"Yes and no we'd be in the open but wed also be safe from a sneak attack since you can keep your eyes peeled skyward while I carry you on my back. You just have to keep pointing north," Scarlet explains, "think you can do that?"

Jay puffed himself up, though he kept his beak pointed North just like Scarlet asked. "Of course I can and I trust you to keep us safe. So, onwards!" He couldn't help but spread his wings like a kid on a roller coaster. But then, Scarlet was a bit fun to ride like that. Besides, the roof was wide and high above them like a real sky and the rocky ground really was vast and open.

Scarlet jumped slightly at the sight of Jay's wings spreading out in her periferial vision, "Good keep your word and your beak pointed north and next time warn me before you make sudden moves. I thought your wing was a predator."

Jay laughed. "Sorry, I couldn't help it. It's a bit fun ridding on you. Is it strange that I'm already starting to forget if I liked things like this as a human? We better find the way out of here fast or I'll end up wanting to stay a bird forever!" He said the statement like a joke, but still, anxiety filled him at the thought. Animals didn't keep their sanity forever here.

~~~

Mrs. Mouse promised August that she would stay safe before scurrying back over to one of the stairs that she scouted out earlier. It seemed like the most promising and they needed to hurry. "I do hope that these stairs aren't too long though. They weren't exactly built for creatures as little as mice!" she added as she struggling her way up one, hoping the others weren't far behind.

August glided easily high above the trees until hie was positioned over the water. With a brief nod to himself, he dove down and alighted on a rock. "Fox, blue jay.... and, er, one other." He mumbled to himself as he surveyed all the animals gathered.

"Do not even joke about staying an animal forever," Scarlet growls, "and keep your beak pointed north. Look I'm nervous as it is about the creature you saw so do me a favor keep watch." Scarlet was trying not to hold her breath but did it subconciouly as she was nervous.

"Need help, Mrs. Mouse?" Grey asks, seeing the poor mouse struggle. She trots next to her, trying to keep up with the mouse's scurry.

***

Hunter nearly collides with a comet of a blue jay ridding on a fox. "Wait, what?" He says before looking after his friends and yelling, "Hey, wait up! I'm trying to catch up!"

(So so so so so so so so sorry I haven't been on much! My school work has overloaded me and finals and memorizing and tests don't sit well with me. Please forgive me for not being on much.)

Jay could sense Scarlet's nerves through her back, leaving him to hesitate before speaking again. Wings carefully tucked against his sides, he nodded once. "I'm sorry. And I am keeping watch. There's nothing....ah! Was that Hunter?!" Hopping around to face backwards, he pointed a wing farther back toward the oasis they'd left earlier, the pool not much more than a sparkle now. Sure enough, it looked like their friend had just caught up with them.

Jay didn't notice the gray parrot just a bit farther away who was also looking for them. However, another animal did. The black-footed ferret jumped out from behind the rock, their black eyes sparkling and bright. "Did you say a fox and a blue jay?"

~~~

"Yes, thank you, dear," Mrs. Mouse tittered. "It really is quite hard to deal with human-sized steps when you're nowhere near the right shape!" If she wasn't quite such a timid person when she first came here, maybe she would have become a bird or a butterfly that could go wherever it wanted, but that didn't happen. "I'm hoping that this stair is the right one, but it's so hard to tell in a maze like this place."

"It's fine. We all have our weaknesses. Just places we can grow stronger." Grey says, letting Mouse get comfortable before taking off with her loping strides, up and up and up the stairs. "And if we want to learn anything about this place, I figure we have to take chances and make some mistakes. And anything can become a victory if you think about it. Taking the wrong stairs for example, you just have to know that now you can rule that stair case out!" Grey rumbles a laugh in her throat, thinking about how life might have been easier if she had just simply thought like that.

***

"Yay!" Hunter exclaims as he realizes Jay had spotted him. Then he had to save his breath to keep up the pace and hopefully catch up with his friends.

(I understand)

Scarlet stops panting, "Jay I think you might be right but keep an eye out for any others that may be around." Her ears swivel back and forth, "Also Jay please once Hunter gets here keep your beak pointed north or at least tell me which way north is."