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Wolf saw Ayla walking along the path through the horse meadoith the three woht of the large carnivore, Portula gasped and looked around in panic for a place to run, and Marona blanched in fear Ayla glanced at the wo their reactions, quickly signaled him to stay

“Stop, Wolf!” she voiced aloud, more for the benefit of the wonal Wolf stopped in his tracks and watched Ayla, alert for a sign that he could approach her “Would you like tothat the women still showed fear, she added, “He won’t hurt you”

“Why would I want to meet an animal?” Marona said

The tone of her voice ht-haired woust and even anger Ayla could understand the fear, but the rest of Marona’s reaction seemed inappropriate It was certainly not the response she was used to seeing the animal evoke The other to no indication that they wanted to get close to the wolf

Wolf’s stance had beco, too, she thought “Wolf, go find Jondalar,” she said, giving hi her, then bounded away as she turned to walk up the path toward the enormous stone shelter of the Ninth Cave with the three women

They passed by seve

ral people on the path, and each one showed an i her with the wolances or be children seemed to pay no attention to thee

She studied Marona and the other wo the techniques of women of the Clan No one could be more inconspicuous than Clan woround and seeave the i around the

Froht never to stare or even look directly at a man, to be unobtrusive, and yet they were expected to knohen one needed or wanted her attention As a consequence, Clan wolance absorb significant information from posture, movement, and expression very quickly And they missed little

Ayla was as adept as any of theacy of her years with the Clan as she was of her ability to read body language Her observations of the woain about Marona’s motives, but she didn’t want to make any assumptions

Once they were under the stone ledge they headed in a different direction fro more toward the reeted by another wo for them

“Ayla, this is h theroom “Wylopa, this is Ayla”

“Greetings,” Wylopa said

After the rather formal introductions Ayla had had to all of Jondalar’s close kin, this offhand presentation to Marona’s cousin, with no welco, struck Ayla as odd It was not consistent with the behavior she had already come to expect from the Zelandonii

“Grrreetings, Wylopa,” Ayla said “This dwelling, is it yourrrs?”