Mark was found earlier than others. Realizing his own power, quite without the help of a changeling council, coming to realize that he was different had had the unfortunate effect of making Mark see that he was clearly superior to all those who had come before him.

Shane extended his hand to shake with the other changeling. "I'm Shane."

"Mark," the other changeling said, instantly measuring himself up to Shane. He couldn't have been much older than him. Mark's hair was fairer, but there was hardly the space of inches to separate them in height.

"Well, Mark, have you come to meet any of the other changelings who have come today?" Shane turned his attention to the rest of the hall. The hall was a tall ceilinged room, with logged-wood for walls and polished wood grain floors. There were refreshments on a table by the wall diagonal from the double door entrance. Very little separated changelings from their human counterparts except the sense of them. The hall was filled with magic tonight. However, although Mark's eyes swept over those assembled there, he found no one among them who impressed him.

"If this is your first time here, I'll let you start to meet some others." It wasn't a dismissal. That was standard practice for changelings to their magic or new to the community itself. There were enough young changelings here that Shane had not the time to spend all of his time on a single changeling. When Shane turned to walk towards another new addition to the changeling community, Mark blinked, as though something very important had been overstepped in Shane's regard for him.

"I'm not just another changeling. My magic is strong."

Patiently indulged the younger changeling, Shane agreed with him. "You're right. That's a very important part of realizing you're a changeling. Next comes realizing the good you can do with your gift. It has been given to you for a reason." The smile Shane gave him was encouraging, but still he moved off to Dahlia. As he approached her, Mark glowered at being left behind.

With his back turned, Shane hardly noticed. His smile was ready for Dahlia, who in turn looked happy to see him. She was a changeling who had only just realized what she was, and Shane had been the one who had brought her into the fold.

"How has this week been for you?" he asked her warmly.

Dahlia nodded. "Only one case of fire trauma this week," she answered. Although she smiled and tried to laugh it off, it was obvious to Shane that she still felt a little embarrassed about the event. "It was toast. I was rushing to get to work, and.... "She shrugged, as though the rest of the story should tell itself on its own.

"It happens to all of us," Shane assured her gently.

"What, even to you?"

Shane shook his head and laughed, but before he could answer her either way, Samuel, the leader of the changelings, called for his attention, and as Shane was considered second in command, he could not help but obey.

"If you'll excuse me," Shane requested, at his most gallant.

Knowing from previous conversations that Shane already had a girlfriend, even if she didn't attend these meetings, Dahlia didn't take the flirting as anymore than the fun in which it was intended.

"Of course. Go on. You can hardly deny his request!"

Nodding his head in accent, Shane turned away from her. He strode towards the leader of the changelings, and Samuel, in that position waited with confidence.

"Is there something I can help you with?" Shane asked.

Shane was young, and he was eager to please. It was one of the things that Samuel liked about him. He saw his own youth in the eyes of this changeling; that desire to do good, and to make the changelings into a race that would defend, not take advantage of, the lesser race of humans. Years of being the leader of the changeling council had changed some of his ways of seeing. He was less idealistic now, but the memory of where he had come from was not something Samuel would willingly give away.

"Shane, my boy, there are always many things you can help me with." Samuel's hand lifted up to Shane's back, and the two changelings moved from the council room to a place where they could speak more privately. Shane respectfully nodded to various changelings that he recognized along the way.

As Samuel closed the door behind them, Shane turned his full attention the leader of the changeling council. Although Samuel had been voted in as their leader, he didn't lord it over them as some might have. Instead, Samuel extended his hand towards one of the many chairs in the room.

"Please, sit," he said, and only after Shane had done so did he cross the room to do the same. "There's quite a show up here today."

"It's fantastic. The more of us we're finding, the more we don't have to worry that they are coming to it on their own." Shane's interest in helping this project along was obvious.

Samuel's fingers steepled on top of his desk. "It is indeed fantastic." His eyes drifted so that it was clear that he was thinking of some other matter besides the fact that gathering so many of them together was clearly a good thing. "Still, the fact that there has been such an influx of us causes me to wonder..." Again Samuel made eye contact with Shane. "Fifty years ago, we were dying out. Our powers were barely in evidence then."

"You don't think it's a good thing that that's changed?" Shane questioned.

"I don't think it's a bad thing. I think only ... why?"