"You'd have to be a little prodigy," says Shura's mom.

"Well, how do I do that?"

"You'd need to learn all the verse and herbs you're supposed to learn before getting to runes," says Shura's mom. "And convince whoever would be teaching you runes that you are responsible and not reckless."

"You're off away from witches a lot," says Shura. "Unless you are hiding a mom somewhere off away." (She gestures again to off away.)

"I am not hiding any extra parents anywhere!" she says. "I only have the one. But that's why I wanna learn an oven spell, see, because when I'm with the clan I can cook at Charlie's house but when I'm off away sometimes there isn't anywhere to cook at all!"

"Maybe I am!" says Helen.

"That's pe-cu-li-ar," says Shura, sounding it out.

"I don't remember. I read it someplace."

"It's a fun word! Pecuuuuuuuuuuliar," she says, giggling again.

"Peculiar peculiar," echoes Shrura, and Nicoa adds an iteration. (He's on her shoulder as a squirrel.)

"Pecuuuuuliaaaaaaaaaaaar," trills Kalavar, climbing up Helen's hair as a teeny tiny dragon.

"You're so often dragons," Nicoa comments to Kalavar.

"I like dragons! Dragons are fun!" says Kalavar. She flaps her flame-red wings.

"In some years we'll be birds forever," says Nicoa with mixed feelings.

"Maybe not," says Kalavar. "Not everybody settles. Petaal didn't!"

"That's pecuuuuuliar," says Shura.

"Yep," agrees Shura.

"He's the peculiarest!"

"I wish I could be a dragon," says Kalavar. "I like dragons."

"Dragons aren't birds," says Nicoa. "Maybe if you were a feather dragon."