They looked up along a path to a cliff overhang, and saw a young woman.

"Mother! Come quick," she said. "Jondalar is back. Jondalar is home!"

And so am I, Ayla thought.

Jondalar urged his horse up and around the path to the cliff overhang that they were viewing. The young woman who had stood at the edge of the overhang, announcing Jondalar’s return, ran towards the approaching man but then stopped dead in her tracks, finally spotting the animal he was riding.

Riding? People don’t ride horses, she thought. A smile from the man as he dismounted brought her closer, and eventually she let go of any feelings of fear and lunged at the waiting man.

"Jondalar!" She squealed with happiness. He hugged her close, and remembered just how much he’d missed her company while on his Journey.

"Folara, sister! How you’ve grown! I’ve missed you so much, I can’t believe I’m back here, standing here…" Words flooded out of his mouth and he didn’t bother to restrain them, he just talked until his mind was clear again. Then he turned to see the woman Ayla, his woman, approach the little gathering tentatively. She dismounted and stood next to the dun-coloured mare, her arm around its neck. Jondalar motioned for her to join them.

"Folara of the Zelandonii, please welcome Ayla of the Mamutoi."

Realising the formality of the occasion, the young woman extended both hands, palms up. She smiled warmly yet shyly at the stranger that had accompanied her older brother. Ayla recognised her shyness and grasped her hands to Folara’s, smiling just as warmly but with no hesitation.

"In the name of Doni, the Great Earth Mother, I welcome you, Ayla of the Mamutoi."

They unclasped hands, and Jondalar looked expectantly at the two young women, hoping they would speak further instead of communicating through him. When he realised they were both still too shy and not fully understanding, he put an arm around each of them.

"Ayla, Folara is my younger sister." Ayla , remembering the many times he had mentioned her in his longing to be home. "And Folara, this is Ayla." He winked at his beautiful woman. "My Ayla. She has travelled the Journey home with me, all the way from the land of the Mammoth Hunters."

The younger woman’s eyes widened. "You went all that way, Jondalar? How on Earth…" She suddenly noticed one of the original members of the Journeying party was not there. Folara looked up at her brother. "Jondalar, where is Thonolan?"

A loud yell from the cave’s entry was followed by the appearance of a short, aging woman, who ran to Jondalar and almost knocked him over with the force of her embrace.

"My boy, my son, how I’ve missed you! Everybody, come! Jondalar has returned! He is back from his Journey with many a story, I’m sure!" She winked at him after seeing the beautiful blond woman standing by his side. Slowly, as if not sure to believe what they were seeing, the members of the Ninth Cave of the Zelandonii came to greet Jondalar and his companion.

"Jondalar, you sly fox!" A booming voice came from within the crowd and Jondalar looked to see his elder brother, the headman Joharran. "Look at what he brought with him – a gift from the others you have visited, or perhaps from the Mother?"

Everyone laughed as the tall traveller turned a shade of pink. "Joharran of the Zelandonii, please welcome Ayla of the Mamutoi."

The Zelandonii leader held out his hands, palms up, which Ayla grasped.

"In the name of Doni, the Great Earth Mother, I welcome you, Ayla of the Mamutoi."

"I greet you, Joharran of the Zelandonii."

"Wonderful!" Jondalar’s excitement brimmed over as he looked around at his people, whom he had missed so dearly on his Journey. A comfortable sense of home settled over him as he watched everybody regarding Ayla with curiosity. He thought he had better start his storytelling soon, or they would have no idea…

"I hope you can explain the magic of these horses to us, as well…" Joharran gazed at the two animals with awe. "How do they…?"

Jondalar threw an arm over his brother’s shoulder. "I think I had better start my story soon, brother, before these questions become too many!"

"Tonight we will have a marvellous feast, for your return. After that, you will recap your entire Journey for us, if you would not mind."

Jondalar nodded. "That sounds wonderful. If we could unload…"

"Of course, of course! I had hoped you would stay once again in Marthona’s hearth…and Ayla?"

"Yes. It is my wish that Ayla and I be Promised, so we can be mated at the Summer Meeting. She has saved my life more than once, but I’m sure you will all hear of it later this evening."

"Jondalar! It’s wonderful to hear of you finally accepting a commitment. Maybe we will even see some children at your hearth in the future, you old brute!" His mother put her hand to his cheek, then to Ayla’s. "I am very pleased to welcome you, Ayla."

A tear ran from the corner of her eye.

"I am pleased, also."

