"Chin up, back straight," Dai reminded Shanku again as he checked her stance. They were out practicing her archery again. Slowly, but surely, Dai was able to teach her how to use a bow properly. He still needed to help her pull back the string, but she was able to manage after that. Today, they were targeting a group of pheasants.

Shanku trembled with excitement but tried hard to hold still and steady her aim. She wanted nothing more than to leap into the air and hit one of the birds in a full dive, to feel her claws sink into one of the colorful birds. But, if she hoped to be able to start tackling larger game like the antelope on her own at her age, she would need to use a tool.

The arrow let loose with a soft twang and sailed through the air. Shanku whooped as it struck one of the pheasants. She thrust Dai's bow back to him and jumped off the hill. She glided smoothly to the downed pheasant, reached down to pluck the pheasant off the ground by its neck, and curved her flight back to Dai.

Dai waited paitently on the ridge as Shanku landed halfway up the hill and jogged back to him.

"Look, look! Good shot!" she squeaked.

Indeed, her aim was good, but he suspected she had snapped its neck intentionally when she picked it up.

"Good job, Shanku," Dai nodded. Shanku skipped alongside him as they returned to their current camp.

Dai found his hands full with his curious new friend. Headstrong, stubborn, reckless, very curious, and secretive about her origins. However, she was eager to please and tried hard. She was less quick to have an angry outburst these past few weeks as he worked with her and at least seemed to be down to the level of aggressiveness natural to her.

He had kept his distance from his wife and her clan should Shanku's family come looking for her. If she was a sign of what her family was like, Dai didn't want to risk endangering the Heyen should Shanku's clan suspect they held her against her will.

About once a week his wife, Zihna, would fly out to him and check on him. She didn't recognize the lost cub either and kept her distance, only visiting at night after the cub was asleep. Zihna would always warn her husband to be careful and she would promise to keep quiet about the strange cub for the time being before she would return to her clan.

Soon though, he would have to return to Wynfall, and by that point something would have to be done about his new charge.

The sun beat down on the browning prairie as a chilly autumn wind blew through the waves of grass. The urych herd plodded steadily on as Dai continued to guide them behind the Heyen. He had gotten out of range and hoped to see them again soon. Across his saddle was a young calf he had found a few days ago with its mother following behind.

Shanku was laying on top of the cow and enjoying the warm sunshine. She saw a small trickle of grey snaking up to the sky.

"Dai, smoke!" She exclaimed, sitting straight up on the cow.

"I know," Dai said nonchalantly. "There's a clan over that rise."

"Clan?" Shanku laid her ears back warily and her wings cupped around her. "What clan?"

"The Heyen Clan of the Red Wing. They might be some of your relatives," Dai said in a bid to goad her into telling of her origins. Despite his efforts over the past few months, she had been very tight-lipped on the subject.

"Oh, I doubt it." Shanku laughed and crossed her arms. "No high and mighty Feral Sylvan dares leave the forest. Especially those of my clan, the Scissortails," she scoffed.

"You're a Sylvan?" Dai asked in surprise, partially at his plan working and partially because the Sylvans supposedly were extinct. He turned around in his saddle to face her directly. "I thought the Sylvans had died out centuries ago?"

"No way. They withdrew from everyone for some reason or another way back when," Shanku shrugged off his question as vaguely as she could. Even she wasn't really sure why the Sylvans behaved as they did.

"Why? What was the reason?" Dai pressed.

"Ta heck if I know," Shanku said grumpily and pointed at a young kurach near Jakko. "And that cub's about to get eaten."

The cub in question swung a leg over Jakko's shoulders and the two set off. He squealed and laughed as he rode Jakko around Sage and the urych.

"Or not," Shanku muttered.

Dai chuckled as they were circled by the happily frolicking pair.

They continued to approach a collection of conical structures of wood and hide. Some had depictions of hunting scenes on them, some bore those of the seasons, some of strange fantastical creatures. Passing in and out of the tipis were many kurach with noticeably longer ears and tails, and blunter wings that were marked with spots and bars. Shanku and the new kurach looked at each other strangely but neither said a word.

One of the males, who had only two feathers protruding from his shoulders rather than three like the other males of this clan, approached Dai as he dismounted Sage. "Ah, you've finally returned!" He greeted them warmly.

"It's been a long time, Anoki," Dai said cheerfully as he placed the calf on the ground. The two took a step back as Jakko and his rider came skidding to a stop nearby.

"Kadin has missed his playmate," laughed Anoki.

"Heh, so I see. All has been well, then?"

"Quite."

"I see you brought a milch cow," Anoki gestured towards the urych licking her calf profusely now that he had been returned to her.

"I did," nodded Dai.

They stood in uncomfortable silence for a moment as Anoki gazed at Shanku atop the mother urych. "I thought you only had one cub," he said at length.

"I thought so too," Dai sighed.

"Hey!" Shanku growled. "I'm not his cub!"

"But in my care, at present," Dai replied.

A cub about Shanku's age with twin braids appeared beside Anoki and presented a clay jar to him.

"Would you go play with Rajé while I talk with Anoki?" Dai motioned to a girl.

"Sure," Shanku slid off the urych. "Beats sitting on a cow, at any rate."

Anoki gave the girls time to leave as Rajé began introducing herself and welcoming Shanku to her clan's current stead. He studied the newcomer closely until she was out of sight.

"That's neither your cub nor one of our tribe," Anoki said at length. "Who is she?"

"Shanku of the Ferals," Dai shrugged as he placed the clay jar under the mother urych.

"Didn't they die out?"

"Nope. They hid."

"Why?"

"Who knows?"

"It's said that of the tribes, the Feral had the least control of their rage and often became creatures of nightmare," Anoki shuddered. "There are tales of how long ago they slaughtered many of your kind."

"Aye, I remember. Shanku has a few anger problems, but doesn't seem to be anything like those tales so far as I know."

"Let's hope she never finds her trigger," Anoki said worriedly. "If her kind has survived and are beginning to roam once more, it's only a matter of time before another war."

Dai said nothing and continued to milk the urych.