Chapter 21

"Alright," Bix began in a tone that indicated that she was used to teaching, "Communicating is highly important, as you already know. Somehow though, many of us fail to communicate properly which leads to misunderstandings, which then leads to trouble. Apparently, this has happened in your case." She ambled slowly back and forth in front of the boy as she spoke. "Now what we're going to start out with today is practicing simple communication skills with each other. I would like to hear in your own words what motivated you into coming to Canyon City to seek out the life of a skybax rider."

Tristan sent the protoceratops a guarded look. "Didn't we go over this last night? This doesn't seem like a communication skills lesson. It seems more like an interrogation."

"View it as you wish." Bix replied. "I'm simply teaching you the basics on how to get to know someone."

"The basics? What do you think I am? A recluse from the wilderness?" Tristan huffed. "I'm from Sauropolis, a very busy city, for your information, and it's been my home all my life. I've had to learn how to get around there. I do believe that I know at least the basics on how to communicate and get to know someone."

Bix made a chucking sound with her beak-like mouth. "There is no room for learning then. You will remain as a Dolphinback, treading water, blind to the dolphins who are waiting to guide you to shore."

Tristan sighed. "You do realize that I was actually born on Dinotopia, right?"

"Yes, Mr. Starr, you're a Sauropolis citizen, you made that clear."

"Ok. Just checking, because I remember you used a Dolphinback scenario with me last night too. Of course, then I thought it was just metaphorical, but now I'm not so sure."

"Metaphorical, yes, but just as important." Bix replied patiently. "Now I wonder, Mr. Starr, if you've always been this difficult, or if you became that way for some reason."

"I'd rather not be called Mr. Starr." Tristan grumbled, choosing to ignore the rest of her comment. "Just call me by my first name, Tristan."

"Aha. We are friends then."

"I didn't say that."

"No, but when folks call each other by their first names, this is an informal use, most commonly reserved for a friendship level."

"Is Bix your first name?"

"Not all dinosaurs have two names like the habit of humans. Besides, most of us prefer being at a friend level at all times with others. However, those of the carnivorous nature typically differ in that area. Now, we're straying from the subject. What made you decide to become a rider?"

Tristan shrugged. "My uncle is a skybax rider and I grew up looking forward to his visits and all the fascinating stories he had to tell. My mother never liked his influence though. She always pointed out that no matter how wonderful Uncle Drake makes the life of skybax rider sound, there is a negative side to it." Tristan frowned as he reflected back. "I realize there are negatives. She reminded me of them plenty as I was growing up. I think she's overly protective and wants all her loved ones safe and close, like a bunch of little hatchlings. However, I didn't let that stop me. I'm still determined to become a Rider. I want to fly, and when I learn how, I will serve Dinotopia with the skills I learn." Tristan said passionately.

"Well that's reason enough, I suppose." Bix replied. "With that kind of drive, training at Treetown must've been a breeze."

"Treetown? Well, I…uh..."

Bix sighed. "I figured as much considering the troubles you seem to be running into here."

Tristan looked away, frustrated that the dinosaur had figured out his secret. "Hey, not everyone has to go through Treetown to find their career." Tristan he said defensively. "It's usually just a matter of choice. As for how I got here, my father and Uncle Drake are brothers, so I guess you could say I've got, well…connections. Between the two of them, they pulled some of the right strings, I guess." His eyes narrowed. "Don't you dare tell the other cadets though. They don't know I didn't go through Treetown first and if they did they would give me an awful hard time of it. And I definitely don't want them knowing about my uncle's hand in it getting me here either. They tease me enough as it is about other things."

Bix chuckled. "Don't worry, I won't say anything to them. You do realize though, that not all your fellow cadets went though the Treetown system anyway?"

Tristan perked up at this piece of news. "Really? I hadn't put much thought to it. Wait, I know Mathias and Jamin for sure went together because they're buddies and I've heard it from both of them anyway. Tadd said he went too, but not the same time as them, so that really only leaves…Fira." Tristan paused for a moment, surprised at the discovery. "Wow. So she didn't go either? I just assumed she did. I wonder if the other guys know this." He looked at the dinosaur suddenly. "Wait a minute. How'd you know this?"

