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Probably because she had been putting away her clothes, Ayla suddenly remembered a promise she had made to him “Did you have any luck this summer?” she asked

“Luck? What do youpuzzled

“Several youngI wondered if you had any luck hunting,” she said

“Some I killed two aurochs in the first hunt,” he said

“Do you still have the hides?”

“I traded one for bars Why?”

“I pro, if you would help me,” Ayla said “I wonder if you would like to use your aurochs hide, though I think deer hides would be better Maybe you could trade it”

“I was going to trade it, for an said “You said it a long tio, when you first came here”

“It was a long tis I wanted to ht I’d make your outfit at the same time,” she said “I have some extra deer hides, but you’d have to come over and let me take measurements”

He looked at her for soe, al Lorala a lot Lanoga, too Why?”

She thought for a moment “At first, it was just that Lorala was a baby and she needed help People want to help babies, that’s why the wo her, once they found out her a, too”

Bologan was quiet for a while, then he looked at her “All right,” he said “If you really want to , I have a deer hide, too”

Jondalar was on an extended hunting trip, along with Joharran, Solaban, Rushemar, and Jacsoman, who had recentlywith his new mate, Dynoda They were on a mission to find reindeer, not so much to hunt theht be e arestless She had started out with the hunters early, then turned back Wolf had scared up a couple of ptar close, and she dispatched them quickly

Willa trip of the season He had gone west, specifically to get salt from the people who lived near the Great Waters of the West Ayla invited Marthona, Folara, and Zelandoni to share a an She told them she would cook it the way she used to for Creb when she lived with the Clan She had dug a s path to the ledge, lined it with rocks, and built up a good fire inside it While it was burning down, she plucked the birds, including their snowshoe-feathered feet, then gathered an armload of hay to wrap them in

If she had found eggs, she would have stuffed them in the cavities of the birds, but it was not the season for eggs Birds didn’t try to raise chicks when they were heading into winter Instead she picked a few handfuls of flavorful herbs, and Marthona had offered her sorateful The ptarround nuts, in the pit oven, and she had spent ti else to do while she waited for th