page72 (1/2)

Ayla was pleased to find that water was close by There was a smaller cave at the back of the sheltered depression and just inside it was a spring-fed pool of fresh water that ran off in a ditch that had for the cliff wall She told Solaban where to set up a fireplace with the wood he and Braht

When Ayla asked, several people volunteered their sleeping rolls, which were piled on top of each other to create a slightly raised bed The injured man had awakened when they moved him onto the stretcher, but was unconscious by the time he arrived at the shelter He ain, gri to breathe Ayla folded another bedroll and propped him up on it to try to make hihed up blood instead She wiped his chin with a piece of soft rabbit skin, an item she usually kept with her medicinals

Ayla went through the li and tried to think if there was anything she otten that would help allay his pain Gentian roots ht help, or a wash of arnica Both could relieve the internal pain of bruises and other aches, but she had neither with her The fine hairs on the fruit of hops could be used as a sedative to help hi the air near the in s to be possible No, it would probably h, which would be worse She kneas hopeless, it was just a , at least for his pain

Wait, she thought Didn’t I see that plant from the valerian family on the way here? The one with the aro called it spikenard I don’t know the name in Zelandonii She looked up at the people around her and saw the young woman that Manvelar seemed to have a lot of respect for, the lookout from the Third Cave, Thefona

Thefona had stayed to help clean out the s Ayla The foreign wo about her that ained the respect of the Ninth Cave in the short time she had been there Thefona wondered howShe didn’t have any kind of tattoo marks like the zelandonia did, but the people she caht have different ways Some people tried to fool others about what they knew, but the stranger didn’t see Instead, she did things that were genuinely i Thefona had been thinking about Ayla, but was surprised when the woman called her name

“Thefona, ?” Ayla said

“Yes,” Thefona said, and thought, She does have a strange way of talking Not her words, but the way they sound Maybe that’s why she doesn’t talk much

“Do you know much about plants?”

“Everyone knows so about plants,” Thefona said

“I’love, but it has yelloers, like dandelions The name I know it by is ‘spikenard,’ but that’s a Mamutoi word”

“I’m sorry I know some food plants I don’t know much about medicine plants You would need a Zelandoni for that,” Thefona said

Ayla paused, then said, “Would you watch Shevonar, Thefona? I thought I noticed so back the e caain, or if there is any change at all, would you send someone to find h explaining her actions as ashe usually did “If it is what I think it is, it could be helpful I’ve used the mashed roots as a poultice to help mend bone fractures, but it is easily absorbed and has soothing powers If I mix it with a little datura and ht help ease his pain I want to see if I can find it”

“Yes, of course I’ll watch him,” Thefona said, pleased, for son woman had asked for her help

Joharran and Manvelar were talking to Ranokol in quiet tones, but even though they were right next to her, Ayla hardly heard the the water heating—far too slowly Wolf was lying on the ground nearby, with his head between his paatching her every an to steah to be pounded into a lad to find co of the fresh crushed roots and leaves was also good for bruises and fractures, and while she didn’t think it wouldthat ht ease his pain

When it was ready, she plastered the warm mashed root directly on the al down his chest to his sto hard His eyes opened while she was covering it with a piece of leather to keep it warm