Max!' Nudge cried, rushing over to hug me. Her thin arms gripped me tight, and I hugged her back, scratching her wings where they joined her shoulders, the way she liked. 'We were so worried--I didn't know what had happened to you, and we didn't know what to do, and Fang said we going to eat rats, and--' 'Okay, okay. Everything's okay,' I told her. I met Fang's eyes over her shoulder and mouthed silently. A flicker of a grin crossed his lips and then was gone.