"Are you absolutely certain we have to go today?"

Mitchell rubbed her face, pretending to be tired while in truth she was hiding a smile that just wouldn't be stifled any other way. Rodney McKay had shown up while they'd been eating breakfast, and had expressed his displeasure with the whole idea of leaving any time soon ever since he'd heard they were planning on leaving as soon as breakfast was over and the Light Ones had managed to find themselves some clothes.

Aiden Ford looked like he was going to explode with laughter any moment, and Melony made it a point to avoid looking at him because she knew he'd just set her off into peals of giggles. Instead, she simply ignored the fact that McKay's shirt was on inside out and listened as Sheppard answered – again.

"We need to get back to the farmers, and then get back to Atlantis," Sheppard said – again.

"Colonel Mitchell's leg won't handle a trip back the way we came," McKay said reasonably. "We should stay a couple more days... to give her a chance to heal..."

As much as Melony agreed with how much she was going to hurt at the end of this flight, she still couldn't help the coughing fit that hid the giggles.

"We need to get back, McKay." Sheppard told him with far more patience than usual. Of course, he understood exactly why McKay wanted to stay – and he wasn't above being tempted to stay another night himself – but they had responsibilities elsewhere. Unfortunately.

"But we should have someone stay... to act as a liaison between the farmers and the Light Ones – until they get a chance to know each other better."

"Then we'll have Colonel Mitchell stay so she doesn't have to endure the flight back..."

A pained look crossed McKay's face, and he sighed and he shouldered his pack.

Melony looked over at Sheppard, unable to hide her amusement.

"I'm not acting as liaison."

"I know." He looked down at her leg – which the Light Ones had wrapped even more securely so it would have less chance of being reinjured if her landing was less than gentle – although several of them had already departed to make a soft landing spot for them to be dumped into. Apparently it was easy to grab someone if you were a bird, but impossible to simply set them down. "Although I'm tempted to ask you to stay just to keep you from hurting that leg."

She appreciated the concern, but shook her head.

"I don't want to stay."

She didn't like the way everyone looked at her – although she knew it was just because of the extra life force they sensed when they were around her. It was still uncomfortable, and she wanted to get back among the humans that couldn't tell.

"Are you ready?" He was willing to allow her to do whatever she wanted – indeed; he couldn't stop her, anyways, really.

She nodded.

"How's the wrist? Wrapped tight enough?"

The Light Ones had wrapped his broken wrist in a similar fashion as Mitchell's leg, and Ford would carry Sheppard's P-90 along with Mitchell's and his own in a pack where there would be less chance of hurting himself by landing on it.

"It'll be fine – although I won't mind getting back to Atlantis so it can get set. The Tylenol isn't doing that much to help the ache."

She understood completely. Talon wasn't helping all that much with her leg and shoulder – although she was glad to have him.

Thanks

Don't mention it.

Sheppard went to tell Kale and the others they were ready, and McKay and Ford came over and helped Mitchell to her feet while Teyla gathered the other packs – including one that held a change of clothing for each of the Light Ones that were going with them to meet the farmers.

A moment later the large wolfish creature that was Kale came into the room, padding silently next to Sheppard. He took his customary position next to Mitchell and helped her outside, where she was handed over to a pair of Light Ones who supported her while Kale changed back to his human form.

"If you each arrange yourselves a distance from each other, it'll make it easier for us to take hold of you once we change." He looked at Melony, who couldn't help but run her hand along her injured shoulder, and frowned. "I'll be careful, I promise."

She nodded, giving him a smile that was far more confident than she really felt.

"I know."

The others were double-checking their vests – which were what they were going to be carried by – and making sure they weren't loose. Then they moved a bit away from each other and waited for the Light Ones to change into bird form.

Kale gave Melony's vest a careful tug – just to make sure it was tight – and moved away from her, giving himself plenty of space before he changed. It happened immediately, and Mitchell couldn't help but be amazed at just how large that bird was. Then she felt a little guilty, because she noticed that it was missing a few feathers along the left wing and she knew that was her fault. Apparently, feathers didn't just grow back. She wondered what had happened to the ones she'd ripped from him on the trip to the mountain. Maybe they could glue them back in – or whatever it was called.

Imping

I knew that.

Uh huh

She ignored the sarcasm and watched as Kale launched himself into the air and flew out over the cliff obviously warming up his wings for a little bit before coming back. As he did this, the other Light Ones who were going to be carrying them did the same thing, and soon the air was filled with little tufts of downy feathers that drifted down as the birds gained altitude and created an impressive aerial display while they worked wings that would be well-worked before the day was over.

"This isn't going to be fun," Melony muttered, more to herself as she watched Kale turn and glide back towards her.

Brace yourself

I am.

A moment later there was a buffeting wind and she felt her vest grabbed in Kale's sharp talons. A quick jerk pulled her off her feet with a painful lurch, and a moment later she was airborne, being carried towards the Northwest, hanging from her vest, which was pressed painfully against her injured shoulder – although it beat the heck out of being carried by the shoulder itself, so she wasn't complaining.

She turned as well as she could without hurting herself – or risking doing something to her vest and getting dropped – and saw that the others had been grabbed as well and they were all in the air, now.

Might as well settle in for the ride, Talon told her, already working on repairing the damage done to her shoulder from being grabbed so roughly.

At least she could try to enjoy the view.