Anmia woke with a start to the feeling of something touching his face. With a cry, he recoiled, both hitting his head on the rock, and sending a little crab flying from his person.

"A-ah!" He cried, casting his eyes about, confused, for whatever had been sitting on his face. He saw the crab presently, stuck on its back, legs waving franticly in the air. Anmia raised a brow at this, and reached out to nudge the creature upright again.

Instead, to his dismay, the crab clutched onto his arm and began to crawl back towards him.

"No. Don't do that," He said, attempting to bat the crab away. Even so, the small Rahi settled on his shoulder, just beneath his neck. Again he tried to remove the creature, but only succeeded in making it grip more tightly onto him. He glared at the thing, giving a resigned sigh and struggling to his feet.

"Fine."

He picked up his satchel and turned to examine the rock face. It would be difficult to climb, but it was possible. Weighing the bag in his hand, Anmia peered up at the edge above. He gripped the satchel's strap, tight, and reached back to throw it.

The object flew towards the top of the ledge. Anmia wobbled from the effort of the action. He looked up, hopeful.

His hope evaporated quickly, as the crab jumped from him and the package fell. It skidded to the ground in front of him, scattering some sand onto his feet. He sighed.

Although now, he realised, some fortune had reached him; he had a chance to escape the crab - which was now scuttling back to him at some frightening speed. He kicked a small amount of sand at it.

"Shoo," He said, waving a claw at the crab. "Shoo, now."

He waved at it in an attempt to make it go away. It seemed unfazed. Becoming irritated, Anmia scooped the crab up in his hands and stared at it. He frowned at it, then set it down and nudged it away.

"I have no time for you, not now," He hesitated, pondering for a moment exactly why he was talking at the little creature. "I will come back."

This was something of a hollow promise, but it somehow seemed to appease the crab, and it settled into the sand to rest. Anmia nodded, somewhat relieved, and returned to the rock face.

Now, this should be fun, he thought, with some dismay. He picked up the satchel and set about finding some decent handholds; it was only about twice his height, he noted, so it should be easy. Even so, it took him some time to get started.

It was arduous, and took him longer than it should have, but finally he reached his destination. Pulling himself over the lip of the ledge he found himself looking out over a plain of rough grasses, a scattering of seabirds drifting overhead. In the distance he could see the beginnings of a bank of trees, reaching up into a dense, even somewhat intimidating, forest.

Still, he mused, better than standing out in the open like this.

The trees certainly cut the wind, but even so, as night fell once again, Anmia found himself becoming cold.

"Fire," He muttered. "I know how to do that."

After some time spend collecting dry leaf litter and sticks - and earning some scratches from small, disturbed, sleeping Rahi - he was at last able to assemble his fire. The larger pieces of wood smoked somewhat, being still wet, but the warmth was pleasant.

Anmia watched as a flame settled on a twig, burning there for a moment before the wood buckled and broke away, joining the ash below.

Once again tired, he held his baggage in his arms, leaned back against a near tree, and quickly fell into his dreams.

And what troubled dreams they were.

He was standing back on the shore, the figure who he had seen on the scroll - next to him - was facing out to sea. When he reached out to the slightly smaller figure, as his claw brushed against its form - it turned on him abruptly.

He seemed unable to recoil as a distorted, putrid, mask turned to face him, glaring with dull red, hollow eyes. It reached out to him, said something he couldn't understand, and –

"What are you doing!?"

The cry sent Anmia bolting upright, wide-eyed, confused, dazed, and gasping for air.

"I-"

"Who are you?" Anmia found himself faced, now, with the sharp end of a spear. Trying to calm his heavy breathing, he shook his head, raising his hands to the small creature, so oddly threatening. She was a deep blue colour, tinged in places with a silvery white.

"I - was cold," He chattered. "Please."

The smaller person lifted her spear away from his chest, very slightly.

"Oh, really? You're a fool. That smoke could have attracted all kinds of Rahi I'm sure you wouldn't want to meet. Now," She turned the spear on him again, "Your name."

He swallowed. "Anmia… I think."

Her eye quirked, with a slight curiosity. "You 'think'?" She lifted her spear, stuck it in the ground, and leaned on it. "I don't recognise you. Too tall for a Le-Matoran. Any Matoran. And too dull for a Toa."

Amnia propped himself into a better sitting position, looking up at her. The names seemed familiar, but meant nothing.

"Dull?" He asked, tentatively. "Why?"

"Le-Matorans are green. I suppose you've never noticed that?" She shook her head. "Well, who are you, then? Where are you from?"

Amnia checked his hood, nervous.

"I don't know. I came - from the sea-" He pointed back in the direction of the beach. Now the blue figure looked puzzled.

"Well, you definitely aren't a Ga-Matoran. I've never seen anything like you at home." She picked up her spear. "You'll have to come with me. Besides, it's not safe here. Not with your clumsy fire-smoke."

Unwilling to argue, Amnia got to his feet.

"May I ask a question?"

The blue figure nodded.

"What are you?"

She laughed, incredulous.

"I am a Ga-Matoran. Aroha. Where have you been?" She twitched her spear at him. "You cover your face - why?"

"I think the mask was meant to go there. It's… broken." He patted his satchel.

"I see," She looked a little sorry, now. "Perhaps… perhaps Turaga Maata will be able to help you. Oh - I suppose you don't know what a Turaga is, either." She gestured with her spear for him to follow as she headed into the trees. "They are our leaders."

"That sounds right. I can't remember-"

"You can explain yourself to Maata. I leave for Ga-Pa soon. You can join me, unless the Le-Matoran decide to keep you."

"Keep me?" Anmia asked, perturbed. Aroha had disappeared into the trees, however - he struggled through the foliage after her. "Okay, just - wait!"