CHAPTER 3: The Search

Ayla's group was approaching what she believed to be the general area of her Clan based on the number of months they had traveled east from the Zelandonii. "Ayla, let's set up a base camp and do some excursion searches North and South. We have the time, and doing it would expand our search. You and I could search the South while Durcan and Jaradal or Bandoman search the North."

"Yes, that would widen the area we cover in our search. If Durc or word of him isn't found, we can continue East for two days or so, and set up a new base camp. If weather and terrain will permit, we could then do another excursion North and South of the new base camp."

Jondalar and Ayla decided to always search the South while Durcan and his partner would always be the ones to search the North. Bandoman and Jaradal alternated as Durcan's partner unless one of the two men were sick or injured. After five days of excursion travel North and South, both sets of searchers would travel back to base camp and if possible, travel a different route to get there. Doing this, both teams of searchers would be covering new ground on the way out and on the way back. The excursion searches were done many times.

"Mother, this time I would like to go North ten days instead of five. Going further out may help us. I want to walk this riverbed North because it will be easier travel and a day's walk will cover even more land." Not reaching the base camp after a four day 'buffer period' would signal the time to start looking for the missing search group.

"Durcan, I think your idea is something we could try at least once," Ayla replied. As always, with five people in Ayla's party, two separate pairs would do the excursions. This left an 'odd-man' in the camp while the two search teams were out. The odd man protected the camp, maintained a constant fire, and made sure food was available for the search teams when they returned.

Ayla insisted the odd man have a companion and protector and for this reason she always left Sky with the odd man.

Bandoman was the odd man on the first ten-day outing. He had his belt knife, throwing spear, thrusting spear, spearthrower, hand axe and Sky for protection. Fire also aided in protection against a predator attack. Animals sniffing the scent of smoke in the air know it to be a smell of danger. Staying away from smoke and fire is always better than getting near it. Though alone in the wilderness, with these safety measures the odd man was deemed reasonably protected.

Each pair of searchers were hoping to find Clan hunters or a Clan cave so they could ask if anyone knew of Durc. It was on the morning of the first day out of the newest base camp that Durcan and Jaradal crossed paths with two Others hunters. Upon encountering the hunters Durcan asked, "Have you men any knowledge of a man named Durc? We are searching for him."

"No, we do not know of him," was the spoken answer. The two hunters had thought Durcan was asking about an Other like themselves. They knew of the Clan's 'Durc,' but anticipated these two hunters would see the Clan as not being human so it was obvious these strangers weren't asking about him.

"There is a small tribe of Others several days northwest of here," volunteered the second hunter. "Perhaps they would know of your Durc."

"Yes, and I suspect the girl child said to be living with the Clan belonged to those people. She had to come from somewhere," the first hunter added.

Durcan wondered, 'What girl child? What Clan?' Hearing of a female child being within the Clan, Durcan was reminded of his mother and immediately followed up with a direct question. "Can you tell us the way to go so we may find this Clan?"

"Yes, I can do that," said one of the two men. "If you follow this mountainside Northeast you will soon come to a willow river. To the East, beyond the river, is a small lake. You will want to camp overnight at the small lake because I am told the Clan you seek is a full day's trek from the lake. Continue to follow the base of the mountain and you will eventually reach the Clan you seek.

"I am told it is just beyond a second, but larger lake. At some point, you will likely be stopped by guards. You will need to make the guards understand what it is you seek."

Signing and speaking at the same time, Durcan replied, "I know the Clan's language and I have no fear in meeting them. I am pleased to have happened upon the two of you." Both men surprised Durcan when they signed him 'safe travels' as they were walking away; the men also knew the Clan's language. The two hunters were both from The Tribal Clan of Mixed Peoples, a mixed blood encampment in the area that had formed two summers before Ayla had reached the lands of the Zelandonii.

It was late fall and snows would come in another month or two. 'I want to get this little girl out of the Clan and back with her kind and I think bartering for her is going to be the best way to do it,' Durcan thought to himself.

Jaradal knew what Durcan was thinking. "Jaradal, I feel the need to go to the Clan and see if I can get the Clan Leader to release the child and..."

"...And bartering for her release is how you want to do it. I know you well Durcan and I will help in any way I can, but you had best get busy with your bartering before the cold winds and snows come. I will ..."

"...Set up camp by the small lake while I go to the Clan's leader and try to barter with him. I know you just as well Jaradal, our minds think the same." Both men cast knowing looks at each other and were pleased with their many years of friendship.

