Orders?

Ruth was too preoccupied with speeding towards Olivia to notice my sudden departure from her talons. That was fortunate for me. It made my task slightly easier. I ventured into the high, grassy area. The blades of grass were wild like jungle leaves. They grew well above my head. As long as I kept a steady pace ahead of Ruth she couldn't spot me easily in the grass. The problem was , however, that I couldn't see what was directly in front of me. I ended up crashing into the back of a soldier. He turned around, and looked at me with disgust. He pointed his sword in my face. "Where do you think you're going?" "You have to pull your troops out." The soldier laughs at my plight. "Why should I?" "Because those are the orders." I reply. "Orders from who?" "The queen herself." "Why would she  call in that order?" "I don't know, but I'm the general. That means that I am the next in command." I explain. "You don't look like a general." "What do you expect a general to look like?" "Like one of us." I shake my head. "No, I can't look like any of you. I have to stand out." He pokes the blade against my cheek. "I don't believe you." In the distance I can hear Ruth's falcon cries. "You hear that?" I ask. "Yeah, it's one of them falcons." "It's our Queen." I respond. "Bullshit." "It is, and she's going to need a place to land. So you better clear out." The soldier doesn't budge. "Do you really want to endure her wrath?" I question. The soldier removes the sword from my face. He addresses his men. "We have orders. Pull back." I watch them fall back. It's only a small fraction of the army, but I take solace knowing that I made a dent.

Ruth's Grip

Betrayal was on my mind as Ruth flew me to the sight of the great battle. I knew I had been a worm and a weasel. I had signed a contract with the enemy. The only thing I had going for me was that Ruth had me by her talons. Hard to convince anyone you are a general for the other side when they literally are carrying you by your cape. I know she was not in her usual elderly woman form, yet still I did not want be seen with this monster. I had to distance myself as much as possible from her. I wiggled and squirmed until I could hear my cape tear away from her talons. It was a bit of a fall, but luckily I was able to roll as soon as I hit the ground. My lack of broken ankles pleased me greatly, however this no time to celebrate. There was an angry sorcerer in the form of falcon headed towards Olivia. I had to run like I never ran before.

Cook's Place

The hunter awoke to find himself in a bed that wasn't his, and in a place he had never been before. He attempted to move, but his muscles were still weak. Instead he let out a scream of frustration. The Royal Cook rushed to his side. "What is it?" "Where the fuck am I?" The hunter shouts. "You're in my place." "Yeah, and where's that?" "It's above the kitchen. I'm the Royal Cook." The  hunter gives the royal cook side eye. "You were terribly weak. I had to help you." "How noble of you." The hunter says, sarcastically. The hunter rests his head on the pillow. He piers off to the side. The bedroom door is open. We can see on the other side is a balcony that overlooks the land. "So, you're the royal cook?" The hunter asks. "I am. I prepare the meals for all the people." "All your people you mean." "Yes, all my people. All the people that live here." "I don't live here." The hunter snarls. "Where are you from?" "Why do you want to know?" The Royal Cook shakes his head. "I don't." "I don't know what you did to me, but I want out." "I didn't do anything other than save your life." The royal cook says defensively. "Save me? How do I know you didn't poison me?" "What do I possibly have to gain by poisoning you?" "You work for her, don't you?" "Who?" "Who do you think?" The royal cook takes a deep breath. "Yes, I work for Ruth-"  "I knew it! You are trying to kill me." "Would you calm down? I'm not trying to kill you." "Prove it." "I am not political what so ever. I have no opinion on that sort of thing. My job is simply to prepare decent meals for the community, but with all the people going off to war I have no job." "So,  basically because everyone is gone you're bored out of your mind because you have no one to cook for. That's why you helped me." "That and it was the right thing to do." The cook adds. The hunter smirks. "It's a good story. I still don't trust you." The royal cook starts to exit the room. "You don't have to trust me. In fact you're free to leave. See how far you get in your condition."

