'I just realized your birthday is in a few days.'

Is it? I thought about that for a moment. I'd be turning 17 soon. Well... anyway, how was the fight?

'Eh, it was okay. Windian female named Patrine.'

Who won?

'I hate magic users...'

So.. she beat you...?

'No, I won. It just took forever. I'm over at the hospital getting healed up right now.'

So.... is practice off? I think my voice sounded a little too hopefull.

'No. Practice is still today once you get back from the library.'

Oh...

"Kate?"

I looked up in surprise at Mr. Jackson, forgetting where I was for a moment. "Yes?"

"Are you okay?" He gave me a studying look.

"Yea, I just have stuff on my mind." I glanced down at my paper. It had a little bit of writing on it. Mr. Jackson studied my face for a bit and went back to his work.

We could have been working in groups but we didn't have to. Our assignment was to read a bit of a story and write down the theme of it. It was pretty boring. I had a few ideas down on my paper but that was it. Around the room some people were in groups and others were working by themselves. I glanced up at Ray in his desk infront of me. He was brushing his fingers through his long, blue ponytail and tapping his pencil lightly on his paper. I guess he was thinking. I turned back to my own work.

* * *

PE already, last period of the day. Janet and her friends were talking amongst themselves as our PE instructors talked to us about the sport we were going to start learning. Volleyball. I sighed and leaned against the bleachers as I listened to the two instructors and watched them as they gave their examples. I felt a tap on my right shoulder and turned to look.

No one there.

I glanced to my left to find Diane standing there, a sly grin on her face.

"Hey, Kate. Ready to learn volleyball?"

I shrugged. "I don't like sports..."

"I know you don't." She patted my on the shoulder and joined me in leaning against the bleachers. "But it's fun. It wouldn't hurt to try it."

I shrugged.

Our teachers finally finished explaining and we started our first game. Janet was pretty good at it. Diane was great at it. Then there was Chelsea, the tomboyish stallion. She was the best out of all of us. I spent my time doing my best to not be anywhere near the ball until a quick shout from Janet's friend Lucy got me into the game. I forced myself to learn to play really quickly. It was girls against guys and the girls were winning. Luke, Jason, and Justin, three of Janet's friends I had met during lunch on my first day here, were charging at their team members, knocking them out of the way so they could hit the ball themselves. Ray just stood in the back, not bothereing to try and play. It wasn't until five minutes before school was out that the advisor for the males got the team to cooperate. By the time we started playing again the bell sounded for the end of 6th period and everyone began heading to the locker rooms.

To the library. I shouldered my backpack and headed out of the school to the library.

The library was just a block away from the school. Normally you couldn't check out a book from it, but students could if they showed the librarian their schedules. I set my backpack down at a table and headed off to look for a book about Worens in the Destined Cycle.

'Good luck.' I felt Tellka snicker.

Yea yea yea.. I found the library's card catalouge and flipped through the 'w' section, muttering the subjects names as I went.

"Weather, wetlands... here we go, worens." I pulled out the little card and scanned it. 'Worens in Windia; how furrens have affected the Windian history.' I figured the book might be slightly helpful. I put the card back and went off the find it.

My eyes scanned the shelves looking over the different titles, some about the history of the kingdon, a few about wind magic. I stumbled across one called Destined Onces, a book of the cycles and pulled it off the shelf. I flipped it open and scanned a page or two.

Interesting... I found myself reading out of it slowly and had to remind myself to keep looking. I closed the book, tucked it under my arm and continued my search. I found the book I was looking for and was about to head back to the table where my bag was when something caught my eye.

"Huh?" I turned and glanced back at the shelf. Stepping closer to the books I scanned the titles for the one that had caught my eye.

Beast within. Origon and history of the Were-tiger. I took a long took at the book, studying the title. I wasn't sure why, but for some reason I found the book interesting. I felt something inside me spark with interest and I pulled it out of the shelf slowly, sticking it between my other two books and headed to the table where my pack was at. It was then that I noticed Ray sitting at the next table over, quietly reading.

I guess he's studying too. I sat down, flipped open Destined Ones and began reading. Pausing every so often to sound out a word, I made my way through the introduction and began reading about the first Nina and Ryu. It wasn't too long before I found myself stuck in the book.

e-mail author, talonr@hotmail.com