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Their route, which orked out by Zelandoni and Willa the west side of a hland that was the leftover stue of ti new mountains on top of the old Eventually they turned east, swinging around the botto east between the southern end of the highland and the north shore of the Southern Sea As they traveled they often saw game, birds and animals of many kinds, but except when they stopped to visit settlements, no people crossed their path

Ayla found herself truly enjoying the company of Levela, Beladora, and A another Cave or Suether with their children Aer troubled bywas beneficial for her She felt well and her vibrant good health along with her obvious show of maternity made her even more attractive to Tivonan and Palidar, Willamar’s assistants But as they continued the Donier Tour, stopping to visit various Caves, Su men who found her equally attractive And she enjoyed the attention

Since Ayla was often with Zelandoni, the young woe that Zelandoni was teaching her acolyte They listened and sos—, s of the Histories and Elder Legends—and the Donier see her wisdoency it wouldn’t hurt to have so about what to do if they needed to act as assistants

Traveling east, they found their way often blocked by rivers that came down from the massif and into the Southern Sea Since none of the rivers were huge, they beca the from north to south They turned and followed it north until they came to a tributary that joined it from the northeast and followed it

A little beyond that, the traveling group cae of an oxbow lake Though it was early afternoon, they stopped and set up carass near a copse of trees The children discovered a large patch of bilberries before the evening meal, and picked some to share with their elders, but they ate e stands of cattails and phrage of the water, and the hunters found fresh signs of cloven hooves

“We’re getting close to the home of those that live the closest to the most important Sacred Cave of all the Zelandonii,” Willa with a drink of tea “We’re a large group to be visiting and asking for hospitality without bringing so to share equivalent to our size”

“It looks like a herd of aurochs or bison stopped here not too long ago, judging from those prints,” Kimeran said

“They ularly If we stay awhile, we could hunt them,” Jonokol said

“Or I could go look for them on Racer,” Jondalar said

“Most of us are running out of spears to hunt with,” Jondeca, both the shaft and the point”

“This looks like a region that should have good flint,” Jondalar said “If I can find some, I’ll make new points”

“I saw a stand of straight trees on our way here, younger than those in that copse, that would ood shafts,” Palidar said “It’s not far away”

“Soood shafts for a couple of new pole-drags to bring some fresh meat to the Cave ant to visit,” Jondalar said

“A few young bulls at this ti, and fat for traveling cakes and fuel for lamps, and a hide or two,” Ayla said “We canbarefoot most of the time, but someti out”

“And look at all those cattails and reeds,” Beladora said “You can weave footwear fro rolls, and baskets and pads and s we need”