Manon takes Abraxos outside the Northern Fang to stretch his legs and tries to reward him with raw mutton. Abraxos refuses the meat and instead sniffs the first wildflowers growing through the melting ice, baffling and infuriating Manon. When Manon tastes the meat herself, she realizes it tastes wrong, like the men in the mountain, and decides the Thirteen should not feed on the men until she understands the cause.

Because Abraxos needs strength if Manon is to become Wing Leader, Manon hunts fresh meat for him. Abraxos does not help; Manon climbs dangerous cliffs, fights a mountain goat, is covered in dung and blood, and nearly falls before bringing the dead goat back. Abraxos devours it, but he resists returning to the mountain, showing a reluctance that Manon refuses to call pity yet cannot stop thinking about.

Manon's grandmother summons her and rebukes her for lagging behind the Yellowlegs, who have already been flying as a host for three days. Manon offers obedience rather than excuses. Her grandmother orders Manon to be airborne by the following evening and warns her not to return if she fails.

Before dawn, Manon brings Abraxos to a mountain peak used for training hatchlings and reluctant fliers. The overseer advises the eastern side, where a short drop and smooth slope make failure survivable, while the western side is a deadly plunge. Abraxos refuses to move, curling up and ignoring Manon's commands while Manon realizes failure could cause her grandmother to break apart the Thirteen.

Desperate, Manon leaps onto Abraxos and forces herself into the saddle. Abraxos bucks in panic and fury, resisting her attempts to steer him toward the eastern side. Instead, his thrashing carries them toward the western edge; despite Manon's commands, Abraxos slips off the cliff, and both wyvern and rider plunge into open air.