"Kimeran!" Jondalar said when they finished the formal words. "It's good to see you!"

"And you, Jondalar." The men grabbed each other's hands, then gave each other a rough but affectionate hug.

"So you are leader of the Second now," Jondalar said.

"Yes. For a couple of years. I wondered if you'd make it back. I heard you had returned, but I had to come and see for myself if all the stories about you are true. I think they must be," Kimeran said, smiling at Ayla, but still keeping a cautious distance from the wolf.

"Ayla, Kimeran and I have been friends for a long time. We went through our manhood ceremony together, got our belts… became men at the same time." Jondalar smiled and shook his head at the memory. "We were all about the same age, but I felt that I stood out because I was taller than everyone. I was so glad when I saw Kimeran coming because he was as tall as me. I wanted to stand near him so I wouldn't be so noticeable. I think he felt the same way." He turned back to the man, who was also smiling, but his expression changed at Jondalar's next words. "Kimeran, I think you should come and meet Wolf."

"Meet him?"

"Yes, Wolf won't hurt you, Ayla will introduce you. Then he'll know you as a friend."

Kimeran felt disconcerted as Jondalar walked him toward the four-legged hunter. It was the biggest wolf he'd ever seen, but the woman obviously wasn't afraid. She went down on one knee and put an arm around him, then looked up and smiled. The wolf's mouth was open, his teeth were bared, and his tongue was hanging out the side. Was that wolf sneering at him?

"Put your hand out so Wolf can smell it," Jondalar urged.

"What's that word you called him?" Kimeran said, frowning and avoiding the gesture. He wasn't at all sure he wanted to offer his hand to the animal, but people were standing around watching, and he didn't want to seem afraid, either.

"It's the name Ayla gave him, it's the Mamutoi word for 'wolf'."

When Ayla took his right hand, Kimeran knew he was committed. He took a deep breath and allowed her to bring that important appendage close to the mouth that was full of sharp teeth.

Kimeran was surprised, as most people were, when Ayla went through the process of showing him how to touch the wolf, and he was startled when Wolf licked his hand. But when he felt Wolf's living warmth, the man wondered why the animal stood still for the touching, and once the initial wonder was over, he found himself paying more attention to the woman.

What kind of power does she have? he wondered. Is she Zelandoni? He was particularly aware of the zelandonia and their unique abilities. She speaks in perfectly clear and understandable Zelandonii, but She has a manner of speaking that is strange. It is not exactly an accent, he thought. She almost seems to swallow some of the sounds. It isn't unpleasant, but it does make you take notice of her… not that you wouldn't anyway. She has a foreign look, you know she's a stranger, but a beautiful, exotic stranger, and the wolf is a part of it. How does she control a wolf? He took on a look of wonder, almost awe.

Ayla had been watching Kimeran's expressions and saw the look of wonder. She glanced away when she felt herself starting to smile, then she looked up at him. "I've taken care of Wolf since he was a little pup," she said. "He was raised with the children of the Lion Camp. He's used to people."

Kimeran felt a flush of surprise. It was almost as though she knew what he was thinking and gave him an answer to his questions before he even asked.

"Did you come alone?" Jondalar asked when Kimeran could finally stop looking at the wolf, and Ayla, and turned his attention back to him.

"More are coming. We got word that Joharran wanted to organize a last hunt before leaving for the Summer Meeting. Manvelar sent a runner to the Seventh, and they sent one to us, but I didn't want to wait for everyone and came ahead," he said.

"Kimeran's Cave is that way, Ayla," Jondalar said, pointing down the valley of Grass River. "Can you see that small tributary?" Ayla nodded. "That's the Little Grass River. Continue along Grass River beyond the tributary to reach the Second and the Seventh Caves. They're related, and live across a rich meadow from each other."

The two men began talking, reminiscing and catching up, but Ayla was distracted again by the panoramic scene. The Third Cave's spacious upper terrace gave the inhabitants many advantages. It was Well protected by its large overhang from unpleasant weather, yet it offered an extraordinary view.

Unlike the wooded valley near the Ninth Cave, the valleys of both the Grass and the Little Grass Rivers were rich, luxuriant grasslands, but different from the broad meadows of the floodplain of The River. A variety of trees and brush lined the banks of the primary river, but beyond the narrow gallery forest it was an open field of essentially shortgrass that was favored by ruminant grazers. Directly across The River toward the west, the broad floodplain led to a series of hills that climbed up to a grass-covered highland.

The valleys of both the Grass and the Little Grass Rivers were wetter, almost swampy at certain times of year, which supported the tallgrass varieties of grass that grew higher than a man in places, and were often mixed with herbaceous forbs. The wide variety of plants invited many different types of grazing and browsing animals that preferred specific kinds or parts of the various grasses and leafy herbs as they migrated seasonally across the landscape.

Since the main terrace of Two Rivers Rock overlooked the valleys of both The River and Grass River, it made an ideal location from which to monitor the itinerant herds. As a consequence, over time the people of the Third Cave gained not only great skill in tracking the movements of herds, but knowledge of the seasonal changes and weather patterns that signaled the appearance of the various animals. With that edge their proficiency as hunters grew. Though every Cave hunted, the spears of the hunters of the Third Cave living at Two Rivers Rock brought down more of the grazers and browsers that migrated through the grassy floodplains of the river valleys than any of the others.

The primacy of the Third Cave's hunting knowledge and skill was known by most of the Zelandonii, but especially acknowledged by their nearest neighbors. They were the ones to whom the others turned for insight and information whenever anyone planned to go hunting, particularly when a major, community-wide, group hunt was considered.

Ayla looked toward the left, south. The grassy valleys of the two rivers, which joined just below, opened out between high cliffs. Enlarged by Grass River, The River flowed southwest close against the base of the tall cliffs, around the rocks of a deep bend, and out of sight, heading for a larger river farther south and eventually to the Great Waters some distance to the west.

Then Ayla looked right, to the north, back the way they had come. The upstream valley of The River was a broad green meadow with the sparkling shimmer of sunlight reflecting off the meandering waterway glinting through the junipers, silver birches, willows, and pines, even an occasional evergreen oak, that marked its course. Upstream on the opposite bank, where The River made a sweeping turn toward the rising sun, the high cliffs and the immense overhanging shelter of the Ninth Cave could be seen.

Manvelar strode toward them, smiling in welcome. Though the gray-haired man was not young, Ayla noticed that he walked with vitality and confidence. She found it difficult to judge his age. After greetings and a few formal introductions, Manvelar led the group to an unoccupied section on the main level somewhat north of the living area.

"We're preparing a midday meal for everyone," Manvelar announced, "but if anyone is thirsty, there's water and some cups here." He indicated a couple of large wet waterbags propped up against a stone, with a few woven cups stacked nearby.