"Today is the day guys!" Shimmer chirped as she hugged her friends close to her. "Today we get to fly into the forest fire and gather coals!"

Rigil huffed and pushed her away slightly. "Only you could be excited about that. I don't much care for fire myself, it's too hot."

"Fire?!? No not fire!!! I don't like fire!!! Why do they do this to me?!?" Feather squawked and started flying wildly, "FIRE! FIRE! FIRE!"

"Feather calm down! You're not going to get hurt!" Sky said trying to calm her down.

"Ready team?" The instructor said taking to the air. "Don't worry, today is just practice. We still need to get coals but it doesn't matter if they are as lively today. Understand? Good! Now go!"

Shimmer grabbed Feather in her wings. "It's alright, I promise nothing will happen to you alright? Just follow me, okay?"

The wind was so hot, Rigil could feel it starting to burn his feathers. He sighed and took off waiting for the others. "The sooner we get done here the better, come on guys!"

She breathed quickly and forced herself to calm down. The air was hot and she started hearing a massive roar.

Sky flapped her wings as she started sweating. They had been prepared for everything but, the noise. It was a massive roar that nearly took her breath away.

(Should I help out with the fire experience since I have read the series?)

(If you want, but I was thinking that they would get attacked, like an ambush. I've read the books as well, not all of them but some...)

The noise was deafening, though at the same time beautiful. Shimmer pushed Feather to the edge. "Come on then we can do this, just like they taught us to." She said taking off.

Rigil waited, uneasy. Something didn't seem right, it was all to calm even for a fire.

(I have read to the up to sixth book. That's a good idea)

She breathed and closed her eyes calming herself. She stayed near Shimmer, something didn't seem right, not at all.

Sky accelerated up and looked around, "Ambu..." she was cut off by a claw meeting her head then darkness.

Rigil saw the black figures coming for them. They got the Sky first and she fell down towards the fire. He dove after her catching right as he feathers reached the flames. He struggled to pull her up out of the flames.

Shimmer saw her friends were in need. "We have to help them!" She chirped before dashing off into the battle. She rammed one of the birds out of the air.

Feather started breathing quickly again. Oh no, a battle! Right above fire! She charged at the black figures and outstretched her claws and clawed at the first one she saw. They were horribly outnumbered. What do I do?!? Then a thought flashed across her mind. It was their only hope but it terrified her. She dived at the fire and came back up with a flaming stick.

Shimmer dove up again and landed on another black bird. "Rigil! Get her to saftey we got it here!" She called. Rigil pumped his wings harder as he slowly carried Sky to saftey before returning to battle. He too dove into the flames and grabbed a flaming stick before carrying it back and hitting the black birds with them. "Their retreating!"

They were retreating! She waved her stick wildly chasing the last of the black birds. She then went and rested where they put Sky. She breathed out a breath of relief.