Cassie looked over her shoulder at Slade. He seemed to be taking this pretty well. Well, better than another person might. Just then, Cassie heard the distinct flapping of wings that meant a bird had come into the barn.

Hey, Tobias said. Who's the new guy?

Slade turned to Cassie, raising his left eyebrow. He looked incredulous.

"D'you know that you have some really, really strange friends?"

Cassie chuckled. "You don't have to tell me twice," she said with a wry smile.

"Just checking," Slade answered, with a hint of the same kind of smile.

"Tobias, good you're here," Jake called, not giving any indication that he'd heard anything.

Cassie saw Slade turn to look at Tobias, waving to him at his perch on the rafters of the barn.

What the… Ness Carter?

Slade shook his head, sighing and flipping a lock of black hair out of his eyes.

Why does everyone insist on calling me that? Slade asked, crossing his arms. My name is Slade, will you guys at least try to remember that?

This was Cassie's first experience with real telepathy, as opposed to the thought-speak she was so accustomed to. It was a bit disorienting; more so given the fact that strong emotions were transmitted along with the thoughts themselves. Cassie could tell that Slade was annoyed, that he didn't like being called by a name that he knew wasn't his own.

"All right, Slade," Cassie said. "We won't call you Ness if it bothers you that much."

"Thanks," Slade said, smiling at Cassie. "Well, now that Tobias is here, how about we go and do… Whatever it was that you were planning to do in the first place?"

Jake nodded.

What were you planning on doing? Tobias asked.

"We were planning to go find you first, Tobias," Jake informed the third member of their group. "But since you're already here, I think we can just skip to the part where we go and find the blue box."

Okay. So, where do we start looking?

"Do you remember where the Carters' cabin was?" Jake asked the hawk.

Yeah, but Ness might have taken the box with him when they went camping.

"We'll cross that bridge if we come to it," Jake said, waving a hand in dismissal. "Right now, let's go to the place where it's most likely to still be."

All of the Animorphs present agreed to this course of action. Cassie turned back to Slade.

"Are you going to come with us, Slade?"

"I don't have anywhere else to be at the moment," he answered with a wry smile and a shrug.

Cassie smiled, Jake nodded, satisfied. And Tobias simply flapped his wings and took off from his perch on the rafters. Cassie and Jake quickly morphed wolves.

Follow me, Tobias called to the three of them, as he dove out the open door of the barn.

The two wolves took off at a loping run, with Slade not far behind. It was at this point that Cassie remembered the article of clothing that she'd forgotten to give Slade.

Oh great! I forgot to get him shoes! Cassie accidentally said aloud.

What? Jake asked, Cassie, you forgot that?

I-I just didn't think we'd be running anywhere so soon.

Jake sighed silently. Slade, are you all right back there?

Yeah, I'm fine.

You sure? You don't want to go back to the barn for a pair of shoes? Jake asked.

No.

We're going to be running over some pretty rough terrain, Jake informed him. Are you sure you don't want shoes?

Yeah. Trust me, I don't even feel it.