Ayla and Jondalar, along with their animal friends Wolf, Whinney, and Racer, have completed their epic journey across Europe and are greeted by Jondalar's people, the Zelandonii. These people of the Ninth Cave fascinate Ayla, and in, their female spiritual leader--who initiated Jondalar into the Gift of Pleasure- she meets a fellow healer with whom to share her knowledge and skills. 
But as Ayla and Jondalar prepare for their formal mating at the Summer Meeting, there are difficulties. Not all the Zelandonii are welcoming. Some fear Ayla's unfamiliar ways and her relationship with the Clan, openly opposing her mating with Jondalar. Now Ayla must call on all her wisdom and instincts to find her way in this complicated society, to prepare for the birth of her child, and to decide whether she will accept new challenges and play a significant role in the destiny of the Zelandonii.