Be Still

"Do you have a plan of attack?" Peter asks Olivia. "A strong defense is the attack." She responds, trying her best to keep her concentration on the bubble. "I'm not so sure about that." He says. "Nothing will break this bubble." Olivia assures. "I hope so because they are getting closer, and right now you want us to just sit here." "If you have a better idea be my guest. " Peter sighs. " I do not." "Good. Then just hang tight. That's all you gotta do. Don't worry, we'll wear out their army."

Transition

Ruth's hands were rougher than sandpaper. That was the only thing I could think of as she guided me to the edge of the cliff. Perhaps I was finding a way to distance myself from the already absurd situation. The howling winds snapped me back into the present. "Do you have a harness?" I ask, trying my best not to look down. "No, I do not." Ruth continues to lead me along the narrow ledge. "Where are we going?" I ask. "You'll see." Midway down the ledge, Ruth stops walking. "Are we going to climb?" "Better." She says with a grin. Ruth squeezes my hand and leaps off the edge. I reluctantly tumble after her. She lets go of my hand as we free fall. Ruth gains speed, and she does a swan dive. I watch her transition into a falcon. First her arms become wings. Then her mouth is elongated and more bird like. After that her legs become talons. Finally, when it appears as if she is about to hit the Earth , her torso grows feathers, making the transition complete. She quickly pulls back into the sky, avoiding her demise. She then  snags me by the cape with her talons, and we take off.

The Exit

After I gave Ruth my word that I would reclaim my title as general and lead her army to victory, she promptly tapped the floor with her torch. Instantaneously, the fallen stones rematerialized. Before I knew it, the deep pit was completely out of sight, and I was on solid ground once more. I stood there for a moment, mesmerized. I wondered if it was a hallucination. Was there ever a threat beneath my feet? "Come on, we haven't got all day." Ruth shouts, snapping me out of my daze. She reaches out to the nearest wall, and slides it open. An intense ray of light shines in. "Was that what you were looking for?" She asks. "It was." "Then let's go." "I don't understand." I respond. "What don't you understand?" "This is your dungeon. Why are we leaving this way?" "Because I want to." She says, simply. "Do you have a rope?" "No, I have something better." She says, extending her withered , old hand to me.

Prepare for Battle

Olivia prepares for the inevitable battle. She holds her ground by throwing up a gigantic bubble. One that is large enough to encircle all the falcons as well as Todd, Peter, the baker, and herself. Over the hills a grey mass stretches across the land. It is the army and they have grown larger. Perhaps they received more recruits? It doesn't matter though. She knows nothing can penetrate her bubble. She only wishes she could bestow this level of confidence upon her fellow warriors. "This is really bad." The baker says out loud. "It's not as bad as it looks. We'll be fine." Olivia replies, trying her best to keep her concentration. "Ok, I hope you're right." "I am." Olivia snaps. "What about your partner? Do you think he found my husband?" The baker asks. "I don't know." "Do you think they captured him? What if they did?" "He'll do what he has to do. Just like we will."

Food for Thought

Penny saw that the hunter's strength was vanishing quickly. She realized she could not wait for me any longer, so she took it upon herself to leave. She flew to the royal garden. She had only been there once before, but she felt it would be the perfect place to go. She landed at the apple orchard and carefully placed the hunter at the foot of one of the many trees. Penny plucked an apple with her beak. She then dropped the apple by the hunter's foot. The hunter did not respond to the kind gesture. In fact he looked more out of it than ever. Penny, however, would not be discouraged. She rolled the apple closer to the hunter. He didn't  turn his head. Penny cooed softly. "It's no use." A voice declared. Penny turned her head to see the Royal Cook under a nearby tree. "He won't take to an apple. He's too far gone." Penny rolls the apple even closer. "I'm telling you, it's no use." Frustrated, the Royal Cook walks towards Penny. Penny squawks violently, stopping the cook in his tracks. "I'm not going to hurt you." He says. Penny squawks again. "Can't you see, I don't have any weapons." Penny lowers her head. She allows the Royal Cook to come closer. "You see, he doesn't have the strength to chew an apple. He's extremely malnourished." Penny caws. "Don't worry, it's not hopeless." Penny curiously turns her head. "I can nurse him back to health, but his diet will consist mostly of liquids. At least for now."The Royal Cook tenderly lifts the hunter. He places the hunger on Penny's back. "We'll stay at my place. It's right above the kitchen."

