"Mosst likely! Kyth, have you sseen them today...?"

"Not ssince this morning, I think they went out flying. You could come back tomorrow?"

"I might do that, thank you. Are any of the hertasi who raised your cohort around?"

"Are there, Helath? That wass sso long ago now..."

Helath shuffles her wings. "Remember Kebrin? I think he is sstill around - he is ssort of retired but hertasi are not very good at retirement."

"They don't keep in touch like parents would?"

"Ssome did for a while, but I ssuppose mosst of uss were not good at keeping in touch back."

"How do you mean?"

Wing-shrug. "Once we were grown up, we were mostly interested in flying and exploring, not visiting them, I guess."

"Do you think that's because they're not gryphons or that it'll be the same with your kids?"

Another glance back and forth. "We are not ssure! Gryphons do seem to be - less closse to their family than humanss?"

"I think I'll sstay in touch," Skan says adamantly.

"Interesting! Do you think you'd have any advice for somebody who was going to create a new species? - I'm not going to, I just think it would be interesting if you had hypothetical advice."

"Hmm. That iss a tricky quesstion! I need a moment to think."

Helath seconds this.

Aza waits patiently.

It continues to be a very tricky question! They rustle their wings and give each other sidelong glances.

"- It would mean a lot to the parentss, to raisse our children even when they are misborn and won't live long," Helath admits finally. "Urtho did ssometimess but not alwayss."

"- and the rest of the time what does he do?"

"He ssaid it was more merciful to let them - go painlesssly - I think that is ssometimess true, just..." Wing-shrug. "I sssuppose for the first generation, there were not gryphon parentss to be ssad about it."

"Are you telling me he murders them?"

"I think not murderss? But - he hass the Healers treat only pain, not life-threatening problemss, and will not feed them if they can't eat the ussual way." She leans her head on Kythtar's shoulder. "They did let uss be there."

"Which Healers are specialized in treating you guys?"

"Oh! They have a whole department at the hosspital, around the back. Healerss and also the trondi'irn who help groom uss and ssuch thingss."

"If you make a speciess," Skan declares, "you sshould give them proper handss."

"Hands are very useful! You guys have wings, though, which is cool."

"That'ss true." Skan preens and looks very smug about his possession of wings. "Are you going to talk to the Healerss too?"

"I want to read their policy handbook."

"I am ssure they would let you if you assk!" Kythtar says cheerfully. "You sshow such interesst!"