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“No, not this time Perhaps later,” Ayla said

“Oh, go ahead and do it Don’t spoil everything,” Lorava said

“No! I don’t want to have my face painted,” Ayla said with such fir her

She watched them dress each other’s hair in intricate plaits and coils, placing decorated combs and pins attractively Finally, they added facial ornaic locations in their faces until they put earrings into their earlobes and pluglike ornaments into their noses, cheeks, and under the lower lips, but she saw that Some of the painted decorations now accentuated the ornaments that had been added

“Don’t you have any piercings?” Lorava asked “You’ll just have to get some Too bad we can’t do them now”

Ayla wasn’t sure if she wanted to be pierced, except perhaps in the earlobes so she could wear the earrings she had brought with her all the way fro of the Mammoth Hunters She watched the women add beads and pendants around their necks and bracelets on their arms

She noticed that the wo panel Finally, a little bored with all the coot up and wandered over to see what they were looking at She heard Lorava gasp when she saw the piece of blackened shiny wood, si, and looked at herself

Ayla was not happy with the reflection she saw Her hair had been dressed into braids and coils, but they see symmetrical order of the other wo at each other, then look away When she tried to catch the eye of one of the wo on, and she didn’t think she liked it She certainly did not like what had been done to her hair

“I think I’ll wear an to take out the cos “Jondalar likes it that way” When she had removed all the paraphernalia, she picked up the co, thick, dark blond hair, springy with a fresh-washed natural wave

She adjusted her ah she often wore it under her clothes—then looked at herself in the reflector Maybe someday she’d learn to fix her own hair, but for now she liked it lanced at Wylopa and wondered why the woman hadn’t seen how peculiar her hair had looked

Ayla noticed her leather a in the reflector and tried to see it the way soht It was lumpy with the objects it contained, and the color was much darker fro had originally been intended as a sewing kit Now, only dark quill-shafts re the rounded botton was still intact and added an interesting look with the simple leather tunic She decided to let it show

She reie who had persuaded her to use it as her arimy pouch Ayla had worn before Now this one was old and worn She thought she ought to make a new one soon to replace it, but she would not throw this one away It held too many memories

She could hear activity outside and was getting very tired of watching the wo touches to each other’s face or hair that had no visible effect that she could discern Finally there was a scratch on the rawhide panel beside the opening of the living structure

“Everyone’s waiting for Ayla,” a voice called It sounded like Folara

“Tell them she’ll be out soon,” Marona answered “Are you sure you won’t let me paint your face a little, Ayla? After all, it is a celebration for you”