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The young people were involved with each other and didn’t notice Ayla and Jondalar co very responsibly, not allowing the group of youngsters to crowd in around the horses, especially Gray He had obviously allowed the visitors to stroke and scratch theet close He seemed to sense when the horses were tired of all the attention and just wanted to graze, and quite firsters to leave them alone The couple didn’t know that he had banished soto tell Ayla, who, he re Those Who Served The Great Earth Mother

The zelandonia were the ones whoh they were respected, often revered, andfor them was always tempered with a little fear The zelandonia were intimate with the next world, the world of spirits, the fearsome place where one hen the elan—the life force—left their body They had other powers that went beyond the ordinary, too Youngsters often spread rumors, and boys in particular liked to scare each other by telling stories about what a zelandoni ht do, especially to their ry

They all knew that Ayla seemed to be a normal woman with a mate and a baby, but she was still an acolyte, ato her speak eeness and made them aware that she was from some other place, a distant place, farther away than anyone had ever traveled, except for Jondalar But Ayla also exhibited extraordinary abilities, like having control over horses and a wolf Who knehat she ht be capable? Soh he was born to the Zelandonii, because of the strange ways he had learned while he was gone

“Greetings, Ayla and Jondalar, and Wolf,” Lanidar said, which caused so visitors who had not noticed their arrival to turn around sharply They see He had noticed a change in the behavior of the horses Even in the darkening twilight, the animals were aware of thei

r approach and were edging toward them

“Greetings, Lanidar,” Ayla said “Your rand with most of the Ninth Cave You have been invited to share a meal with them”

“Who atch the horses?” he said, leaning down to pet Wolf, who had come to him

“We have already eaten We’ll take them back to our camp,” Jondalar said

“Thank you for looking out for them, Lanidar,” Ayla said “I appreciate your help”

“I liked doing it I’ll watch them anytime,” Lanidar said He meant it Not only did he enjoy the ani responsible for the women, to visit

With the arrival of the First Aht up in the usual hectic activity of the season The Rites of First Pleasures had the usual complications, but none that had been as difficult as the one Janida had posed the year before when she turned up pregnant before she’d had her First Rites Especially when Peridal’swoman The mother’s opposition was not entirely unreasonable, since her son could count only thirteen years and a half, and Janida could count only thirteen

It wasn’t only their youth Although Peridal’s mother didn’t want to ad woman who shared Pleasures before her First Rites lost status But, because Janida was pregnant, she also gained status Several olderto offer her their hearths and welcome her child, but Peridal was the only one hom she had shared Pleasures, and she wanted him She had done it not only because he had pressed her so persistently, but because she loved him

After the cereanize the first Matrie herd of bison was spotted nearby, and the leaders decided that a major hunt was in order before the Matrimonial Rites Joharran discussed it with the First, and she was agreeable to postponing the ceremony

He was anxious to have Jondalar and Ayla use the horses to help drive the bison into the surround that was constructed to corral the animals The value of the spear-throwers could be shown in hunting down the ones that evaded the surround trap The leader of the Ninth Cave continued to encourage people to see how a spear could be cast froreater, and safer, distance with the spear-thrower The i the weapon of choice for most of the people who’d had a chance to see thee at the Meeting; the lion hunters had been enthusiastically telling the story of the dangerous confrontation

Younger hunters were especially excited about the neeapon, and quite a few of the older ones were as well Many of those ere less keen were the ones ere skilled in using a hand-flung spear They were coer to learn a new e in their lives By the time the hunt was over and the , the First Matri to suit many