Taldu gathered up the dried corn to feed the chalkos with, when his wife called from the kitchen, "Isn't your father, Agrafah, attending that reception up at the palace tonight?" Taldu grunted. "He has time. I don't. I have chores to do." Taldu's wife chided him, "You! You're his son! You shouldn't treat him like that! Even dogs get better treatment!" Taldu grunted and closed the door behind him louder that he intended. He stalked out into the late afternoon sunlight. Frost was already on the ground and he saw the dead world of Adamesh hanging like a cresent above the north horizon, hours before it's setting. He glanced at the contrail in the pale blue sky pointing toward the huge inverted wineglass shape of Shalmiraine. He hoped that some peace and understanding could be reached with the beastmen of Balash. They were good neighbors. The bovine derived Beastmen helped him put up his barn last year. Even the humans about on the plateau were different due to a Scav of all things, saving the lot of them. He fed the chalkos the corn and contemplated his life. If it hadn't been for the plague wiping out most humans, his life wouldn't exsist. The wind blew cold and damp from the west. Soon the low-land monsoons would start and bring snows to the highlands. He looked up at the cold ,hard stars of the highlands and trotted back inside where it was warm. Media is Vue 5 Easel