edge, not only due to the peril it would put him in, but the
dreaded thought of seeing the final resting place of his
sister. He covered his ears with his hands, fighting off all
finality.
Far removed from the family’s woes, Problem-
Solver’s work was not done. Now more than ever, haste
was required. She plummeted to the bottom, joined by
Swift, Acrobat, and Rebirth at the child’s corpse. Problem-
Solver landed on her, and the soft mushiness just under
the skin caused Problem-Solver to snap her beak in
delight. She hopped aside quickly so Rebirth could begin
his work. He tore into the body of the child, gouging a
hole into her chest to scale with the canyon surrounding
them. The boys clicked their beaks in delight and hopped
about Rebirth, desperate for a bite. Rebirth did not
consume the flesh, for he knew better than to take what
was not his.
The smell of innards filled the air and soon
Acrobat was unable to take it any longer. He hopped
forward and reached his beak out to partake in the fresh
carnage. As his beak reach forward towards the flesh,
Problem-Solver barreled into him, knocking him onto his
back and pinning him to the ground. She pecked at his
face and body, taking his left eye and breaking through his
skin to leave large gashes across him. Acrobat cawed in
pain and wiggled away, flying a few yards off to nurse his
wounds. Swift followed his brother, having realized how
serious Problem-Solver was. The coyotes, eagles, and other
animals that were gathering at the site kept their distance
as well, either out of respect for the Agreement or for fear
of Problem-Solver’s beak.
13