Bridges Chapter 26, an earth's children fanfic

They started out early the next morning. Each group still uncomfortable with the newness of the experience, but willing to learn. Soon enough they would all see that, while their two peoples were hauntingly similar, there were striking differences.

Each group unobtrusively watched the other as they packed and prepared the leave the sheltered camp underneath the small canopy of green. Gaug and his people were still in awe of the fact that the small band of travelers had shown up at all. Gaug had felt like a fool sitting out in the middle of the plains, waiting on some man he never met to suddenly appear. All merely on the basis of another man's dream.

The fact that they had shown up, right where they had been told to wait for them, struck a powerful, unfamiliar chord in the proud, headstrong Clan leader. Fear. There were powerful forces at work here. They may not be all that comfortable traveling with a band of Others, but they would heed the word of the once great magician that guided them.

Latie watched as the two women of the Clan packed their belongings into simple bundles that they then loaded onto their backs. She almost felt guilty that these two women did all the work for their men, while the three hunters sat watching them. Latie had always had Durc and Darvalo to help her, and watching these two women work quietly, efficiently and with no outside help from the men of their family almost infuriated her. She knew the customs of these people, but it just didn't seem fair to her. Walking casually over to her mate she spoke quietly in his ear.

"Would it be alright if I offered to help them?" she asked, indicating Ecra and Una now trying to help each other load the cumbersome packs onto their backs. Durc slid his glance over to the two Clan women and frowned. He understood Latie's dilemma. Seeing the way the men and women of the Clan interacted now seemed so wrong, even though it was the customs he had grown up with. He slowly shook his head.

"No, I don't think you should. It will be hard for them to change as it is. It would be better to let them watch us and see how we do things. Maybe learning the differences that way would help make the integration easier," he said thoughtfully.

Latie nodded but she was not happy. "Can you bring the horses over here?" She asked.

He smiled at her and kissed her lips softly."Sure, I'll bring them right back," he said, moving off to do as she asked.

She thanked him then continued loading her pack. Durc returned with the horses and she moved to load the pack on the back of her horse, strapping it down to Lightning's rump. She then picked up the extra bundles of tools, implements, dishes, and clothing that they had work on through the long winter and loaded it on Wind Dancer's back. Having the extra horse was coming in very handy, especially now that they had more people traveling with them. Maybe she could carry some of the other two women's burdens as well, she thought to herself as she worked.

Gaug, Vaun, and Dorb watched Latie work silently. Performing mostly the same chores as their women did, though the way she did it was somewhat different. When she called Durc's name and followed it with their loud, flowing mouth sounds, the men were shocked to see the man grimace then touch his lips to hers before he moved to fetch the horses and lead them over to the woman. The looked at each other in wonder as the man moved to do the woman's bidding. She tied her pack together, but then instead of hefting it to her back like their women had done she carried it over to the black horse. She hefted the pack to the horse's back and tied a strong thong around the horses stomach and then the bundle to hold it in place. She repeated the process with the chestnut horse and another large bundle. The men sat in shock when they realized that while all of their belongings were loaded and ready to go, all three of the Others were totally unencumbered.

It had never even occurred to them that they could use the horses for anything other than what the great spirit had told them to train them for, surely not to ease the burdens of the women that traveled with them. Now that they saw it, it made so much sense that they couldn't figure out why they had not thought of it in the first place. The other young man suddenly walked into view carrying three full water bottles. He handed one to Latie and then another to Durc, stringing the last one over his shoulder to carry for himself. Walking up to the large dust colored stallion he picked up his pack from beside the tree and proceeded to load it on the back of his horse. He pulled something from it first and set it on the ground before tying the pack firmly to the horse's rear. When he was finished he picked up the thing he had pulled from his pack and slung it over his shoulder to carry it on his back. It looked like a tube made of grass and there were what looked like large sticks sticking out of the top of it. He pulled out a long narrow strip of wood from the tube and tied it to a thong at this waist.

They looked at each other in confusion. What was that thing? Was it some form of weapon? It almost looked like the sticks were carved into spears, but what could they possibly kill with a spear that small? They watched as the rest of them worked, while they sat comfortably waiting for their women to finish. When they saw Ecra and Una move off into the tall grass to bring the men their horses, they also noticed that the three others were mounted ready to go. How had they gotten ready so fast? They waited for the two women to come back leading the horses and then the Clan men moved to mount their three horses. When all were ready to go, they started out and Latie noticed that the two women were made to walk behind the horses still carrying the heavy bundles. She could not keep silent about it any longer. She opened her mouth to speak, but Darvalo beat her to it.

