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“I don’t knohy it should bother people so much, but it’s probably true,” Ayla said “I think he is part Clan He reminds me of Echozar, but Brukeval has less Clan You can see it is not as strong—except for that look That reminded me of the way Broud looked at me”

“I’m not so sure he’s a mixture Maybe some ancestor came from a distant place and it’s only chance that he bears some superficial resemblance to f … Clan people,” Jondalar said

“He’s your cousin, what do you know about him?”

“I don’t really know much for sure, but I can tell you what I’ve heard,” Jondalar said “Sorandot separated fro that was quite far away She was supposed to have her First Rites at thatBy the time she was found it was the end of summer They say she was irrational, hardly even coherent She claimed she had been attacked by aniain, but she didn’t live long Not long after she returned, it was discovered she had been blessed by the Mother, even though she had never had First Rites She died shortly after giving birth to Brukevars mother, or perhaps as the result of it”

“Where do they think she was?”

“No one knows”

Ayla frowned in thought “She one,” she said

“I don’t think she was starving,” he said

“The animals that attacked her, did she say what kind they were?”

“Not that I’ve heard”

“Did she have any scratch or bite marks or other injuries?” Ayla continued

“I don’t know”

Ayla stopped as they were approaching the area of the dwellings and looked at the tall ht of the crescent moon and the distant fire “Don’t the Zelandonii call the Clan ani about the ones you call flatheads?”

“They do say she hated flatheads, and would run away screaht of one,” Jondalar said

“What about Brukeval’s mother? Did you know her? What did she look like?”