Durcan and Jaradal immediately set out at a somewhat rapid pace and stopped at the small lake spoken of by the Others hunter. "Jaradal, I'm leaving Blackie with you because any Clan guards or hunters I find would try to kill her. I have travel cakes with me and will probably not get back for two or three days."

"We will be right here when you return," was Jaradal's reassuring reply.

Continuing to follow the mountainside they were already on, Durcan set up an overnight camp when he reached the large lake the Others hunter had spoken of.

He had traveled quickly and was pleased when he came across the larger lake. Morning came and he continued to follow the base of the mountain. It was near high sun when he entered the Clan's outer boundary. A Clan guard quickly confronted the intruder. "I will speak with your Clan's leader, and I ask the name of your Clan." Durcan had signed this as a demand and did so showing strength.

The guard confronting Durcan was surprised by the Others request and the fact he signed Clan. "We are The Clan of the High Hillside, and you are to remain silent." Durcan had to smile to himself; the Clan's language is silent. The outer guard then signed to an inner guard in the distance. "Tell Kregg that an Others hunter has come to our Clan and has demanded to speak with him and also tell him I am holding the Other at our Southern post."

Doing as his fellow guard had directed, the inner guard spoke with the Clan leader. Kregg's response was clear and concise, "Send the Other's hunter away as I have nothing to say to him." Kregg had no desire to try to communicate with an ignorant Other that can't even understand the signing of a five-summer child."

The inner guard walked the distance to the Southern post and addressed the Other. "Kregg says he has nothing to say to you. I was directed to tell you this and I was also told to send you away." The guard knew his signed reply would make no sense to an Other, so he pointed in the direction the Other must have traveled from and hoped the young hunter would at least understand he was to leave.

Durcan would not give up. "Tell Kregg I have something to barter in exchange for something he has and probably doesn't want." The interior guard was taken aback when the Other's hunter flawlessly signed his requested barter. Looking at his fellow guard he signed, "Why didn't you tell me the Others hunter speaks a proper language?"

"How could I understand the man's request if he hadn't signed it?"

"Even so, you could have told me. Now I have to go back and bother Kregg again and I doubt he will be any more interested than before. I will tell him the Others Hunter wishes to barter for something our leader has and probably doesn't want.

"I will also tell him the Others hunter signs a proper language. This way Kregg can make an INFORMED decision based on FULL information." With his hands firmly on his hips and staring hard, the inner guard wanted to strangle his friend.

"Your mother kisses Others and even I have kissed her twice," replied the perimeter guard.

"Yes, and every man in our Clan has kissed your sister and not one was pleased, including me."

The two guards grunt-laughed in a staccato fashion at the signed humor between them and grunted even harder when they realized the Others hunter had understood what was signed and was laughing with them. Durcan had anticipated that dangling a cryptic barter before the leader would spark the leaders curiosity. The interior guard left and then returned and directed Durcan to follow him to Kregg.

Reaching the leader, Durcan signed, "Leader Kregg, this man would ask you for something and would give you something in return."

"What is it you wish to have and what is it you wish to give in return?" Kregg was surprised the Other signed so clearly and even used the same ritual cadence and words as the Clan did.

"I wish to gain the release of an Others child who I am told is living within your Clan. In return, I wish to give you more than enough hunting kills to allow your Clan the meat needed to reach spring without any loss of life due to a lack of food."

Durcan knew from his mother that getting through winters without one or more people starving was a hard thing to accomplish in most Clans. The archaic throwing and thrusting spears used by the Clan limited the number of animals they could kill, and Clan hunt tactics often put the hunters themselves in danger of being killed. This was not a good thing and unforeseen accidents had happened in the past.

"We have no need of your help," signed Kregg, hoping his daily prayers to Ursus would be accepted.

"You have no need of starvation either. I am not asking for something and giving nothing in return. The Clan has bartered with Others in the past and those in the Clan have memories of it. The female Other is of no great value to you, so why take the chance of seeing those in your Clan go without? I now ask how many people will I need to feed?"

Durcan knew the reference to 'having memories' would strike a chord with Kregg.

"How is it you sign a proper language, and have knowledge of our memories and our difficulties?"

"How I know is of no importance," Durcan signed firmly.

No matter how this Other knew the Clan's language or of the memories and Clan difficulties, he had offered a generous barter. "Do you wish to see the female child before we continue our barter?" Kregg asked.

"There is no need for me to see the child, but I must know the size of your Clan."