"Durc, is there any way we could help Ecra and Una? I could put their packs on Wind Dancer for them, then they could ride double with their mates. I can't stand seeing them walk with such heavy packs while we all ride unburdened," Darvalo said quietly.

Durc looked back at the two Clan women, still hesitant to broach the idea of any sudden changes to the Clan leader. He nodded slowly, thinking of a way to offer such assistance without offending the hunters. He turned Midnight around and brought his stallion up beside Gaug's horse. The Clan leader looked at him questioningly.

"Gaug, speed is a necessity on this journey. It will be much easier to move fast if we have everyone on horseback. Darvalo has offered to put your women's packs on the back of the extra horse. It would lighten their load and allow the women to ride double with you," Durc said to the leader, while glancing back at the women waiting patiently behind the horses.

Gaug followed his gaze, his brows drawn together in thought. "Durc of Legend, our women have never ridden the horses. I'm sure they would appreciate not having to carry the heavy pack frames, but I don't know about getting them to ride. It was hard enough to get a man of the Clan on the back of a horse, but a woman?" he asked the younger man in front of him.

"It is not so difficult as long as they have you with them to guide the horses. I'm sure if you told them the reason behind the change they would be willing to try. Besides, they are model women of the Clan, surely they would do as their mates bid without question," Durc said, playing up to the man's innate pride in having his woman properly trained and obedient. He could see the man's chest swell as he processed the words.

Gaug gave Durc a clipped nod and barked out the women's names. Both women's heads snapped up at the command in their leader's voice. He instructed them to give their packs to Darvalo, then come see him. Ecra and Una did as instructed and watched the tall man of the others as he strapped their packs to the back of the chestnut horse. They moved to stand by their leader and he spoke rapidly to them both.

"Speed is of importance to Durc of Legend. You will be required to ride the backs of the horses with us." He stated and was amazed to see their eyes sparkle a bit. Was that excitement? No, surely his women were not less afraid of the horses than their men had been. It must have been fear, he assured himself. "Do not be afraid, we will not let the horses harm you and you will not be left alone with them," he reassured. He instructed Ecra to go to her mate so he could help her mount, and he pulled Una up behind him.

Both women were ecstatic that they would no longer have to carry the heavy pack frames and all the women of the cave had secretly discussed their wish to ride the horses. They knew the men would never allow it, but now thanks to Durc of Legend, they were going to get the chance. They snuck furtive glances at the tall, deformed man, secretly grateful to him for lessening their load. They had watched the conversation between him and Gaug and had noticed him giving their leader's pride a small nudge to get his way. They immediately understood there was more to his gesture than getting the group to move faster. It had been his wish to help them without offending their leader and they were grateful. Their respect for the deformed man grew immensely.

Once the women were safely up on the horses, clinging tightly to their men's backs, the group started out again. Latie sent a grateful look to Durc and he smiled in return. Darvalo too, seemed pleased at the turn of events and a small smile graced his features as they started out the day's travels. They left the campsite behind and followed the winding path of the Great Mother River.

It took time and a lot of forgiving of unintentional blunders on both sides, but eventually the two groups learned to travel well together. They set up a routine that both could follow and it made the constant traveling more pleasant. The only time it almost came to a physical confrontation was when Latie could no longer handle the way the men treated their women when it came to pleasures.

She had silently fumed for days, only getting angrier every time she saw one of the three hunters command the woman to assume the position. Durc had understood how hard it was for her to watch but told her this was something they could not change. He himself had difficulty, knowing now how wonderfully responsive a woman could be. It was a shame that the Clan men would never know that. Darvalo handled it no better than the other two, so whenever he saw it, he would simply leave the campsite.

On the night it all came to a head, Latie had been preparing a meal when the three Clan hunters and Durc and Darvalo had walked back into camp after a day of hunting. She could see that Dorb had a problem and knew that the signal was coming even as he approached his mate. She meant to avert her gaze, knowing it was only going to make her angry, when she saw Dorb shove Ecra down faster in his excitement. The woman was splayed out on the ground as her mate pumped furiously behind her. Noticing that her face was lying in the dirt was enough to send Latie over the top. She could not keep silent any longer. She stood up and stomped over to Dorb, grabbing his arm she pulled him away from the woman.

