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“Yes, but I will have to think about it,” Ayla said

Jondalar was quick to catch her iiven birth to a horse of a different color It was also true that aion of the Mamutoi, there were some that were shades of dark brown, like Racer He wasn’t sure what color the little filly would be, but it didn’t see

Wolf found theh he instinctively knew to approach the new family carefully, he first went to Whinney Despite her instincts, she had learned that this was not a carnivore to be feared Ayla joined them, and after she satisfied herself that this as the exception, especially since the woman was around, she allowed him to sniff her new baby and let the baby learn his smell

The young horse was a gray filly “I think I’ to call her Gray,” she said to Jondalar, “and she should be Jonayla’s horse But we’ll have to teach theht at the prospect

The next day, when they were back at the horse area on the ledge, Racer welcomed his new little sister with avid curiosity, but under the strict supervision of Whinney Ayla happened to be looking toward the dwelling area when she saw Zelandoni co to see the new foal, she seldom made any special effort to see the animals Other people had found occasions to take peeks and Ayla asked that they not go too close at first, but the donier got a personal introduction to Gray

“Jonokol has told o to the Su,” the donier announced after she had examined the foal

“Well, you expected it,” Ayla said, feeling edgy

“Have you decided yet if you are going to be

Ayla looked down, then back at the woman

Zelandoni waited, then looked into Ayla’s eyes “I think you have no choice You know you will feel the call one day, perhaps sooner than you think I would hate to see your potential destroyed, even if you were able to survive it without support and training”

Ayla struggled to break away fro, or the pathways in her brain, she found a resource She felt a power rising within her, and knew that she was no longer constrained by the donier, but instead felt that she had doave her a sense of soth, of mastery, of authority, that she had never consciously felt before

When she released the wolanced away for an instant When she looked back, the feeling of tre at her with a knowing s was bothering her, and Ayla’s attention went back to her child

Zelandoni was shaken, but she controlled it quickly She turned to leave, but turned back and studied Ayla again, not with the gaze that engendered the contest of wills, but with a straightforward, piercing look “Tell me now you are not Zelandoni, Ayla,” she said quietly

Ayla flushed and glanced around with uncertainty, as though trying to find soe wo presence she had always known

“I will tell Jondalar,” she said, then quickly looked down at the baby