Mezian grabbed at the tree desperately, trying to hold himself up before falling down twenty meters. Succeeding at last, his downward momentum stopped, but he was so far behind. “By the hatchlings!” He cursed under his breath. He leapt up, rising another some ten meters or so, grabbing a vine to stabilize himself, then leaping up more. He reached the top just as another Ranger blew past him, a Jaguar on his tail. Mezian sighed loudly, but continued hopping the tree tops. His legs burned, vine him, but they burned, but he soon forgot about it, getting into the Motion. Crouch, spring, dive, grab, repeat. Crouch, spring, dive, grab, repeat. Crouch, spring, dive, grab, repeat. He reached First Point, he was too slow! He groaned, trying to go faster, scrambling instead of landing, skidding instead of running, it was faster, but as rickety Rottation itself. So, of course, it was not a shock when he landed face first and skidded off. But strangely, Mezian only grinned. He whistled loudly, and then whistled again, and again. Finally, a great big bird came, sweeping through narrow cracks in the trees. “Ezot!” Mezian called, “Over here!” The bird—Ezot—dived for Mezian, and grabbed him by the collar five meters from the ground, “Up boy! Higher!” Mezian ordered. As he reached the top of the trees once more, he told Ezot to travel forward, as Ezot was doing this, Mezian gripped him tightly and laughed, grinning like a kid who got his first chick.