"How can you treat her with such disrespect?" She signed to him furiously. He stood there shocked. No woman would ever dare speak to him this way. When what she was saying sunk in, his shock turned to anger. He raised his hand to strike her and then saw Durc and Darvalo standing behind her. That was when he remembered that no one, especially a man, struck a woman of the Others. He lowered his fist slowly and looked at her. Why was she so angry? What had he done to make her think he was disrespecting his mate?

"What disrespect? You are the one who is disrespecting me!" he told her angrily, glaring at her.

"Why would I show respect to a man who treats his mate as if she is only there to relieve his heat? You act like an animal and you think you deserve respect?" she said, not backing down even a little bit in the face of his anger. He flushed slightly as he realized what she was talking about.

"I was in need. It is her duty to be prepared for me whenever I need to relieve myself," he said defensively.

"Did it ever occur to you that maybe she was in need too? That you could have helped her with her needs as well? That she might like to enjoy what you are doing? Instead of mounting her like a stud in season? How can she get any pleasure out of that? What you do is a disgrace to the Mother and to your totems! Even females of the animal species have the right to refuse a male they do not want. They walk away, a male can only mount if she holds still and allows it. Yours is the only race to condone forcing her to accept your attentions! Who would beat a woman if she dared to tell you no! It is no wonder some people call you animals!" she said, yelling the words at him as she signed.

The man just stared at her in shock. He had never seen a woman so angry. An offense to his totem? Animals? Suddenly, in the face of her rage alone, he began to doubt an entire life's worth of teachings. Generations worth of memories told him it had always been this way, but could she be right? He looked toward Gaug and Vaun, both men looked angry as well but they also seemed to be contemplating her words. He turned to face the irate woman in front of him.

"What do you mean that she could enjoy it? The act is merely to relieve a man of his physical needs. Women do not have the same needs as men do, it is known. I am not disrespecting her, but show her honor through my attraction to her," he stated uncomfortably.

Latie sighed, her anger suddenly gone. Why had she opened her mouth? She sent an apologetic look to her mate for causing all the trouble and returned her attention to the man she had taken her anger out on. "Women can feel the same pleasure you do if you just take the time to find out what she would like," she said, now totally uncomfortable with the topic of conversation. Her face flamed red, but she could not back out now.

"And how would I do that?" he asked, genuinely curious. He was still a little angry at her for speaking to him in such a manner, but what she was saying did have merit.

"Have you ever thought of asking her?" Latie said, her signs short and clipped. He looked at her, his eyes growing wide. Then he turned and stalked off toward his tent.

"Ecra!" He bellowed on his way and the astounded woman still sitting on the ground got up and ran, following him.

Latie almost laughed out loud, but managed to keep it in. She turned to Durc, wondering just how angry he was going to be with her and was surprised to find that he was smiling softly. She walked up to him slowly and he took her in his arms.

"I'm sorry," she said, "but I just couldn't hold it back anymore. I know you told me not to say anything but when he shoved her I just .. I don't know, I couldn't ignore it anymore." Remorse filled her voice.

"I understand Latie. I was close to doing the same thing... Well, I might not have called him an animal," he said, his eyes twinkling.

Latie reddened but laughed. "I know, I can't believe I said that to him. Do you think he will ever forgive me?" She looked over toward the tent. Just then, they heard a distinctly female moan.

Durc grinned devilishly. "Yeah, I think he might," he said laughing.

The evening meal was quiet, no one knowing quite what to say. When Dorb and Ecra came out of the tent, Ecra's eyes were shining. They sat down quietly and ate their meal, neither of them able to look at anyone else. Later that evening, right before they all retired to their tents, Ecra approached Latie. She looked at the woman and her eyes lit up all over again.

"I just want to say... this woman is grateful," she said quickly and moved away, disappearing into her tent. This time, Latie did laugh out loud.

Slowly a routine began to develop among the mixed band of travelers. The Clan people were slow to learn the ways of the Others, but learn they did. Eventually they came to realize the necessity of working together on such a long journey and it became easier to blur the lines of distinction between what was once work only intended for the opposite sex. As for Latie and Darvalo, they quickly came to realize the vast knowledge stored in their companion's brains and the deep-seated wisdom of generations of learning they also had at their disposal.

