The Clan in the Valley

Ms Jean M. Auel's best-selling book "The Clan of the Cave Bear" and "Earth's Children" book series is a beautiful depiction of our planet 35,000 years ago. Her six books brought me many hours of enthralled reading, at different times in my life.

As I was reading Ms Auel's books, I would sometimes imagine life in our hunter-gatherer days. I would wonder how our world would be today if we had not discovered agriculture, and that old method of life had continued to today. But I suppose there is little chance of turning back; maybe our world today was always meant to be.

Some years ago, I had the opportunity to visit "The Land of Painted Caves", in particular Les Ezies-de-Tayac in France, which I understand was the setting of the Caves of the Zelandonii, the people of Jondalar. The cave paintings at the Grotte de Font-de-Gaume were a sight to behold, and I could almost imagine myself as a part of Ayla's Donier tour.

I still habour hopes of one day visiting the "Beran Sea" (known today as the Black Sea) and the adjoining peninsular, where Ayla was saved from death by Brun's clan, and she grew up loved by Iza and Creb.

Till then, I decided to do the next best thing - to write my version of a story set near the "Beran Sea".

This is a fan-fiction work - some characters are Ms Auel's creation and copyright, some are mine. Passages from various "Earth's Children" books are extracted as vignettes to preface my chapters.

I hope you enjoy this short story, which I intend as a sort of tribute to Ms Auel.

As a father of two daughters, thank you, Jean M. Auel, for bringing us Ayla, who continues to be an inspiration to girls everywhere, 35,000 years later.

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This is a work of fiction. Unless otherwise indicated, all the names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents in this book are either the product of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.