"I have twenty-seven in my Clan, of those, only six are children." Kregg realized the hunter's request was proper as the hunter would need to know so he could down enough game to meet the barter terms; it wasn't so the Others hunter could size up his Clan for an attack. If not for the barter, Kregg would not have told of his tribe's strength.

Given the small size of Kregg's Clan, Durcan didn't hesitate in his reply. "My two companions and I will provide your Clan enough kills to get your people through the winter. My terms of barter are that as the kills are made, your women will gut and butcher the animals and transport the meat back to your cave. Do you agree to my terms of barter?"

"Yes, I agree to your terms of barter," Kregg replied, "and my terms of barter are that if, in my opinion, you do not fully succeed in getting enough kills as agreed, you will not have fulfilled our barter and I owe you nothing in return. Do you agree to my barter terms?" Kregg had a winning situation either way. His Clan would also have the bonus of getting rid of the ugly Others female if the hunter fulfilled the barter.

"Yes, I agree to your barter terms." Durcan knew the kicker to Kregg's terms was the inclusion of 'in my opinion.' This left Durcan in a bad position. If Kregg is a just man there would be no problem, but no number of kills would suffice if he is an unjust leader. As was normal for Durcan, he would trust that Kregg was a just man until proven otherwise.

"Then we both agree." Kregg's statement ended the bartering.

The bartering finished, Durcan signed, 'I go now,' and turned to walk away. Leaving Kregg's Clan and walking at a rapid pace brought him reasonably close to where Jaradal's lakeside camp should be. He anticipated he could reach Jaradal's camp by high sun the following day.

It was indeed nearing high sun when Durcan reached Jaradal's lakeside camp. "Durcan, I am pleased you have returned so quickly. Were you able to barter for the child? What was your barter and how large is the Clan?"

"Greetings Jaradal! Yes, I was able to barter with 'Kregg,' the Clan's leader. Only twenty-seven or twenty-eight eight people are in this Clan and seven of them are children. I am uncertain if Kregg counted himself when he told me twenty-seven are in his Clan. My barter was winter meat for his Clan in exchange for the child."

"Is it twenty-seven or twenty-eight? Never mind, if the game will cooperate, we should be able to fulfill your barter quickly and I suggest we down enough large animals to feed a hungry thirty people."

"I agree, and if we grab our things and leave now, we can reach the overnight camp I used on the way out and back." Jaradal was just as excited as Durcan was and was looking forward to help Durcan free a child.

"Durcan, I have our things ready to go and I'm ready to go if you are. I even have some roasted rabbit we can take with us."

"That's good, although travel cakes are tasty, they can't beat roasted rabbit. Only one thing could make me feel better."

"What would that be?"

"Carry me Jaradal. I think doing so would make me feel better."

"What did you say Durcan?"

"I said, 'carry me,' is there a problem in doing that?"

"What did you say Durcan?"

"I said, 'CARRY ME.' Are you having hearing problems Jaradal?"

"Durcan, all of a sudden I can't hear a word you're saying."

"Jaradal, I found an attractive woman who wants to share kisses with you."

"How far away is this woman?"

"I thought you couldn't hear me. You must be suffering from an odd kind of hearing loss!"

"What? What did you say? I couldn't hear you." The two friends bumped shoulders and gave each other knowing smiles.

Rising with the morning sun and walking rapidly, it was nearing high sun when Durcan commanded Blackie to stay out of sight. He and Jaradal were nearing Kregg's Clan.

Leader Kregg had told the women they would be following the Others hunters and would butcher the deer, auroch, and other game the hunters brought down.

They were also responsible for transporting the meat back to his Clan; this was the Clan way. The only notable difference was that it would be Others hunters they would follow instead of Clan hunters.

Deer and auroch congregated in small groups at times but most often were found individually or in pairs. Blackie would work her way upwind of the prey. Her scent, along with the rustling of brush under her paws, would drive the animals toward the hunters. When called, Blackie would come to Durcan. There she would receive love and care from her pack leader and his search companion. Red meat was always present in her pack leader's camps.

Horses were the easiest animals to find because they tended to run in herds. Durcan hated to harm horses since he had owned many of them so he purposely selected horses that were old and would probably die by natural causes within a year or so. The Clan as a whole looks at horses as a food source and doesn't care if a horse is young or old. Horses are meat that would help carry Kregg's small Clan through the cold winter.

