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“Come in, then,” Jondalar said

Joharran stepped in and let the heavy entrance drape fall back Marthona and Willareeted hi leftover food fronated as Wolf’s She looked up and smiled

“Joharran toldat Ayla

“I won’t takeweapons of yours If more of us had been able to cast a spear froht have been able to stop that bison before it trampled Shevonar It’s too late to help him, but I want the rest of the hunters to have that safetyto show everyone how to make one of those, and how to use it?”

Jondalar s I could hardly wait to sho they work, so everyone could see their advantage”

All of the residents of Marthona’s dwelling, except Folara, walked with Joharran to the e abri By the tiood nuers had been sent to the Zelandonia of the Caves that took part in the hunt to meet and talk about the burial ceremony Besides the spiritual leader of the Ninth, the Zelandonia of the Fourteenth Cave, the Eleventh, the Third, the Second, and the Zelandoni of the Seventh were there Most of those to whom the people looked for leadership also made an appearance, as well as several others ere interested

“The Spirit of the Bison has claie donier said “It is a sacrifice we must make if she de their heads in acknowledg presence was never so evident as when she ith other Zelandonia Then it beca Those Who Served The Mother

As the ot into a small difference of opinion about athe dispute to run its course Joharran found hisfrom the talk about Shevonar’s burial to a consideration of where to set up practice targets After talking to Ayla and Jondalar, Joharran decided to encourage his hunters toeven before they left for the Su He wanted them to become stalled in Jondalar’s neeapon as quickly as possible But not today He knew there would be no using of weapons this day This was the day the spirit of Shevonar, his elan, would be guided to the next world

Zelandoni’s h she appeared to be seriously considering the points of view being offered She had been thinking about Jondalar’s younger brother ever since she was given the stone with the opalescent face fro for an appropriate time

She knew that both Jondalar and Ayla would have to be involved in the process, and h under any circumstances, especially for those ere not trained to deal with it—it could be dangerous even for those ere It was safer when there werethe cere the contact directly

Since he was killed during a hunt that involved most of the nearby Caves, Shevonar’s burial would have tobe a major ceremony that would include and invoke the protection of the entire coood rime to make an attempt to enter more deeply into the spirit world to search for Thonolan’s vital force, Zelandoni thought She glanced at Ayla and wondered how the foreign woman would react Ayla continually surprised the donier with her knowledge, her competence, and even her commendable attitude

The old donier had been flattered when the young wothe skill she had shown And it was surprisingly appropriate for the young woest that Jondalar take a stone fro that she was unfaht The stone that had presented itself to him was certainly unique It seemed entirely ordinary, until one turned it over and saw that bluish, opalescent face with the fiery red points

That opalescent blue is undoubtedly an aspect of clear, she thought, and red is the color of life, the most important of the Mother’s Five Sacred Colors That little stone is clearly an object of power Soh with it

She was only half listening to the disagreement, when it carave was rather like a surrogate stone With it, the Mother could trace Thonolan’s elan The best and safest place for it would be in a crack of a sacred cave near the surrogate stones of his faate stones of the Ninth Cave were, andplaces of some actual elandons besides her own

There had been a few unusual circumstances that had required her to step in and assume the duties of a parent and take responsibility for the elandons of sos for a few people ere incapable, eithertheir own She never spoke of those, and would never for any reason try to take advantage of her knowledge She ell aware of the dangers, to herself as well as the person the elandon represented