"Yeah! My mothers didn't want me to, but they learned to live with it."

She realized how odd that must sound.

"I live with an extended family: none of us are realted, but we adress the adults as our parents. I have six mothers, three fathers, eleven sisters, and two brothers. It's a long story."

This girl was pretty, but eccentric. He liked that a little, but part of it made him uncomfortable. He fayed a smile.

"I see...well not really..."

He didn't know much about himself. Brenen had always told him that he'd raised him from a child, but Brenen and Calvin looked nothing alike. He said it was his mother Winerva's look, but Calvin doubted it, as Brenen had always refused to let him see painting of her.

"Aww, dn't worry about it. It's too long to explain."

Almera looked away, at the academy in the distance.

"This is really exciting, isn't it?"

"Sure is." he remarked, hoisting his case a little higher up to keep his grip on the rotting handle.

"I can't wait to step inside the gates...they say the courtyard has a fountain thats a whole four stories high..."

"Yeah..." Almera was fading back into her silent self.

She waved and dashed off.

He watched as she ran off. Odd girl. He wondered if he's se more of her. He had no idea...

Only when Almera was a good distance away did she realize something.

She'd dropped her good luck charm.

"No!" Almera turned and headed back, faster than before.

He smiled awkwardly, and some citizens looked at him oddly. He was just a boy standing in the middle of the street. A city watchmen came past him, and thats when he saw her dashing back.

Almera stopped in front of him.

"I dropped... my good luck charm... it's a tiny... set of wings... tied to a... leather chord." She gasped and straightened up.

He looked down...and spotted it under his foot.

"So sorry..." he said, picking it up and wiping a little dirt off of it with his shirt.

"Thanks." Almera took it.

The charm was the only clue to her parents she had: her birth parents, It had been around her wrist when one of her mothers found her... And it had always given her good luck.

"Then...ummm...your welcome I guess."

He scratched the back of his head. He wasn't good with strange conversation.

"Anway, I suppose I owe you..."

She frowned.

"Want to walk together?"

Lakota awoke at first light and made her way out to the practice field for her warm ups. Today was going to be a good day. The new recruits were coming in and would begin their training today. She had been at the school for over a year now and looked forward to the new faces and smells of all those eager to join the academy and test their mettle. This place had given her a family and a home. She may look serious and intimidating to all the new recruits but what they didn't know was their presence made her heart leap for joy. It just rarely made its way to her face.

After her morning workout she made her way to the mess hall for a quick breakfast. She was expected at the front gate for registration. Lakota was one of the few students selected to take the groups of new recruits on a tour of the facilities and then to their barracks.

She had a den mother approach to all those that arrived here and the masters of the academy appreciated her willingness to welcome the young ones without compromising the need to discipline when necessary. It did not bother her that many feared her, for that was a in its own way a sign of respect and in many cases developed into loyalty.

After wolfing down the few bites that her breakfast consisted of she trotted over to the front gate and greeted the registrar. "Beautiful day isn't? Looks like we have a bunch of lively ones today." Lakota said as she looked down the hill at the milling crowd. Many where already making their way up the hill. She could smell the sea of excitement and anticipation, laced with fear of the unknown future that sat before them atop the hill

"You don't owe me anything..."

He didn't answer or object her question.