Ayla and Jondalar sat back, regarding each of the members of the Zelandonii cave. At the head of the table sat Joharran with Marona, the woman Jondalar had been Promised to before he left for his Journey. He was surprised to learn of their mating in the time he had been gone, but he was also happy for his brother and his new sister. He realised soon that their mating had been out of love, not formality, and he was happy for it.

Ayla looked over the large group with a feeling of wonder. These people would be her people, soon. The Summer meeting was not far off now, but they did not know her yet. What would they think? Would Jondalar tell them everything? Or would he be ashamed for them to know, like he had been before. With the Mamutoi, and the Sharamudoi. He had not been worried when telling the Lanzadonii, but that was after Ayla and Jondalar had been introduced to Echozar, the half-Clan man that was accepted into the Lanzadonii cave. He was even Promised to Joplaya, Jondalar’s close-cousin. Ayla frowned sadly when she thought of Joplaya and Echozar. Seeing them together brought memories of her time with the Mamutoi Lion Camp, and Ranec. Her time there, although a wonderful experience, was also a time of confusion and almost regret. She had almost given up her Jondalar to be mated to Ranec. The black carver loved her as much as she loved Jondalar, however she could not bring herself to love him in the same way. Her parting with Ranec was sad, but she had moved on and was now with the Zelandonii, to stay. Hopefully.

Jondalar saw Ayla’s distant gaze, and wondered what she had been thinking of. He was anticipating his storytelling, but also fearing what he would say when it came time to explain Ayla. He did not want to disrespect her by not mentioning her life with the Clan, but he also knew how strongly the Zelandonii people felt against the Clan – or flatheads, as they were commonly known. Regarded as animals, the same as horses… or wolves. He would have to explain the animals, too. Whinney, Racer and Wolf were all a little way from the cave, the horses grazing in the field behind the cave and Wolf keeping watch after directions from Ayla.

Jondalar feared that most of his people had already judged Ayla without him being able to make his own comments. He believed they would think of her as a donii, the way she called the animals and seemed to fear nothing. He was sure that being regarded as a donii would be better than being abomination, but her time of judgement would come with his words, through his story. Jondalar would just have to subtly let them know how much he cared for her, how much she meant to him. Or they would not accept her. What would he do if that ever happened?

Joharran stood at the end of the table and looked to his people.

"I am sure we have all eaten enough. Some have probably not eaten enough, actually, due to the anticipation of the story we have to follow our meal. So I will not hold Jondalar back any longer. If we will all gather around the hearth of Willomar and Marthona, may Jondalar begin his re-telling."

Everyone leapt from their seats and followed the weary travellers to the hearth of Willomar. They gathered around as Jondalar sat, Ayla close by his side, grasping his hand. He smiled at her before starting his story – she had heard it many times at many different fires, and could almost tell the whole thing herself.

"When Thonolan and I left here, we were full of excitement. We travelled many days, over terrain and some weather, until we met the Sharamudoi people. We stayed there for some months, and it was there that Thonolan met and mated a young Shamudoi woman named Jetamio."

Many heads nodded, and Jondalar expected them to believe this was the explanation for Thonolan’s lack of presence. Jondalar sighed before going on.

"She was carrying a baby, and when it came to birth, it was difficult. Too difficult for her to go on. Both Thonolan’s mate and her child, a son, died there.

Most of you would not remember Thonolan to be too serious a person. The moment he met Jetamio, he seemed to grow many years in maturity. It was when he mated with Jetamio that he truly became a man. But when she was taken back by the Mother, Thonolan was torn apart. He no longer wanted to live. It is painful to say, but true."

Marthona interrupted.

"Jondalar, my son, where is Thonolan?"

Jondalar looked at his mother and a tear he could not stop rolled down his cheek and fell to the ground.

"Thonolan was taken back to the Mother. It was not long after we parted with the Sharamudoi. He joined Jetamio again."

Marthona let out a sob and reached out for Willomar, who also mourned the loss of a son of his hearth. Jondalar shook away his sorrow.

"He does not go unremembered by the people we met along the way. There is a new child, not more than a few months old, who goes by Thonolia. Her mother is sure that the child is of Thonolan’s spirit."

Marthona seemed to calm slightly after hearing this later piece of news. However, she inquired further into the story.

"Jondalar – how did Thonolan die?"

Jondalar paused, then looked to Ayla and smiled, hoping she was ready to be brought into the story. He then turned back.

"We had been hunting, for food, when a lioness appeared and stole away our kill. We were so hungry – foolishly, I admit, we followed the lioness to try and retrieve our game. We watched her take the carcass to a cave, then we watched her leave. Thonolan jumped down once it appeared to be safe, but he did not count on meeting a lion still in the cave."

Everyone gasped, each imagining the young man’s encounter with the beast.

