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Setsuko pushed her thoughts of the River of Dreams aside as she marched off into the forest, ready to resume the expedition. Jaci bounded after her excitedly.

Rue followed her, eager to get away from the river and farther from the Caverns.

Setsuko looked around the forest. "Its sure is...pretty," She said, wanting to start a conversation.

"Yeah it is. Kinda reminds me a bit of the forest at home though," Rue said, looking around at the seemingly familiar forest, a pang of sadness shotting through her as she did so. She shook it off.

"I wouldn't know," Setsuko relied truthfully, thinking of her very different home. "Do you like living by a forest?"

Rue nodded. "Hikes are ecspecially fun in the forest. IT's nice. And pretty," she added.

"Indeed it is," Setsuko mumbled in agreement. "Certainly more plants here than there are at the South Pole."

"I bet it must be noce to have snow all the time though. I love it when it snows," Rue said.

Setsuko shrugged nonchalantly. "It's not as special when you see it pretty much every day almost your entire life. But it can be fun." She paused as her eyes shown with memory. How she would like to get Kuilak with a snowball now...

"I guess it wouldn't be as exciting when it snowed at the SOuth Pole," Rue agreed.

"And I suppose forests are less unusual to one who lives around them," Setsuko concluded as she stepped over a log. "That makes sense."

Rue nodded, tangled dark hair falling across her face again as she did so. Slightly irritated at it, she brushed it back

The day grew old and the sky darkened. "We should probably be getting back now," Setsuko pointed out, indicating the lowering sun. Jaci yawned to show his agreement.

Rue glanced up, brown eyes flashing slightly in the light of the lowering sun. "Yeah, we should," she agreed. She spread her wings out, feeling some ruffled feathers align as she did so. "Let's go then," she called out, hurling herself into the air. She took flight, tawny wings beating in unison.

Setsuko unfurled her glider. "Jaci, climb, huphup!" Jaci obeyed, scrambling up the nearest tree and then leaping onto Setsuko's glider. The two sailed closely behind Rue.