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With anticipation, awaited the birth

Life drank from Her blood, it breathed from Her bones

It split Her skin open and sundered Her stones

The Mother was giving Another was living

Her gushing birth waters filled rivers and seas,

And flooded the land, giving rise to the trees

Frorew,

And lush verdant plants made all the Earth new

Her waters were flowing New green was growing

The First stopped at a place that felt like an ending to the impromptu chorus Ayla stopped too, at the end of an extendedJonokol and the Watcher, who finished on a har tone Jondalar and Willahs in appreciation

“That was marvelous,” Jondalar said “Just beautiful”

“Yes That sounded quite good,” Willamar said “I’m sure the Mother appreciated it as much as we did”

The Watcher led theh the small chamber, then down to another recess From the entrance the head of a bear painted in red could be seen As they crouched down to get through a low corridor, ht, and then the head of a second one appeared out of the darkness Once they were through and could stand, they could see the head of a third bear lightly sketched under the head of the first one The shape of the as skillfully used to add depth to the first bear, and although the second bear seemed to be complete, it was a hollow in the place of the hindquarters that gave that i froh the wall

“Those are definitely cave bears,” Ayla said “The shape of their forehead is so distinctive It’s like that from the time they are little”

“Have you seen little cave bears?”