Using spearthrowers, it took seven days of hunting to net four aurochs, twenty-nine buck deer, and six old horses. One day before the end of the hunt, Jaradal left for the small lakeside campsite Jaradal had initially set up for himself. Durcan wanted Jaradal's exposure to the Clan to be slight simply because his friend was not fully at ease with Clan people. Both Jaradal and Bandoman had learned most of the Clan's sign language and some of the traditions, but knowing a language does not necessarily ease years of ingrained anxiety.

Though he wouldn't show it, Kregg was amazed the Others hunters were able to down so many animals so quickly. "Young Other, you have fulfilled our barter terms. Now I will fulfill my part of our barter." Kregg now signed to one of his hunters, "Bring the Others child 'Ava' to me." Durcan saw Kregg's signing and now knew the child's name. He was pleased with himself at being able to see in sign what Kregg had said.

'I couldn't help this child if mother hadn't taught me to sign Clan,' he thought.

The Clan hunter brought Ava to the leader's hearth as directed and the child kept her head and eyes down. When the hunter holding her arm stopped walking, Ava knew it was time to kneel before the Clan's leader.

Kregg quickly tapped Ava's shoulder meaning she could look at him and speak. Looking up at him, he quickly signed that she must not speak, he alone will speak. "Ava, an Others hunter is now your owner. He will now take you from my Clan as he is your new master." Being a woman, Ava could not speak without permission and now she was a captive of and owned by some man of the Others. Knowing no one in his cave would starve during the upcoming winter, Kregg signed "Now go."

Durcan was surprised, 'the child' was the prettiest woman he had ever seen. She looked to be his age and had red hair and green eyes. Ava's own thoughts came rapidly. 'So, this Other's man now owns me? Like snow won't melt in summer heat he does. 'Go,' is what Kregg has commanded me and I am more than ready to do just that.' Leaving her sister would be the hardest thing in all this, but Ava knew she had no choice in the matter.

Since she was no longer in the Clan, Ava would no longer constrain herself. "Kregg, I will gather my clothing and say goodbye to my hearth. Then I will leave with the man of the Others who is now my owner and master. May Ursus be with you..." She was sincere when signing 'May Ursus be with you,' and also felt signing it may throw the leader off balance long enough to do what she told him she would do. In the Clan, a female doesn't tell a man what she will do, the man tells the female what she must do.

"Ava, I will ignore your words as you are no longer part of my Clan, yet I feel getting your body coverings and saying goodbye to your hearth would be a proper end to being with us." 'Now this ugly and contrary female will be the problem of the Others hunter,' Kregg thought.

Durcan stayed with Kregg while Ava went to gather her things and say goodbye to her hearth; the hearth she shared with her sister. The leader had directed two guards to monitor Ava and was now signing to the Others hunter. "Again, how is it you sign a proper language and know of our memories and our difficulties?"

"My mother is an Other and was adopted by Mog-ur Creb when she was five summers in age. She lived with him and Iza, his sister, and my mother was with Creb when he went into the Spirit World. Leaving her Clan as a woman, she wandered the wilderness alone for many summers and ultimately came across an Others man, my father.

It was she who taught my father, my sister, and myself the Clan's language and many of the Clan's customs, traditions, and past. She also taught us of Ursus and the ways of his world."

"I see truth in your signing, and I am amazed a female Other could survive for such a long time without a man to hunt and provide for her."

"I think it would be truth to say Ursus was looking out for my mother very closely."

"He must have been for your mother to live in the wild for that long. Is your mother walking in the Spirit World or is she still with us?"

"Kregg, both she and my father are still with us."

"I know not of your name sound young hunter; I would know of it if you would share it with me."

"My name sound is 'Durcan' and I am now two Summer Gatherings and three summers in age." Durcan mouthed his name sound so Kregg would know it. Kregg was surprised how much the Other knew about the Clan.

"Tell me, Durr-cann, where are all of your hunters? While butchering your kills, I am told the women saw only you and one other hunter. Were your other hunters hiding from view for some reason?"

"Kregg, I have only two companions with me. One is named 'Jaradal' and the other is named 'Blackie.' Just the three of us worked to down the animals."

"You and just two companions killing that many animals in just seven moons! I cannot believe such a thing!"

"We Others have a weapon that allows us to down nearly every animal we see. It was created by my father and mother. Because it is so accurate, we Others no longer fear starvation in the winters. This is a land rich with game but to best bring the animals down a weapon that can kill from far away is needed."

"Your weapon can kill from far away? What do you consider to be far away? What distance is your weapon able to reach with accuracy?"

