Chapter 9: Flight

Rachel woke up because she felt the gnawing pain of hunger in her stomach. Rachel stood up on her 4 dark reddish brown legs and padded over to Izzie. Rachel had to jump over the duffel bag and instantly bonked her head on the ceiling. "OW!" She howled. Izzie jumped up to her feet and looked around, her mouth in a snarl. "Relax, it's just me. Where is Faber?" Rachel asked.

"Since when do you care about Faber?" Izzie said with a scowl.

"Iz, stop it. I love you, as you're my always faithful and caring friend. I always did, for about 13 years too." Rachel said sternly.

"But, Faber, he's trying to steal your friendship away from m-" 

"Izzie..." Rachel held her head high and stared Izzie in the eye.

"Okay, sorry. Faber is in a tree above us, since he didn't feel safe in the bush." Izzie whimpered. Rachel licked her face in forgiveness and loped up the tunnel, Izzie following behind her.

"Faber, you here?" Rachel called. Faber, the magnificent kite swooped down from a tree and landed in front of her on a rock.

"Why are you still a wolf? I would've thought you changed back into a human." Faber asked quizzically, his head cocked to the left a bit.

"I'll try and do it. But you and Izzie go hunt for a meal. It's morning now, and we went almost a whole 24 hours without food, all of us. Now go on!" Rachel barked. Faber instantly took the skies, and Izzie ran off, disappearing into the large, green, needles.

Rachel plopped her bottom on the ground and concentrated on turning into a human. She first thought about being a human, the way it felt. That didn't work. Next, she thought about her wolf form. That didn't work either! Rachel sighed and thought about the image of her in her human form. Almost instantly, she felt her muscles evolve into a human. Rachel sighed, this time in relief, and stretched. Rachel crawled down the tunnel, which was now a tight fit, and grabbed the duffel bag strap with the tip of her fingertips. She crawled out backwards and thought she was in the clear, when she tried to stand up and bonked her head again on the tunnel, since she was now her normal height.

Rachel fully got out of the tunnel and zipped open the bag. She took out 1 sandwich and inhaled it. She took out another one and ate that one too. Rachel had to force herself not to eat the rest, and instead took out a water bottle and took several swigs. 

For the first time since running away, Rachel felt content. Even though she had hurt her head 2 times, and crawling through the tunnel made her soft green clothes dirty, she was happy. Rachel wasn't tired, she wasn't hungry, wasn't thirsty. And she felt the green energy at maximum power! Rachel guessed that she only had to use it for spell magic and plant magic, not shapeshifting or animal magic. And that she had to sleep for it to replenish itself. Rachel also just knew somehow that the more times she used the green energy and practiced it, the less green energy it would take to use a spell or plants.

Faber suddenly flew out of the trees and landed neatly on Rachel's shoulder pad, who was leaned up against a tree trunk. Faber's beak and talons were streamed with blood, and Rachel shook her head. She used some of her water to make his beak and claws gleaming again. "Faber, I'm lost. I don't know which way is West Virginia. Do you know, by any chance?" 

"Um, sure. But I would need at least 1 hour to scout it out, then take a nap from flying, then continue. Could you help me?" Faber chirped softly.

"I don't know. Maybe. But what if I don't know how to fly in bird form?" 

"Trust me, the instinct will come." Faber said reassuringly. A silence followed, but not an awkward one. Rachel started stroking Faber and finally said after about 30 minutes,

"Where is Izzie?" Rachel said, annoyed.

"How about we use this as some flying bird scout practice?" Faber asked, a twinkle in his eye.

"Sure. Get off of me, and I'll change into a bird."

Faber glided smoothly off of Rachel. Rachel had the image of a merlin hawk jump into her head. The hawk had dark brown wings, the same color as Rachel's wolf form fur had. The hawk's chest was a tannish white, with dark reddish brown spots decorating it. Rachel's eyes popped open. She was now the same hawk she saw! Rachel's eyesight was even keener. She was very short compared to her human form.

"Really? A merlin hawk? Why not a kite, like me?" Faber chuckled.

"Um, whatever. Now, where is Iz?" Rachel asked quickly.

"Just follow me." Faber jumped up and spread his wings. He went to the top of a tree and screamed, "Come on Rachel!"

Rachel gulped and jumped up and she was flying! Her wings opened automatically. Faber was right, the instinct guided and led her. Flying was amazing! She glided, bobbed, and twirled in the air. Faber flew next to her. Rachel pushed herself to the limit and looked down, straining to see any sign of Izzie.

"Look, down there!" Rachel screeched. She folded her wings and dove straight down, spreading her wings at the last second to slow her fall and she gently landed on a branch. Faber landed next to her. "Look! There's Izzie, chasing a deer!" 

Izzie was racing for a deer. She was running so fast that her floppy ears were pushed straight against the side of her head.  Her tongue was hanging out of her mouth, and her teeth were stained with red. The deer was limping, but still putting up a fight. Finally, Izzie sprang and landed on the deer's back. She started biting the neck of the deer, and after a bit of time, the deer fell down. Izzie started gorging herself on the raw meat, and that's when Rachel looked away. She was squeamish about such things. 

After what seemed like an hour, Faber and Izzie called to her. Faber had flown down and ate with Izzie. 

"Hey Rachel. Now where will we go?" Izzie barked up after her. Rachel flew down to the lowest branch of the tree.

"First we should get the duffel bag. Then Faber and I are going to find out which way it is to Viridi Forest." Rachel tweeted.

"Are you and me going to fly back, then Izzie'll catch up?" Faber trilled.

Rachel shook her head. "I'll change into something else, and go with Iz. Faber, you go ahead and wait for us." Faber took flight and disappeared. Rachel hopped down from her branch and changed into her human form. "Lets go Iz."

Rachel and Izzie strolled along, since Izzie had to catch her breath still. "Iz, the next time you go hunting, try for something smaller, all right? You know I don't like blood." Izzie nodded. 

"You're such a crybaby." Izzie joked and teased. Rachel frowned playfully and shouted, 

"I'll get you for that!" Izzie barked happily as Rachel chased her. Rachel changed into her wolf form in mid-chase and caught up to her dog easily now. Rachel turned back into a human and started tickling Izzie. Izzie howled and yapped and barked, struggling to get away. Suddenly they heard crunching of leaves and twigs, then a loud voices.