The Arrangement

"I'm not fighting. Not for you at least." I proclaim to Ruth. Ruth raises an eyebrow. "Not fighting? Don't you remember our arrangement?" "Fuck the arrangement." "Is that how you feel?" Ruth asks while tapping the floor with her torch. "Yes, it is." "Is it truly how you feel?" "Yes." Ruth taps the floor again. "That's too bad." She takes a step back. The floor beneath my  feet begins to disintegrate. All the stones start to fall away. I try and step away from the area, but  every step I take is deadlier  than the last. There is no safe way to walk without having the ground disappear beneath my feet. Soon I find myself on a single, solitary piece of stone that hovers above a deep pit. At the the bottom of the pit are jagged, sharp, spears. Ruth lurks in the shadows at the other end of the room away from the pit. I can see the door. I reach my hand out. Maybe I can touch it. Maybe I can even jump for it. "I know what you're thinking. It's no use." Ruth says. "Oh yeah?"I reply, cockily. "Yes, I know for a fact you'll never make it." "You underestimate me?" "I do, but that's beside the point." I clench my fists. "I have to try at least." "A smarter move would be fighting with me."  "It's not the right choice." "It is because you'll be living." "It's not the moral thing to do." "Who cares about morals? Do you know how much pain you'll be in if you fall into that pit? Trust me, you're better off if you join me." I hang my head. "Fine, I'll fight with you."

Find the Escape

I banged on the door as hard as I could , bruising my fists in the process, but it was no use. It fell to deaf ears. However, I was not without hope. I remembered the passage  Mamba had shown me. The only problem was I had no idea where to start. I walked slowly with my arms stretched out in front of me until I could feel a wall. I couldn't recall if Mamba rhythmically knocked on that one, or merely slid the wall. I tried both methods. Neither one brought me any such luck. Perhaps another wall would work. I guided my hand along the wall until I felt a corner. I prepared to knock when someone struck a match behind me. I turned around to see Ruth's face illuminated by a torch. "I knew you'd be back." She says. "Where is he? What did you do with him?" "Not a thing." "Why should I believe you?" "He's not strong enough to take me down.""But, he was with Penny." "I know, and she is the most rebellious of the falcons, yet still I am not concerned." "Why is that?" I ask. "Because they are mine, and I want them back." "They aren't yours. They lived with us in the sky."  Ruth points the torch to the floor. The light reveals a giant falcon being adorned with gold and jewels. "Do you understand now? They are mine. They were stolen." "I know they used to live here, but we've owned them for a very long time." "There was nothing legal about the transaction." She replies. "I don't know anything about that, but maybe we can all learn to live together."Ruth turns away. "Or maybe now we should fight harder than ever." Her eyes light up. "Yes, I have you as my general, and we shall be victorious." "Technically, I'm not the general anymore." I remark. "I'm aware of the deal that was made, but you signed the papers. You are my general and we shall win."

Vacant Dungeon?

The door to the dungeon was ajar. That could mean one of two things. Either the guards on duty were horribly negligent, or the prisoners were set free. The former was the more likely scenario in my eyes. Either way I couldn't rule out the possibility that the hunter may still be be trapped inside. What kind of rescuer would I be if I did? I pushed the door open. The torch light from the stairway partially illuminated the dungeon. Not enough for me to see three feet in front of me, but it did give me the impression that the room was vacant. "Hello." I shout. My voice bouncing off the cold, stone walls. There was no response. No horrendous wailings. Nothing. "Come on Penny, let's get out of here." As I turned to exit a man let out shriek. "What is it?" I ask. "My hand. You're on my hand." The voice cries out. I lift my foot. "That's better." I crouch down on the floor. "Is that you?" I ask, still not knowing the hunter's name. "They got me. I let you all down." "Hey, it's ok. We're gonna get you out of here." "I'm weak." Indeed, he was. While I couldn't see him entirely, I knew from his frail voice that he was only a fragment of his former self. "I got you." I say, placing my hands under his emaciated body. Granted, I am not the strongest person in the world, but this was like lifting air. I carefully placed him on Penny's back. "I want you to take him to the top of the cliff. Wait for me there. I want to see if there are others." I instruct Penny . She dutifully nods. I watch her exit before starting my search. Then, without warning, the dungeon door slams shut, leaving me in darkness.

