Endling: The First: Chapters 43–56

by Katherine Applegate
In this second book of the trilogy, the dairne Byx, with the help of humans Khara and Renzo, the wobbyk Tobble, and the felivet Gambler, journeys through warring lands to search for a hidden colony that would prove that she is not the last of her species.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–6, Chapters 7–11, Chapters 12–25, Chapters 26–42, Chapters 43–56

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. bemused
    perplexed by many conflicting situations or statements
    Most of the time his expression was unreadable, although every now and then he looked vaguely bemused, especially when it involved Renzo’s antics.
  2. dapple
    color with streaks or blotches of different shades
    Maxyn rode a sturdy lilac roan, while mine was dappled silver with a flowing white mane and long, feathered hair on his fetlocks.
  3. docile
    easily handled or managed
    Tobble sat behind me, as no horse is docile enough to be handled by a wobbyk, at least not well.
  4. amble
    walk leisurely
    As we prepared to leave, Renzo ambled over to Tobble and me, already astride our horse.
  5. furtively
    in a secretive manner
    He glanced furtively to his right, where Khara was adjusting Maxyn’s stirrups, then returned his gaze to me.
  6. terse
    brief and to the point
    She looked from me to Tobble and back again, then gave a terse nod, as if assuring herself she’d made the right decision.
  7. grouse
    popular game bird having a plump body and feathered legs
    A small leather-bound notebook, the one Luca had given me, and a feather, shed by a blue grouse, that I used as a pen.
  8. sanguine
    confidently optimistic and cheerful
    At first I found myself getting short-tempered with my companions, who seemed far too sanguine about the task that lay before us.
  9. nonchalantly
    in a composed and unconcerned manner
    We saw no signs of pursuit, and Sabito was always a thousand yards up in the sky, floating nonchalantly on updrafts of warm air.
  10. formidable
    inspiring fear or dread
    How had Khara dealt with the formidable Gambler and the permanently independent Renzo?
  11. gambol
    play or run boisterously
    He had no trouble ignoring my commands if he felt like nibbling on a tuft of rengrass, or gazing at a herd of gamboling clouds.
  12. dawdle
    waste time
    “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
    “Don’t dawdle,” I said, falling back into my role as occasional leader and frequent nag, but Tobble had already turned his back on us and was heading downstream.
  13. fallow
    left unplowed and unseeded during a growing season
    We were in a plowed, fallow field, with muck that rose to the horses’ fetlocks.
  14. copious
    large in number or quantity
    The horses did what horses do, and in copious amounts, so that in addition to our other discomforts, we also had to smell horse urine and...other things.
  15. sodden
    wet through and through; thoroughly wet
    “I’m starting to wonder if you actually like this miserable weather,” Maxyn said to him, as darkness wrapped around us like a sodden black cloak.
  16. warren
    a series of underground tunnels occupied by rabbits
    “This time of the year we do something called ‘warren watch.’ When you live in dens underground, weather this wet can be dangerous indeed. During warren watch, we took turns doing night patrols, looking for water leaks or signs of collapse. Of course, with one hundred and twenty-seven siblings, we had plenty of help.”
  17. absolution
    the act of being formally forgiven
    I don’t know what I wanted from him. A brilliant plan? A tendril of hope? Some kind of absolution?
  18. coddle
    treat with excessive indulgence
    “I’m fine, Tobble,” I snapped when I caught him glancing at me yet again. “You don’t have to coddle me.”
  19. impassive
    having or revealing little emotion or sensibility
    Hawks have rather impassive faces. Nonetheless, I felt certain he had bad news.
  20. rustic
    awkwardly simple and provincial
    They have never heard the word ‘dairne.’ These are rustic birds, you understand. Simple creatures.
  21. tumult
    a state of commotion and noise and confusion
    We arrived north of the great rock that had impeded our progress, and once again I heard the rhythmic tumult of waves far below us.
  22. circumvent
    avoid or try to avoid fulfilling, answering, or performing
    When I looked back, I could see that the great mass of rock we’d been forced to circumvent actually formed the southern edge of the ravine.
  23. meager
    deficient in amount or quality or extent
    Feeling like complete fools, we placed our hands against the towering rock, a rock that must have weighed more than a dozen horses. We leaned into it, pushing with all our meager strength, and promptly fell on our faces.
  24. fleeting
    lasting for a markedly brief time
    The angles were sharp, and I caught only fleeting glimpses of our objective before we finally reached level ground.
  25. modest
    low or inferior in station or quality
    They ranged from modest, windowless log houses with low doors to two-story buildings leaning out precariously over a narrow paved lane.
  26. precariously
    in a manner affording no ease or reassurance
    They ranged from modest, windowless log houses with low doors to two-story buildings leaning out precariously over a narrow paved lane.
  27. infirm
    lacking bodily or muscular strength or vitality
    Our old and infirm, not to mention our youngest pups, couldn’t hope to make that climb.
  28. meander
    move or cause to move in a winding or curving course
    Half its smoke meandered up through a chimney hole, while the other half lingered in the air.
  29. perturbed
    thrown into a state of agitated confusion
    Sabito stretched out his wings and gave a perturbed flutter.
  30. audacious
    disposed to venture or take risks
    “But,” I said, “if there is one thing I have learned from my friends, it’s that even the most audacious plan can sometimes work. Will you at least hear me out?”
  31. pallet
    a portable platform for storing or moving goods
    I stood on a small wooden pallet, cleared my throat, and began.
  32. dispatch
    send away towards a designated goal
    The next day, the elders dispatched a team of workers to place a temporary bridge over the washed-out section of the trail, the terrifying spot where we’d lost our packhorse.
  33. gauge
    judge tentatively or form an estimate of
    The breeze was reassuringly steady, and Tobble held up a moistened paw to gauge its direction.
  34. smolder
    burn slowly and without a flame
    The fire was hotter than I expected. When I grabbed Tobble, his tails were smoldering.
  35. chasten
    restrain
    We were stopped cold by the sucking sound of rushing water, followed by the terrified yells of desperate men. The Marsonian ships were going down, and with them, perhaps, many souls.
    We fell silent, chastened and grave.
  36. exuberant
    joyously unrestrained
    Tobble responded with an exuberant snore.
  37. founder
    stumble and nearly fall
    He returned as the horses were showing signs of exhaustion. I slowed Havoc reluctantly, knowing that if I pushed too hard, he might founder.
  38. berate
    censure severely or angrily
    I held on tight, berating myself for not having a plan.
  39. render
    show in, or as in, a picture
    Two in front carried fluttering banners with a strange, ornate pattern rendered in several colors.
  40. stifle
    smother or suppress
    I stifled a sob, straightened my shoulders, and gave a nod.
Created on Sun Oct 09 12:03:34 EDT 2022 (updated Wed Jul 12 15:36:23 EDT 2023)

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