page56 (1/2)

“Are you co with us to Two Rivers Rock today, Marthona?” Proleva asked

“Yes I think I will I would like to see a de about If it’s as clever as this thread-pulling device,” Marthona said, and recalling her fire-ht before, “and other ideas they’ve brought back with the”

Joharran led the way around a steep section of rock that was close to The River, which le file Marthona followed behind him, and as she looked at the back of her eldest son, she was feeling rather pleased to know that she not only had a son walking in front of her, but for the first time in many years, her son Jondalar was behind her Ayla followed Jondalar, with Wolf on her heels Other people froap of several paces behind the wolf More people joined them as they passed by the Fourteenth Cave

They ca The River between the shelters of the Fourteenth Cave on their side and Eleventh Cave on the other side where the ay broadened out and foa out of the water The River was easily fordable there, shallow enough to wade across, and the location that et to the other side Ayla heard people refer to it as the Crossing

Sos sat down to take them off Others were barefoot like Ayla, or apparently didn’t care if their footwear got wet The people from the Fourteenth Cave held back and allowed Joharran and the Ninth Cave to start across first It was a courtesy to hiested a last hunt before they left for the Su and was nominally the leader

As Jondalar stepped into the cold water, he was re he had wanted to tell his brother “Joharran, wait a moment,” he called The man stopped Marthona was beside hi of the Mamutoi, we had to cross a rather deep river just before we reached the place where the Meeting was held The people of Wolf Caravel in the water to etting wet I knoe sometimes do, too, but their river was so deep, you could fish between the stones I thought it was a clever idea and wanted to reot back”

“This river runs fast Wouldn’t it wash the stones away?” Joharran asked

“Their river was fast, too, and deep enough for salh the spaces between They said the rocks washed out when it flooded, but they built new stepping-stones every year It was good fishing off the rock piles near the middle of the river,” Jondalar explained Other people had stopped and were listening, too

“Perhaps it’s worth considering,” Marthona said

“What about the rafts? Wouldn’t stepping-stones get in the way?” a man asked

“It’s not deep enough here for the rafts most of the time People usually have to carry the any way,” Joharran said

As Ayla waited while the discussion continued, she observed that the water was clear enough to see rocks on the bottom and an occasional fish Then she realized that the middle of the strea ahead, south, on the left bank of The River, she saw a cliff with shelters that was probably the place they were going, and just beyond it, a tributary joining the mainstream Across the smaller river was the start of a line of steep cliffs that paralleled the main river She turned and looked the other way Upriver, toward the north she could see e rock shelter of the Ninth Cave situated on the right bank at the outside of a sharp bend

Joharran started out again, leading the long line of people that were headed toward the home of the Third Cave of the Zelandonii Ayla noticed sonized Kareja and the Zelandoni of the Eleventh athened as they fell in behind As they drew near the high cliff ahead, Ayla got a better look at the huge rock wall, one of many spectacular limestone cliffs in the valley of The River

It had been carved, by the same natural forces that had created all the rock shelters in the region, into two and in places three levels of terraces stacked one above the other Halfway up the massive rock ahead was a shelfin front of a sheltered opening It was theactivities of the Third Cave, and s were located there The terrace offered the protection of a rocky ceiling to the abri belohile it in turn was sheltered by an overhanging cliff above

Jondalar noticed Ayla observing the great limestone cliff and stopped for a moment to let her catch up with him The path wasn’t as narrow and they could walk abreast “The place where Grass River joins The River is called Two Rivers,” he said “That cliff is Two Rivers Rock because it overlooks the confluence”