#elsewhere

"A nocker, a satyr and an eshu..."

"oh I'm so sorry" Then a cough "I mean.. okay, that sounds kithist but yeah, that's a trio of extroverted kith there."

"They're perfectly nice..."

"Probably perfectly nice, " She says "But nice doesn't always make friends. And you probably feel like a cat in a dog kennel"

A soft sigh.

"I miss Earth Runes."

"Then visit ...you have trods and Earl. No shame in going to your library ..oh my. THat's part of it isn't it? Vassaar has huge libraries, enough to make Bronte swoon... but you took that little library at Earth Runes and regrew it into something glorious and it's..well... Coradel may rule the hold, but the library is your work. Must be the nocker in you... your creation and you're rightly proud of it"

"Aye."

"sounds to me like you know where you want to be after you graduate college." she says

"And no reason you can't be there often when you want"

"I... truth, it felt like I belonged there, in a way I did not at the Hollow. And do not, here."

"It may take time, you may find a niche here you weren't expecting" she says "Or you may not, but the only way to know is patience. In the mean time, you've got there like you said. And I know August would always have the door open for you. That boy is thickheaded sometimes, but he's a good man. And Coradel is..well, so very Fiona, but she cares for her people and IS grateful. Neither one would think of shutting the door to you. Ain't no shame in grabbing Earl every weekend and making him pop you over to Earth Runes"

"And you know you're always welcome at the farm too. Honestly, if we survive this thing with the dragon the new books are going to be needing reordering..."