As we started to walk into the trees, I heard a yell behind me.  "Fia!  Where are you guys going?"

I turned to see Akdani running towards us.  I thought it was just yesterday you didn't like me, I thought annoyedly.  "Hi Akdani!" I said out loud.  "We were... just going for a walk."

He smiled.  "Can I join you guys?"

"Sure," Tennielle responded before I could think about it.  I glanced at her, but said nothing.  Is there something going on there? I wondered.

"Thanks, guys," Akdani told us gratefully.  "So... where are we going?"

I shrugged, realizing my mission to show Tennielle the bird would have to wait.  Thinking about it, I realized we probably wouldn't have seen it anyway.  The valley is enormous, I chided myself.  I probably just been lucky to see it twice.  I couldn't quite make myself believe it though.  Seeing it made me feel special in some way, like it liked me.

"I found a cool tree during hide and seek," I said.  "I was planning to climb it, but I got distracted."

Tennielle rolled her eyes.  "You're always distracted."

I giggled despite myself and led the way into the trees, trying to remember exactly where I had gone.  Behind me, Akdani and Tennielle were chatting.

"Do you have any pets?" Tennielle was rambling.  "I have five dogs, two cats, three horses and like a billion chickens.  I love animals!  Me for animals, my brother for plants, I guess.  If I have a little sibling maybe they'll love fungus!"  She giggled, and Akdani laughed uneasily.

Finally, we found the tree.  "Akdani, do you want to go up first?" I suggested.

He shrugged.  "Okay."  Placing one foot on the bark, he pushed up to the first branch, then scrambled there before heaving himself up to another.  It didn't look easy, but I knew I would love being at the top.

I turned to Tennielle.  "So, why-"

"Because he was being bullied," she said before I could finish.  "Some kids were making fun of him."

"Do you know them?" I inquired, frowning.

She shook her head.  "Our grade is pretty small for most schools, or so I've heard, but I still don't know everybody."

I nodded, then turned to the tree and began to climb, my thoughts whirling.  Why would they do that?  They probably have some backstory I haven't heard.  I debated telling a Councilor or Ms. Caneleaf, but ultimately I de decided not to.  I couldn't know if Akdani wanted them to find out.

When I joined him on a high branch, I sat down, holding a branch above my head for security.  Like an idiot, I tried to gaze out over the land from my high vantage point and saw only fog.  I was going to get really tired of the mist before long.  It was lighter, though.  I could see a bright dot above us that I presumed was the sun.

At last, Tennielle climbed up next to us.  She was practically shaking.  "Aren't we a little high up?" she asked worriedly.

I laughed.  "How did I never know you were afraid of heights?"

"Because I never let us go somewhere high," she said.  "So- look at that!" she said suddenly as her eyes caught something in the distance.

The Silver Heron? I thought excitedly, following her gaze.  Of course, it wasn't the Silver Heron.  It was some sort of mountain bird, roosting high in a tree where the sun had at least some presence.

"Cool," I told her.  Then I heard a faint ringing sound in the distance.

"We took too long to get here," I grumbled as the three of us scrambled to get down from the tree.

"We just don't have enough free time," Akdani complained.