While Onisephorus is out of the covenant, and Alexei is on the mundane side of the regio overseeing work being done on the walls a women enters the courtyard on the other side of the regio. It appears she came from Iosephus abandoned cave. She spies Fiona tending her garden and approaches.
"I need to speak to Apollodorus, is he about?"
FIona, dressed in a simple dress and with very dirty hands, mutters to herself as she works. The gardens she planted early in the spring are coming along nicely...but not nearly as nicely as the weeds that have taken root as well.
She doesn't even look up at the woman as she takes a firm hold of a weed, pulls it out, and throws it into a nearby bucket. [color=blue]"Aye, most likely...leastwise I've not heard anything about him leaving. He should be in his uff sanctum," and gives the woman quick directions.
"Great, thanks. Nice garden, Fiona." And she's off before you have a chance to respond. After a few moments you it occurs to you that she addressed you by name, and not with a title of Maga or any sort of honorific, and she's entirely unfamiliar to you. Then it suddenly dawns on you that she came from where Iosephus had planned to have his sanctum. She's gone by the time you process all this, headed for Apollodorus's sanctum, which you just happend to give her directions to.
Fiona pulls a couple more weeds and smooths the dirt some, then stops and raises her head. She looks back the way the woman had come, then the way she had gone.
She quickly (for her, anyway) scrambles to her feet, absently wipes the dirt from her skirt, grabs her talisman from the ground next to her, and takes off after the stranger.
The woman is quick, and finds her way to Apollodorus sanctum before Fiona does. As she arrives the door closes...
And since Fiona has a -1 Quickness, she's not going to be able to wedge her size 21s in the door before the woman closes it behind her.
Since, apparently, Apollodorus doesn't have any defences on his sanctum door, and since the woman didn't knock before entering, Fiona won't either.
She opens the door, enters, and asks the woman who she is.
"Ahh, Fiona, welcome." Apollodorus says as she enters. She sees Apollodorus studio, and the woman and Ulrich sitting around a table. Since you are here maybe you could do me a favor, we need a witness."
[color=blue]"Ah...of course, Apollodorus," Fiona says as she hides her surprise at seeing Apollodorus seated so calmly with the intruder...or guest, apparently (Com 2 + Guile [Hiding True Feelings] 3 + die roll of 7 = 12). [color=blue]"I would be delighted. And perhaps it would make up for my rudeness in not welcoming your...guest? to Mons Electi when she came through a minute ago."
"I had asked Tria to come visit me. She and I first met a few years ago as I was constructing the castle and halls on this side of the Regio. She'd been coming through this area for years. She has an unusual ability to navigate a regio network of caves. Tria and I are conducting a business transaction, and we could use a witness to observe the exchange of...goods." He looks at Ulrich, who doesn't have a clear idea of why he's here, except for the fact that Apollodorus had been instructing him for the past few weeks.
"Apollodorus, please, be direct. You're selling this apprentice, since it appears his master has abandoned him."
"Tria, always direct. Fiona, will you sign as witness on the documents Tria has had prepared after we've signed? You may of course read them before signing. I'm assuming you have the vis, Tria? Tria nods at him, Ulrich seems a bit fearful.
[OOC: ordinarily I won't ask someone to take on two roles like this.]
Fiona looks at the wee lad and doesn't try to hide the sadness in her eyes as she thinks back. In all her apprenticeship, she was never away from her dominae's side for more than a few hours. Of course, they lived alone, so there were fewer distractions than there would be in a covenant, but still...
[color=blue]"Yer master's not returned yet, then, lad?"
Ulrich looks up at the giantess, twice his size, towering over him. He swallows nervously and shakes his head no.
Fiona pulls up a chair and reaches for the papers, glances at Ulrich once more, then starts to read the agreement.
She tries to remember if she's heard of or knows anything about Tria. Int 1 + Order of Hermes Lore 2 + die roll of 3 = 6 (7 if she's from the British isles).
Fiona has heard of Tria, she was the Tenentes Occultorum for Stonehenge, Hibernia and Loch Leglean Tribunals about 25 years ago. She also knows that the Tenens regularly check on Bonisagus researchers. She did visit Insula Canaria (whether or not there was a Bonisagus there is immaterial, they will visit anywhere, and are generally welcome like a Redcap), the recollection snaps together, and think that the reason you let her go by was the initial familiarity.
