<P> In Auel's books, the Neanderthal possess only limited vocal apparatus and rarely speak, but have a highly developed sign language . They do not laugh or even smile, and they do not cry; when Ayla weeps, Iza thinks she has an eye disease . </P> <P> Ayla's different thought processes lead her to break important Clan customs, particularly the taboo against females handling weapons . She is self - willed and spirited, but tries hard to fit in with the Neanderthals, although she has to learn everything first - hand; she does not possess the ancestral memories of the Clan which enable them to do certain tasks after being shown only once . </P> <P> Iza trains Ayla as a medicine woman "of her line", the most prestigious line of medicine women out of all of the Clans . It takes her much longer to train Ayla than it will her own daughter, Uba, since Ayla does not possess the memories of the Clan . When Ayla grows up, Iza is concerned she will never find a mate and no one will want her, making her a burden to the Clan, so she trains her to be a highly respected medicine woman so she will have her own "status" and will not have to rely on the status of a possibly lowly mate . </P> <P> Ayla's main antagonist is Broud, son of the leader, an egomaniac who feels that she takes credit and attention away from him . As the two mature, the hatred between them festers . When they are young adults, Broud rapes Ayla, but she becomes pregnant, and rejoices in the birth of a son . Her son is almost taken away from her because he seems deformed to the Clan, since he does not look like them and, in the beginning, cannot hold up his head . </P>

Where was clan of the cave bear set