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“I think your Mamut was a wiseskills from a woman of the people who raised you, this Clan Don’t they do anything to nition?”

“I was given a certain black stone, a special sign to keep in my amulet when I was accepted as a medicine woman of the Clan,” Ayla said “But they don’t make a mark like a tattoo for medicine woman, only for totem, when a boy becomes a man”

“How do people recognize one when they need to call upon a healer for help?”

Ayla hadn’t thought about that before She paused to consider it “Medicine women don’t have to be marked People know A ht Her position is always recognized Iza was the highest ranked woher than Brun’s mate”

Zelandoni shook her head Ayla obviously thought she had explained so, but the woman didn’t understand “I’m sure that’s true, but how do people know?”

“By her position,” Ayla repeated, then tried to clarify “By the position she takes when the clan goes sons she uses when she … talks, by the signals that are made to her when she’s addressed”

“Isn’t that all so aard? This cuns?” Zelandoni asked

“Not for thens They don’t talk ords as we do,” Ayla said

“But, why not?” Marthona wanted to know

“They can’t They can’t make all the sounds we do They can make some, but not all They talk with their hands and their bodies,” Ayla tried to explain

Jondalar could see the bewilder more frustrated He decided it was time to cut the confusion

“Ayla was raised by flatheads, mother,” he said

There was a stunned silence

“Flatheads! Flatheads are animals!” Joharran said

“No, they’re not,” Jondalar said