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Suddenly she perceived that he did not appraise her the way most of the Zelandonii men did, whether overtly or with more subtlety, and she understood that this man did not look to wo with the Lion Ca with much interest to a discussion about people who carried the essence of both male and fe that such Zelandoni often made excellent healers, and she couldn’t help but smile Perhaps he would be another person ho and medicine

His smile in return was friendly “Welcome to River Place, the home of the Eleventh Cave of the Zelandonii,” he said Another htly behind hi way He was rather tall and had nice regular features that Ayla thought would be considered handsome, but he moved in a way that struck her as womanly

The Zelandoni turned to look at the tall naled him forward “I’d like to introduce my friend, Marolan of the Eleventh Cave of the Zelandonii,” he said, then continued the rest of the forer than usual, Ayla thought

While he was speaking, Jondalar moved up beside her, which made her feel better when she was in a new situation, and she had been in many since they had returned to the land of his people She turned to smile at him, then turned back to take both hands of the man He was not as tall as Jondalar, she noted, but somewhat taller than her

“In the name of the Mut, the Great Mother of All, also known as Doni, I greet you, Marolan of the Eleventh Cave of the Zelandonii,” she concluded His s, but they had to step aside to make room for others that the leader and the Zelandoni of the Eleventh Cave elco, and soe any conversational pleasantries There would be tiht

She glanced around to exaher than the bank, and soe of the water, it was still rather close to The River She commented on it to Marthona

“Yes, they are close to The River,” the woman said “Some people think they could be subject

to flooding Zelandoni says there are so now, not even the oldest, has any e of their location, though”

Willamar explained that because of their iood use of The River’s resources Fishing was a principal activity, but more important, the Eleventh Cave was known for water transport “River rafts are used to carry substantial aoods, or people,” he said “The people of the Eleventh Cave are not only thethe rafts up and down The River, for the Caves, but they make most of them”

“That’s their skill,” Jondalar added “The Eleventh Cave specializes inriver rafts Their home is known as River Place”

“Isn’t that what those logs are?” she asked, pointing to several constructions e of the water They weren’t unfa like them before and tried to remember where Then it came to her The S’Ar to find Jondalar and following the only trail that led away from the site of his disappearance, she had come to a river and seen a small raft nearby

“Not all of the raft is their dock The smaller platforms tied to it are rafts Most Caves have a place near the water to secure rafts, so, others have more elaborate docks, but none are quite like theirs When so, either up- or downriver, they go to the Eleventh Cave to ular runs,” Jondalar said T to tell them about the Sharamudoi and their wonderfully s”

Joharran had overheard “I don’t think you’ll have tiht now, unless you want to stay behind I’d like to get back to the Ninth Cave before dark,” he said “I told Kareja I’d stop because she wanted to show you around, Ayla, and I’d like to make a trip upriver by raft after the hunt to ”

“If we had one of those sout boats, a couple of people could paddle upriver and wouldn’t have to worry about poling a heavy raft,” Jondalar said

“How long would it take to make one?” Joharran asked