I stuck to the clouds like always. The others had a long trek ahead for them, with Bek at their side. We were on our way to one very specific place in the woods, far from any trail.
No one but us knows the place. The only way anyone could discover it was if the Ellimist told you where the way was. But even that alone wouldn't be enough.
I had been there twice before. The first was when the Ellimist showed us all the way. The second was when I went there only to hear an amazing story. And I would have gone again if I didn't decide to follow DeGroot yesterday.
Because the Ellimist had put a fairy-tale spell over this place, making it impossible for any mere mortal to stumble onto it. Doesn't matter if you knew its whereabouts. Even with all my hawk vision focused, all my innate direction-finding ability carefully attuned, I had a hard time finding it.
The spell he had cast made the eyes slide away. Made it that ears couldn't hear. Made the wind still that feathers didn't feel. Completely hidden from the world.
That was the valley of the Hork-Bajir. The free Hork-Bajir.
It all started with a couple who had escaped their Yeerk slave masters - Jara Hamee and Ket Halpak. With how much the Ellimist had intervened...well, he'd never admit he intervenes in the affairs of other species. But Jara and Ket had evaded the Yeerks and we helped them avoid capture. Now they stay at this concealed valley, free from their masters.
Since then, others had come. Some were escapees. Others had been born into freedom. Like Bek.
But Bek doesn't have morphing powers. And I doubt a newborn knew how to get back inside. Or how he even managed to leave the valley on his own.
"So how do we get a baby Hork-Bajir into the valley? He can't morph and fly like us," Marco stated the inevitable.
"The only way we can bring him back in is whatever way he remembers," Jake said.
"Bek, do you remember how you got out?" Cassie asked kindly.
Still no response from him. In fact, he wasn't even paying attention.
"Can't blame him for not answering." Rachel folded her arms with a worried face. "After everything he went through."
"And we can't stay here overnight searching for a way. Tobias, can you fly over and talk to the Hork-Bajir we have one of theirs here-"
"Or how about this?" Marco interrupted. "Tobias morph into a Hork-Bajir and get Bek to tell him the answer?"
"Really? Isn't that exactly what we said about Elle?" Cassie pointed.
Honestly, I had to agree there. What Marco suggested was...demoralizing. Not just to Bek but to the freed Hork-Bajir. Getting Bek to tell me how he left the valley meant I was stooping to the same level as Elle. That she made Bek comfortable and safe to lower his guard.
The odd thing was she didn't go back on her word.
"That's because she's got a Yeerk. We're good Samaritans bringing Bek back home."
"But we didn't unlock that cage. Elle did."
"You're really not gonna let this one go, aren't you?"
"Hold on, guys," Jake stepped in. "We already agreed Elle is none of our business."
"She should be," Rachel grumbled. Cassie had that look of concern on her the moment she said that. She knew that tone. We all did.
"Bek?"
The voice wasn't one of ours. It came from above us. And something big jumped down from the treetops.
We knew what it was. An adult Hork-Bajir with two blades. And I recognized her.
"Bek! Bek is here!" Ket hollered loudly. "Toby was right! Friend Tobias found Bek!"
And just like that, as if all of Bek's worries were gone, the little guy hurried over to Ket. He was safe again. He was home.
There was a sense of warmth from watching this. Ket was a mother herself so she knew how to comfort little Bek in the Hork-Bajir's own way. Not like hugs or kisses, it was more like snuggling their noses to each other. And bit by bit, each of us was smiling. The reward in bringing Bek back home was worth it.
The Hork-Bajir may look like death and destruction on two legs but they aren't savage monsters and neither are they geniuses of the galaxy. Those blades their seven-foot-tall bodies have are designed for stripping edible bark from trees.
That is not what their Yeerk slave masters want them for. The Hork-Bajir have been made into shock troops for the Yeerk Empire.
"Well, I thought my idea was solid," Marco had to interrupt the sentiment.