Their respect for each other grew by tremendous proportions. Even the women of the Clan were allowed to loosen up a bit among the Others. The first time Gaug caught Darvalo's glowering look when one of them was cuffed, brought about swift change. Latie's initial outburst about their coupling behavior sent them all to their tents to experiment and soon the shining eyes and relaxed nature of their women was a tell tale sign of their progress. The men did have a harder time getting used to Latie's apparent equal status among them but they all treated her with the respect due to the mate of Durc of Legend.

The sudden appearance of Baby went about the same as the rest of the times that he had encountered humans unfamiliar with him but, though the Clan would never completely get used to a cave lion in their presence, it gave the visions of their Mogur that much more weight. They soon learned to tolerate him, but each secretly feared him. They would never become as close to him as the other humans were.

As for Baby, he accepted them into his "pride" easily, choosing to mostly ignore them. He could sense their fear of him and did nothing that would seem overtly threatening in their presence but that didn't stop his exuberance when it came to Durc and Latie and even Darvalo. He was always ecstatic to see them after such a long absence and reclaimed his rightful place in their family with abandon. His return this time included knocking Durc flat on his back and licking his face with his raspy tongue until Durc's skin was sore but he was laughing too.

One day slowly blended into another and the warm spring hinted at the heat of the short summer to come. They made good time, covering ground quickly but all were weary of traveling. When the dreams returned and Baby disappeared again, Durc knew something was going to happen soon.

He stood at the edge of the camp facing West, feeling the warmth in his chest that came every night as he grew closer to his mother but he could also feel her fear. Something was coming and she was afraid. He knew they would be walking into some kind of trouble when they reached the land of the Zelandoni, the dreams had told him so but he did not know what it was. He feared for the life of his mother and her new children, but he could not convey the need to move any faster to the rest of the group. As it was, they set a grueling pace every morning and were exhausted by every evening.

He felt the warmth cool suddenly and a frown creased his forehead. What had happened? This was the time he spent every night in silent commune with his mother but something had distracted her. They had never been interrupted before. All of his people knew better and apparently, so did hers. It must have been something big. He sent a silent plea for her safety to the Mother and pushed his fear toward the back of his mind. He had other things to prepare for. Soon, in the next day or two, they would have more people joining them. He had seen it in his dreams.

"Ayla! Come quick, I think we found something you should see." Echozar called from the edge of the tree line a little distance from the cave. She turned her head quickly, her flash of annoyance at being interrupted gone as soon as she recognized the agitation in his voice. The warmth in her chest faded quickly and she sent a silent apology to her son as the section of her heart reserved for him alone grew cold. She cast one last longing look toward the quickly darkening eastern sky and turned to walk toward Echozar. She knew Durc would be here soon, before the summer grew too hot. She knew because she had dreamed it. She quickened her pace when she noticed Echozar still waiting on her. She started to walk with him but he grabbed her arm lightly and stopped her. His face seemed pale and his voice was rough when he spoke.

"Ayla, I'm sorry, what I'm about to show you is not pretty but I think it was left on purpose," he told her softly. She cocked her head quizzically at him, not sure what he was talking about. "When we were out hunting earlier, we came across a terrible smell. We figured it was a dead animal or something so we went to look for it, hoping to drag it away from the cave. Well, we found it, but ..." He couldn't finish but his face lost even more color.

Ayla pulled her arm away gently and headed into the woods. She had a terrible feeling in the pit of her stomach and she wasn't sure she wanted to know what lay ahead, but she forced herself onward. The feeling grew stronger as Ecozar caught up with her easily and then led the way. She saw Dalanar standing up ahead and the look on his face made her stomach churn. She heard someone crashing through the trees behind her and saw Jondalar being led in by Joharran. She stopped and waited for them and they approached the site together. Dalanar and Echozar parted for her, both of their eyes focused sickly on the ground before them.

Ayla looked down and the blood drained from her face. Tears quickly sprung to her eyes and her hand flew to cover her mouth before she turned and ran away, bracing herself on a nearby tree as she lost the contents of her stomach. She felt gentle hands come around her, supporting her as she heaved. When she finished and her stomach quit contracting painfully, she turned around and buried her face in Jondalar's chest. Jondalar held her as she sobbed, stroking her long golden hair as he tried to come to terms with what he had just seen. He was feeling none to well himself at the moment but Ayla needed him right now. He would give in to his own fears later. Ayla looked up at him with tears streaming down her face.

