Shinon grabbed a hold of the branch above him. He hoisted himself up and swiped the leaves off his arms. He peered beyond the forest and across the encircling mountain range. Far in the distance he saw a brown figure flying towards him. Shinon sat down and strung his bow. A smirk came across his face as the figure darted to the side.

Shinon dropped his bow and leaned against the tree's trunk for support. He took in the smell of the woods and listened to the calls of the morning bird choruses. Soren, the insolent errand boy he was, had offered Shinon a trip to Phoenicis. Thanks to some help from Marcia, Shinon had successfully arrived in the hawk nation. I wasn't Shinon's ideal vacation area, but at least that idiotic pup wouldn't be there to pester him.

It had been Ike's idea for Shinon to 'broaden his horizons', and to give the sub-humans a chance. Unbeknownst to Ike, Shinon would be spending his time loafing around thinking of ways to leave the Greil Mercenaries. Sure they had been the ones to save Crimea, but the lead figure received all of the credit. In other words, little lord Ikie had everything whereas Shinon had nothing.

If only Greil were still here, then Ike wouldn't have been the one in charge. Heck, Shinon would rather have had Titania or even Mist run the show. At least then he had a chance at the spotlight. However, as in battle, snipers and archers had to stay on the sidelines. Were it not for the fact that Shinon was actually good at archery, he probably would have taken up the sword. At least he would have higher odds of being recognized.

No, Shinon wouldn't learn anything Ike knew. He hated that boy. He hated him with every shred of his being. Why did he hate Ike so much?

Shinon grasped the nearest clump of leaves and held on. The tree had suddenly begun to rattle with an immense force. Shinon glanced up. The spot he used to sit upon was now perched with a hawk looking intently at him. "Janaff? Tsk… don't scare me like that."

The hawk laguz transformed before Shinon and grinned. He sat with his legs brought to his chest. Despite the long year that had passed, Janaff still retained his unique features. His hair was simply in a ponytail, and no longer hidden by a hat.

Shinon on the other hand had cut off practically half his hair and braided it with Titania's help. His yellow cape had been traded in for a red handkerchief and his green top was now a blue jacket with a cape, almost similar to Lucia's in design. Janaff eagerly asked, "Did you decide to join the military? That look will take some time getting used to." Shinon shook his head with a frown, and Janaff laughed good-naturedly.

Shinon took an arrow from his quiver and twirled it in his hand. He quickly strung it and pointed at the sun. He winced and fumbled with the arrow as the rays entered his eyes. "My bangs used to shield me from the blasted sun. Maybe I shouldn't have listened to Gatrie."

Janaff drew his wings closer and scratched the membrane of one. He flicked away a piece of dirt he found and asked, "Gatrie? Why did you listen to him?" Shinon looked away and grunted. "Come now. I asked you a question. Good boys answer."

"How do you know I'm a good boy?" Shinon smirked and slowly hovered his arm over his quiver. Janaff crossed his arms across his chest. The hawk stared at Shinon, daring him to use his bow. "…I was talking to Rolf one day. He told me I was starting to look old. I had no idea he meant fashion wise. Regardless, I walked towards Gatrie and asked what he thought on my age. Next thing I knew, Gatrie was blabbering about all the ladies I would catch with my new look. I do like the jacket, though."

Although Janaff had been listening intently at first, he was now hanging by his feet laughing. Shinon cocked an eyebrow and yanked Janaff back up by the collar. Janaff put a hand to his forehead, and shook his head as he clicked his tongue with a hint of amusement.

Janaff rested his chin on his knees and let out a breath. The air condensed and left a white trail. "Shinon, what lengths would you go to for fame?"

Shinon pulled his bowstring several times. He rubbed his chin and quietly replied, "That depends. What did you have in mind?" A twang echoed as the bowstring snapped back. Shinon glanced at the bow and then at the tree. The wood seemed light, but he wasn't sure if it would be flexible enough to handle being fired.

"I propose a scavenger hunt. It's known as the Vagabond's Trail. Laguz from all countries – besides Goldoa – come to compete. The winner is recorded in a Hall of Fame and given special treatment and bragging rights. I've won the competition five or six times in my young life."

Shinon stared at Janaff. He stared at his hands and then he looked at Janaff's wings. Shinon narrowed his eyes and squinted at the feathers. "Laguz… laguz… There will be laguz everywhere? Swarming with laguz? …Could I use your feathers for arrows?"

Janaff counted on his fingers and answered, "Yes, yes, and no way are you mad?" Shinon scoffed and turned away. Janaff sighed and said, "Ulki's off on official business for Tibarn. I don't have a partner this year and it is required that one has a partner! I'm sure they'll let a Greil Mercenary in. We'll make an exception!"

"There is no way I'll join and help you out, five-time champ."

"I prefer six-time champ. Oh, and I've already let the sponsors of this Vagabond's Trail about your guest appearance. Laguz are already betting on winners. Besides, it's a load of fun!"

Shinon grumbled incoherent words under his breath, some of them more vulgar than others. The selfish sniper held up his bow to the sunlight. He exhaled slowly and questioned, "How much faith do the betters have in us?"

Janaff's mouth made a small 'o', and he flapped his wings nervously. He glanced away and tried to ignore Shinon's cold stare. "Er… normally I get about twenty percent of the votes from my loyal fans, but this time I received less than two percent."

Shinon exclaimed, "That's only a tenth of what you usually expect!" Janaff raised his eyebrows and gave Shinon a 'no duh' look. Shinon eased towards the edge of the branch, and landed on his hands and feet on the next branch. He made his way down, and smacked the dust off his hands. "Janaff, I won't help you. The only reason I would ever join were if-"

"That royal business thing Ulki had to do? Yeah, you see, he sent an invitation for Ike and Ranulf. That sly King of Lions, using one of ours to sneak Ranulf in at the last moment!" Shinon pulled Janaff by the collar. "Uh, we're partners. You aren't supposed to kill me. Save that energy for the traps."

"Traps…?"

"All over Tellius, too."

Shinon demanded, "Bah, then what are we waiting for?"