To Chaiko, a young man living in the prehistoric world, existence is hard enough. Get injured and life becomes nearly impossible. What does he have to do to regain worth and status? Sharpened by misfortune and need, his intelligence is the only tool to help find his way in an often hostile world. Injured, he has no future or status. At best he is considered a child, forever dependent, always overlooked with no voice and no prospects for a mate. Yet he struggles to help his clan in any way he can. When a cataclysmic event forces the clan to flee, Chaiko gets separated and has to survive on his own, depending on his intelligence and resourcefulness. Need is the mother of invention, he finds as he adapts, and after much hardship he finds his way back to his clan. Yet all the challenges he faces cause him to grow in unexpected and gratifying ways.