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Well, not entirely alone She watched Wolf poking his nose into every little crack and cranny, and sh she was unaccustomed to so many people, especially all at one time and in one place, she didn’t really want to be alone She’d had her fill of that in the valley she found after she left the Clan, and she wasn’t sure she could have stood it if she hadn’t had Whinney and, later, Baby for company Even with them it had been lonely, but she kne to obtain food and s she needed, and she had learned the joy of utter freedom—and its consequences For the first time, she could do whatever she wanted, even adopt a baby horse or lion Living alone, dependent entirely on herself, had taught her that one person could live, for a while, in reasonable co It was only when she became seriously ill that she realized how completely vulnerable she was

It was then that Ayla fully understood that she would not be alive if the Clan had not allowed an injured and weak little girl, orphaned by an earthquake, to live with theh she had been born to the ones they knew as the Others Later, when she and Jondalar lived with the Maroup, even one that believed the wishes and desires of individuals were important, limited individual freedom, because the needs of the community were equally important Survival depended upon a cooperative unit, a Clan or a Caether and help each other There was always a struggle between the individual and the group, and finding a workable balance was a constant challenge, but not without benefits

The cooperation of the group provided ranted leisure ti the Others allowed an aesthetic sense to bloom The art they created wasn’t so , part of their daily existence Nearly every member of a Zelandonii Cave enjoyed pride of workrees, appreciated the results of one another’s skills Fro, each child was allowed to experiment to find the area in which they excelled, and practical crafts were not considered more important than artistic talents

Ayla re the bison hunt, had been a spear-maker He was not the only person of the Ninth Cave who could reater skill, which gave status to the individual whothe Zelandonii, and most other people she had atherer who supplied it gained standing for giving it Afor food, but without soave a person prestige, no one could live well

Though it was still a difficult concept for her, Ayla had been learning how goods and services were bartered by the Zelandonii Nearly everything that was h its practical worth was not always obvious The value was generally agreed upon by consensus or individual bargaining The result was that truly fine workmanship was rewarded over and above the ordinary, partly because people preferred it, which created deer towell Both talent and workhly valued, and most members of a Cave had a well-developed aesthetic sense within their own canon

A well-made spear that was beautifully decorated had more value than an equally well-made spear that was only functional, but that had infinitely more value than a poorly ht serve as well as a basket that was carefully made with subtle textures and patterns or colored in various tones, but it was not nearly as desirable The barely serviceable one round, but once the roots were cleaned or dried, a ht be preferred to store them Expedient tools and objects that served an immediate need were often made and then discarded, while one that was beautiful and well made was usually kept

It wasn’t only handicrafts that were valued Entertain, cold winters often kept people confined to their dwellings within the shelter for long periods of time, and they needed ways to alleviate the pressures of close quarters Dancing and singing were enjoyed both as individual efforts and as community participation, and those who could play a flute ere as highly valued as those who made spears or baskets Ayla had already learned that Story-Tellers were especially esteemed Even the Clan had storytellers, Ayla recalled They had particularly enjoyed the retelling of stories they knew

The Others also liked hearing the stories retold, but they liked novelty, too Riddles and word ga and old alike Visitors elcoht new stories They were urged to tell about their lives and adventures, whether or not they had dramatic narration skills, because it added ato discuss for long hours as they sat around winter fires Although al tale, those who showed a real talent for it were urged, coaxed, and cajoled to pay visits to neighboring Caves, which was the i Story-Tellers Some of the fro stories No one was more welcomed

Most people could be quickly identified by the designs on their clothing, and the necklaces and other jewelry they wore, but over time the Story-Tellers had adopted a distinctive style of clothing and design that announced their profession Even young children knehen they arrived, and almost all other activities stopped when one orentertainerstrips were often canceled It would be a tih e to survive They were always given gifts as an encouragerew too old or tired of traveling, they could settle doith any Cave they chose

Soether, often with their fa and dancing or the playing of instruments: various kinds of percussions, rattles, rasps, flutes, and occasionally tightened strings that were struck or plucked A local Cave’s ers, dancers, and those who had stories to tell and liked to tell them often participated as well Stories were often dramatized as well as narrated, but no matter hoas expressed, the story and the teller were always the focal point

Stories could be anything: ends, histories, personal adventures, or descriptions of far-off or iinary places, people, or animals A part of every Story-Teller’s repertoire, because it was always in deossip, whether funny, serious, sad, real, or invented Everything and anything was fair ga Story-Tellers also carried private es, from a person to a friend or relative, froh such private communication could be very sensitive A Story-Teller had to prove very trustworthy before being entrusted with particularly confidential or esoteric es between leaders or the zelandonia, and not all Were

Beyond the crest, which was a high point of the area for some distance around, the land dropped down, then leveled out Ayla clile along a faint trail that had been recently cleared through the hillside of dense braly pines She veered away fro canebrake of berry vines gave way to sparse grass At an ancient dry streaave little space to establish neth, she turned and followed it uphill

Wolf seemed especially curious It was new territory to him, too, and he was diverted by every pile and pocket of earth that offered his nose a new sh the limest

one in the days ater rushed along it, then he bounded ahead and disappeared behind a hill of rubble Ayla expected him to reappear anytime, she became concerned She stood near the mound of rocks, looked all around, and finally whistled the sharp, distinctive tones that she had specifically developed to call the wolf Then she waited It was sorown bra out from under the thorny briar

“Where have you been, Wolf?” she said as she bent down to look into his eyes “What is under all these berry vines that it took you so long to get here?”