page245 (1/2)

Ayla realized she needed to exchange welcomes, too Wolf seemed less defensive, and Ayla tentatively relaxed her hold on hiht When she stood up, he started to jump up on her, but she motioned him down

Without extending his hands or offering to come any closer, Rutan welco, in kind “I am Ayla of the Mareet you in the name of Mut”

Thurie added her welco to restrict it to only this place, as she had done with Jondalar Ayla responded formally She wished more friendliness had been shown, but she supposed she couldn’t blaly with people could be frightening Not everyone would be as accepting as Talut had been of the strange innovation, Ayla realized, and with a pang, she felt the loss of the people she loved from Lion Camp

Ayla turned to Jondalar “Wolf is not feeling so protective now I think he willto restrain him while he’s around this Camp, and for later, to hold him back in case weable to speak freely around this Ca like that rope guider you made for Racer, Jondalar There’s a lot of spare rope and thongs in the botto to have to teach hiers like that; he has to learn to stay where I want him to”

Wolftheir spears was a threatening gesture She could hardly bla to the defense of the people and horses that e pack From his point of view, it was perfectly understandable, but that didn’t mean it was acceptable He could not approach all the people they e wolves She would have to teach him to modify his behavior, to ht came to her, she wondered if there were other people who understood that a ould respond to the wishes of a woman, or that a horse would let a human ride on his back

“You stay there with hi on to Racer’s lead, though the young stallion had calmed down, he looked for the rope in Whinney’s pack baskets The hostility of the Cauarded than they would be toward any strangers Fro, their fear seemed to have been replaced by curiosity

Whinney had settled down, too Jondalar scratched and patted her and spoke affectionately while he ruh the pack baskets He was h he loved Racer’s high spirits, he ad effect on the young stallion He tied Racer’s lead rope to the thong that held the pack baskets on his dam Jondalar often wished he could control Racer the way Ayla controlled Whinney, with no halter or lead rope But as he rode the ani sensitivity of a horse’s skin, developing a good seat, and beginning to guide Racer with pressure and posture

Ayla ave her the rope, he spoke to her quietly “We don’t have to stay here, Ayla It’s still early We can find another place, on this river or another”

“I think it’s a good idea for Wolf to get used to people, especially strangers, and even if they’re not too friendly, I wouldn’tThey are Mamutoi, Jondalar, my people These may be the last Ma

to the Sue to Lion Camp with them”

Ayla and Jondalar set up their own camp a short distance away froe tributary They unpacked the horses and let the the haze, as they wandered away from their camp

The woe river, but soenerally south, the river ouged a deep trench out of the flat plains By keeping to the steppes above the river valley, the travelers could take awind and the harsher effects of sun and rain on open terrain

“Is this the river Talut talked about?” Ayla asked, unrolling her sleeping furs

The man reached into one of a pair of pack baskets for a rather large, flat piece of s incised on it He looked up toward the section of the dingy sky that gloith an unbearably bright but diffused light, then at the obscured landscape It was late afternoon, that much he could tell, but not much more

“There’s no way to know, Ayla,” Jondalar said, putting thethe distance traveled by s Racer moves at a different pace”