Cliff Top

I land on top of the cliff. I try to inform Penny that she cannot come with me to the dungeon. My reasoning that I need someone to remain vigil, keeping an eye out for the ever lurking danger. Penny coos and caws sadly. I want to put my foot down, but I can't ignore her distress. I cave. I bite my lip and tell her that she can come with. She caws loudly in jubilation. I shush her, reminding her that we are on a covert operation. She nods her bird head. The two of us begin to descend down the stone stairs.

Not Battling

I suppose the natural reaction to someone in my position would be to fly to the front lines and help in the battle, but I know I am needed elsewhere. The hunter, as far as I know is still being held captive. He needs rescuing. With everyone preparing for a colossal battle, this is the best possible time. This is his best possible chance of escaping. I am the guy.

Anticipation

Olivia and her army screech past the dense forest that we have come to know so well. They fly past the rocky cliffs that I was held captive in. They don't stop there though . No, not at all. They fly over the twin waterfalls. Olivia lands her army at the foot of the waterfalls near the river. That is the utmost edge of their society. Olivia stares straight ahead. She is ready to take whoever, or whatever comes near her.

Safety Nest

To leave the safety of the nest would mean my downfall. I peak out every now and then only to realize that nothing has changed. The army below has not budged. I wonder why they have chosen this place of all possible places to make camp. Then a thought occurs to me. They know I'm here. They probably tortured the hunter until he could give them some valuable information. Plus, if they lifted their heads, I'm certain they would have seen the giant nest. They're not stupid. They used to own the falcons. They know what a falcon's nest looks like. I am vastly outnumbered. The fact that they have not yet attacked me is puzzling. The only logical explanation would be that they're waiting for me to strike first. I won't, however, give them the satisfaction. I slink further down into the nest. The branches poke my back. Nothing too painful, but I'd be lying if I said this was luxury. I can't leave, but I also can't stay here forever. Fortunately, a miracle comes from the sky. I hear a loud, ear - piercing, battle cry overhead. Moments later a thick, black streak stretches across the sky. To my delight, this catches the attention of the army below. None of them care about removing me from the tree anymore. They all grit their teeth and pick up their weapons. They march without haste in the direction of the black streak. I know my time to leave is now.

Charge Forward

Olivia charges forward. She leads the army of falcons at ever increasing speeds. Everyone white knuckles the reigns. The baker sits behind Todd on his falcon. Her eyes are closed tightly and she digs her nails into Todd's sides. The forest beneath them is little more than a green blur. Olivia is a few feet ahead of everyone else. Peter (barely) catches up. "Where are you going?" He shouts over the wind. "We're saving him." "But we can't see a thing." "I can see plenty." She replies. "You'll overshoot the forest." "That's the plan."

Penny's Natural Talents

Penny is an expert at I Spy. She is so good that after a while I had to quit playing altogether. Imagine thinking you have the perfect thing to stump your opponent at I Spy only to be thwarted time and time again with little or no effort from the other person. Needless to say it was frustrating, but I couldn't be mad at Penny no matter how much I wanted to be. I let her have her victory. I then closed my eyes and attempted to nap. A minuet later my slumber is interrupted by Penny squawking. "Penny, the game is over." I say, groggily. Penny squawks again. "Penny, I give up. you win." She squawks a little louder. I open my eyes. "Ok, I'll play." She points her beak down below. I pier over the edge of the nest. To my surprise, I see Ruth's army gathered below us. They have set up tents. It appears the have not seen us, but I take no chances. I slink back into the nest. "Looks's like we'll be staying here a little longer."

