Toby was still a little unsure about this place. Her people needed her back home. But there would not even be a back home if the people here failed. She really needed to be in three places at once, or to not be the only Seer. But that was not reality. She slashed a tree with the blades on her wrist, catching the falling bark with her other hand. She was the one Seer. That meant she could lead the Free colony on Earth, she could lead the newly born race on the Home World, or she could be here. One of those choices had been made for her. And now she had to decide to stay here or return. She slashed off and collected more bark. She shook her head, horns atop her skull stripping back from the branch above her.
She would have to hope that the human Jake and Tobais she was named for would look after her people. They needed her more here, she concluded. They would never understand, even if she could go back and explain. The humans would, the Andalite would, the hawk would. At least, intellectually. But her own people? Never. She was, to their understanding, abandoning them. She hoped that they would pick a leader, survive. They had to survive. They were what was left if the Arn failed. A few dozen free Hork-Bajir. That was all there were. They had to become a free race again. Unbeholden to Yeerks, and now unbeholden to Arn or Humans or Andlaites.
But to be free they had to be alive.
"Toby Hamee will stay," she told the tree she was stripping bark from. She closed her eyes, hurting from the choice, but knowing there was no other choice to make...
Toby Hamee - Animorphs - spoilers
Toby was still a little unsure about this place. Her people needed her back home. But there would not even be a back home if the people here failed. She really needed to be in three places at once, or to not be the only Seer. But that was not reality. She slashed a tree with the blades on her wrist, catching the falling bark with her other hand. She was the one Seer. That meant she could lead the Free colony on Earth, she could lead the newly born race on the Home World, or she could be here. One of those choices had been made for her. And now she had to decide to stay here or return. She slashed off and collected more bark. She shook her head, horns atop her skull stripping back from the branch above her.
She would have to hope that the human Jake and Tobais she was named for would look after her people. They needed her more here, she concluded. They would never understand, even if she could go back and explain. The humans would, the Andalite would, the hawk would. At least, intellectually. But her own people? Never. She was, to their understanding, abandoning them. She hoped that they would pick a leader, survive. They had to survive. They were what was left if the Arn failed. A few dozen free Hork-Bajir. That was all there were. They had to become a free race again. Unbeholden to Yeerks, and now unbeholden to Arn or Humans or Andlaites.
But to be free they had to be alive.
"Toby Hamee will stay," she told the tree she was stripping bark from. She closed her eyes, hurting from the choice, but knowing there was no other choice to make...