"Kregg, would you mind showing me how far you can throw a hunting spear?"

In the spirit of the moment Kregg responded, "Yes, I can do that." He then walked to his throwing spear and spotted a lone tree in a meadow. The tree was roughly thirty strides away. Checking to see that no one was in the path of his spear, he gave a strong throw and his spear fell just short and to the left of his target tree. This gave Durcan a reference point.

"Kregg, I can accurately hit a target much further away than the distance to the tree. I see an old tunic on the ground by your campfire and it looks used up and ready to be burned. If that is the case, may I use it as my target and have one of your hunters take it into the open meadow past your target tree? I would then tell him when to stop walking after passing the tree. The tunic will be my game target."

"I will have the guard who brought you to me to do as you ask." It only took a wave of his hand to send the guard on his mission; he had watched what had been said as Kregg and the Others hunter signed.

Picking up the discarded tunic the guard signed, "When should I stop walking?"

"Stop when I tell you to," signed Durcan. Reaching the tree, the guard began walking backward so he could see Durcan's signed instructions.

'This is wasted effort. No hunter can kill an animal from this distance,' the guard thought to himself. Reaching a point nearing twice the distance from where the leader's spear landed, Durcan then signed 'stop' to the guard and then told the guard to place the tunic in the large sticker bush he was standing next to.

"Now step well away from what will be my 'deer kill.' Do not approach my kill until I tell you to." The guard knew this entire thing was wasted effort.

Kregg felt there would be no shame in missing such a distant target. 'This Others hunter is a dreamer, downing a deer from that far away is only done in dreams.' His thoughts were correct based on what life had shown him in the past.

Durcan pulled a spear from its holder and placed it in the cradle and on the mounting pin of his spearthrower. Noting only a slight cross breeze, he took aim and let the first spear fly then loaded a second spear and let it fly as well. He had no more than released the second spear than the first spear hit the target. The second spear followed and pierced the tunic four hand-spreads away from the first spear. Taking a third spear from his spear holder, Durcan turned to Kregg, "Now I will put a third spear between the first two spears."

Kregg stood silent and in total disbelief at what he had already seen. Durcan dispatched the third spear and, as he said, it hit nearly dead center between the first two spears. Looking to the guard, Durcan now signed, "You may step to my deer kill and bring it and my three spears to us." Durcan could have used three darts instead of three spears but chose to use the spears because they were easier to see and thus were more impressive. In reality, the perfect throws were the best Durcan had ever done; he got lucky, damn lucky.

Not believing what he had just seen, the guard grasped the shafts of the two outer spears and was able to remove the tunic from the sticker bush by just lifting up and away. All three spears came from the bush along with the tunic. Running to Kregg with the tunic and spears in hand, nothing was said as he handed the target and spears to his leader; all three spears were still in place.

Kregg was awestruck; "What I have just seen cannot be explained. Not even my best hunters could have hit your deerskin target. The accuracy you have shown is just as unbelievable. Are your two hunting companions just as accurate?"

"No, only one of my companions is as accurate as me and my second companion carries no weapon at all but is just as deadly as my spears if she needs to be."

"SHE! Your third hunter is a female! A female killed some of the animals you have bartered! I cannot allow my people to eat meat killed by a female! Durcan, you have violated our barter!"

"I have not violated our barter Kregg. My female companion only assisted us in getting the kills by scaring large game our way so my friend and I could use our spears on them. The female did not kill any of the animals."

Again, no lies were seen and, with the memory of the tunic still fresh in his mind, Kregg had no choice but to accept that the Others had weapons that could provide kills as in dreams. The fact the 'female' was a wolf was not volunteered and Durcan was pleased to remain silent about it.

Ava quickly reached what she and her sister were using as a hearth. "What are you doing Ava?" Barrie asked.

"I am putting my clothing and extra foot-covers in my carry pouch because Kregg has given or bartered me to a man of the Others and I must leave with him and go wherever he takes me. Barrie, I don't know where the Others man will be taking me or even if we will ever see each other again."

"I will go to Kregg and ask to go with you."

"Doing that will only irritate Kregg. He wouldn't just give me to the man and get nothing in return and he will likely get something more if he decides to get rid of you someday. Maybe we will have good fortune and the same man of the Others will come back and barter for you. If that happens, it would be likely mean we can be together again."

"Ava, I don't want you to go. We have always been together and surely Kregg would understand why I am asking to go with you."

