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Ayla touched the small mark, then reached for the scar on her arm Talut had cut that mark, and with the bloody knife had notched an ivory plaque that he wore suspended from a fantastic necklace of amber and cave lion canine teeth and claws, to show that she was accepted into the Lion Camp, adopted by the Mamutoi

She had never asked, she had always been chosen, and for each acceptance she bore a mark, a scar that she would carry always It was the sacrifice she’d had to ain She could still decline, but if she didn’t refuse now, she was committed for life It crossed her mind that the scars would always re chosen, responsibilities that came with acceptance

She looked into the eyes of the wo to sound firm and positive

Then she closed her eyes and felt someone coentle but firm, pulled her back to rest on the soft body of a woman for support, then held her head and turned it so that her right forehead was presented She felt a wash of liquid fronized the odor of iris root, a solution she had often used to clean wounds, and felt an anxious tension arise within her

“Oh! Ow!” she cried out involuntarily as she felt the quick cut of a sharp blade, then fought to control such outbursts at a second cut, and then a third The solution was applied again, then the cuts were dried, and another substance was rubbed in This ti in the stinging salve had numbed the pain

“You can open your eyes, Ayla It’s over,” the large woman said

Ayla opened her eyes to see a rather die It took her a moment to realize what s

he was seeing Sohted lamp so she could see herself in the oiled piece of sand-smoothed, black-stained wood She seldo, and was always surprised to see her own face Then her eyes were drawn to the marks on her forehead

Just in front of her right temple was a short horizontal line with two vertical lines extending up froth, like a square with no top line or an open box The three lines were black, with a little blood still oozing out around the edges They looked so conspicuous, they see else Ayla wasn’t at all sure that she liked having her faceshe could do about it now It was done She would carry those black marks on her face for the rest of her life

She started to reach up to feel it, but the First stopped her “It’s best if you don’t touch it just yet,” she said “It has al, but it’s still fresh”

Ayla looked around at the rest of the zelandonia They all had various marks on their foreheads, some more intricate than others, mostly square but with other shapes as well, s of the First were the nated rank, position, affiliation of the zelandonia She noticed, however, that the black lines faded to blue tattoos after they healed

She was glad when they took the reflector away She didn’t like looking at herself It e of the face she saw belonged to her She preferred to see herself reflected in the expressions of others: the happiness of her daughter when she saw herherself in the aspect and demeanor of people she cared about, like Marthona, and Proleva, Joharran, and Dalanar And the look of love in Jondalar’s eyes when he saw … not anymore … The last time he saw her, he was horrified His look showed shock and dismay, not love

Ayla closed her eyes to shut off is of loss, disappointment, and pain When she opened the in front of her, including the t ones, a wouard outside, and all of them had warm smiles of anticipation and welcome The One Who Was First spoke:

“You have traveled far, have belonged tothe path the Great Earth Mother chose for you It was your fate to lose your people at an early age, and then be taken in by a healer and a man who traveled the spirit world of those people you call the Clan When you were adopted by the Mamut of the Mamutoi to the Mauided by She Who Gave Birth to All Your destiny has always been to Serve Her

“Ayla of the Ninth Cave of the Zelandonii, mated to Jondalar of the Ninth Cave, son of Marthona, former leader of the Ninth Cave of the Zelandonii; Mother of Jonayla, Blessed of Doni, of the Ninth Cave of the Zelandonii, as born to the hearth of Jondalar; Ayla of the Ma people to the east, Daughter of the Mammoth Hearth, the zelandonia of the Mamutoi; Ayla, chosen by the Spirit of the Cave Lion and Protected by the Cave Bear of the Clan, your naer needed Your new name means all of them, and more Your name is one with all of Her creation Your name is Zelandoni!”