"Communication skills." Bix replied, sounding almost smug. "Some of us like to talk more than others and we get to know those around us better."

Tristan's irritation quickly returned. "So where are we going with this lesson anyway? You know why I'm in Canyon City now and you know I didn't go to Treetown first." He gave the protoceratops a grumpy look. "This still feels like an interrogation. Why did you want to know about Treetown anyway?"

"To see what your reaction would be. I can tell that it would've benefitted you a lot if you would've spent some time there. For instance, it's quite possible that you wouldn't have needed these communication lessons. A lot of those skills are covered there in Treetown." Bix stopped pacing. "Now you need to learn to ask more questions about others. Try to take some interest in someone else and find out what they're like and what they're interested in." Bix looked out over the ledge, her wrinkled eyes scanning the horizon. "There is someone out there who has taken an interest in you. You should try and get to know her."

Tristan stood up. "Her?" He said, sounding confused. "What do you mean, 'her'? If you're talking about Fira, I don't think so. She's got a one track mind and that's to beat all us boys in training. Besides, she's pretty tied up with her skybax friend anyway."

Bix made that funny throaty sound which Tristan by now had figured out was her laugh. "Not Fira, Tristan. Her." With that she lifted a front foot and gestured toward the open canyon.

Tristan walked over toward the edge where Bix was standing. Even though the wind was low at the time, he kept a safe distance from the edge. He looked out in the direction the protoceratops had gestured toward and quickly discovered that it was a skybax she was referring to.

The skybax flew in wide circles, wings outstretched, gliding lazily on the gentle wind currents. Tristan immediately recognized her to be the same one that his instructor had pointed out earlier. He looked down at the protoceratops again. "What makes you so sure she wants to get to know me? You and Mr. Denison both." He frowned. "No, I get it. You're trying to deter me from the nocturnal skybax."

Bix sighed. "No ulterior motives. I've merely paid attention to the signs. Communication skills, remember?" She said furtively. "See how she keeps looking this way every now and then and how she's keeping you within watching distance."

As Tristan watched the skybax, their eyes made contact as she made her circle, flying closer to the ledge. In the moment that their gazes locked, he felt something deep inside. He struggled silently for a minute, trying to understand it. It felt like longing, maybe hope, but there was regret too. Could it be possible to get to know this skybax? But what about the night flyer? No. There was no way he would abandon that growing friendship. But then again, this skybax of the day was sending out signals of an interest in a bond.

As Tristan struggled to make sense of things internally, he did not see Bix quietly slipping away to leave him alone to sort out his conflicting thoughts and emotions and the skybax who was so oddly ready to befriend him. The skybax made her loop and was coming close again. She tipped sideways as she flew by, and Tristan took note of the colors of her wings. They were overall a mixture of purple and gold, with a splash of orange and a dusky blue seeping toward the edges. He watched as she drifted away again, her overall colors blending together in the distance, the purples looking dim now, but the gold and orange still gave her a slight glow. Tristan watched, fascinated at how she could look shadowy in some moments, but glowing in others depending on what angle she turned in the sunlight. When she flew close again, he took note of the rest of her features. Her leathery skin seemed to be a very pale gold, almost creamy white and her head crest was a soft red like the sunglow reflected in the sky just after the sun slips behind the farthest canyon wall in the evening. He wondered why she made him think of the evening even though it was still early in the day, not quite noon yet.

When she made her next loop and approached again, Tristan noticed how she flapped her wings less, and drifted in slower, curling up her feet in preparation for landing. He backed up, giving her plenty of room, having learned his lesson before during that first night with Dark Wing. She landed smoothly, with a gracefulness that Dark Wing had never portrayed. Tristan continued to watch her, still feeling mesmerized by her movements.

