Left Behind

Tobias's POV

On a day like this, I was almost glad that I had no two hour limit.

I wheeled on the thermal I was riding, surveying the woodland below me. We (the Animorphs) had just broken up from a meeting in Cassie's barn, and there were a few hours of daylight left that I planned to use.

My name is Tobias. You know how it goes. I expect you already know about the Yeerks, and what they do. About us, and what we do. So I'm not explaining it again.

You most likely know how I went over the two hour limit, and how I'm now a hawk forever, never to be human again.

But, as I said, on a day like this, I was almost thankful that I could just stay up here for hours on end, just circling, gliding, soaring…

"Screee!" I banked left sharply, just as a peregrine falcon shot up from below me. Damn falcons, the hotshots of the avian world. I watched as the peregrine shot away from me with its amazing speed. Yeah, you better run, punk, I called after it in thought-speak. Not that it could understand me.

I decided to get to my meadow and have my dinner before any more birds could get to me. My world wasn't all thermals and happy meadows. It was cold, ruthless killing.

Yeah, that kind of ruined my flying mood.

I sighted my meadow below me and prepared to dive. And a pair of talons latched onto my back.

"Tseeer!" I cried in my red tailed hawk voice. I tried to twist and attack the golden eagle that was now tightening its grip on me, but just as I reached to tear at it with my sharp beak, it let go.

Down, down, I plummeted, too shocked and hurt to even try and flap my wings. So down I went.

And, with a sickening snap, I landed.