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“No,” she said, feeling rather grateful that soht to ask “I slept very late, then I went to the trenches, and up Wood River Valley to check on the horses I refilled this waterbag at a little creek” She held it up “That’s where Jondalar found me”

“Good If you don’t et so food for everyone,” Proleva said as she headed toward the dwellings at a brisk pace

Ayla glanced aroun

d to see as at this ed s to Marthona, Zelandoni, and Jondalar, whose back was to her at the moment Joharran had turned his attention to Solaban and Rushemar, his close friends and advisers Ayla recalled that Ramara, the woman with the little boy hom she had spoken earlier, was Solaban’s ht before, too She closed her eyes to try to re still had helped; her nausea had quieted

Of the others ere there, she reray-haired man was the leader of a nearby Cave Manvelar was his na to another lanced apprehensively at Wolf now and then A tall, thin woreat deal of authority was another Cave leader, Ayla recalled, but she could not remember her name The uessed he was also a spiritual leader

It occurred to her that this group of people were all leaders of one kind or another in this community In the Clan, these people would be the ones with the highest status A the Mamutoi, they would be the equivalent of the Council of Sisters and Brothers The Zelandonii did not have dual leadership of a sister and brother as headwoman-headman for each Camp as the Mamutoi did; instead some Zelandonii leaders were men and some omen

Proleva was returning at the sah she seeroup—she had been the one they turned to when food anted, Ayla noticed—she was obviously not the one ould bring and serve it She was returning to the ; she must have considered herself an active participant It appeared that the leader’s mate could be a leader, too

In the Clan, all the people at this kind ofwould be men There were no woht Except for medicine women, a woman’s status depended on the rank of her mate Hoould they reconcile that if they ever visited each other? she wondered

“Ra atoward Solaban and Rushemar

“Good,” Joharran said, which see was back in session Everyone stopped chatting with one another and looked at hiht Have all of you introduced yourselves?”

“I wasn’t here last night,” said the ray-haired leader

“Then allow me to introduce you,” Joharran said As the naled Wolf to stay back “Ayla, this is Brameval, Leader of little Valley, the Fourteenth Cave of the Zelandonii Brameval, meet Ayla of the Lion Ca to bring to hter of the Maht

Brameval repeated his name and his function as he held out his hands “In the name of Doni, you are welcome,” he said

Ayla accepted his hands “In the nareet you,” she said, s

He had noticed the difference in the way she spoke before, and even more now, but he responded to her ser “Little Valley is the best place to catch fish The people of the Fourteenth Cave are known as the best fishers; we hbors, you must visit us soon”