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She ca the baby in the water

“It’s warmer isn’t it? Do you like how it feels?” Ayla said

“I don’t know,” Lanoga said

Ayla dipped a little of the tepid water into the basket, added the crushed soaproot, and mixed it around with her hand Then she took out a little of the a, put the baby down, pick up so,” the woman said

The girl watched her, lifted the baby off her hip, put her down in the dirt near her feet, then slowly reached for the soaproot She dipped it in the water and rubbed her hands together A little foam started to fora’s face The saponin-filled roots did not create an abundance of soapy lather, but it was enough to clean her hands

“Good soaproot should be slippery and make some foam,” Ayla said “Now rinse it off, like this See how irl dipped her hands in the water and then looked at theain an expression of interest crossed her face “Let’s eat now”

Ayla went back to where her haversack was and took out soes One was a carved wooden boith a lid, tied on with cordage wrapped around it She untied the cords, rehtly touched the top of the contents “It is still slightly warround cooked grains of different varieties “I collected this grain last fall when Jondalar and I were on our Journey There are some rye seeds and wheat seeds, and so The little black seeds cooosefoot, but it has a diff

erent Zelandonii naood to eat, too I h for you and me, too, but why don’t you see if she likes the meat we scraped first”

The e plantain leaves Ayla handed it to Lanoga and watched to see what she would do She opened the package, took soers, and put it in the baby’son her hip The child opened her mouth readily for her sister, but at the first taste, she looked surprised Shethe taste and texture, and when she finally sed it, she opened her mouth for more She reminded Ayla of a little bird

Lanoga smiled, and Ayla realized it was the first tia fed her sister the rest of the meat, then started on the cereal She took a taste herself first, then put some in the baby’s mouth They both watched her reaction to the new taste With an expression of intense concentration, she exaummy concoction She seemed to think about it for a moment, then sed and opened her mouth for more Ayla was amazed at how much the baby was able to eat, but only when she finally stopped opening her a put another taste in her own mouth

“If you give her so to hold, does Lorala put it in her mouth?” Ayla asked

“Yes,” the girl said

“I brought a little piece of marrow bone I knew a boy who used to love them when he was a baby,” Ayla said with a smile of fond remembrance and sorrow “Give it to her and see if she likes it” Ayla handed her a s bone, with a hole in the center filled with rich ave her the bone, the baby put it in her ain there was that startled look as she stopped and exa sounds “Put her down and eat soa”

Wolf had been watching the baby from the place a few feet ahere Ayla hadwhines, he crept slowly toward the infant as she was sitting on a patch of grass Lanoga watched him a moment, than turned toward Ayla with a look of concern She hadn’t even acknowledged the presence of the animal before

“Wolf loves children,” Ayla said “He wants to play with her, but I think that ht distract hi it to hiht a bone with soive it to him over there by The River while we have our meal”