page140 (1/2)

“Did she tell you that?” the Watcher asked, a hin

t of doubt in her tone

“Well, yes, sort of He ca in her valley, but he didn’t like seeing me there, and attacked Ayla stepped in front of me and he twisted hiround and hugged hiot on his back and rode hio where she wanted, only where he wanted to take her He did bring her back, though Then, after I asked her, she told me,” Jondalar said

His story was straightforward enough to be convincing The Watcher just shook her head “I think we should all light new torches,” she said “There should be at least one left for each of us, and I have some lamps, too”

“I think we should ith the torches until we all get back out of this corridor,” Willamar said

“Yes, you’re right,” Jonokol said “Will you hold mine?” he said to the Watcher

Jonokol, Jondalar, Ayla, and Willaer drops, while the Watcher held up the torches to light the way She threw one that had burned to alainst the walls When they reached the painted horses, everyone took a new torch The Watcher stubbed out the ones that were partially burned and put them in her backframe; then they started back the way they had coain at the animals as they passed by Before they reached the entrance they noticed how ht found its way deeper into the cave

At the entrance, Jonokol stopped “Will you take e area in that other room?”

“Of course,” she said without asking why She knew

“I’d like to go with you, Zelandoni of the Nineteenth Cave,” Ayla said

“I’lad I’d like you to You can hold rin

She was the one who found the white cave, and he was the first one she showed it to She kneas going to paint on those beautiful walls, although he ht want some helpers The three of them went back into the second room of the Bear Cave while the rest went out The Watcher took them in a shorter way, and she knehere to take him, to the place where he had looked when they first went into this part of the cave He found the secluded recess, and the ancient concretion he had seen before

Taking out a flint knife, he went to the basin-topped stalagmite and in its base, in one accomplished movement, he carved the forehead, nose, er lines for the raved the head of a second horse facing the opposite way on top of the first one The stone of this one was a little harder to cut through, and the forehead line was not as precise, but he went back and cut individual hairs of a stand-up mane spaced at consistent intervals Then he stepped back and looked

“I wanted to add to this cave, but I wasn’t sure if I should until after the First sang the Mother’s Song deep in this cave,” the Zelandoni of the Nineteenth Cave of the Zelandonii said

“I told you it was the Mother’s choice, and you would kno I know It was appropriate,” the Watcher said