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Nezzie, the mate of the headman of the Lion Camp, and the woiven the garments to Ayla, but their creation had been requested by Mahter of the Mainally had been ht that she would mate Ranec, as the son of the mate of Nezzie’s brother, Wymez Wymez had traveled far to the south in his youth, mated an exotic dark-skinned wo his woman on the way

He brought with hi techniques, and an aht black curls, whoht-skinned, fair-haired northern kin, Ranec was a unique boy who always caused an exciting stir He grew into ablack eyes that wo

Like the rest, Ayla had been fascinated by Ranec’s unusual coloring, and char, and showed it, which brought out a jealousy in Jondalar that he didn’t know he had The tall blondblue eyes had always been the one that women couldn’t resist, and he didn’t kno to handle the emotion he had never experienced before Ayla didn’t understand his erratic behavior, and finally proer loved her, and she did like the dark carver and his laughing eyes The Lion Carew fond of Ayla and Jondalar that winter they lived with the Mamutoi, and they all had been more than aware of the e people

Nezzie in particular developed a strong bond with Ayla because of her care and understanding of another unusual child the woman had adopted, eak, unable to speak, and half Clan Ayla treated his weak heart andthe Clan sign language, and the ease and speed hich he learned it made her understand that he did have the Clan ht the whole Lion Cae so he could communicate with them, which rew to love hi reminded her of her own son, whoh ultimately she hadn’t been able to save him

When Ayla decided to return hoh Nezzie kne ave the young woarments that had been made for her, and told her to wear them when she mated Jondalar Ayla didn’t quite realize howconveyed, but Nezzie did and so did Mauessed froh status, and that Ayla would need so them

Though Ayla didn’t quite understand how much status her Matrimonial outfit displayed, she did understand the quality of the works had coolden yellow, almost the color of her hair Part of the color was the result of the types of wood that were used to smoke the hides to keep them supple, and part the result of the mixtures of yellow and red ochers that were added It had required a great deal of effort to scrape the skins toleft with the velvety suede-like finish of buckskin, the leather had been burnished, rubbed with the ocherstool that compacted the hide to a lustrous, shiny finish that made the soft leather almost waterproof

The long tunic, sewn together with fine stitches, fell to a doard-pointing triangle at the back It opened down the front with the sections below the hips tapering so that when it was brought together, another doard-pointing triangle was created The full leggings were close fitting except around the ankle, where they could bunch softly or be brought down below the heel, depending on the footwear that was chosen But the quality of the basic construction only laid the groundwork for the extraordinary outfit The effort that went into the decoration made it an exquisite creation of rare beauty and value

The tunic and lower part of the leggings were covered with elaborate geons made primarily of ivory beads, some sections solidly filled in Colored eeo triangles, which horizontally becas and vertically took on the shapes of diaures such as rectangular spirals and concentric rhohted and accentuated by ahter and some darker than the color of the leather, but of the same tone More than five thousand ivory beads arments, each bead carved, pierced, and polished by hand

A finger-woven sash in sieometric patterns was used to tie the tunic closed at the waist Both the embroidery and the belt were : deep red woolly mammoth hair, ivory mouflon wool, brown musk-ox underdown, and deep reddish-black woolly rhinoceros long hair The fibers were prized for more than their colors; they all caerous to hunt

The workmanship of the entire outfit was superb in every detail; it was evident to knowledgeable Zelandonii that someone had acquired the finest materials and assearments

When Jondalar’s mother had first seen it the year before, she knew that whoever had directed the outfit to be h position within his community It was clear that the time and effort it took to iven to Ayla when she left None of the benefits of the resources and work that went intoit would stay within the community that made it Ayla said she had been adopted by an old spiritual man she called Mamut, a e—in effect, wealth—that he could afford to give away theoutfit and the value it represented No one understood that better than Marthona

Ayla had, in effect, brought her own bride price, which gave her the status that she needed to contribute to the relationship so thather would not lower the position of Jondalar or his kin Marthonathat to Proleva, who she kneould tell her husband, Joharran, Marthona’s eldest son, leader of the Ninth Cave Joharran was glad to have an opportunity to see the prized possession again, now that he fully understood its value He realized that if properly cared for—and he was sure it would be—the clothing would last a long time The ochers used to burnish the leather did more than add color and make it water resistant; they helped to preserve the s It would likely be used by Ayla’s children, and perhaps their children, and when the leather finally disintegrated, the aenerations

Joharran knew the value of ivory beads Recently, he’d had occasion to trade for so the transaction, he looked at Ayla’s rich and luxurious clothing with new appreciation As he looked around he noticed thather

Last year, when Ayla wore it for her Matrie and unusual, including the woman herself Now people had become more accustomed to her, to the way she spoke, and to the animals she controlled She was looked upon as a eness seemed more normal, if one could consider any Zelandoni norain, ins, but also the wealth and status she brought with her

A her were Marona and Wylopa “Look at her flaunting that outfit,” Marona said to her cousin, her eyes full of envy She would have beenoutfit should have been mine Jondalar Proiven that outfit to me” She paused “Her hips are too broad for it anyway,” Marona said with scorn