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The woed in order, too, the same order as the men so they would match up properly Ayla smiled at Levela, as ahead of her She would have liked to stand next to Proleva’s sister while she aiting, but she was of the Ninth Cave, and there were several wooing to live at the Second Cave with Jondecas were similar since they came frohest status, so the position of their coe her than Levela’s, but the minor benefit could be accrued only if they lived at his Cave

The Zelandoni of the Cave where the couple would ultimately live conducted the cere as assistants Thepeople and their mates were also part of the ceremony, and often close fa until they would be asked to play their role With older couples for who, but anted to declare a foreree with, but they often included friends and relatives in their ceremony

Ayla noticed Janida toward the rear, since she was of the South Holding of the Twenty-ninth Cave, and slanced up in Ayla’s direction At the very back she saw Joplaya, also a foreign woh the man of her hearth had once been a first-ranked Zelandonii Though her position was last here, she was a the first of the Lanzadonii, and that was all that counted Ayla looked around at all the woht There were still so nize, and Caves froeneral introductions She had overheard someone say she was of the Twenty-fourth Cave, and someone else said she was from Bear Hill, a part of New Home on the little Grass River

To Ayla, the waiting see? she wondered They had to hurry to get in order, now they were just standing around Maybe they were still waiting for the ed his ed his mind? No He wouldn’t! Why should he? But, what if he did?

Inside the zelandonia lodge, the First moved aside the drape that covered the concealed private access at the rear of the large dwelling, directly across froular entrance, and pushed the screen aside She peeked out and scanned the assembly area that came down from the hillside behind and opened out onto the ca all afternoon and it was nearly full It was time

The men filed out first When Jondalar looked up the slope, he was sure that every person who possibly could be there was in attendance The ht he heard the word “white” more than once He kept his eyes on the back of the man in front of hi an impression In fact, it was more than the white tunic The tall, incredibly handso eyes would have stood out anyway, but when his blond hair was clean it was nearly white, and bathed and freshly shaved, wearing the pure, shining white tunic, he was stunning

“If I could iine Doni’s lover, Lumi, come to earth in human form, there he stands,” said Jondecam’s mother, the tall blond Zelandoni of the Second Cave to her younger brother, Kimeran, the leader of the Second Cave

“I wonder where he got that white tunic I wouldn’t mind one like it,” Kimeran said

“I think every h I think you’d be one of the feho ht wear it as well, Kimeran,” she said In her opinion, her brother was not only as tall and fair as his friend Jondalar, he was as handsolad he kept his beard this suood in it”

After the e bonfire, it was the women’s turn Ayla strained to see out when the entrance drape was finally opened It was ale cere brilliance and made indistinct the torches that had been placed around the area They would be welcoh later She could see several people near the fire The large figure with her back to her had to be Zelandoni A signal was given and the women came out

The ure in the white leather As they formed a se it! He’s wearing my tunic Everyone was dressed in his finest, but no one else earing white, and he stood out from all the rest In her mind, he was by far the reed with her She saw hihted by the large fire, and he was staring as though he couldn’t look anyplace else

She is so beautiful, he thought She had never looked so beautiful The deep straw-colored, dark golden-yellow tunic Nezzie

had hts of decorative beads, almost perfectly matched her hair, which tumbled down loosely, the way he liked it best

Her only jewelry were the as in her newly pierced ears—the matched ambers from Tulie, he reiven to her The brilliant yellow-orange stones picked up highlights fro sun and shone resplendently between her bare breasts The tunic, open in front but cinched at the waist, was unlike any of the others, but it suited Ayla perfectly

Marthona, watching from the front of the audience, was pleasantly surprised when her son appeared in the white tunic She knew the garinally chosen, and it wasn’t hard to conclude that the white tunic was in the package she had delivered to Jondalar The lack of decoration enhanced the sih It didn’t need any h the ermine tails were a nice touch She had seen the fels and implements Ayla used and noticed her penchant for si exa quality be its own adornment