Another Hork-Bajir came from the bushes from behind. And Jara was happy to see me.
"Tobias! Friend Tobias is here!"
One more joined him - Jara and Ket's child. The young Hork-Bajir girl named Toby. Named after me.
She could have been another Hork-Bajir but it was easy to spot her among her parents. Any Hork-Bajir had this dopey, dim expressions of Teletubbies. But Toby had the kind of eyes that looked through you and made you feel like you needed to pull a robe over your brain.
Because she was what the Hork-Bajir call a "seer".
I landed on a level branch above their weird, forward-raked head blades. (Hi, Jara. Hi Ket. Hello Toby.)
"Toby say you come," Jara explained. "Toby say, Tobias will come with Bek."
"And Bek is here," Ket added.
"Hey," Marco had to interrupt the sweet moment. "We did some work too. Why is he taking the credit?"
And Rachel elbowed him in the gut.
"We have not forgotten about Tobias' friends. The humans called the Animorphs. Fellana. Thank you for bringing Bek back," Toby said gratefully.
"How did Bek get out?" Cassie asked. "I thought this valley was sealed off."
"Only if you know how to get in and out by our way. Not as birds," Toby explained.
"How long had he gone missing?" Jake added the next question.
"For two days. We had found his tracks leading out of the valley. We were going to put out a search for him. We had feared he would have been taken. Or killed."
"Well, you don't have to worry about that anymore," Marco chided.
"E-vee saved Bek!"
The three Hork-Bajir glanced down curiously at the chippy little Hork-Bajir. And the rest of us, you can imagine our shock.
"E-vee?" Jara tilted his head like those dogs who looked confused from hearing a sound.
"Oh! That's just his...imagination friend! He's been going on it nonstop!"
Rachel facepalmed herself. Then again, I don't think we could have come up with anything better than Marco's attempt.
"Friend?" Ket repeated.
"Yeah. A baby Hork-Bajir alone with nothing to enrich his little brain? Of course, he'd make up a friend."
The Hork-Bajir clearly had no idea what he was talking about. Like I said, they're long on decent, kind, sweet and generous, but a bit short on witty, clever and brilliant. If Marco spent a day with them, he'd lost his mind and run for the hills. Just to look for someone who'd take a joke.
"Don't think too much of it."
"E-vee not made up," Bek barked. "E-vee good Ye-!"
"Ah! Ah!" he yelled, trying to drown down the word, Yeerk. "You've been away for two days now. Gotta be tiring for a young Hork-Bajir like you. But now Bek's back home. Everything can go back the way it is. And you can forget everything that happened to you."
"Marco right," Ket cut in. "Bek's Kawathio is waiting."
Bek's eyes lit up. And for a moment, he wailed sadly. Happily. It sounded like a cross between a baby crocodile from Animal Planet and a beluga whale.
"His parents, right? They're waiting for him," Cassie chided with a smile.
Ket nodded.
"Well. It's a good thing we've found him. Another day or more and Bek could have led people back here."
(Good point. The Ellimist has laid some kind of weird spell here,) I tossed that in.
Toby looked wary. More so towards my friends. "No. He would not know the way back."
"But you do?" Jake added. "You said so earlier."
Toby regretted her slip up. "Yes. We leave to free our brothers and sisters. How else has the Hork-Bajir come to freedom?"
That made me stare. (I...I just assumed it was Ellimist at work.)
She grinned the frightening Hork-Bajir grin. "We make it happen. We go at night and raid places where we know Hork-Bajir are."
"The Yeerk pool," Marco said straightforwardly.
Toby nodded. She turned to me. "We owe Tobias a great deal. You gave us freedom."
(But?) I said a little sarcastically.
She cast a cautious glance at my friends again. Mostly at Jake. She wanted this as a secret. So that we wouldn't go messing around and cause her trouble for her liberation.
"The place where we liberate Hork-Bajir is a secret Yeerk facility that is being built. It is not in your city. It is in a human town beyond the far end of this valley."
