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Syrdian what Qes had said.
    “Qes what?” Syrdian snapped indignantly .
    “Qes called you dyatso! H i e hasn’t gone for help, you’re dead to him r .”
    “H i e wouldn’t!”
    “H i e did. You heard himr, you just won’t admit it to yourself. ”
    “Wouldn’t.” Syrdian turned to look off over the trees in the direction of the cave. Waiting, presumably , for some dalin s to wing into view, thus proving Dex wrong.
    “I’m going to go get more wood.” Dex said disgustedly, “ Don’t put any more on the fire.”
    Dex made six trips to the verge and back and built up quite a pile of wood. Syrdian simply sat and stared sullenly up the mountain. Dex made another trip to the talor and brought back meat. This time hie had to chase away some dlak that were scavenging the carcass. As hie sat, cutting the meat into strips and hanging it near the fire to dry, hie wondered why hie was staying with Syrdian. Yes, Syrdian was beautiful and yes Dex had longed for Syrdian for… forever. But now that hie’d actually spent time with Syrdian hie found himr annoying and … shallow. And, worst of all, incompetent to take care of himrself! Dex felt like hie was staying out of sympathy now, not out of hies previously misguided sense of love.
    Just before the sun went down Dex flew back to the verge and cut four straight shafts about hi e s height. After dark hie trimmed and peeled them, then sharpened a point onto one end of each of them. He carefully fire hardened their points. Such pointed staves were supposed to be useful for fending off predators though hie’d never used one himrself. Hie laid two staves on each side of the fire and then leaned the others against the big rock at the back of the small enclosure . He crouched down back there himrself. Partly because it was to o warm by the fire and also because hie worr i ed about something dropping down from above. H i e tried to reassure himrself that the big flying predators like talors didn’t fly at night . Be sides, they were afraid of fire, weren’t they?
     
    ***
     
    Deltain looked up from the harness he’d been working on . The sun had set . Hie stood and walked over to the edge of the flat ledge that provided a work area in front of the great cave. Deltain look ed out into the dimming sky. Where was Dex ? Hie’d promised not to push it so close to dark like this! Worry fought with irritation in Deltain’s hearts.
    Dex was at a difficult age, young adult, angry with the low position in the tribe’s hierarchy that Genex had left himr . Shifting from the compliance of youth to the defiance of a young adult. Dex knew how Deltain worried when hie didn’t get home well before dark, yet hie frequently pushed it! Deltain’s wings rippled in frustration. Would Dex behave this way if it weren’t for hies low status? Hie wondered if Dex might be less rebellious if hies status rose, something Deltain hoped might happen as Dex’s ability to produce fine leatherwork became more and more apparent.
    Distantly Deltain realized that several other parents were standing on the ledge looking out into the dimming light, perhaps frustrated with the same issues?
    A dalin appeared against the sunset sky, winging its way toward the cave. Deltain’s hearts lifted, Dex? Hies hearts sank as the dalin approached and hie recognized the handsome Qes, an age mate of Dex , but of very high status. Qes landed beside hies parents and clasped them .  Then Qes glanced at the other parents waiting on the ledge. Deltain recognized they were the parents of Syrdian, Qes’ romantic interest. Qes spoke quietly to hies own parents while repeatedly glancing over at Syrdian’s parents.
    Syrdian’s parents approached Qes. Deltain heard them ask, “… seen Syrdian?”
    Qes waved hies head in negation and the parents, wings drooping, returned to their vigil, looking out over the enormous valley below.
    As Qes and hies parents moved back into the cave Deltain approached . “Did you maybe see Dex