Ahead of him was a falling body flailing weakened wings. Taller swam through the air, feeling it flow over his body, friendly, malleable. What would it be like to have it turn against you, your life's ally? His flock swerved and dived to get beneath their pinwheeling companion. They won't make it, Taller thought. The injured yearling was Flies-Too-Fast, the same youngster who'd carelessly thrown that filthy carcass at Good Eyes. He'd returned from his flyaway-the adulthood rite every chick took at fledgling-only last month. This was when youngsters became reckless as they struggled to earn a name, impress a lover. That made the old leader think of how Good Eyes had accidentally brought the dark shadow of Death among them. But she, too, was only a juvenile, new to the World. Like FliesTooFast, whose mistake could shatter him upon the World. The flock had reached the plummeting bird, and there was a flurry of activity as the strongest flier attempted to maneuver under the stunned and injured yearling.