The Second Part

The falcons descend before Olivia. Right away she notices that I am not with them. "Where is he?" She asks Peter. Peter waits until everyone has landed before responding, and even then he doesn't really respond."Who?" He replies. "You know who." "This is the second part." He says ,changing the subject. "What does that even mean?" Olivia shouts. "It means that we are on to the second part of our plan now." Olivia grits her teeth. "I knew that." "Then what's the problem?" Peter asks. "Where is he?" Olivia asks again. "We had to lose him." Peter replies. "Why?" "Because that was the first part of our plan." Olivia wants to scream, but instead she shoots Peter with a pink heart. His posture relaxes. "Now, tell me, why did you have to lose him?" "We had to lose him so he could be captured." "What?" Olivia screams. "Don't be too surprised. You had to of know we would need an inside person, and who better than the one who was captured previously." "Did he know that was the plan?" Olivia questions. "Of course not. He wold have never of went along with it." Peter says, in a daze. "Your damn right he wouldn't have." Peter shakes his head. "Don't worry they'll get him soon. It will all work out as planned." "No it won't. He won't put himself in that position again. He's probably hiding somewhere." She insists. Peter bites his lip. "You think so?" "Yes, I do." "So, what should we do?"  "We're moving. Now. Everybody. I don't care who is afraid of heights or what. We're all going. That's final."

Scary Woods

"I've never journeyed this far into the woods." The baker admits to Olivia. "Ever?" Olivia asks. "Well, at least not since we left. I guess I've never had a reason to." "You do now." Olivia says with a half smile. The baker slows her pace. Olivia rests her hand on the baker's shoulder. "Hey, he's gonna be ok.." The baker does not respond. "Look at me." The baker looks up at Olivia with watery eyes. "He's gonna be ok." Olivia insists. The baker takes a deep breath. She attempts a "brave" smile. "Ok." "You alright?" The baker shrugs. "I'm nervous. I don't ever go in these woods." "I understand, but sometimes we have to get out of our comfort zones." Olivia explains. "I suppose."  The baker glances at the sky. She sees a black swarm of falcons. "What's that?" The baker asks with a shaky voice. "It's the falcons, but why they've come back I  have no clue."

Abandoned

I have been abandoned. I have been betrayed. I have been left alone in the sky. I tell myself that there must be a reason why they did this to me. Perhaps I flew too fast for them. It is a theory that I want to believe. The only thing I know for certain right now is that I have to get out of the sky. The longer I stay up here, (alone) the easier it will be for the enemy to spot me. I land Penny quickly. We survey the surrounding area. We find no enemies, but also find no allies. I figured we must be far ahead of everyone else, so I gathered all the twigs and sticks I could find. I then instructed Penny to fly me to the top of the nearest tree. After that we built a nest with the twigs and sticks. We spent the rest of the afternoon in the nest waiting for our friends and enemies.

Leader?

I am a strong leader who is up for the challenge ahead of me. A phrase I utter to myself. I don't wholeheartedly believe it. At least not yet. Perhaps in time if think it enough, the words will enter in my subconscious mind and alter my chemistry. Or maybe it won't do a damn thing. Thankfully Peter let me fly with Penny. I suppose I could have taken any of  falcons and learned how to fly with them, but it just makes it so much easier you use the same one. You build a bond together, and you both start to understand each other's rhythm  the more you fly together. Penny and I are in the front while Todd and Peter are somewhere to the sides. I don't know what the plan is. It feels odd not knowing. Why is he keeping information from me? Am I merely a pawn? I would like to think not, but it is hard to convince my anxious mind that his actions are anything but just at the moment. I take a quick look around to see what Peter and Todd are doing. To my dread , they are no where to be found, and there are no falcons either. Penny and I are alone in the sky.

