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Zelandoni and Marthona caught each other’s eyes and nodded a slight acknowledgment The donier had talked with the forested that she, perhaps, ought to consider affiliating with the zelandonia in soht be better for her and everyone else

“Then Shevonar’s tunic has his mark, his abelan, and the Zelandonii abelan,” Ayla stated, as though learning a lesson by rote

“Yes He will be recognized by everyone, including Doni The Great Earth Mother will know that he is one of Her children who lived in the southwest region of this land,” Zelandoni said “But that is only part of the design on Shevonar’s Cere the necklaces Besides the Zelandonii abelan, part of the pattern includes the nine squares that identify his Cave, and other patterns that define his lineage There are symbol marks for the woman he mated, the abelans of her children born to his hearth His craft, spear-, is represented, and of course, his own symbol mark His abelan is the most personal, and personally powerful element of all His Ceremonial outfit, which are his burial clothes now, are, I suppose you could say, a visual display of his names and ties”

“Shevonar’s Ceremonial outfit is particularly nice,” Marthona said “It was created by the old pattern-ood”

Ayla had thought the clothing of the Zelandonii was very interesting, sos—but she’d had no idea of the cos had seemed too ornate for her taste She had learned to appreciate the pure fors she made, just as her Clan mother did Occasionally she varied the pattern in a basket she eaving, or showed off the grain of the wood in a bowl or cup she carved and sanded smooth, but she had never added decorations

Now she was beginning to understand how the clothes and jewelry that people wore, as well as their facial tattoos, characterized and identified thehly decorated, was one that she felt had a balanced and pleasing pattern She was surprised, however, when Marthona said that it had been created by an old man

“Shevonar’s clothes must have taken a lot of work Why would an oldclothes?” Ayla asked

Jondalar s Cere That’s what a patternmaker does”

“The old man didn’t make Shevonar’s Cereether,” Marthona said “There are so many aspects to include, it takes a special skill and an artistic eye to put thee to have the clothes made Several people had worked closely with hireat deood, not yet”

“But ould the old man or anyone else do it for Shevonar?” Ayla asked

“He traded for it,” Jondalar said

Ayla frowned It was obvious she still didn’t quite understand “I thought people traded with other Camps or Caves I didn’t know they traded with people in their own Cave”

“But why not?” Willamar said “Shevonar was a spear-maker He was known for his well-e all the elements and symbols he wanted to show on his Ceremonial outfit in a way that pleased him So he traded twenty of his finest spears for that outfit, and he prized it greatly”

“It was one of the last the old er allowed him to practice his craft, he traded Shevonar’s spears, one by one, for other things he wanted, but he saved the best one for hiround, but he took that spear with him to the spirit world It was one that had both his and Shevonar’s abelans on it”

“If he is especially pleased with his handiwork,” Jondalar explained, “along with the abelan of the person it is being made for, a spear-maker son carved or painted on it”