill Suddenly, a hay-colored alloped into their midst, directly to the wohe had ever known

Was she Ma apprehension One with special powers? Many of Those Who Served the Mother claiic to call animals and direct the hunt, but he had never seen anyone with such control over aninal She had a unique talent It was a little frightening—but think how much a Camp could benefit from such talent Kills could be so easy!

Just as Talut was getting over the shock, the young wo onto theup on the back of the horse and sat astride her The big aped open in astonishe of the river With the colt following behind, they raced up the slope to the steppes beyond The wonder in Talut’s eyes was shared by the rest of the band, particularly a young girl of twelve years She edged toward the headh for support

“How did she do that, Talut?” the girl asked, in a s “That little horse, he was so close, I could almost have touched him”

Talut’s expression softened “You’ll have to ask her, Latie Or, perhaps, Jondalar,” he said, turning to the tall stranger

“I’m not sure myself,” he replied “Ayla has a special ith animals She raised Whinney from a foal”

“Whinney?”

“That’s as close as I can say the naiven the mare When she says it, you’d think she was a horse The colt is Racer I named him—she asked me to That’s Zelandonii for someone who runs fast It also means someone who tries hard to be best The first ti the mare deliver the colt”