As Ayla opened her eyes she was greeted with Jondalars unbelievably vivid blue eyes. Her heart melted at the panic that was there. She had upset so much not meaning too but now she was fine he started relaxing. It had been ages ago they got home and everyone crowded in close wanting to see Ayla, they though she might look like Whinney who had some how healed within the past two weeks. Ayla had been confined to her bed because Zelandoni did not want her to push it. Ayla still tried to attack her thought when she went anywhere near her. Jondalar had kept an eye on her and told Zelandoni what had happened but when she went into her own world he lost it and went for Zelandoni who sent him to his mother for a while. Ayla had been unreasonable for 2 days and Zelandoni was flabbergasted, she did not know what to do. But when Ayla started to come too she shifted out of the way so she would not pounce upon her.
Ayla looked around the dwelling and saw the person she had wanted to see but she was not sure why. Ayla was not sure what had happened. She did not remember anything apart from she had to do something. It had something to do with Whinney, Wolf and Racer surprisingly Baby too. But who were these people. Where was her mum? Where was her cave? She wanted her people. Then she had a sudden flash,
'She ran out of a hide covered lean-to. She went to play in the river. She then saw herself playing with rocks of some sort. The earth moved and the stones fell. Everything around her was falling. She looked through her own eyes at the lean-to. To her distress it plunged into a deep hole.' She shook her head slightly. That was how she became an orphan. She knew now but she had forgotten something but what, and who were these people? Did they adopted and save her? 'I must say something but what? I know I will thank them.'
"I thank you for saving my life!" Ayla said but to her surprise they shook their heads.
"Ayla I do not understand you." The big blonde man told her. 'What did I say and what are they saying' She shook her head to try and show she did not understand.
Jondalar was speechless so he tried the clan way and got the same response. He tried all the languages he knew and none of them did she understand. They asked Willomar in to see if he knew the language. They had the same response. By now everyone had found out Ayla forgot all the languages she knew except one they had never heard before. To Jondalar this was completely frustrating but some found it a bit amusing while others were shocked out of their minds because Ayla never forgot.
Ayla was having the time of her life. She found all the looks they gave her not the bit disturbing but they niggled something in her mind. She knew her animals and the names so she thought she should try and see if that got any response. At the sound of her neigh they looked at her and she said Whinney again but with speech in all the languages she remember saying it in. They looked wild with excitement so she did Baby. They were nodding in pleasure. So she decided to play with them and said Rabbit when she wanted to say Wolf. They shook their heads to her disappointment. She pointed and said Wolf to the animal. He picked is head up lazily and barked lightly. She was so shocked when it moved; she thought it was a rug. She leapt to the other side of the room in fright.
There was quite a crowd now outside and most almost lost their gaws because they dropped so fast when they saw Ayla pounce to the other side of the room when HER Wolf moved. Not one person believed that she was faking it when they saw her panic at the sight of the glorious proud animal.
She did not understand when they all smiled as the Wolf yawned showing them his sharp white teeth. He stretched and walked over to her as she stood in pure fear. She could not move. Her feet where rooted. Her body wanted to take off. Her heart said no for some unexplainable reason. And her mind was saying this was right but this was wrong. She wanted to scream and go and say hello to the animal but she could not do either. As the Wolf got close enough she found her feet. To most she seemed to fly out of the cave. She ran down the path a way to be face and face with a stallion of deep brown. The stallion called a welcome to her but she screamed her loudest scream and took to the way Whinney was. She kept running after a while she looked behind her. In the distance she saw the people of the cave coming after her. But she would not let them take her and hold her prisoner. She started to tire as she came to a river. She did not look around but bend down to take a drink. A fierce sharp snort got her attention. She looked at the horse before her but on the other side of the fast but steady river. The sound enhanced the moment. The beautiful but fiery mare stood fast. Ayla to stood fast. They could move but neither did. They knew each other. Ayla whinnied in confusion without knowing it and the mare snorted and struck out with such furiousness but Ayla stood fast.
Whinney saw that had no effect so decided to blow up. She sharply twisted her head and stood tall. Her proud movements were not what Ayla saw but the sliver scars that seemed to shine like the sun. Whinney saw that rearing was not enough so she did what she would never have done before 'the break of trust'. She charged through the river ignoring the people not to far away. Once on the other side she backed away from the woman a few steps. Then she took her anger up and the fire glowed in her eyes. She reared with all her might. Struck out with her hooves almost in unition. She walked a few steps and screamed with all her anger. She wanted nothing to do with this traitor ever again. Her son still did and her daughter but she hated them. She wanted to be free again, but something would not let her. She blamed this woman. If she killed her she thought she would be free. But she came close enough to do so and a memory of when this woman saved her life from hyenas came to mind and she backed down. Turning she fled.
The people of the cave shot after Ayla after they gained their senses and saw her confrontation with Racer. They saw as they scared each other. Jondalar raced off to calm Racer as Ayla took off in the other direction. Once Racer saw Jondalar she relaxed. Then they went off to find Ayla. They found her with Whinney. Everyone thought Whinney would kill Ayla but nothing much happened in his or her eyes. Everything happened in his eyes. He saw what he never wanted to happen. Ayla took off again through the river. No one wanted to follow her because they were sure she would come back all except Jondalar. He moved to go after her when Zelandoni took his arm and shook her head.
Ayla saw everyone out of the corner of her eyes and took off. Never will she go back there. She wanted to go home. She wanted her family. She never got to thank those people but she was not sure she wanted to.