To modern readers, it becomes immediately apparent that this woman, whom Ehd names "Beh" based on the sounds she makes, is Elizabeth—a teenage girl from the 21st century who has inexplicably time-traveled thousands of years into the past. While Beh is terrified and deeply disoriented by her regression into the dawn of humanity, Ehd experiences a primal instinct. He determines that she is meant to be his mate. Without a single word of shared language, Ehd pulls her from the trap, brings her back to his cave, and begins the monumental task of keeping her alive. The Brilliance of a Wordless Perspective