Chapter 7

Nod paced around the branch that held the camera where he was supposed to meet M.K. "Man," he thought, "what is taking her so long. She should be here by now." He was beginning to get impatient. He really wanted to see M.K. again, but it seemed like it was taking her forever to arrive. A loud crashing sound made him stop his pacing. M.K. emerged from the bushes trying to wipe something off her jacket.

"Stupid spider webs," she said angrily. At this Nod laughed. "I wonder what she will do if I tell her that there is a spider on her shoulder," he thought. "But then again she can't really hear me." He hopped on his bird and flew around her head trying to get her attention. When he was sure she was paying attention he perched his bird on a nearby branch.

"Where the heck is Cloud," he asked aloud. Looking around he realized that he hadn't told her where she could find them. "Idiot," he thought with a face palm. "Great now she is going to be flying around the whole forest trying to find us… hmmm I wonder if…" with that he put his fingers to his lips and whistled loudly. "I hope she hears that with those big ears of hers."

A few minutes later Cloud came shooting through the trees in the form of a falcon. She landed on the branch next to Nod.

"Next time let me know where I am supposed to find you so that I don't have to look for you like we are playing hide and seek," she said angrily. "It's a good thing you whistled or else I would have had to hunt you down like an angry mama bear when her cub is missing." Nod chuckled at this but he also apologized for not letting her know.

"Apology accepted now come on before Ronin gets to angry that we aren't back in time," she said. Nod mounted his bird and hovered in front of M.K. for a few seconds letting her know that she should follow them. Nod kept a close eye on her and Cloud would stop and wait for M.K. to catch up every few feet.

They eventually reached the Queen, but you could tell they were late because Ronin was fuming. He and 15 other Leafmen were surrounding the queen, heavily armed and ready to attack if anything threatened the queen's safety. M.K. looked a little nervous, so Cloud reached out and touched her shoulder with a wing reassuringly. She would have smiled at her and reassured her by actually talking to her if falcons could smile, or communicate with humans for that matter.

The queen put her fingers to her temples and squeezed her eyes shut. With that a wind picked up and started to swirl around M.K. She started to become smaller and get tossed and twirled around by the wind. When the wind died down she landed not so softly at the base of the Oak tree that Nod and Cloud were perched in. Nod immediately made his way down the tree, jumping off at the lowest branch and landing next to M.K.

"Need a hand," he asked smiling down at her. She looked up with a smile and took his hand. He pulled her up and said,

"It's good to see you again now that we are both the same size that is." He rubbed the back of his neck, turning slightly pink from embarrassment.

"It's good to see you to," she replied. "I-"

"I think we should get back to Moonhaven now your majesty," Ronin said cutting M.K. off.

"Alright Ronin," said Daisy. Nod turned to M.K.

"You can ride with me if you want," he said.

"Alright," she replied. He whistled for his bird and hopped on when it landed. He put out his hand and helped M.K. get up into the saddle behind him.

"Here, put your arms around me," he said. At this M.K. chuckled, remembering the first time he had said it before making his bird dive and nearly causing her to fall off.

"Hey Nod," Cloud said. "I'll race you back to Moonhaven."

"You're on."

"Ok well try and keep up slow poke." And with that she shot off, weaving through the trees looking like nothing more than a blur.

"Hold on," Nod said as he zipped off after her. He caught up to her and they were neck and neck when she turned to him and said "Eat my fea-ack," as she dropped out of the sky.

"CLOUD," Nod and M.K. yelled at the same time. They saw that she was talon to talon with a large crow; there was a Boggan on its back. She managed to kick the crow in its stomach causing it to let go.

"BOGGANS," Cloud yelled loudly, quickly changing herself into a hawk and flying upward to attack another crow. Nod was about to fly up and help her but she yelled at him telling him not to.

"Get back to Ronin and the others, tell them that there are Boggans ahead and that they need to get the queen to safety, I'll hold them off."