Planning

We spent the next few hours debating what exactly our next move should be. Needless to say, we didn't get very far. The general dialogue was "We should do something." "What should we do?" "I don't know, but we should do something." We were full of passion, but short on ideas. When our hope was fading, Peter brought another grim reality to our consciousness. "We can't stay here." "Why not?" I ask. Peter turns to Todd. "When you were in the sky how much could you see?" "I saw everything. I saw him being captured." "I know, but specifically what did you see. Could you make out their faces or the details in their garments?" Todd shakes his head. "No, nothing like that. They were little more than dots from my perspective." "If they were little more than dots, how do you know that that was my husband?" The baker questions. "He wore green. No one else did. I may be a coward, but I am not a liar. I know what I saw." "No one is doubting you." Peter says, trying to diffuse the situation. "Sure as hell sounded like she doubted me." "Because I did." She replies. Peter slams his hand on the table. "I believe you. Perhaps you were not able to see who had a distinguishing scar,but you saw what you saw..." Peter takes a deep breath before continuing. "If you saw them that means there is a good possibility that someone saw you. And if they saw you that means they probably tracked you back to this cabin." "To my house?" The baker blurts. Peter nods. "Smooth move, Todd," Olivia mutters. "Stop arguing. We need to move." Peter urges. "I agree, but we have no plan." I remind. Peter leans forward. "The plan is we rush them at once." I sigh. "Fine." "Good. We'll take flight now." "Are you suggesting we all fly?" The baker asks. "If we are to rush them it is the best way." He insists. "But I can't. I'm afraid of heights." She says, shyly. Peter taps his fingers. "We'll revise the plan." "How about you guys take to the sky and we'll be on foot?" Olivia suggests. "Perfect." Peter shouts. "I'll be on the ground too." I say. "Nope, you're with us in the sky." Peter replies. "But why? You're a far better pilot then I am.You don't need me." "I need you for now." "What do you mean for now?" I ask. "I need you for part one." "What's part two?" Peter shakes his head. "I can't tell you. At least not yet." "Why not?" "Trust me. The less you know right now, the better." I roll my eyes. Peter points to his temple. "All you need to know is that I have it all right here."

Bearer of Bad News

Our meal was interrupted by a loud banging at the front door. The baker answered the knocking to find a disheveled Todd on the other side. He was panting  and trying  to catch his breath. "What is the matter?" The baker asks. "There was trouble." Todd replies. "What kind of trouble?" "They got him." The baker's cheery demeanor fades. "What?" "They got him. He was captured." "We have to get him." "I know, but let me alert the others." The baker reluctantly lets Todd in. Olivia , Peter, and I were still in the kitchen when Todd confronts us with a grave look on his face. "Back so soon?" I ask, not thinking anything of his sullen expression. A moment later the baker enters. She is tense. "Yes, he is." She says, simply. Olivia rises slowly. "What happened?" "There was a problem." He tells her. "What kind of problem?" She asks. "They got him." He says. Olivia grasps the back of the chair. She digs her nails into the wood. "I knew this would happen." "I'm sorry, I didn't mean for it to." Olivia takes a deep breath. "How exactly did it happen?" "He was ambushed." "He was ambushed?" She repeats. "Yes, he was." "And where were you when that happened?" She questions. "I was in the sky." "And what were you doing in the sky?" "I was his eyes." "So that means you could probably see a lot from your vantage point." "I could see everything." "And you didn't think to stop and help?!" She shouts. Olivia got so worked up that she was shaking. She had to sit again. Peter attempted to calm the situation. "Believe it or not, he actually did the right thing." "Explain." Olivia says. She is still upset , but her voice is a little softer. "Todd could have swooped down. Maybe he would have had some luck. Maybe not. He could have gotten captured as well, and then where would we be?" "Having a similar conversation." Olivia responds, sarcastically. "If you two are done with your bickering my husband is out there." "And we intend to rescue him." Peter assures. "Then let's go. Now." She snaps. "We need a plan first." Peter says. "What?" "We do. We can't just go down there." I add. "Why?" She asks. "Because I'm sure they're expecting us, and we can't do what they expect." I explain. The baker sighs. She pulls out a chair and takes a seat. "Ok. I'm ready to plan."

The Witness

Todd witnessed the whole thing. From his vantage point he could see little more than a swarm of grey dots confronting an equally small green dot. Initially he wanted to strike back. He wanted to fight for his friend. However, he knew that would be foolish. There were far more of them and he was not a skilled fighter by any means. He knew there was only one way out of this. With a tightness in his chest, he steered the falcon in the opposite direction. He was going back to the cabin. He was seeking help. No, he would be demanding it. The others were to join him in battle whether they liked it or not.

