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Joharran nodded, went out fro that had protected them from the cloudburst, and jumped up on the platform stone at the far end of the shelter He looked at the people starting to gather around, then smiled at Ayla

Ayla slanced up at Jondalar, as looking at the crowd fore raised stone

“Weren’t we here not very long ago?” Joharran said with an ironic smile “When I first introduced her to you, we didn’t know much about Ayla, except that she had traveled here with my brother Jondalar, and had an unusual ith animals We have learned much more about Ayla of the Mamutoi in the short time that she’s been here

“I think we all suspected that Jondalar planned to ht They will join at the First Matri Once they are mated, they will live with us at the Ninth Cave, and I for one welcome them”

There were several coreement from the assembly

“But Ayla is not a Zelandonii Whenever a Zelandonii otiations and other customs that need to be worked out between us and the other people In Ayla’s case, however, the Mamutoi live so far ae’d have to travel a year just totoo old toJourney”

Laughter and co in the tooth, Joharran?” a young man called out

“Wait until you’ve lived as many years as I have Then you’ll knohat old is,” a white-haired man said

When things settled down, Joharran continued “Once they are mated, most people will think of her as Ayla of the Ninth Cave of the Zelandonii, but Jondalar suggested that the Ninth Cave accept her as Zelandonii before the Matrimonial In effect, he has asked that we adopt her It would , and ouldn’t have to get special dispensations froo”

“What does she want?” a woman asked

Everyone turned to look at her Ayla sed hard, and then, concentrating on saying the words as correctly as she could, she said, “More than anything in this world, I want to be a Zelandonii woman, and mated to Jondalar”

Though she tried, she couldn’t prevent the unusual quality of the way she spoke, and no one who heard her could ins; but the simple statement, spoken with such sincere conviction, won most people over

“She did travel a long way to get here” “She’ll be the same as Zelandonii anyway”

“But what is her status?” Laramar asked

“She will have the same status as Jondalar,” Marthona said She had expected him to make trouble, and this time she was ready