The upper limbs of the pine tree swayed gently in the wind. My tail was wrapped securely around the trunk, and both feet had a tight grip on one of the larger branches. Safe. I was safe. And alone - Tobias had been perched in my tree for half an hour, but had flown away a few minutes ago.

"It is a sound plan," I said to myself, "All the dangers have been foreseen and accounted for."

Then why was I so unwilling to participate?

Breathe in. Breath out.

"It is a sound plan."

Breathe in. Breathe out.

"You all right up there?"

I looked down. Marco was at the bottom of the tree. He grabbed at a low-hanging branch and started climbing up, slowly and awkwardly. Tobias had told me that in the distant past, ancestors of Humans had been tree-dwellers. Watching Marco struggle up the tree, I wasn't sure I believed that story. I dropped down to his level, and he clumsily sat down on a large branch.

"Why are you out here?" I asked.

"Well, everyone stayed to work on homework together, but we were interrupted just now when Bird Boy popped in to say that you were in distress."

"Bird Boy?"

(That would be me,) Tobias said, as they landed next to us in the tree, Because of all the feathers, you know? Look, you've seemed kind of stressed-out all day, and it definitely got worse after that... well, after that message knocked us out. I thought maybe somebody should come talk to you for a bit.

"And I think I might be the best person for you to talk to," Marco said. "If I've guessed right, we've got the same problem."

"Which problem is that?" I asked.

"You're afraid of the ocean. Aren't you?"

I did not respond at first. It was true, but would talking to Marco - or anybody - really do anything to alter that fact?

"It's all right," he continued, "There's nothing wrong with being afraid. It's completely normal. Just part of being..." he trailed off for a moment, looked back and forth between me and Tobias, and coughed. "Well, I guess 'human' isn't exactly right here, but I don't know another word that's inclusive enough. My point is, fear is normal."

"And you are also afraid of the ocean, yes?"

Marco smiled.

"Absolutely. See, a few years ago, I... well, I used to have some bad nightmares about the waves carrying me out to sea."

"Yet you still volunteered for the mission. And you are attempting to convince me to do likewise."

He shrugged his shoulders - a Human gesture that I still did not understand.

"We can't force you to do this. You can sit this mission out and none of us will hold it against you. But I'll admit, I'd feel better having as many of us go as possible, just in case something goes wrong. So if you want, I can try and teach you how to get the fear under control."

"Do you think it is worth the effort, though? To go to such lengths just to rescue a single Andalite?"

(Why wouldn't it be?) Tobias asked.

"I know you have placed much hope in the idea that Andalites might be able to save you. But I do not share that hope. There are still a few Hork-Bajir left who remember what happened when the Yeerks first came to our world. The Andalites tried to intervene, but... they underestimated the threat. They sent too few warriors to fight. Just as they did when they came to Earth."

And if the stories were true, there was another reason to be wary of 'help' from the Andalites. But I didn't see any point in worrying my Human allies with that particular detail.

(Doesn't that make it even more important to try and rescue this one, though?) Tobias argued, (There's only seven of us. We need every ally we can get, whether or not you like them. Especially if they're still able to morph.)

"Very well," I relented, "You claim to be able to help me. What do you plan to do?"

"Well, Jake thinks some of us should head out to the beach and see if any more pieces of the Andalite ship washed up. Maybe you could come with us. Get a feel for being at the water's edge. Give yourself a chance to confront the water without having to go in. Then after that, you can decide whether or not to go on the rescue mission."