Folly of Helping

The hunter found himself in a clearing. He knew from his training that this was the time to be ever more vigilant. He heard a loud rustling coming from the bushes behind him. It could have been a small animal such as a rabbit or a squirrel, but he didn't want to take any chances. He quickly drew an arrow and aimed it at the bush. "Who's there?" He shouts. He is met with no response. "I demand you show yourself." There is still no response, but the rustling continues. "I will shoot you." He warns. The prisoner that Olivia traded for me, springs from the bush. "Don't shoot." He pleads. "Give me a reason why I shouldn't." "I'm innocent. I'm innocent." He chants. The hunter squints his eyes. "Innocent people don't talk like that." "I'm innocent. I'm innocent." He repeats. The hunter, going against his better judgement, lowers his bow. "Ok, you're innocent." He says. "You believe me?" The prisoner asks. "I do." The hunter offers his hand. The prisoner looks away. "No, I can't." "I don't know what they did to you, my friend, but let me help you." The prisoner shakes his head. "No, you can't." "I may not be the best man for this, but surely I can help." "You can't help me." "I think I can." The hunter assures. "I am not free." The prisoner shouts. The hunter places his hand on the man's shoulder. "You are now." "That was a bad idea." The prisoner shouts. The hunter ignores the prisoner's hysterics and starts to guide him along a path. Moments later he is ambushed by my former army. They both raise their arms. "I told you it was a bad idea." The prisoner says with a nervous demeanor.

Bread

The baker offers us all a loaf of bread. She has no butter, but I can hardly complain. This will be my first meal (if you can call it that) in quite some time. I am so hungry that any manners I have are all bur forgotten at this point. I tore at the bread with my claw - like hands. A moment of insecurity hit my gut when I realized I gave into an animalistic nature. Then I looked around, only to find that no eyes were on me. No one cared. They were all too busy eating. I rested my elbows on the kitchen table. It wobbled slightly. I glanced down to find several books carefully placed under the leg. The baker noticed me staring at the books. "There was an incident." She says, simply. I decided to leave it at that. Why press the matter any further? "Do you know how long you will all be staying here?" She asks. "Until your husband tells us to leave." Olivia replies. "Oh dear. That could be some time." She says. "If it is a problem we can go." Peter responds. "No, it's no problem. I'm just not used to hosting. Especially so many people." Peter looks up from his bread. He gives the baker a warm smile. "We do not wish to be entertained. All we desire at this moment is a safe place." The baker nods her head. "This is a safe place." "Is it the safest place?" He asks. She nods again. "The safest place."

Eyes and Feet

Todd flies high above the Earth. He knows not where he's going, or why he must fly. But he takes his job with the utmost seriousness. It is his duty to be the hunter's eyes in the sky. For this he is truly grateful. Meanwhile, the hunter darts through the thick brush. He weaves in and out of the paths. He runs so fast that he is practically nothing more than a green streak on the ground. The hunter constantly keeps his eyes focused on the path in front of him. He never once looks to his friend in the sky. He's there, and he'll draw on him when he needs it. For now he runs solo. For now he is an army of one. He is the hunter, and he will answer to no one but himself.

Find the Cabin

I don't understand how we how we made it to the cabin with no instructions, but we found it. All we did was walk continuously for hours. Eventually the forest thinned out. At that point we could see a teeny, tiny, cozy cabin. I suppose there was no way of knowing whether this was the right place. It is possible that it could belong to someone else, but I wanted to trust that this was the right house. We had been walking all night, and desperately needed to rest. I knocked on the door and eagerly waited for a response. A moment later a woman with a baker's apron answered the door. "Yes?" She says in a frail voice. "Your husband is a hunter?" I ask. "He is." She responds. "We met him briefly. He told us about your cabin, and asked us to seek refuge there." I explain. The baker glances past me to see the many falcons as well as Peter and Olivia. "All of you?" she asks. "I would assume so." The baker bites her lip. "I don't know about the birds, but I'm sure I could make space for everyone else." "That's fine, the birds are used to being outside." Peter jumps in. The baker opens her door wide. "I will give you shelter from the storm."