"H-h-how could he have done such a thing Jondalar?" she stuttered, confusion and pain in her eyes. She had never seen anything so cruel.

"How many of them had to die for him to do this? I can't believe anyone could be so evil! And all just to issue some sick warning to me? Why? Why Jondalar? What have I, or they, ever done to make him hate us so much?" she asked, her heart aching with pain and fear.

"I don't know Ayla, but I'm worried. How long have they been watching us since the weather turned warm? How could he have known about the twins? This was intended to scare us. He is threatening our children," he told her, his eyes hardening with anger. He didn't see the flash of terror in her eyes but it passed quickly, then turned to rage. He felt her begin to shake and cursed himself silently for his careless words. He looked down into her flushed face and saw an anger like he had never seen before. He gasped as her blue-gray eyes bored into to his.

"If that...that... MAN ever even tries to touch any of my children, I swear to you Jondalar, I will tear him apart with my own two hands," she told him, her voice low, controlled and very, very deadly. She turned away from him and her eyes searched the trees. Suddenly she could feel his presence, she could feel the evil all around her.

"Did you hear me??" she screamed into the darkening woods, "If you even try to touch my babies, I will kill you myself! I swear to the Mother, I will end your evil with my own two hands!"

Jondalar, and the other men stared at her, their eyes filled with worry. They watched as her eyes continued to try to find her enemy in the darkness until finally she gave up, her anger fading as quickly as the light. She walked slowly back over to the small group of men and looked sadly back down at the ground. Her revulsion was gone and now a mother's heartache took its place. What must they be going through now? The women whose lives had been destroyed by one man's hateful act? How many of their kind had died trying to protect these two? She wondered to herself. Her heart broke as her eyes took in the mutilated bodies of the two Clan infants laying at her feet. One boy, one girl. With a knife sticking in the ground between them, a Zelandoni knife. Mikolan's knife.

"We have to bury them," she said dully and Echozar and Dalanar nodded.

Dalanar touched her shoulder gently, "We already dug the graves, but we thought maybe you may know more about their customs when it comes to burying the dead."

Her eyes met his in the waning light and she nodded slowly. "Thank you for that. I will go prepare what they need." She turned to leave and felt Jondalar's presence at her back.

He followed her back to the cave and went to retrieve the babies from Marthona while Ayla headed straight to Zelandoni's little cave. When she had what she needed, she headed outside again, not even noticing the group of people that followed her to witness the ceremony that would return the infants' spirits to the hands of the Mother. She made her way through the darkened woods unassisted. The sky was black now but she made her way through the trees on unconscious instinct alone. She reached the site and stopped suddenly to grab her amulet. Her eyes closed as she begged for strength.

Ayla covered the tiny bodies in the red salve, smearing it on their cold, torn flesh as tears poured down her cheeks unnoticed. When they were ready, she wrapped each infant in a soft hide and carried it over to where the men had dug a miniature grave for each one. As the men slowly filled in the tiny, but deep, holes in the earth, she closed her eyes and focused on the Clan spirits she would need to attend. Her hands came up to dance in silent communication with a world that went largely unseen. As she pleaded with the spirits to attend, her tears continued and the silent witnesses of the Ninth Cave cried with her. Some with genuine sorrow for the loss of two such tiny babies and some simply because of the sheer force of emotion the beautiful, graceful movements of her hands inspired. No one knew exactly what she was saying, not even her, but none had any doubt by the time she finished that the spirits were surrounding them and that the babies would be well protected on their way through the spirit world.

When her hands finally dropped to her sides, she knelt at the tiny mounds of freshly turned earth and spoke to the two dead children softly. No one heard what she said, it wasn't meant for their ears, but a pathway parted for her as she rose and stalked back to the cave, her anger having returned full force. More than one shuddered at the thought of what would happen when she got her hands on the one man responsible for this. They silently filed after her, their torches lighting the way.

