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“Today is the day Jondalar and I will be ht hi way since then We’ll never see that valley again,” Ayla said to the horse

Racer nudged her, wanting his share of attention Ayla patted hi, thick neck of the brown stallion Wolf appeared fro foray He loped toward the young woman surrounded by the horses

“There you are, Wolf,” she said “Where have you been? You were gone thisthe trees out of the corner of her eye She looked up just in tie behind the thick underbrush She bent over and cupped Wolf’s head between both her hands,his furry jowls “Have you found yourself a o back to the wild like Baby did? I would miss you, but I wouldn’t want to keep you frorowled softly in content him He seemed to have no inclination at the ure in the woods

The top edge of the sun appeared on the horizon Ayla s ca about now The ca to life

She saw Jondalar co strides His brorinkled in concern The expression was faht She had become familiar with every line and movement of his face She often watched hi hi He knotted his brow the sa on a new piece of flint, as though trying to see the eneous material so he would know in advance which way it would shear She loved all his expressions, butway, or looking at her with his eyes dilated, full of love and desire

“I woke up and you were gone, Ayla,” Jondalar said as he approached

“I woke up early and couldn’t go back to sleep,” Ayla said, “so I ca in the woods That’s why he was gone this ”

“That’s a good reason to be gone If I had aoff with her to the woods,” he said, a s the worried frown He put his arms around her and pulled her close to him, and looked down at her Her hair was still tousled fro her face in a un to wear her hair coiled neatly around her head in the manner of the women of his Cave, but he still loved it best when it was loose and free, the way it was the first tiht on the ledge in front of her cave in the valley, after she had bathed in the river below

“You’ll have one before this day is through,” she said “Where would you like to run off with her?”

“To the end of my life, Ayla,” he said as he kissed her

“There you are! Re day No Pleasures until after the ceremony” It was Joharran “Marthona wants you, Ayla She asked me to look for you”

Ayla went back to the tent Marthona had a cup of tea waiting for her “This will have to do for your breakfast, Ayla You are supposed to fast today”

“This is fine I don’t think I could eat today anyway Thank you, Marthona” She watched Jondalar leave with Joharran carrying several bundles and packs

Jondalar saw Joharran signal to hie that he was sharing with several of the ht Most of them had some relational tie with each other, and all of them had one or two of their closest friends or relatives with thes that he would need for the fourteen-day trial period to a s cah he felt he could have brought the things Ayla would need as well, so them later, as was customary

He waited for his brother just outside the entrance to the lodge The place was not es he had often shared with young et away from the watchful eyes of their mothers, mothers’ mates, and other people in authority Jondalar recalled the summers spent in such a place with rowdy friends and often, teood-natured rivalry between the lodges and the youngwooal seeht, except for the nights when they reserved it for the men only