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“I’ve gone out on drives, but I never was very good with a spear, and I don’t seem to be much better with the thrower,” Folara said “I’ll take Jonayla” The infant was now thoroughly awake, and when the young woly went to her aunt

“I’ll help her,” Proleva said to Ayla Joharran’sblanket, just a few days older than Jonayla, and an active boy who could count six years to watch out for as well “I think we should take all the children away fro rock, or up to the Third Cave”

“That’s a very good idea,” Joharran said, “Hunters stay here The rest of you go back, but go slowly No suddenaround, like a herd of aurochs And e pair off, each group keep together They will probably go after anyone alone”

Ayla turned back toward the four-legged hunters and sawin their direction, very alert She watched the ani characteristics, helping her to count the female casually turn around—no, a male, she realized when she saw his otten for a moment that the males here didn’t have manes Theone that she knew quite well, did have some hair around the head and neck, but it was sparse This is a big pride, she thought,words, possibly asones

While she watched, the big lion took a few rass It was surprising hoell the tall thin stalks could hide anie

Though the bones and teeth of cave lions—felines that liked to den in caves, which preserved the bones they left behind—were the same shape as their descendants that would someday roam the distant lands of the continent far to the south, they were e In winter they grew a thick winter fur that was so pale, it was almost white, practical conceal Their suh still pale, wasthem a rather tattered, mottled look

Ayla watched the group of mostly women and children break off from the hunters and head back to the cliff they had passed, along with a few young men and woned to guard them Then she noticed that the horses seeht she should try to calnaled Wolf to come with her as she walked toward the horses

Whinney seelad to see both her and Wolf when they approached The horse had no fear of the big canine predator She had watched Wolf grow up from a tiny little ball of fuzzy fur, had helped to raise hio back behind the stone ith the woive Whinney nals, but she wasn’t sure how to tell the o with the others and not follow her

Racer whinnied when she neared; he seereeted the brown stallion affectionately and patted and scratched the young gray filly; then she hugged the sturdy neck of the dun-yellowthe first lonely years after she left the Clan

Whinney leaned against the young woman with her head over Ayla’s shoulder in a familiar position of mutual support She talked to the ns and words, and anie she had developed with Whinney when she was a foal, before Jondalar taught her to speak his language Ayla told the o with Folara and Proleva Whether the horse understood, or just knew that it would be safer for her and her foal, Ayla was glad to see her retreat to the cliff with the other mothers when she pointed her in that direction

But Racer was nervous and edgy, rown, the young stallion was accusto his daether, but this tio with her He pranced and tossed his head and neighed

Jondalar heard him, looked over at the stallion and the wo horse nickered at the man as he approached With two females in his small “herd,” Jondalar wondered if Racer’s protective stallion instincts were beginning to make themselves felt The man talked to him, stroked and scratched his favorite places to settle hio with Whinney and slapped hiht direction

Ayla and Jondalar walked back to the hunters Joharran and his two closest friends and advisers, Solaban and Rusheroup that was left It seemed much smaller now

“We’ve been discussing the best way to hunt them,” Joharran said when the couple returned “I’y to use Should we try to surround them? Or drive them in a certain direction? I will tell you, I kno to hunt for meat: deer, or bison or aurochs, even mammoth I’ve killed a lion or two that were too close to a camp, with the help of other hunters, but lions are not animals I usually hunt, especially not a whole pride”

“Since Ayla knows lions,” Thefona said, “let’s ask her”