Wild Wings

Morning Flight

Morning came too soon for Rowan, waking up and stretching her wings out before getting up. She walked outside to see she was in a forest; Jimmy must've flown the Tortuga while she was sleeping. 

Rowan flew up and tucked her wings in as she glided through the branches and vines. She would see patterns between the loops of the trees and their limbs to find ways to flap her wings. Sometimes she'd grab a branch and push herself forward, so she'd go faster. 

Chris was the first one of the crew up and he noticed Rowan's absence, so he went to look for her. The green wearing Kratt was relieved when he found her outside gliding through the trees close to the Tortuga. 

He decided to join her by climbing up to meet her. "Morning, Rowan!" 

Rowan swooped up and landed, crouching on one of the branches as her wings folded in. "Hey, just getting in my morning flight." 

"I saw, those were some good gliding moves." Chris sat on the branch next to her. "Thanks, is anyone else up?" 

He shook his head. "Nope." 

Rowan took a deep breath and her wings twitched with the slight breeze. "Hm. Hey, Chris, why did you climb up here?" 

"Well, I like climbing and I wanted to join you. You looked like you were having fun, Rowan." Chris looked over to see her playing with a leaf. 

"I was. Flying never gets old to me, soaring through the sky, gliding between trees, and watching the world from the clouds. It always seems to relax me, make me feel safe...I can never imagine giving it up." 

"Same with me and climbing, and Martin with swimming." 

Rain then started to fall; it was a small bit but nothing major. Chris tried to cover his head with his hands, but Rowan used one of her wings to shield him from the falling water.

She didn't seem to mind the raindrops that fell on her, Rowan was used to the feeling of rain. It was like a comfort to let her know she's still free and far away from the school, far away from cages and scientists. 

But the moment was stopped when Koki called the two inside. "Rowan! Chris! You two gotta come see this!" 

The two hurried inside the Tortuga and on the screen was news in every country of kids protesting against a company, but it was what they were shouting that made Rowan gasp. 

"Free The Flock! Stop Itex! For Rowan!" 

Aviva looked to Rowan as the teen stared in shock. "Rowan, are you okay?"

"Can you trace the source of all this?" Koki got to work, typing and then bringing a blog. The username was Fang. "It's all these kids reading this blog by someone named Fang."

"Fang. You son of a gun." Rowan teared up and Martin placed a hand on her shoulder. "Is there a way to send him a transmission?" 

(Somewhere on a plane.)

Fang was smiling as his blog was working in stirring up the protests against the Itex corporation. Iggy was next to him as Gazzy watched the screen too. 

"It's working." 

Then an icon popped up, "For the Flock's Eyes Only." 

Fang clicked the icon, and up came a video of the last person any of the flock expected to see. It was Rowan. She was smiling into the camera. 

"Hey, guys, it's me." Gazzy and Iggy leaned in to watch and hear better, after being told what happened to Rowan, they thought the worst. "Koki said this message would delete once I'm done."

Fang couldn't believe it either, he saw the tunnel collapse but, in a way, hoped the older girl was alive. 

"Fang, what you're doing, keep it up. Make trouble for as much of the School or Itex, whatever it is. Listen, I'm safe, I'm alive, some good people helped me, but I want you all to stay together, stay safe. If you have to, kick ass and don't regret it, I never had regrets protecting the flock, so never blame each other for what happened to me."

Gazzy teared up as the transmission was coming to an end. "Rowan." 

"Remember to save some of Iggy's cooking for me. Because I'm not eating Max's, no offence though, Max. I love you guys. Rowan out."

(Back in the Tortuga.)

Rowan felt lighter as she let her wings be a little loser, letting them fall a bit into a lazy fold. "Oh, man. I feel a lot better now." 

She hugged Aviva, who shut off the camera. "Thank you." 

That's when the panic set in. "Oh, man, Max is gonna kill me with her food now that I said that!" 

The crew laughed and Jimmy handed out brownies. "Her cooking is that bad?" 

"Yes!"