Mikolan's eyes narrowed as he watched her walk away. What had she just done? He could feel the angry spirits in the air and shuddered a little, but it was nothing compared to the fear that had raced through him earlier when he had heard her swear to kill him herself if he came near her children. His hatred of her, however, had quickly overcome any fear he might have felt at her words. He had laughed at her empty threats, knowing there was no way she could hurt him but now doubt began to fill his mind. He had had no idea she could command the spirit world so easily and his sixth sense could feel the outrage of the spirits she had called to protect the babies. They were angry, at what he wasn't sure. Surely not over the death of a couple of animals? He grinned wickedly, thinking of her face at the sight of his little gift. He focused on his hatred, ignoring the warnings of his own mind that he may have gone too far this time. He let the dark emotion fill him until it overpowered any tendrils of fear that might have remained.

He would make them pay for their blasphemy against the Mother, he thought to himself, he would make them all pay, starting with her little brats. He chuckled softly as he slowly worked his way back to his little camp. He would head home early in the morning, his work here was done. For now.

Ayla woke early the next morning with a sense of purpose. She sat silently nursing her daughter, the first of the twins to awaken, letting her mind sort through her plans for the day. As her mind wandered to the horrific events of the day before she felt her anger surge again and clutched her daughter protectively close. The baby squirmed against her and she looked down into her sweet face. The baby girl looked back up at her from her place at her breast, her vivid blue eyes sparkling with health and innocence. Her mouth released its prize to form a sweet baby smile when she noticed she had her mother's full attention. Ayla smiled back at her and stroked the soft skin of her arm. Kaliza, content in her mother's love, returned her attention to her breakfast, rooting for a moment before finding the nipple and latching on. Ayla felt her strong suction and sighed. She would never allow that man to hurt her, never. She glanced over to where her son still lay sleeping in his basket and made the same vow again. Never.

When Kaliza had her fill, Ayla laid her next to Jondalar, the large man wrapping a protective arm around the infant even in sleep, and gathered the things she would need for a bath. She gathered the herbs she wanted and then spied an unused hide and stared at it speculatively for a moment. She finally added it too, as well as a sharp knife and then whispered in Jondalar's ear that she was headed for the river. He mumbled something akin to an acknowledgment and clutched his daughter a little closer. Ayla kissed the baby's soft forehead and then Jondalar's as well, before stooping to stroke her tiny son's soft hair. She grabbed the basket carrying her things and walked out of the cave into the early morning light.

At the side of the river, she stripped and released her hair from the thong that held it away from her face. Finding some fresh soap root, she pulled it from the ground and took it with her into the water. She set it in the shallow depression on the big rock conveniently standing in the shallow water and left it there for later. Walking into the deeper section slowly, she let the chilly water wash over her warm body, still heated from a long night buried under thick furs. When the water hit her waist, she quickly submerged herself up to her neck, then dunked under to soak her long, blond hair. After thoroughly wetting herself she returned to the rock and proceeded to pound the root to release the gentle cleansing suds, and washed her body from head to toe, starting with her hair. When she was through, she returned to the main stream of the river and sunk into the current, allowing the flowing river to rinse her clean while she relaxed and drifted downstream a bit. It wasn't too long though, before her plans for the day resurfaced in her mind and she stood and moved purposefully toward the bank.

After drying herself, and while she was running her comb through her hair to dry it too, she again looked at the unused hide and contemplated her reasons for bringing it with her. Finally, she made her decision and moved toward the hide, removing it from the basket and unrolling it. She stared at it for a few minutes longer, reluctant to bring back long dead memories, but then grabbed the sharp knife. She cut a large circle out of one end, piercing holes around the edge, then cut a long thin cord from it as well. She grabbed the beautifully decorated pouch that she had used as her amulet since her time with the Mamutoi and closed her eyes briefly. She returned it, then picked up the long thong and threaded it through the small holes in the hide circle. She quickly transferred the small keepsakes sent from her totem into the Clan amulet and tied it around her neck. She reached up to feel its familiar weight and the plainness of the bag instantly brought her past into sharp focus.

Moving now with a sureness she had been lacking before, she returned to the hide and removed another section, this time cutting in a spiral shape to produce a long thin thong. When she was finished, she cut off the uneven edges of the hide and wrapped it around her body in the fashion of the Clan and tied it into place, with all the familiar folds just right.

She looked down at herself when she was finished and grinned slightly. How long had it been since she had truly been the woman standing there now? Two summers? Three? Could she remember how to be a woman of the Clan? Even just for a little while? She would find out soon enough.