That got everyone's attention. Right into Animorph work.
"We should look into this. If it's in the works still, that might be something we can look into," Jake swung back into his leadership.
"No," Toby quickly interrupted, surprising Jake. "You will attack it."
"We have to if we want to put a thorn in the Yeerks' side," Rachel said nonchalantly.
Toby shook her head worriedly. "It is very important for us to continue freeing our brothers and sisters. Look at us." She waved an encompassing arm towards herself and Jara. "We are few. We must become many. To fight the Yeerks. And…" She let it hang there.
(In. Cre. Di. Ble. You "seers" really are something,) I said harshly.
"Yeah," Rachel agreed with me. "You're looking forward to the day when the Yeerks are gone. And you need enough numbers for humans too if they decide to come after you?"
Toby looked proud, giving a smug glance at Ax. "The Hork-Bajir trusted Andalites to save us from the Yeerks. The Andalites failed."
(Now, see here. My people-) Ax was fired up to give his own side, no doubt a speech of Andalite history but Jake stepped in. Which Toby was grateful for.
"The Andalites took care of their own. Not the Hork-Bajir. We must do the same. We are grateful to the Animorphs. But do you say we should trust all humans?"
Well, she had us there. It was way too easy to see the day when the Yeerks were defeated and these Hork-Bajir were left behind on Earth. What would happen to them? Humans didn't exactly have an unblemished record of tolerance for different races, extraterrestrial or not.
Take this valley for example. Before it was taken by the Hork-Bajir, it had probably been inhabited by Native Americans.
Cassie didn't agree. "Not every human is bad. Most are in the same situation as your brothers and sisters you're saving. They don't have a choice."
"Yes. The same is said for the Hork-Bajir."
"Honestly, I have to agree with Toby's logic there," Marco said. "Who's to say nobody will slap the rest in cages like Frank did to Bek."
At first, Cassie was still not keen. But she fell short on her first opinion. She couldn't deny what Frank had done was horrible. To animals, kids and even Hork-Bajir.
The seer turned to Jake. "I implore you. Promise me that you will not destroy the place."
Jake thought on it. Really, he did. "I get it. What you're doing is noble. But we can't make promises."
"Jake, she just said this is important to them," Cassie pointed out.
"I know. But we do this alone. And we can't involve the Hork-Bajir too." Toby really didn't like that but Jake persisted. "We all want that day to come. But we're doing it our way if we want a fighting chance against the Yeerks."
Toby was ready to object but I stopped her. (Let me talk to him. Convince him that we won't do anything unless you approve,) I said privately. (You have my word.)
She had the kind of look that was the equivalent to a human's glower. She looked even more dejected at me for taking his side. But that quickly changed when Jara stepped forward. Toby may have been the brains, but Jara and Ket were the heart of this tiny community.
Jara lifted his goblin face to me. "Tobias ask the Hork-Bajir. Hork-Bajir give. Always. Forever. Anything. Even life. Jara Hamee never forget."
Toby nodded her agreement.
(Hey, what can you do? With people like you, we pretty much have to try and save. Even for those who need help.)
Jara smirked happily. "Thank Tobias again," he continued. "Thank Animorphs. Tobias save Bek."
Yeah… Only I didn't save him.
I thought back to what Elle did. Willingly unlocked Bek's cage. Took him out of the park. Shielded him from the Dracon Beams.
I didn't save Bek. We didn't save him. El pretty much saved Bek alone.
All we did was finish the job. It sounds crazy but I couldn't see it any other way.
"Come, Bek," Ket said. "Home."
"Yes! Yes!" Bek said excitedly. And zoom he went up a tree.
"Whoa!" Rachel yelped. No kidding. The rest of us were amazed at how fast the little guy went. Did newborn Hork-Bajir immediately know how to climb? Ket followed after him, not as fast as lighting speed but she was still quick to keep up with Bek.
"And I thought they hold onto their mothers like marsupials," Cassie chided.
