Wings of the Wind — Part 1

 is the ninth chapter of Natsumi Mukai's +Anima manga.

Synopsis
Cooro and Husky are working together to catch dinner; Cooro is herding fish toward Husky who skewers them. They decide to catch just two more but Cooro becomes distracted by something flying in the distance and goes to check it out, but he crashes into a glider and falls to the ground. A boy, Shadow, who had been controlling the glider from the ground heads over and checks that Cooro is alright, and then picks up the glider; Cooro offers to help.

On the way to Shadow's shed, some other boys taunt Shadow over his glider failing again; this frustrates him. Upon reaching the shed, Shadow inspects his gear and finds that the reel is broken. Cooro shows an interest, and Shadow explains to him that he is planning to use the glider to fly over the mountain, but he can't do it without help. Shadow asks Cooro to become his assistant, and offers to pay him in cheese; Cooro accepts.

Back at camp, Husky and Nana Alba wonder about where Cooro went and how long it will take for him to return. Husky suggests that Cooro had gotten lost and had already forgotten about them. Senri opens his book, picks up Cooro's feather that was pressed between the pages and says his name; the other are confused. Husky tells the others that Cooro will return when he is hungry.

Shadow and Cooro eat goat's cheese and bread while Shadow explains his motivation for building the glider. His family herd goats atop the mountain, and a year ago a storm caused the only mountain path to collapse. During that time Elena had become ill and needed medicine, but with no way to transport it up the mountain, she died. Shadow wants to perfect his glider so that medicine can be transported up the mountain whenever it may be needed. They decide to fix the glider that night and fly it again in the morning.

The next day, a storm is passing through; Husky, Nana and Senri take shelter in a cave. Cooro warns Shadow of how difficult it will be to fly, but Shadow insists on doing so anyway. Cooro mans the reel while Shadow flies, but shortly after takeoff the rope snaps. Shadow loses control so Cooro flies up to guide him in to land. Upon learning that Cooro is a +Anima with wings, Shadow becomes embarrased and angry; he believes Cooro had been mocking him the entire time and demands Cooro leave; which he does without question.

The storm grows worse when someone enters Shadow's shed to inform him of his dad's arrival at the doctor's house; a fever has broken out on the mountain farm again.