In this second novel of the Earth's Children saga, Ayla, the unforgettable heroine of THE CLAN OF THE CAVE BEAR, sets out solo into a world far from friendly.She is in search of others like herself…and in search of love.Driven by energies she scarcely understands, she explores where the clan never dared to travel.In a hidden valley, she finds not only a herd of steppe horses, but also a unique kinship with animals as vulnerable as herself.Still, nothing prepares her for the emotional turmoil she feels when she rescues a young man, Jondalar – the first of the Others she has seen – from almost certain death.