Noon
There was sand and brush over everything , even the rocks had a thin coating of their own erosion . The owlie could n't cover his tracks perfectly -- if he tried , it would slow him too much . Riordan fell into a steady jog . Noon found him on higher ground , rough hills with gaunt needles of rock reaching yards into the sky . He kept going , confident of his own ability to wear down the quarry . He 'd run deer to earth back home , day after day until the animal 's heart broke and it waited quivering for him to come . The trail looked clear and fresh now .