Getting me back into human form was nothing for Miss Peregrine. She had picked my dress off the ground and carried me into the house; I was snuggled to her chest. She managed to sneak me into the drawing room without catching unwanted attention from the children. Once in there, she had begun to speak the ymbryne language and before I had known it, I was lying on the drawing room floor wrapped in a sheet. Being nude was nothing; I knew it was going to happen. Miss Peregrine was extremely pleased with my progress and had informed me that we would begin flight lessons in a matter of days. Changing back had made me feel woozy again, so, she had sent me off to bed for the night.

As I turned to leave the drawing room, Miss Peregrine stopped me.

"Miss Stonington," she said, keeping my now old name in case any of the children were near. I turned to her just in time as she advanced on me, reached behind my head, and pulled a long black feather from my hair. "You must remember to check yourself for feather sheddings before you head out into the world all willy-nilly. It is a good way to be recognized by Wights and such."

I thanked her in the fanciest way I could and bade her goodnight before heading to the second floor. By this time the children were in bed and I had hardly a chance of being seen naked in a bed sheet.

Once in my favorite black nightgown I tossed myself onto my bed and laughed.

"Miss Raven," I said to myself.

I sighed. "Miss Minnette Raven." It had a certain ring to it that bordered on fancy, and yet, so peculiar.

That would explain my love of black.

I fell asleep that night dreaming of what the life of an adult ymbryne was like. I saw myself striding around the front hall of a big home, like Miss Peregrine's. I was older, my features faded a bit. I wore my hair pinned to my head and was clad in a black gown. The scene then changed into the setting of a dining room, where I stood instructing a group of unrecognizable children. Next was the illusion of my raven form soaring high above the clouds. Then I was scribing a letter with a fountain pen. On the top I addressed it:

Miss Alma LeFay Peregrine

Cairnholm Island, Cymru

September 3rd, 1940

I awoke then. Suddenly, like someone had jerked me awake. In my dream I had been writing a letter to Miss Peregrine, such was odd to me. Undetermined to find out, I lolled out of bed and headed to the washroom to freshen up. I took a bath and dressed myself.

Downstairs on the first floor, I ran into the children as they were all peering out of the big bay window in the front sitting room. They were all huddled together and whispering things I couldn't understand. Odd thing was that they were all still in their night clothes.

"What is it, children?" I asked. I felt like face-palming. I was starting to sound like the headmistress.

They all faced my quickly. Half of them had appeared as if they had been crying, the other half was biting their lips nervously. I looked at them questioningly.

"It's Miss Peregrine," said Olive.

"What's the matter with her?" I asked.

Jacob faced me. "We were all sleeping, the next thing we knew, we heard screams and loud noises. We ran down here to check things out and Miss Peregrine assured us that everything was 'all right'. She went outside to circle the perimeter. It's been over half-an-hour!" he exclaimed.

I gasped. "She went alone?" My eyes were as big as my stomach.

Emma nodded. "She's out of sight and we're too terrified to go out there."

Claire ran to me and grabbed hold of my dress. "Not without you, Minnette," she sobbed. I hugged her to me.

"Did she fly?" I asked.

"No. She walked," replied Millard, who I just realized was standing beside me. "And she left this," he said, holding up her pipe.

Now, if I remembered correctly, Miss Peregrine always had her pipe in her pocket. If she had sensed danger, she wouldn't have taken it with her.

"Jacob? Can you sense any hollows around?" I asked.

Jacob began to stare out the window in concentration. He took a few deep breaths. "No," he finally replied. "And if they're there, they're too far from us for me to sense them."

Just then, we heard a loud crack of thunder.

At the noise, Claire buried her face into my skirt. She began to cry. It was the perfect time for something, with me just on the verge of ymbryne lessons. If something truly bad had happened to the headmistress, I had no idea what I would do. I held onto Claire tightly. The next thing I knew, I had Bronwyn and Olive with their arms wrapped around me. Bronwyn wasn't crying, but she was enjoying the comfort.

"What do you suggest?" asked Emma.

I sighed.

"We go after her!" said Enoch.

Horace grinned. "I'm always in for a good whopping of a hollow," he said proudly.

The children all began to cheer, except for the three that clung to me.

It then occurred to me that they day Miss Peregrine had been taken and we had saved her, at first there had been six hollows. During our match against the Wight in the forest, there had only been two. Feeling as ignorant as ever, I admitted to myself that four hollows were somewhere still out there. Sad part was that they probably had Miss Peregrine.