"I do not remember much from there. I jumped down to try and help him – the lion swiped at me, too – " he stood up, exposing his thigh and the permanent scars still visible. " – I was knocked unconscious. I remember nothing from there, until I woke up again in a small cave filled with the scent of herbs. It was Ayla who rescued me from the lion and brought me back with her, nursed me to health. Without her, I would be walking with Thonolan."

Everyone looked to Ayla in a new light. She had battled a lion to save a stranger’s life, she must be strong as well as courageous. Ayla acknowledged their stares and felt herself turning red. Jondalar saw, and chuckled.

"We stayed in her cave for some time, all alone. It was there that I watched her with the horses – when I first awoke in her cave, she was helping the pale horse give birth to the dark one. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing, I thought she was a donii and I had already died! And the wolf that you saw when we arrived; he, too, one of Ayla’s animals. He responds to her every call and treats her as though she were his mother. I am also guarded by the animal, and he has saved our lives as many times as we have saved his. You need not be afraid of any of them. The wolf even plays with children lovingly, like an older brother – we have witnessed it at the many camps we have stayed with. He was brought up around other young ones, so you mothers need not be afraid for your children. The animals all have names, too – the horses are Whinney and Racer, the wolf is called Wolf – the Mamutoi word for wolf. But I should continue with the story, I digress."

Jondalar looked at his friends and relatives, who all stared at him, pleading with their eyes for him to continue. He had retold his story plenty of times, but never had he held an audience so captivated.

"Ah, where was I? Yes, Ayla and I stayed in her valley until I was well again. I had nasty injuries from the lion – " He paused, and considered whether to mention Ayla’s affection for the large beast, but decided against it – "… and once my wounds had healed, we lived together, alone, for some months. I taught her to speak Zelandonii, that is why she is so fluent. Even while staying with others, we would speak privately in Zelandonii. Eventually, I convinced Ayla to leave the valley with me. I wanted to go home, but I could not bear to leave her behind. I had fallen in love with her."

Jondalar felt Ayla’s hands grasp his tightly, and he looked up to see smiling faces all around him. He had stirred up memories for some of them, and they could relate to how he felt at that time. He smiled back at them and continued on.

"We walked and walked, the horses with us, until we encountered members of the Mamutoi Lion Camp. They, too, were cautious at first, hesitant to take us in because of the horses. They did not think we were human! But quickly they adjusted to the horses, and to us, and we became close with the whole camp. It was there that Ayla found Wolf, as a pup, after she had killed his mother. She raised him amongst the Mamutoi children, and taught him to obey her commands. Ayla was adopted into the Mammoth Hearth, and although I was given the offer, I chose not to be taken in as well. I knew that I would eventually return to you, my people, the Zelandonii.

"We wintered with the Mamutoi, and went with them to their Summer Gathering. Ayla was … Promised to a Mamutoi man, a man with skin as dark as the night sky. We had been…" Unsure of what words to use, Jondalar looked to Ayla. She wasn’t sure of what he was asking, but she reassured him with one of her breathtaking smiles. He regained his confidence. "… we had been confused with each other through the Winter, and it was not until the Mamutoi Summer Gathering that we resolved our differences and made peace. I was leaving – I did not want to see her being mated to another man. She came after me, and we finally saw eye to eye. We returned to the Gathering only long enough that Ayla could collect her things and we could wish the Lion Camp well. Then we left, to Journey home.

"It was a long Journey, as only few of you would know. We followed the Great Mother River as far as we could, staying for a few days with the Sharamudoi people who Thonolan had mated into. They too were sorry to hear of his death, but they took Ayla and I in as kin, nonetheless. We did not stay long there, because the season was changing and I knew we had to cross the glacier before the Winter ended.

"Before we could reach it, we ran into a people called the S’Armunai. Their camp was run in a most strange fashion. I was imprisoned by their leader when Ayla and I were trying to recapture Whinney from a herd of horses. The S’Armunai thought we were trying to hunt their prey. However, they only captured me. I feared the worst for Ayla until she and Wolf came and rescued me. We helped restore the camp to its past settings, and then left quickly to cross the glacier.

"It was a painful trip over. At one stage, it seemed as though we would have to leave the two horses behind. They kept slipping on the hard ice during the steeper climb, but again Ayla saved them by fastening mammoth hide around their hooves. It stopped the sharp ice from damaging the undersides of their hooves, and they could grip to the ice more easily. We made it over the top, and had an - interesting! ride to the bottom of the final mountain. We then stopped in for a quick visit to the Lanzadonii before rushing home.

"And that is where we finish."