Author's note: Surprise! Here's a new chapter within a week of the last. Enjoy Kopaka's adventures in Le-Wahi.

italics=Kopaka's thoughts

Chapter 12

"Thanks Toa-brother," Lewa said gratefully. He began swiveling in place, using his new-found power to see his Wahi from a new perspective. Then he halted his surveying and bolted into the jungle. Kopaka was startled at how fast the other could move through the tree tops. The Toa of Air must have felt like a snail when he was following Kopaka to the Kanohi.

Where is he going now? he thought in confusion as he ran after the Air Toa. He could have just let Lewa go off on his own, but he still needed the Toa of Air's help. He caught up with Lewa in a small clearing. Well, it was an open space now.

The Nui-Rama that Lewa had injured during the fight had crash landed there. The Rahi's injured eye was leaking fluid and it was twitching madly. The Toa of Air slowly walked up to the creature, talking to it in soft, hushed tones. Kopaka watched as the same Toa who just seconds before was complaining about swamp mud gently wiped the cut clean. The Rahi recoiled in pain at his touch, but Lewa's voice seemed to calm it down. Then he laid the Rahi's large head in his lap and started petting it, all the while talking to it. He looked up at Kopaka.

"I'm staying here with the Rahi-beast," Lewa said in a loud whisper. "Thanks again for help-assisting with mask-search."

Lewa's kindness to a Rahi, an animal, surprised Kopaka. Since waking up on the island, he only viewed the Rahi as a threat. It never really occurred to him that the Rahi were only victims of the Makuta's madness. He has a good heart. A good caring heart behind all his jokes and gibberish. I don't know if I'd have done the same thing, he admitted to himself. With a jolt Kopaka remembered why he'd come to Le-Wahi in the first place.

"Lewa," he called in a loud whisper.

Lewa jumped, startled, and looked at Kopaka. "Yes?"

Kopaka took a deep breath. "I was wondering if you could help me with something." I can't believe I just said that! "I came to Le-Wahi to seek a Kanohi as well. My Turaga told me it would be in a 'nest of many voices.' Would you know what that means?"

"Oh! I do love riddle-solving," Lewa exclaimed, startling the Rahi. "Shhhh, shhhh. I am sorry," he cooed. He scratched his head and thought for a moment. Then his face brightened. "Oh!" he whispered this time. "Yes. A speaking nest. Easy-simple. The parrot-bird. There's a colony-group of them over there." He pointed over his shoulder, deeper into Le-Wahi.

Kopaka nodded and walked in the direction that Lewa indicated. As he walked, he became aware of a jumbled mass of birdcalls getting louder. He finally stepped into a clearing with tree branches entwining above, nearly blocking out the sun light. The first thing he noticed was the intense sound of chattering birds. He covered his ears against the cacophony until he grew accustomed to it. Secondly, he saw bright colored birds half as long as his arm flying about.

Hmpf. Annoying and loud Rahi in Lewa's territory. Go figure. Kopaka tried to ignore the vibrant Rahi and activated his Akaku to scan the area for the Rau. He spotted it in a vacant nest near the top of the canopy.

Climbing up the tree, the Toa of Ice passed by some other nests and was met with furious fluttering and angry shrieks. Some of the small creatures even dared to dive-bomb at his head. Kopaka wished he could just freeze the nuisances, but the image of Lewa tending to the Nui-Rama kept him from harming the creatures needlessly. It seemed like ages, but he finally reached the Noble Kanohi and placed it on his face. He mistakenly activated the Mask and nearly fell out of the tree as the clamoring of the birds became coherent. The incessant noise was bad enough, but voices he could understand were even worse. He quickly turned it off and switched back to his trusty Akaku.

As he retraced his way back down the tree, the birds pestered him with more frequency. Kopaka's patience was wearing thin. He was nearly a third of the way down when he had enough. He whipped out his sword and pointed at a large yellow and orange Rahi that was screaming towards him. He did not have to take any further action. At the sight of the icy blade glittering dangerously in the sun, the Rahi kept their distance, even after he set the sword back in its sling to continue his descent. In the nearly eerie silence broken by the occasional squawk or hiss, Kopaka found himself victim to the curious stares of numerous birds. It made him uneasy to be watched so closely.

He made it out of the clearing without any further incident. But as he headed for the border, he noticed that some of the birds were following him. Oddly enough, they were not flying after him. Instead they hopped from branch to branch after him. Kopaka looked at one of the colorful birds, a small blue one, and the creature stopped moving. He frowned and started walking again. He glanced to his left and a golden red one froze just like the blue one did. Whenever he turned to look at one of the Rahi, it would become like a statue until he looked away. Suddenly it dawned on him.

They're stalking me, he realized, almost amused. These crazy feathered Rahi think they can creep up on me.

Kopaka shook his head in wonder. Small birds that dared to tail a Toa. Where else would one find such strange creatures other than in Le-Wahi? At that point he observed a plant eating a small Rahi. Carnivorous flowers, stalking birds, trees the size of mountains…and noise like nothing else. His attention was drawn to a loud, vibrating croak near his shoulder. A large brown and green frog-like Rahi was sitting on a branch, staring him down with lazy eyes.

"And I suppose you fly, right?" the Toa of Ice asked it sarcastically. The Rahi merely blinked sluggishly. And now I'm talking to things. Things. Activating his Kanohi to avoid any unwanted surprises, Kopaka hastened his departure from the animated jungle. He really wanted his peaceful and still Ko-Wahi back.