She gathered up her soiled clothing, packing everything back into the basket and started back to the Cave. By the time she returned, the rest of the Ninth Cave and most of it's visitors seemed to be up and about. She waved to a few people on her way by, but ignored the stares of confusion at her attire, or rather, the lack thereof. She was use to it by now. It seemed that wherever she went she seemed to draw attention to herself.

She went into the cave, without bothering to answer the questions she saw in their eyes and headed straight for her hearth. Some sixth sense of Jondalar's must have alerted him to her presence, because he suddenly turned around and looked at her from where he sat trying to entertain their crying son that was waiting, and none too patiently, to be fed. One look at her and he knew whatever she had in mind was going to be something he didn't like.

She moved to his side and took the crying infant from him silently, placing the hungry boy at her breast. His plaintive wail was cut off abruptly as he found what he had been wanting the whole time. Jondalar waited while she sat and made herself comfortable before voicing his obvious questions. He looked a her for a moment and when she finally looked up and returned his gaze, he could hold back no longer.

"Ayla, what are you doing? Why are you dressed like that?" He asked, fearing what he knew would be her answer.

She took a deep breath before answering, "I have to find them Jondalar. I have to make them listen to me, I have to warn them. It is their only chance Jondalar, I have to go back to the Clan," she told him and watched his face pale. She rushed to make him understand before he could respond. "Jondalar, after what Mikolan did, I'm the only one who might be able to get close enough. I'm the only one they might listen to. They have to know that not all of us knew about or approved of what it is he has done, if not it could end up in an all out war between us and them. Right now, they have no idea who is responsible for this atrocity against them or why it happened. They will blame all of the ones they see as the Others and they will take their revenge on us all. They need to know that all of us are not monsters like Mikolan, that we will make him pay for the crime he committed against them." Her eyes pleaded for him to understand.

"But Ayla, what happens when they see you? They are going to be so outraged, they will likely kill you where you stand, just because you look like us. I can't let you risk your life like that. I need you. We need you," he said, indicating the child she held and the one that lay sleeping on their bed.

"I know it's risky right now, but it can't be put off. That's why I am dressed the way I am, I'm hoping it will make them curious enough to at least let me explain where I come from. If I can get them to trust me, I know I can get them to listen to me about what happened and about what to watch for from now on. I have to try Jondalar! I can't let something like this go unexplained to them. They have to know, their lives could depend on it."

He listened to her and realized she was right. She could be their only chance to prevent what could become a full-scale war. He didn't like it, but she was right. He nodded grudgingly. "Alright Ayla, but I won't let you go alone. I'm coming with you," he said sternly, and she slowly shook her head.

"No Jondalar, I can't let you do that. If something does happen to me, I want you here for the babies. Besides, I know they would never trust me if they saw me with you."

The scowl on his face said it all but he voiced his objections anyway. "No way! I will not let you go out there alone. It's just too dangerous," he told her, fully prepared to hold her down if necessary. Luckily it never came to that.

"I don't want to go alone Jondalar, I want to take Echozar with me," she said and watched him contemplate this for a moment.

"Why Echozar?" He thought he knew the answer, but he wanted to hear it from her.

"Because, while he may be deformed in their eyes, he will still be a man of the Clan. Between the two of us, I'm sure we can make them listen," she told him, not backing down at all. He just stared at her.

"Fine," he said finally, "but if Echozar doesn't agree to go with you, you don't go either. Promise me Ayla! You will not try to do this on your own."

She slowly nodded, giving in at least that much, but she knew Echozar would do it. Even if she had to drag him along. "Alright Jondalar, I promise I will not go without Echozar," she told him and he sighed in relief.

She pulled her son away from her breast and held him up on her shoulder, patting his back lightly. He let out a loud belch and she smiled, then returned him to the other breast to let him finish his meal. When he was full, she handed him to Jondalar, kissing her mate longingly on the lips before she left the hearth to locate Echozar. She found him sitting at his hearth with Joplaya, both of them apparently having just gotten out of the furs. She scratched lightly at their hide door and his sleep-roughened voice commanded her to enter, but he smiled when he saw who it was. She returned his smile and then gave one to a sleepy looking Joplaya as well.

"Good morning, I'm sorry to have disturbed you so early," she said apologetically, but Joplaya waved it off.

"It's not early, we just slept late. Some people think the furs are for things other than sleep!" she quipped lightly, shooting Echozar a knowing look.

