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“You weren’t there, Lara to keep his temper under control “As usual, you couldn’t be bothered to join the hunt”

“I was sick,” the man said defensively

“Sick fro you, no one could have saved Shevonar Not Zelandoni, not the most skilled healer that ever lived He had been traht of a bison? If it hadn’t been for Ayla, I doubt that he would have survived until Relona arrived She found a way to ease his pain Ayla did asmalicious rumors about her? What has she ever done to you?” They stopped talking when Ayla and Jondalar and several others walked past

“Why are you sneaking around listening to private conversations?” Laramar countered, still defensive

“Walking up to you in full daylight is hardly sneaking, Laramar I came here to tell you that Proleva and some of the others have prepared some food for everyone, so you could share it,” Joharran answered “What I heard was said out loud I couldn’t exactly close my ears” Then he directed his coood healer, why not give her a chance? We should be glad to welcoht need them yourselves Nohy don’t you all co thenized and would remember each one, then he walked away

The tight little group broke up and followed hireed with Joharran, at least as far as giving Ayla a chance to prove herself, but a few didn’t want to or could not overcoreeable with the ainst her, really didn’t care one way or the other He tended to go along hatever as easiest

As Ayla walked with the group fro under the protective overhanging shelf when it started raining harder again, she thought about all the different talents and abilities that people enjoyed exercising to occupy theh the choice of materials they worked ere quite varied Some, like Jondalar, liked to ith flint to craft tools and hunting weapons, so ood, or ivory, or bone, so with fibers, or hides It ca with people

As they got closer and her nose detected wonderful cooking odors, Ayla realized that cooking and working with food was also a task so co she enjoyed, which was probably the reason for this iht about herself and what she liked to do best She was interested in s she had never done before, buta medicine woman, a healer

The e area where people orking on their projects, but as they approached, Ayla noticed that an adjacent area was being set up for a task that may not have been quite as enjoyable but needed to be done Several nets for drying the meat they had hunted had been stretched out a couple of feet above the ground between upright posts There was a layer of soil on the stone surface of the abri and its front porch, shallow in soh to support posts in others Soed into cracks in the stone or supported by post holes dug into the soil Piles of rocks were often added for additional bracing

Other similar constructions, obviously ether,racks They could be lifted up and leaned against the back wall to get theetables needed to be dried, the portable frames could be placed anywhere on the floor they wanted Occasionally meat was dried for preservation near the place it was killed, or on the grassy floodplain below, but when it rained, or just because people wanted to work closer to their ho

A few s on the drying racks, and s nearby, to keep away insects and incidentally to add a flavor to the ht that after they ate she would offer her help to cut up the meat to dry She and Jondalar had just selected their food and were deciding where to eat when she saw Joharran stalking toward therim expression

“Jondalar, does Joharran seery to you?” she asked

The tallbrother “I think so,” he said “I wonder what happened?” He would ask later, he thought

They glanced at each other, then strolled over to join Joharran, Proleva, her son, Jaradal, Marthona, and Willareeted warmly, and a place was made for them It did see, but he did not seem to want to talk about it, at least not with them They all smiled in welcome when Zelandoni decided to join the, but caathered to eat

“Can I get you so?” Proleva asked