Disclaimer: When I woke up this morning and went to the mirror, I surprisingly saw my face! Not James Patterson's, because I am not him, and I do not own the Maximum Ride series/
Max's POV
"My name is Jeb Batchelder," He said. "And you have to listen to me,"
I scowled. "And why should we do that?" He stammered, "Because I know your secrets,"
"So what?" said Gazzy, clenching his small fists. "You're going to tell on us?" he said sarcastically.
"No!" Jeb said, his green eyes widening with a tear gathering in the corner, threatening to run down his moss-colored face. "You misunderstood! I want to help you! You're just as stubborn as Lilia!" He raised his voice, desperate. I froze. "You knew my mom?" I whispered.
"Max..." warned Fang. Jeb sighed. "Yes. Lilia was lovely and a great ruler of the kingdom. No offense, to your father of course, he is a kind, respectful man but he couldn't run the kingdom with the clever touch your mother always had.," His eyes sparkled when he said Lilia, and Max wondered if he more than respected Lilia. I held back tears, thinking about the day my mom left us; I was only 8. Her last words were "Never regret a kindness," It was something she always said. When I was 6 and I lent my pack of wonderfully colored crayons with the sparkles to my best friend, she never gave them back. I was so mad that I trusted her. I ran to mother, clinging to her graceful leg and she said "Never regret a kindness," It took me a while to realize what she meant by that. But then I knew, kindness makes you a better person, it's hard to be kind, especially if the results from being kind hurt you; but she told me it was always important to be kind, especially if it isn't easy. Then she told me it's important not to be an idiot either.
"Don't give yourself a reason to regret a kindness. If you're ever in danger, kindness can go flying out the window. After religion, your number one concern is your safety. Yes I want you to be kind to people that may be unkind, but not if it threatens your safety or safety of others," She said, smiling, touching my face with her smooth hand as if I was the most precious thing in the world. I glared at Jeb, trying to decide whether or not trusting him would threaten me or the people I cared about, looking at the flock. I analyzed him from his feet ,which lay painfully twisted underneath Iggy's legs, to his head, whose eyes were pleading. He looked so utterly defenseless, but he was dangerous if he knew something about us, whether or not he claimed to help us.
I leaped up, dusted myself off and said "And how do you plan on helping us Jeb?" Fang raised an eyebrow. Jeb asked me "Have you any idea where you're going?" "North, to Larrock," I said. He raised an eyebrow.
"First of all, that was a test- never plain out tell someone where you're headed. Second of all how did you plan on finding your way there without so much as a compass; it isn't as easy as going North. There are dangerous places you need to avoid in the forest, it isn't all daisies and squirrels. There are vagabonds, thieves, and will you please let me up now?" He said, annoyed. The Flock looked at me, and I nodded. If he tried to escape, we could easily let him up again. They released their hold, and he stood up.
"Please!" I said. "Have you looked as us?" We were all built with thickly corded muscles, and we were able to take down even a hundred thieves. "We're the scariest thing in this forest. Besides we can just fly away,"
"Third of all, don't assume you'll be able to fly away. You'd be surprised. Would you be able to stop a witch with a mind-controlling spell? Or perhaps a gnome with the finest, most dangerous sword, so venomous, you're poisoned by looking at it. Actually, I'd advise against flying, despite what you believe, you're not the only people in the forest. What if someone were to see you? Okay and let's say, by some miniscule chance, you make it to Larrock, unharmed. What were you going to do then? You'd have no place to stay. Well, you might, if they realized you were a princess. Oh wait a minute! There's another point! You aren't exactly some unimportant peasant off the street. You don't think anyone there wouldn't be anybody recognize a princess?" He glanced over at Gazzy and Nudge. "Oh, I'm sorry, I mean TWO princesses and a prince, Not to mention that your parents are looking for you everywhere. It's a surprise one of their guards hasn't yet found you!" Pangs of guilt shot up me. I knew father must be devastated looking for me, not to mention Gazzy and Nudge's parents. But now wasn't the time to think about that.
"Oh and how are you supposed to help us? You can take down a mind-controlling witch, or a poisonous gnome? You can prevent us from being recognized in Larrock?" I retorted. In response, he pulled out some clean plain gowns and suits from which he pulled out of a small leather satchel. He pulled out wigs, quill and brown ink. He pulled out a piece of parchment, that looked so fragile I was afraid to open it. How did he fit all that into a small satchel? He noticed my gaze and grinned. "Elf-made," He said, as if that explained it.
"What's this?" I asked, pinching a gown made of itchy material. "Those are you're disguises. You didn't plan in going in that, did you?" He looked at my muddy, torn, dress. We pulled on our disguises. I fitted a short black wig on my head. The flock seemed to decide at once we would trust him for now. Oh okay, we didn't have some sort of mental connection, Angel the Mind-Reader said it was okay. Jeb walked to each of us with his quill and drew in freckles on all of us. Fang wore spectacles. Jeb opened the piece of parchment, which showed to be a map. "If we avoid these places," pointing to areas on that map of crudely drawn witches, gnomes, and ogres, "we just might survive the trip," he said with a grim smile. And so we journeyed on. And so we walked, since Jeb advised us not to fly. It wasn't long before we encountered our first problem.