He blushed slightly but smiled a carnal smile at his beautiful mate. "Well, it's a little hard to think about sleep with one of the Mother's most beautiful woman lying next to me every night," he said playfully. Apparently it was the right thing to say too, because suddenly Joplaya was glowing.

She laughed the laugh of a truly contented woman and smacked him playfully on the arm before kissing him soundly. "Thank you," she said softly, her emerald eyes sparkling.

Ayla watched them with an amused smile. She was glad to see Joplaya so happy with a man who obviously loved her so much. She had finally let go of her childhood dreams of Jondalar and embraced her future with Echozar wholeheartedly. She was a happy woman at last. Finally, Echozar was able to wrench his gaze away from his mate and focus on their guest.

"So Ayla, what brings you around this morning?" he asked, giving her a warm grin. He genuinely liked the beautiful woman sitting in front of him and was happy to have her visit any time.

Ayla hesitated, then plunged forward. "I need to ask you for a favor, and it's a big one," she said quickly. His eyebrows raised in question and she continued. She quickly explained what it was she needed of him and by the time she was finished, his happy expression had sobered.

"Do you really think this is a good idea Ayla? With everything that has happened, I can't imagine they will be happy to see us," he said, thinking about what she had said. He had to admit, she had a few good points.

"Please Echozar! I have to do this and Jondalar made me promise I would not go alone. You are the only one who could possibly accompany me. They will see you as Clan, deformed, but still Clan. They will trust you more that any of the others. Please say you will come with me," she pleaded.

He scowled for a moment, thinking of his past experiences with the Clan but then he looked at her earnest face and knew he could not refuse her. Besides, she was right, someone did need to let them know what was going on with Mikolan and his men. It was only fair to warn them. Actually, they should have done it sooner.

"Alright Ayla, I will go with you. When do you want to leave?" He asked her and was nearly blinded by her triumphant smile. He almost laughed, but kept his expression neutral.

She sobered at the thought of what lay ahead of them, but answered quickly, "As soon as you're ready." He nodded and she rose to leave. He would need time to speak to his mate and get dressed. She headed out the door then turned back to him. "Echozar?" She said quietly, and he turned to look at her. She smiled at him, "Thank you." He nodded again and she left to find Jondalar and let him know her plans.

She packed the rest of the things she would take with her onto Whinney's back. The horses were another concession to Jondalar. She hadn't planned on taking them, especially since Whinney still had not delivered her baby, but he had insisted. He reminded her that Mikolan and his men were out there watching them and the horses could get them away faster if they ran into trouble. She had conceded, seeing his wisdom in this. When her bundle was secure she turned back to Jondalar who had been standing behind her, watching as she loaded the supplies. He still wasn't too happy about this, but he had to agree with her reasoning.

She took Thonolan from him, kissing the baby's soft head, then leaned over and kissed his sister too, who was still cradled in Jondalar's arms. She had arranged to have them fed by another nursing woman in the cave, but she was still going to miss them terribly. Finally she handed the baby back to him and then reached up for his kiss as well. He leaned down to her, both babies between them and caught her lips to his.

"Be careful," he whispered when she pulled away.

She looked up at him, and smiled softly. "You know I will be and Echozar will help me keep an eye out for Mikolan too," she said to reassure him even more. He nodded. "You take care of these two for me. Marthona said she would help you out if you needed anything." He nodded again and she kissed him quickly one more time.

With the natural grace of years of practice, she leaped lightly onto Whinney's back, careful to avoid kicking the mare's round belly. She could deliver any day now. Looking down at Jondalar from Whinney's back, she said "We should be back in a few days at the latest, if everything goes well." She could still see the worry in his eyes.

Echozar pulled up next to her on Racer and saw it as well."Don't worry Jondalar, I will not let any harm come to Ayla."

Jondalar sighed, grateful to have Echozar accompanying her. "I know you will protect her, Echozar, and thank you for going with her." The big man nodded and looked at Ayla,

"Are you ready?' he asked, wanting to get this over with.

She nodded and looked back at her mate. "I love you. We will be back soon, I hope," she told him.

"I love you too, be careful Ayla."

She nodded and with a little wave turned Whinney and headed off in the direction Echozar said they would need to go. Ayla sighed as her thoughts turned to the Clan again. Would they trust her enough to listen to her? She sighed again and shook her head. She didn't know, all she could do was try.