"I know sweetie, but you assume he cares about or will even listen to the wants and wishes of an Others female. As I said, maybe the Others man will come back and barter for you. I will suggest it to him but only if he is a kind man and the type of man who will accept the thoughts and requests of a female. Do you understand that I don't want to go? Do you understand I have no choice?"

"Ava, I understand what you say, and I know you have no choice, but what if someone else wants to barter for me before your man comes back?

"How can I know... wait, how about we use 'sweetie' as a secret word? If your man says the word, I will know he is your man and won't need to escape his capture."

"That would be good, but let's use a question and an answer as a true test."

"That would be good Ava but what question?"

"Barrie, ask whoever barters for you if they know how to swim. They will either say yes or no."

"But how will that tell me I can trust whoever has bartered for me?"

"Because the answer to the question will be 'Ava' if, in my eyes, the person is trustworthy."

"That is a perfect question and answer! Wait a moment," Barrie said as she ran to their sleeping furs. "You don't want to forget your sleeping fur and sling, and you had best take a water bladder with you."

"Barrie, you're right, and please don't forget me. Know that I will never forget you."

"How could I ever forget that which is a part of me?" With that, both sisters broke into tears in a way they had never done before. The two sisters kissed, cried, and said goodbye. 'I love you,' were the last words exchanged. The sisters parted not knowing if they would ever see each other again.

"Kregg, I have gathered my things and said goodbye to my hearth. I am ready to go with the Others hunter who is now my master. I offer my gratitude to you for allowing your hunters to bring me into your Clan because if not for your approval, I would have died in the wilderness; I go now."

Ava had not signed of her sister in the presence of her new master. She obviously didn't know this Others man and if he proved to be a harsh master, she certainly didn't want him to know of her sister.

Walking away from Kregg and his Clan, Durcan calmly spoke to Ava. "You and I are traveling to an overnight camp I used on my way to reach Kregg's Clan. You will be safe, and in the morning we will continue our travel." Ava didn't respond.

Pleased with freeing Ava, Durcan had forgotten to ask Kregg if he knew of Durc.

Seven moons had passed since Ava left her sister and now Hallie, Kregg's Medicine Woman, needed some help with an injured man. "Medicine girl, come help me bandage this man's arm."

"I will come and will bring more bandage cloth because what you have in hand does not look to be enough" Being Hallie's helper for just over four summers, Barrie was competent in more than just the basics of medicinals and proper care of the injured. 'Medicine girl' was a pet name Hallie, Kregg's Medicine Woman had given her.

"Having additional bandage cloth at hand would be a good thing Medicine Girl; better to have too much than not have enough." Hallie has been the Medicine Woman at Kregg's Clan of the High Hillside for twenty-one summers and she was well pleased with all the help Barrie had given her over the last four summers.

Hallie had a second helper, but Palma did not learn nearly as quickly as Barrie. Palma was still three summers away from being declared a medicine woman; Barrie was well ready after only two summers.

When Barrie and her sister were first brought to the Clan of the High Hillside, the first thing Hallie did was to quarantine the two female children. This would determine if the young Others were healthy or diseased. If healthy they could stay, if unhealthy they must become well outside of the cave area and do so within fourteen moons. If still diseased, they would be given a Death Curse. Spreading disease was a known trait of the Others.

For this reason, only limited physical contact was made. At the end of the quarantine, Medicine Woman Hallie had declared both girls to be healthy. The two Others children only needed continued food and shelter.

"Barrie, how many summers is it that you have been helping me?" asked Hallie.

"I have been your helper a little more than four summers and I am well pleased with all you have taught me."

"...And I have been pleased with all of your help Barrie. You learn things quickly, and will be a Medicine Woman soon, but I don't think leader Kregg will allow me to declare you as such. Still, I have no fear in the medicinals you would give or the steps you would take in helping a sick or injured person."

"Hallie, I just do the things you have taught me and not having the title of 'Medicine Woman' will not stop me from acting as one. Since I know both languages, I can help both Clan and Others when needed."

"Barrie, you said, 'languages,' do you mean the strange sounds you and Ava sometimes make was some kind of communication?"

Barrie answered by signing and speaking at the same time, "Yes, what you call 'strange sounds' has meaning the same as signing does. It allows me to do one or two different things at the same time. Ava and I try not to mouth our words when someone else is nearby and in doing this, we avoid offending anyone."

"Barrie, I had no idea you two could do those things. Do all Others have this ability?"

"Yes, Hallie, we all do.