Sorry that I have taken so long in writing this. Certain things eluded me and I decided to give into my guilt and post what I have written and make this part four chapters long instead of three.

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I would have loved to be asleep in my bed but I had volunteered to take the first watch over Jara Hamee and the newly liberated Ket Halpak for the night. It helped that I felt no need to demorph after two hours.

It had been a little hair-raising and our favorite Visser was there in a human morph. I might not have escaped with Ket Halpak if Arbron hadn't set a bird off that lived in the clearing.

My new friends were hiding in a new cave since the last one had been compromised but once it was light we would be taking Jara Hamee and Ket Halpak to a valley that I half remembered from a family camping trip.

The valley was a pretty place and I wished that we had camped there for the night all those years ago.

I hoped that things were going well at my place; a Chee was taking my place until further notice and I hoped that he didn't damage my reputation with my siblings too much by saying the wrong things.

Like telling Rio that jumping on my parents' waterbed was unacceptable. Telling Hoshi that leaning too far off of the bunk bed was a bad idea. But most of all telling Leilani to turn the bass down on the stereo

I found myself remembering the time when Leilani's ear-buds came out of her iPod and Bon Jovi's 'It's my Life' blared through the house.

It would have been amusing if it wasn't at 1:00 am.

I spotted some movement and I turned to look at it.

I would have smiled if I had been human. It was Arbron and Aximili.

/I thought that Rachel and Cassie were going to take over./ I said.

/I decided that I needed to check in on you and our friends./ Arbron informed me.

/They seem to be alright. They do a lot of talking. Most of it seems like they are thankful that we rescued them and that they will be free./ I commented.

I was about to ask Aximili how his mother would have felt if she knew how late it was when I had an eerily sensation.

It was as if I wasn't seeing what was in front of me but somewhere else. I saw some Controllers moving through the trees with Taxxons. Something deep down told me that they were somehow using the Taxxons to find Jara Hamee and Ket Halpak.

/Arbron, can Taxxons track people?/ I asked, fearing the answer.

/Yes some can but they are few in number. My I ask why the sudden curiosity?/ Arbron asked.

/I think that they are somehow tracking our Hork-Bajir friends./ I answered.

/If they are then we need to discover if that is the case./ Arbron said as he started to morph into an owl.

I watched as he flew off, leaving Aximili and I alone with the two Hork-Bajir.

The two of us made some small talk, waiting for Arbron to return.

/Tobias,/ Arbron's voice said in my mind. /They are tracking us. Get Jara Hamee and Ket Halpak out of there. Aximili go and get the others. I will watch their movements./

/Yes sir!/ I said.

/Hey, we need to get out of here. The Yeerks are coming!/ I called out to my new friends.

I watched as Jara Hamee and Ket Halpak slowly came out of the cave.

I knew that they were nervous simply because it was dark.

/I know that it's dark but we need to get moving./

Once they were out I flew over and settled on Jara Hamee's front head blade. It would be the best way to lead them until it got light out.

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As it got a little lighter out I called for a halt so we could get some rest.

At that moment I was wishing for my bed and a bowl of cereal, preferably Wheaties.

I told them that if they were hungry that they could get something to eat.

I watched as Jara Hamee used his blades to slice up some bark from a tree and eat the chucks that he got from

Jara Hamee offered me some but I declined by saying that I would eat later.

I am pretty sure that a bowl of Wheaties was calling my name; and if that wasn't the case than it was Honey-Nut Cheerios.

Finally I told them that we needed to get moving again.

We had been traveling for twentyish minutes when I heard something.

/Tobias,/ Arbron's voice said. /We're coming!/

A minute later Aximili came into view with Anjinnl as a Black Panther at his side. Aximili had a backpack that most likely had at least clothes and sneakers if not some food as well.

/Aximili, please tell me that there are granola bars in that backpack./ I almost begged.

/There are granola bars in here for you and the others./ He answered.

It took a lot of willpower not to demorph then and there and feast on granola bars.

/There's also juice and water./ Anjinnl added.

Now I really wanted to demorph.

A few minutes later I heard the others coming as birds.

I knew something was wrong the moment they landed.

One of the Ospreys was shaking in a manner that I didn't like at all.

/Cassie?/ I asked.

/Yes?/ she answered shakily.

/Are you alright?/ I asked.

/I don't remember how long I have been in morph./ She answered with fear.

Cassie feels the need to demorph shortly after two hours in morph. The longer she tries to stay in morph the more she struggles with pain and the desire to demorph

I had a bad feeling about this.

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A funny thing is that I could sleep to Bon Jovi. I haven't tried it yet but I find it soothing. And you are looking at me strange.