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There was so about his shape and the way heat her while he approached As he drew closer, Ayla identified the nized The ht not like it, what Ayla saas the sturdy shape and confident, effortless movement of a man of the Clan

Brukeval slad to see her, and she sa and the baby toward Proleva’s dwelling She glanced back for a er, as though she had done so to displease him, and she wondered what it was

She saw ht She couldn’t even wait to exchange a greeting I thought she would be different

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She’s co to look for Ayla and was glad to see her She was afraid the wo bored and would soon beexcuses to leave, curious as they were She had told them only that Ayla wanted to talk to them The fact that the mate of the leader had asked them into her home was an added incentive Proleva held the drape open and beckoned Ayla and the children in; Ayla signaled Wolf to go hoo first

There were nine wo feel rather small and crahtly older; three were in the late stages of pregnancy In addition, two toddlers played on the floor They all knew each other, h tere sisters, but conversation flowed easily They co, and learning to live with a new and often de and looked up at the new arrivals, showing various expressions of surprise

“You all knoho Ayla is, so I won’t go through a long formal presentation,” Proleva said “You can introduce yourselves later”

“Who’s the girl?” a woman said She was older than ot up and walked to her at the sound of her voice

“And the baby?” someone else asked

Proleva looked at Ayla, who had felt rather overwhelmed by all the mothers when she first walked in, and it was obvious they were not shy, but their questions gave her a way to begin

“This is Lanoga, Treest, Lorala,” Ayla said, sure some of them should have known the children

“Tremeda!” the older woman said “Those are Tremeda’s children?”

“Yes, they are Don’t you recognize the to the Ninth Cave,” Ayla said There was athe woht comments both about her unusual accent and the children

“Lanoga is her second child, Stelona,” Proleva said “You a, why don’t you bring Lorala and sit down here, next to irl lifted the baby from her hip and walked toward the leader’s mate, then sat doith Lorala on her lap She would not look at the other women, but watched only Ayla, who smiled at her

“Lanoga caan was hurt He had been in a fight and had a head injury,” Ayla began “It was only then that we discovered a more serious problem This baby can count only a few