Ning went to meet Keira early the next morning. He arrived near the small place where the oracle usually stayed and found her already waiting outside, seated beneath a covered porch with a cup in one hand and several birds gathered along the railing nearby.
Keira looked toward him before he had even stepped fully into view, then gave him a knowing smile. "You're earlier than I expected, but not early enough to surprise me. The birds told me you would be coming this morning."
Ning glanced toward the birds surrounding her, several of which stared back at him with far more interest than ordinary animals usually showed. "Did they happen to tell you anything else while they were at it?"
Keira took a slow drink before looking toward one of the birds perched closest to her. "Only that I'm going to come into quite a bit of fortune soon, and apparently a great deal of work along with it. I was hoping the first part would arrive without the second, but I suppose that was too optimistic."
