 Natural changes have the clans moving. Iza, medicine woman of the "Clan of the Cave Bear" finds little Ayla from the "other" s clan - tradition would have the clan kill Ayla immediately, but Iza insists on keeping her. When the little one finds a most needed new cave, she may stay - for now. As it turns out later, she s a bright child, but has a hard time to keep her place in a clan with different customs. She has to hide her intelligence because she s a woman.