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"Oh I'm sorry to hear that I wanted him to meet Thonolia I'm sure she's the child of his spirit"
"I am sure, too She looks just like my sister, and they were both born to the same hearth I wish my mother could see her, but I think it will please her to know that there is so left of him in this world, a child of his spirit," Jondalar said
The young woman noticed Ayla "But you didn't return alone," she said
"No, he didn't," Laduni said, "and wait until you see so companions You won't believe it"
"And you ca a Mother Festival tomorrow," Laronia said
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The people of the Cave of the Sacred Hot Springs were anticipating the Festival to Honor the Mother with great enthusiasm In the deep of winter, when life was usually , Ayla and Jondalar had arrived and provoked enough excite ti that would result, the interest would last for years Fro on the backs of horses and followed by the Wolf Who Liked Children, everyone had been buzzing with speculation They had enthralling stories to tell about their travels, arresting new ideas to share, and fascinating devices like spear-throwers and thread-pullers to demonstrate
Now everyone was talking about so the cere stones Losaduna hadive a demonstration of the spear-thrower in the field outside the cave so everyone could see its possibilities, and Ayla was going to shohat could be done with a sling But even the promised demonstrations did not pique their curiosity asfire
Ayla discovered that constantly being the center of attention could be as exhausting, in a different kind of way, as constantly traveling All evening people had plied her with eager questions and sought her opinion and ideas on subjects about which she had no knowledge By the ti, she was tired and didn't feel like talking anyaround the fire in the central part of the cave to go to bed Wolf ith her and Jondalar followed shortly afterward, leaving the Cave free to gossip and speculate in their absence
In the sleeping area allocated to the space of Losaduna, they puttered around with preparations for the next day, then crawled into their furs Jondalar held her and considered nal" to couple, but she seemed nervous and distracted, and he wanted to save himself One never knehat to expect at a Mother Festival, and Losaduna had
hinted that it ood idea to hold back and wait to honor the Mother until after the special ritual they had planned
He had spoken with the One Who Served the Mother about his concerns regarding his ability to have children born to his hearth, whether the Great Mother would find his spirit acceptable for a new life They had decided on a private ritual before the festival to appeal directly to the Mother for Her help
Ayla lay awake long after she heard the heavier breathing of sleep from the man beside her, tired but unable to fall asleep herself She shifted position frequently, trying not to disturb Jondalar with her restless turnings Though she dozed off, sound sleep was slow in coe patterns as she wavered betakeful is and fitful dreams
The , brightened by the varied hues of colorful flowers In the distance, the ivory-white scarp face of a rock wall, pocked with caves and textured with black streaks sweeping up and around into roo down frolinted fro close onethe contours of the ithout following it exactly
About halfway down the field that spread out across level ground away fro her, a man of the Clan Then he turned and headed toward the cliff, leaning on a staff and dragging a foot, yet walking at a good pace Though he didn't say or signal a word, she kneanted her to follow hilanced at her with his one good eye It was a deep liquid brown, full of compassion and power She knew his bearskin cloak covered the stump of an arm that had been arandmother, a medicine woman of renowned reputation, had cut off the useless, paralyzed liled by a cave bear Creb had lost his eye during the same encounter