The skybax folded her wings back and looked at him with bright eyes. She made a soft purring sound in her throat, much like the ones Tristan had heard the skybaxes make in the rookery in the evening. It was a sleepy sound with a calming effect. Tristan lifted a hand and greeted the skybax. "Breathe deep." The words were out of his mouth before he even realized it.

The skybax walked forward, using her clawed hands for balance, until she was close enough to brush a wing tip against the palm of his hand. In that instant, the moment of connection while Tristan looked into the sparkle of her eyes, one word came to his mind, strong and clear.

"Twilight." He breathed.

The skybax bobbed her head, looking delighted.

Then it clicked in Tristan's mind. So quickly and so subtly, he learned the skybax's name when he wasn't even searching for it in the first place. His heartbeat escalated in the excitement of the revelation.

Then he remembered Dark Wing, the night flyer, and it felt like a shadow chased away the moment of joy. Tristan pulled back, his dark eyebrows drawn together in worry. "But there's another." He said, not sure how much the skybax could understand him. "I don't know what to do."

Twilight sighed and Tristan could feel her puff of breath against his face. He looked into her eyes, pleading silently for her understanding. Then an idea came to his mind. He knelt down and found a small rock. He scraped it against the greater surface of the ledge stone, drawing a simple figure of a skybax. He didn't consider himself an artist by any means, so he hoped the skybax would be able to understand. Next to the skybax figure he drew a boy, and above the two, he drew a half moon so that it couldn't be mistaken for the sun, and then a few stars just for good measure.

Twilight cocked her head to one side so she could view the simple sketches better. Tristan added to the drawing, trying to make a straight line for a horizon and an arch of sun, showing that it was going down. He chewed on his lower lip as he concentrated. The rough ledge stone made his white scratched marks bumpy. With the sunset, he drew another skybax and the boy again. Finally finished, he tipped back on his heels and looked up at the skybax.

She looked at the pictures, then back at him. He shook his head and an ache rose in his throat. He tapped the stone in his hand against the ground next to his second drawing, making a light clicking sound. "See? This is me, with you, beneath the sun." He moved his hand over to the second drawing and tapped it. "And this is me with…him, beneath the moon." He looked up at Twilight, nervous of what her reaction would be if she understood what kind of skybax the other one was and that he was involved with one. According to what he'd learned from Bix and Will last night, these nocturnal skybaxes apparently had some kind of 'separation' from the others in the past and apparently to this day their differences had never been settled.

Twilight swiped her wing across the drawings, smearing the wobbly lined images.

Tristan watched her closely, trying to decide what this meant.

Twilight opened her beak slightly and wrinkles formed at the corners of her beak, just below her eyes.

Tristan's eyes widened in surprise. His mind darted back to a lesson on skybax mannerisms and remembered that this movement indicated the skybax version of a smile. They usually only did this when trying to mimic their partner's smile…only Tristan hadn't been smiling. After realizing that the skybax didn't seem upset, Tristan returned the smile, though his eyes still spoke of the confusion he felt. Maybe Twilight hadn't understood what he'd meant by the pictures. Maybe she merely thought his wobbly lined, amateur, art just looked funny.

Twilight looked to the sky and Tristan sensed that she was ready to go now. He stood and moved toward the stone wall and watched as the skybax backed up, giving herself plenty of space to get a running start before launching off the edge of the ledge. He watched until she disappeared around a bend in the canyon, a rock formation hiding her from view.

Finally, he noticed that Bix was gone. Apparently their first lesson was over for the day. He wasn't sure what he'd learned, but it was a start anyway. Then he realized that he was still holding the rock he'd drawn the pictures with. Another thought troubled him. Those markings didn't need to be seen by anyone else. He dropped the rock and hurried to where he'd left his backpack, quickly retrieving his water canteen.

As he sloshed water onto the pictures and rubbed them away with his sleeve, he wished his troubles could disappear with the drawings. But even when the last line was gone, his mind remained muddled and he still felt torn on what to do.