One of the elephant creatures had sidled up to the fence while Liya spoke. She could only guess it was a baby--it was as tall as she was, but still much smaller than the others in the field, and its horns were short and stubby. She held out a hand gingerly; it stuck out the end of its rust-colored trunk to sniff her.

"But that can't be right, can it?" she asked, half to herself. "They act like if it's not human, it's dangerous."

The elephant decided it liked her; its trunk quested up to pat the top of her head gently. She giggled.

"But that's stupid," she amended. "I mean, you're really nice, Helly. And my brother Hawk--"

She paused. She remembered sitting in the mangrove trees while he fished in the brackish water for snapper, with little birds perching on his hands. He'd stretched his wings and she'd wondered why he stayed on the ground, when he could just fly away. Couldn't he?

He'd smiled wryly. "Without you an' Emry? Why?" he'd asked. "I wouldn't last very long on my own, would I?"

She glanced down, the wind of a different world tugging her hair around her face, and then got down from the fenceline. "Anyway."

The elephant-thing waved its trunk cheerfully after them as they continued on the dirt path around the pasture. Liya walked backwards and waved back, wondering idly where it had learned such a gesture. Helly didn't seem to know what to say, and dithered quietly.

"They also say the Cynn is a ruthless monster who eats human hearts," Liya said finally, to break the silence. Helly nearly gasped.

"Oh dear," they said worriedly. "Are they really saying that?"

"It's true, in't it?" Liya asked.