Zaylin grinned at the short-haired girl’s salute, carefully returning it around the poles in her arms. She blinked, confused, as the girl seemed to simply disappear into the woods around her.

“Well,” Zaylin looked to the remaining girl. “Maybe I’ll see you around campus.” She offered a smile in farewell. “Have a good night!”

Gripping her staves tightly, she headed toward the path at a leisurely jog. Once out of sight of the lake, she picked up speed, her pace well beyond the capabilities of a human as she channeled the extra energy the night gave her into her run. The itch to transform crept across her skin at the air rushing past her, arousing the desire to take to the sky, to feel the freshness of the wind higher up.

[i]Not right now,[/i] she told herself, her speed slowing to a normal pace as she neared the end of the path. Emerging into the yard not far from Wells Hall were students hurried back to their dorms before night fell, she turned around and started walking backwards. She cast her gaze over the sky above the trees as the fingers of the night stretched across the heavens, tendrils of oranges, reds, and blues creating a glorious scene above.

[i]A beautiful way to bring in the night,[/i] she thought. With her gaze lingering on the sky, she turned back around and headed to the hall.

Reaching her dorm, she quickly put the staffs in the closet, hiding them as well as she could near the back, and made sure she had everything she would need for the following day safely tucked away in her messenger bag. Tossing it onto the other, unclaimed bed, she changed into her black pajamas, grabbed the book her grandmother had sent her, and plopped down on her bed, intending to read until they called lights out.