Excerpt: Grey Skies

"Nyanna, no means-- wait." The woman looked at her a little more closely. "You're not talking about the usual dirt, are you."

Nyanna grinned.

"Oh, you. Your conceit is beyond me. Yes, I've heard. Congratulations on the exam."

"I knew you would have heard!" Nyanna jumped up from her seat, and darted over to give the older woman a hug. "And did you hear? I did exceptionally well! Ethon himself said that I was extremely talented! Oh, Madame, isn't it wonderful?" She collapsed into the chair in front of the table where the woman sat.

"No Madames," the woman retorted.

Nyanna stuck her tongue out at her. "Alright, alright. Kateri. Isn't it wonderful?"

Kateri flipped a page, and began scribbling something else down. "Yes, fantastic. Remember to come by again before fifty years are up. You have some books of mine that you need to return."

Nyanna blinked. "...Are you alright?" she asked, tenatively.

"Oh, you are a genius!" Kateri snapped, glaring at her. "Glad to see you recognize something outside your own little sphere!"

She bit her lip. "Are you mad? At me?"

Kateri glared in response.

Nyanna paused, gnawing on her lip. Her eyes lifted as she racked her brain, trying to look for a hint towards as to why Kateri had suddenly shifted moods.

"Oh! Is... is it possible that you think I'm not going to be coming around anymore, now that I don't have a reason to?" she exclaimed, leaning forward.

Kateri grunted. "Not everything's about you," she grumbled in annoyance.

Nyanna claspsed her hands together. "I was right! It is because I'm leaving! That's what the book comment was about, right!" she asked excitedly, leaning even closer.

"Shoo. Why would I care? You're like an annoying firebug that's been pestering me since your first year here. I'm glad your leaving. The ties that bind." As she said these last three words, she did a waving motion with her hands, and a book flew into them. She flipped it open, scanning through the paragraphs.

Nyanna grinned. "You can't get anything past me. I'm the first in my class, remember? Smartest, and the first to pass the exam. Pretty impressive, if I do say so myself. Plus, like you said, I've been bothering you for years. By now, I know you!" She punctured her last few words with an elaborate stabbing motion with her forefinger. "I'm too good to not to!"

"Yes, yes, whatever you say. Now shoo. And come back before fifty years are up." She made a shooing motion at her.

"Yes, ma'am!" She clapsed her right hand to her left shoulder before going to pick all her books up. She took a step away, then turned back.

"Kateri?"

"Yes? Now what do you want?"

"I'm a firebug. And firebugs don't quit being annoying until they're squashed." With this, she turned and walked out.