"Calm, children!" I hissed. Bronwyn, Claire and Olive released me. They all quieted.

The thunder rang again.

And again.

And again.

Fed up with things, I bolted for the front terrace with the children in tow. We stood at the edge of the lawn facing the wooded path. The children crowded around me. We stood silent for a few meager moments, when the noise rang out again.

Before anyone else realized what was producing the racket, Jacob and I knew automatically.

"It's a gun," he whispered under his breath.

A gun? No one on Cairnholm Island carried guns, especially not in 1940. The war had everyone so stirred up that everyone did what they could to avoid killing.

"Miss Peregrine!" cried Emma.

The children all began to cry, except for me and Jacob. He approached me.

"You have to do something, Minnette," said Jacob. He glanced at the rest of them. "They-we- need your help."

I nodded. I was an ymbryne, and helping other ymbrynes was a part of my responsibility. Jacob was right, these children did need me, almost as much as they needed him to sense enemies or as much as they needed Miss Peregrine to mother them. I just stood there, glancing from Jacob, to the children, to Miss Peregrine's house. This world was my lifelong fantasy, an impossible dream that had come true. I was somewhere where I belonged. A place where I was welcomed with open arms. A place where I could be myself without judgment. I stiffened my posture and began to think like Miss Peregrine would, like an ymbryne.

The children are an ymbrynes number-one priority. Their welfare should be held higher than anyone else's. It was something Miss Peregrine had said during one of my ymbryne lessons. I knew that if I was to go off and rescue Miss Peregrine, I had to make sure that her children were safe, first.

Tightening my shoulders and straightening my back, I held my nose in the air.

"Children," I said calmly.

Between sniffles and sobs they all gave me their attention.

"The time has come for me to step up to my true peculiar responsibilities." How odd did I sound? "I am to go off and rescue the headmistress in the time hence," I informed them.

"Miss Bloom, Miss Bruntley," I said to Emma and Bronwyn. They gave me their undivided attention. Perhaps the way I was imitating Miss Peregrine made them realize just how sure of myself I was. "I would ask you to please escort the young ones into the house and watch over them until my return."

Emma smiled slyly. "You sound like the Bird."

They seemed to catch on quick. The next thing I knew, Bronwyn was collecting the children in a group and wiping their teary eyes on her dress. I guess Millard never spilled the beans about me, after all.

"Mr. Portman?" I asked Jacob.

"Yes?" he asked politely. He truly wasn't like any of the young men back home in America.

"I bid you use your power to guard the wards," I said. "I could not bear it if something tragic were to happen to any of you," I explained, toning down the Miss Peregrine air I was beginning to obtain.

Before taking the children to the house, Bronwyn hugged me one last time. "Do be careful, Miss Stonington," she said, as if she would address Miss Peregrine. She then took Claire and Olive by the hands and headed toward the house, the rest in tow.

Jacob and Emma stayed behind.

"I would like to thank you to for all you've done for me," I said. "In case something bad is to happen to me, please, Emma, kiss those children for me."

She nodded.

"How are you going to find Miss Peregrine all by yourself?" Jacob asked me. "You can only walk so much."

The Island was big for just one person, but for a bird, it might not be so bad after all.

"Simple," I replied swiftly. "I shall fly."

Emma cocked her head and Jacob narrowed his eyes. The awkwardness hung in the air between the three of us.

"Is that what you can do?" Emma asked. "Are you another Olive?"

I shook my head and turned towards the woods. Like something you'd see in a cheesy movie I peered over my shoulder and said: "I'm an ymbryne."

They looked at one another in complete surprise. Their eyes fell on me. I could tell that Emma understood more than Jacob. She met his questioning gaze and said: "Haven't you ever listened to Miss Peregrine, Jacob? Ymbrynes are born, not made. We have to believe her."

Jacob swallowed hard. "You're a bird?"

"Indeed."

"Let's see, then!" Emma cheered.

Just like Miss Peregrine had shown me, I opened my arms and closed my eyes. I began to concentrate on a raven. Then, almost instantly, I felt myself shrink down. My arms turned into brilliant back wings and my mouth was a sharp beak. I gave a flap of my wings and cawed a couple of times. My dress laid on the ground in a black bundle.

"You are an ymbryne!" cheered Emma. She jumped for joy.

I screeched at her.

"Go! Fly to Miss Peregrine!" Emma said, throwing her arms up excitedly.

Then, with that, I gave my wings a few good flaps and began my first flight as a young ymbryne.