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“She nursed hihter He was the son of a Clan woman as alone and died shortly after his birth Nezzie adopted him, just as Iza adopted me when I had no one to take care of me”

It was still a shock, and in so because the headman’s mate had voluntarily chosen to care for the newborn who could have been left to the with its roup as each one paused to consider what had just been learned

Wolf had stayed behind in the valley where the horses were grazing to explore the new territory After a time that was appropriate to him and for his own reasons, he decided to return to the place that Ayla had o when he wanted to find her Like all of his kind, the wolf race, he seeh the wooded landscape Several people were in Wood River Valley picking berries Onelike a silent wraith between the trees

“That wolf is co! And he’s by himself!” the man shouted He scrambled out of the way as fast as he could

“Where’s my baby?” a woman cried in a panic She looked around, saw her toddler, and ran to pick her up and carry her away

When Wolf reached the path that led to the ledge, he ran up it with the sa pace

“There’s that wolf I don’t like the idea of a wolf coe,” another woman said

“Joharran said we should allow hiet my spear,” a man said “Maybe he won’t hurt anyone, but I don’t trust that animal”

People backed out of the way to give hie at the top of the path and headed directly for Marthona’s dwelling One man knocked over several spear shafts when he bumped into them in his hurry to put plenty of clearance between hied hunter The wolf sensed the fear of the people around him and didn’t like it, but he continued toward the location Ayla had indicated he was to go

The silence within Marthona’s dwelling was shattered when Willa, suddenly jumped up and shouted “There’s a wolf! Great Mother, how did that wolf get here?”

“It’s all right, Willa to calht her eldest brother’s eye and sh Joharran was still nervous around the ani smile back

“That’s Ayla’s wolf,” Jondalar said, getting up to ward off any hasty reactions as Ayla rushed to the entrance to settle the anireeted by such loud, frantic noise in the place he had been shown to cos, his hackles were raised, and his teeth were bared

If Zelandoni could have, she would have jurowl seemed to be directed specifically at her, and she shook with fear Even though she had heard about Ayla’s animals and seen thee predator that had entered the dwelling She had never been so close to a wolf; in the olves usually ran away froroups of people

She watched with amazement as Ayla fearlessly hurried toward Wolf, stooped down, put her ar words, only so to calm the animal The wolf first became excited, and licked the neck and face of the woman while she fondled him, then did indeed calm down It was the most unbelievable demonstration of supernatural powers she had ever witnessed Just what kind of mysterious ability did this woman possess to coooseflesh raise at the thought

Willae Ayla with the wolf