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It was obvious that Mardena was uncohtened, and Ayla knew Wolf would smell it She held him firmly He didn’t always respond well to such evident fear

“Since they offered, it’s the polite thing to do, Mardena And you’ll never be able to visit again if you don’t You will be too afraid You don’t need to fear this wolf You can see that no one else does, not even me So why should you?” Denoda said

Mardena looked around and saw the large croatching her She thought it was probably the whole Ninth Cave, and none of theh she were on trial and was sure she’d be too huo close to that wolf She looked at her son, the boy for whom she’d always feltin her life, and she was eave birth to him

“Go ahead, mother,” he said “I met rum”

Finally, Mardena put one foot toward the woman and the wolf, and then another When she reached theht it to the wolf’s nose She could almost smell her fear, but the

woht Wolf probably smelled her own hand more than Mardena’s Then she took the hand and led her to touch the fur on his head

“Wolf fur can be a little rough, but you’ll notice how so of her hand Mardena kept it there ait away

“See, that wasn’t so bad, was it?” Denoda said “Sos than you need to, Mardena:”

“Come and have soood,” Marthona said “We decided toin a roasting pit We’re almost ready to take it out”

Ayla alking with Mardena and Lanidar “That’s a lot of work to go to for atreated so generously

“Everybody worked on it,” Ayla said “When I told theht it would be a good ti pit They said they planned to do it anyway, but this gave thes the way I learned when I was a girl Try thegrouse, it’s the one I killed with the spear-thrower yesterday, but if the taste is not to your liking, please don’t hesitate to have so else instead I learned on our Journey that there are s, and not everyone likes all of them”

“Welcome to the Ninth Cave, Mardena”

It was the First A Those Who Served The Mother! Mardena didn’t think she had ever spoken to her before, except in unison during a ceremony

“Greetings, Zelandoni Who Is First,” Mardena said, feeling a little nervous to be talking to the huge wo on a raised stool It was sie, but it was left at the Camp for when she wanted to spend time with her Cave

“And welcome to you, too, Lanidar,” the First said There was a warmth in her tone when the donier spoke to her son that Mardena had never heard froh I understand you were here yesterday”