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"Ok, then," Kuilak agreed. He knew it was better not to argue; Setsuko had obviously put a lot of thought into this. "We should get some sleep now. But where?" Setsuko's eyes widened; she had forgotten about that issue. She hesitated, not sure of what to say. "Well, we saw a little place," Sumi interrupted. "You know, when we where flying. It wasn't the best shelter, but if we take the blankets, it should be ok for the night." "Alright," Kuilak responded, happy to let his son take over for a while. "Lead the way."

ooc--It's ok.

Gale was happy to let Sumi lead the way; for once he didn't feel the slightest bit competitive. He would normally, but there were bigger issues to worry about...like meeting a diseased spirit to learn about a task they would have to complete.

Rue's wings were still partway open, the feathers ruffled and messed up. The wind had thrown them into disarray, and she shook her wings gently, aligning up the feathers. She absently pulled a small twig out of her secondaries...that had been annoying her for quite a while. "Will you be able to find it from the ground? Not all of us can fly," she asked suddenly. She knew from experience that things looked alot different from the ground rather than the air.

Sumi thought a moment. He hadn't considered that. "I'll fly," He said at last, "And the rest of you can follow on foot."

"I can help you look," Maddy offered. "My vision is better than your's, and it would be more efficient to have two pairs of eyes."

Rue nodded at Sumi's solution; they would be able to see him from the ground as he flew, and he would be able to find it easier.

Sumi rolled his eyes, his inner pride slightly ruffled by the comment. But he didn't argue. Rather, he unfurled his glider and took off, not really caring whether Maddy followed or not.

Kuilak set out after his son, trotting swiftly, Setsuko right behind him. Their children followed, Yuumi still riding with Jaci, Misaki's hand still in Tess's.

Maddy unfurled her wings fully, the tiny feathers shifting in the breeze. Most of her wings were composed of skin; a trait she inherited from her father, who was part bat rather than bird. But they were covered in tiny feathers, like the feathers of a newly hatched chick.

She looked at Sumi as he took flight; the sight of him flying without wings was one she might never get used to...it was just so different. She took off after him, the wind lifting her easily into the air.


Tess walked beside Misaki, her wings unfolded partway. In that position, they were alot more comfortable; they didn't have to be pulled in towards her back, like an accordion.

Rue followed, Tariq walked close beside her. She could see Gale lagging behind in her peripheral vision.

Sumi breathed in the fresh air, feeling it rush through his hair and on his skin. Flying felt good. He scanned the forest below, searching for the thick canopy he had previously spotted. Within moments, he had found it. "Huh," he thought, "I didn't realize it was so close." He accelerated until he reached it, and then landed on the most outward tree of the bundle.

Setsuko and her family panicked for a moment when Sumi accelerated; they knew they would not be able to keep up with that speed. But their nerves calmed when he landed on the tree, beckoning them to come. She smiled and walked just a little bit faster, eager to get to the place and to get some rest. After all, she could see the sun setting behind the trees. It was just about bedtime for her children.

Maddy overshot, and ended up slipping off the branch. She clambered back up, glaring at Sumi. "Don't you dare comment," she said, ice underlying her words.


Rue sped up. If she could run, she would easily close in the distance. But that would mean overtaking Setsuko, Kuilak, and their children...and Rue didn't want that. But they soon reached the spot where Natsumi and Maddy had landed, a large tree. She didn't think it would've been so close...but she wasn't arguing. Tess was already looking a bit tired, and Rue was feeling slight exhaustion now.

Sumi returned the ice in Maddy's tone through his eyes, still just a bit annoyed. But her turned away from her and faced his family, who now stood just below. He jumped from the branch, landing gracefully on a bubble of air. "In here," he said, "There's a clearing that's covered by a thick canopy. It should make a decent shelter"

While Maddy didn't land on a bubble of air, her wings slowed her descent, acting as a parachute. She landed lightly on the ground, folding her wings in. They were warm against the skin of her back, heated from the exersize.


Rue nodded. "Lead the way," she said, gesturing for him to walk.

Sumi pointed behind him. "We're here," he said in a "duh" tone. "It's just past these trees."

"She meant through the trees, nimrod," Maddy broke in, rolling her eyes. "It was a way of showing thankfulness...allowing them to continue leading. To add weight to your already swelled head." She shot him another one of her trademark "ice" looks, accompanied by a repeated, "Nimrod."

And that's when Sumi lost him temper. "WHAT?!" He screamed furiously. "You're saying I have big big head? When's the last time you looked in a mirror?!?" His voice was loud to begin with, but it still managed to crescendo into a deafening screech. With his last word, he charged forwards, staff raised in anticipation. He probably would have knocked the birdkid out with a blow to the head if Kya hadn't stepped forwards and grabbed it, halting his forward motion. "What are you doing?" she hissed. "Did you hear her?!?" Sumi snapped back, still breathing hard and shallow, still keeping his cold, furious gaze on Maddy. "She's the nimrod!"

"I really wouldn't suggest getting in a fight with me," Maddy said, her voice low and surprisingly cold. She wasn't often like this, but could be provoked under the right circumstances. "For one, I've been hiding my entire life from most humans, learning how to defend my life if necessary. Two, my reflexes are alot better than your's; one of the advantages of being part bird." She jutted her chin out, stepping forward in an intimidating way. "Don't mess with me, or I'll fight back." She concluded, her glare never straying from Sumi's angry face.

"Don't be too sure," Sumi spat back through gritted teeth. "I'm an Airbender, so I'm light on my feet and very fast. And I'm about twice your size, kiddo."