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She put her hand down He continued undressing her slowly, tenderly, then reently, with exquisite tenderness, he ht
The Cave quickly settled down into their usual routine It was a glorious autuolden waves in the brisk wind, and trees near The River blazed with brilliant shades of yellows and reds Bushes were heavy with ripe berries, apples were rosy but tart, waiting for the first frost to turn sweet, nuts were dropping from the trees While the weather held, the days were filled with gathering the season’s bounty of fruits, nuts, berries, roots, and herbs After the te parties went out regularly to stock up on a supply of fresh
During the ware pits were checked and new ones dug into the summer-softened soil so that they would be below the usual permafrost level, and lined with stones The h on platfors it was put into the deep pits, which kept it fro out as the day warmed Several such cold cellars were located near the Ninth Cave Shallower root cellars, which kept fruit and vegetables cold but not frozen during the early part of the season, were dug as well Later, as the freezing glacial winter progressed and the ground froze solid, the produce would be moved to the back of the abri
Sal their way upstream, were netted and sht by a method new to Ayla: the fish traps of the Fourteenth Cave She had visited Little Valley while the fish were running, and Brahted down, allowed fish to easily swim in them, but not back out He had always been very friendly and pleasant to her She was pleased to see Tishona and Marsheval, too Though she hadn’t had the chance to get to know the the Matri mated at the same time
Soave her one of the small pieces of bone, sharpened at both ends and attached in thecord, and told her to catch herself a meal Tishona and Marsheval joined her, partly to see if she needed help, but also for her coe She had both wor a wor on the bank of The River, and she cast her line in When she felt a pull, indicating that a fish had sed the baited gorge, she gave the line a sharp tug, hoping that the sharpened bone would lodge horizontally across its gullet, with both ends piercing the sides She smiled when she pulled a fish from the water
When she stopped at the Eleventh Cave on the way back, Kareja happened to be gone, but she saw the donier of the Eleventh with Marolan, his tall, handsoether at the Su several times and understood he was h they didn’t have a Matri ceremony was primarily for the sake of potential children Many people chose to live together without acereender, especially older couples ere past having children, and so a mate and later decided to live with a friend or two
Ayla often acco party as they were starting out But when the hunters of big game went farther afield, she stayed closer to the cave and used her sling or practiced with the throwing stick Ptarrouse She knew she could have caught the stick with equal siali She also wanted to learn to make thes, usually done edges, and then it took ti to throw theh the air She had once seen a Man She could throw it at a flock of low-flying birds and often knock down three or four of the eapons that took skill
Itweapon to practice with, and she was getting proficient with the throwing stick She seldo with her, too, and often had a hare or a haave her a certain econoh she was already pleased with the way her hoifts she had received when she and Jondalar were joined found good use—she was learning to trade and often exchanged bird feathers, and sos she wanted to furnish her new home with Even the hollow bird bones could be cut into beads or sh-pitched tones Bird bones could also be used as parts of various tools or implements
But many of the hides of rabbits and hares that she hunted with her sling, or the thin, soft skins of birds, she saved for herself She planned to use the soft furs and skins to ot cold and she was bound to the shelter
On a cool, crisp day late in the season, Ayla was rearranging her things, s She picked up the boy’s winter underwear that Marona had given to her and held the tunic up to herself She had long since outgrown it, though she still planned to wear it later It was a coht to make another one for ht She had some extra deerskins She folded it and put it away
She had proet some food to take with her She had developed a real affection for the girl and the baby, and visited the with Laraot to know the other children soh it was a rather stilted acquaintance
She saw Bologan when she arrived at Tre how to s about it It was right for a man to teach the children of his hearth, but theLaraht to associate with, though it certainly wasn’t for her to say
“Greetings, Bologan,” she said “Is Lanoga here?”
Though she had greeted him several times since their return to the Ninth Cave, he still seemed surprised when she did, and always seemed at a loss for words
“Greetings, Ayla She’s inside,” he said, then turned to go