"Well, our work here is done," Marco declared. "What say we relax for the evening?"
"It's never done, Marco. You know that," Jake stepped in, with his serious face.
"Let me guess. This Yeerk Pool, right?" Rachel chipped in.
"Really? Don't we have enough on our plate?" Marco complained. "The Hork-Bajir are dealing with it. I don't see any problem with that."
(You guys go ahead,) I told them. (I need a minute to talk to Toby.)
Jake nodded. And the five clustered together to listen to what he had to say. No doubt to discuss about the facility before they'd take off.
I swiftly leapt and flowed to another branch, catching up to Toby. (Toby. There's something you should know. We didn't even know Bek was missing.)
"And you found him. That's all that matter."
(Yes, but…) Oh boy. She wasn't going to like it. (It wasn't us who release Bek. It was a Controller.)
Toby reacted. No doubt just as surprised as we were. But she thought on it. Looked at me hard.
"You say the truth. You'd never lie."
(That's a big assumption coming from you, Toby. I can lie.)
"Would you?"
(No. Not to you and your race… You got me there.)
"Of course," Toby said proudly. And that made seers all the more scarier. "A Yeerk let Bek go?"
(Yes.)
"Her name is E-vee?"
(Bek calls her that. But she is an odd one. She talks to herself. Vocally. In private. It's like there are two people, not one.) It didn't seem like Toby got what I was saying. I didn't know what I meant either. I just sighed. The mystery around Elle was just as confusing as the mystery with my two relatives. (She's probably bonkers in the head that she just decided to do that.)
"Was she?"
I refrained myself from saying yes. Because it wasn't true. (I don't know. I can't tell If it's a trick. She gave Bek to us. Just like that.)
Toby was surprised. "Were you followed?"
(No. We made sure. She just left. Never heard of a sympathetic Yeerk before.)
Well, there was Aftran. But again, one Yeerk. No other Yeerk has ever been compassionate. I was biting on my own words.
"No, it's unheard of… But seeing Bek here, perhaps, you're right."
Now that's something I never expected out of Toby. (Never pegged you as one be open-minded on them.)
"I'm not. The Yeerks are still our enemy. I will not hesitate to kill this Yeerk even if she had released Bek."
(Toby. Her host...she's just a kid. Like you. Like me.)
This time, there wasn't much from Toby's face. She didn't reject the idea but she also didn't accept it. But she understood where I was going. "It's also peculiar for you to be open-minded on the Yeerks."
Now she was turning this around? Great.
But I couldn't deny that. (I guess I just can't let this one go. It's something I've never seen in Yeerks…)
She nodded. "Tobias," Toby then stopped me before I was ready to head off. "Be careful with this Yeerk."
I snorted. (C'mon. We've dealt with so many of them. One Yeerk isn't gonna be a problem.)
Toby shook her head. "She is not dangerous. However..." She looked concerned. "Everything is different now."
(What do you mean?)
"I expected you to come. Help us find Bek. But instead, you brought him back without knowing. Because he was released by a Controller." Toby glanced endlessly at the horizon. "I saw two paths instead of one."
Now that was ominous, coming from a "seer" too.
(And you think something's off with this Yeerk?) I asked. (We've been wondering about that this entire time.)
"No. Not the Yeerk. Not the host," Toby explained. "But something else changed… Something I cannot see." She let it hang.
I thought on it. But really, I couldn't figure it out. This was all some mystic stuff that Toby knows best, not me. But I still thought more.
Everything has felt kinda "different". Not just the déjà vu but also Elle herself. She's been stumbling at the right place at the right time. She had been dropping around to make her deliveries but how could she have known? No way has that been a coincidence.
Toby might be right about her being connected somehow. The question is "what".
(We'll be careful, Toby,) I reassured her. (We always have been.)
A/N: Heyo all, sorry for a long quietness but here are three chps up. I do hope to get more up soon but in the meantime I hope you'll enjoy these.