As Fiona reads over the document, she sees that Apollodorus is selling Ulrich for 1 pawn of Vim.
After she finishes reading (and an appropriate reaction). She's handed another document which is an agreement for fosterage until gauntlet between Tria and Apollodorus giving him all rights to oversee his apprenticeship until such time as Tria requests him be returned to her service. There is a payment of 1 pawn of Vim to Apollodorus.
"Fiona, do you have any problem with the arrangement?" Ulrich's apparent discomfort is a signal that he's either illiterate or hasn't seen the documents sealing his fate.
[color=blue]"I don't, no. I don't know whether Silviatos will, when he returns from wherever he wandered off to."
She looks to see if either one has been signed, then returns both documents.
The documents have not been signed. After no objection they do sign and indicate Fiona should sign.
"he may object but the right of a Bonisagus to take an apprentice is part of the Oath. That he abandoned Ulrich would then be the next question. That would be a matter for the Quaesitores, should he object to my actions too strenuously. Abandoning an apprentice is a serious crime."
[color=blue]"I quite agree," Fiona says as she signs the papers. [color=blue]"And when I take an apprentice, I doubt that anything short of death or Twilight will put her in a situation like the lad's, here"
Perhaps you'd be interested in taking him on for a season to teach him? He could then assist you in the lab for the remainder of the year, next year. (this is how he can be trained now unless someone wants to take him on full time.)
Fiona nods thoughtfully. [color=blue]"Aye, that would be interesting and educational, for both of us. I've never taught before. Which season did you have in mind, Apollodorus?"
(ooc...guess who I just realized doesn't have the Teaching Ability? Even so, one season teaching Herbam or Corpus or whatever would still give him 8xp...which would be enough to bump him a level in Herbam, or two in Corpus)
(OOC xp=com+teaching+3+bonus+# student bonus. For Fiona that is 2+0+3+0+6=11)
I'm taking him under my wing this season, and I have some plans for him for the rest of the year. Say spring of next year?
Looking to Ulrich, You've lucked into a wonderful possibility. You'll have an opportunity to be exposed to many Magi and, if Tria agrees, may choose your House. Or if you choose and Tria's in a position to take on an apprentice you could potentially join her. I give you my word to assist you in making your choice.
ooc: Com 2 + Teaching 0 + Good Teacher (which I forgot she had...stupid me!) 5 + 3 + Single Student bonus 6 = 16. Not bad for having no idea what she's doing, and just trying to remember what Marós used to do to her. (just trying to make sure I'm following the math/reading the rules right).
Fiona thinks for a second on what, if anything, she has planned for Spring 1221, then nods. [color=blue]"Aye, that will do nicely. I'm looking forward to teaching you, lad," she says with a friendly smile at Ulrich.
Ulrich says nothing, but merely nods as he looks from one magus to another with a definite deer-in-the-headlights look on his face.
Tria says, "I'll leave the matter in your hands, then. I may check in on him from time to time, and if he should ever develop a wanderlust, let me know. I'm returning to Le Maison d'Levrier for a time, and then back to Iberia." She chuckles as she says the name of her covenant, "Prospero is such a comedian. Are you planning to attend Tribunal, Apollodorus, I know he's planning to attend. I think he's ready to challenge for Archmagus, and I expect it to happen there, that is, of course, confidential." She says the last conspiritorially.
"I am planning to attend, and I look forward to witnessing the contest. Will your common filius be in attendance? I wish to thank him for the tractatus on Magic Theory."
Tria shrugs her shoulders indicating she isn't sure. "Times are still tense down in Iberia, and he doesn't like to leave his family." Changing the subject, "do you have any correspondence for Prospero or Aurelius? I'd be happy to take it for you since I'm here."
"Yes, I do," he says as he hands a couple of papers to Tria. "Thanks." As she leaves, Apollodorus wishes her, "Safe travels."
[color=blue]"'tis a pleasure seeing you again, Tria. Hopefully you will be able to stay longer and visit next time ye come up this way,"
She then looks at Apollodorus and Ulrich. [color=blue]"Will there be anything else, Apollodorus? If not...those weeds aren't going to pull themselves." She grins. [color=blue]"Not yet, anyway.