A Special Visitor from Harco (Winter 1240)

Elena nodded..

It was a strange thing: being told she could do something that other people couldn't do – without the faintest idea of how to do it! It made Elena feel somehow...flawed. Or, at least, it made her feel kind of awkward. Like there was something she was missing.

"When can we~..." Shuffling a bit, Elena rubbed her eyes and yawned: "...can we start?"

"We start tomorrow," Lucas replies. "Though perhaps not in the way you might hope." He smiles reassuringly at Elena. "Tomorrow you start your lessons with a colleague of mine named Bashir. He's going to spend some time teaching you to read and write. One cannot be a proper maga and be illiterate. Then my familiar will begin instructing you in some more of the basics. First there's the matter of Latin. Your Latin very good for someone of your age; but it must be better before your true instruction can begin. Then there will be lessons in magic lore and magic theory to prepare you for having your Arts opened. If all goes according to plan, we should be ready to open up your Arts, and start your true instruction, by the winter solstice - a very auspicious time for such an activity."

"I know that's not exactly what you wanted to hear," the magus adds. "I was just as impatient at your age. But I'm afraid one must learn to crawl before one can walk."

"Mn..." Elena didn't think she was being impatient. Was she? It was more...more...a lot of people had been very happy. Really happy. To learn she was going to further the magical traditions of their house's founder. Sometimes, in public, they tried not to be too happy. Tried not to show off. Because it wasn't polite. It was rude, even – to the Redcaps. But that was just hiding, and Elena knew what they were really thinking, and how excited they really were.

And she didn't want to let them down. It really hurt to think she might disappoint them. It was very scary...

But one step at a time! Come on! She could do this. Elena nodded at Lucas, and then realised she had an important question: "What's...what's aspish-...auspitsch-..." Fumbling, Elena stopped and took a breath. "Auspicious! What's it mean?"


[size=85]Yes, Elena uses Lucas' voice there wholesale. Tone, pitch, inflection, depth - completely the same way he just said the word to her.[/size]

Lucas pauses when Elena repeats the word, a bit surprised to hear it reproduced so identically. He'd been told that she had a memory that would do a Redcap proud, but he hadn't realized it was that good.

"It means favorable," the magus replies. "Indicating likely success - not that there's anything at all likely to go wrong with the process, of course. But it's considered lucky to begin opening the arts on a solstice or an equinox. You'll learn about astrology in due time. But for now, take it from me, the stars find December the 21[sup]st[/sup] a fortunate day for us to start our work."

Then he takes one more look around the lab and says, "so, are you ready to see the rest of the castle? Perhaps we'll get to meet Gabriel. He's one of the two other apprentices studying here. You'll be studying how to read and write with him in a few months if all goes to plan. And then, of course, there's Lucien, the other apprentice, and all of the other magi in the covenant."

"Yes! I-I mean...I'd like to, master." Elena fell in beside Lucas. She knew her way around the lab now: where everything was, and what it was for. There was lots still to know, and she would have time enough to learn it. But staying around here wouldn't help her; and she needed to get all the basics down! All of them, yes...

"...what are the other magi like? Are any of them scary...?"

"Scary?" Lucas replies in a questioning tone. "Well, let me see." He brings his hand to his chin. "I wouldn't say that any of the journeymen are scary. Acutus is the closest to scary that we have, and he's generally polite in company. Besides, we rarely see him in Arans anyway, except for council meetings. Guiverna can seem a little creepy when you first meet her, what with her snake magic and snake familiar. But she's really very nice once you get to know her."

"As for masters...," he pauses in thought before continuing. "Vocis is quite pleasant. He has two daughters himself, though they're grown up and married by now. Solomon can be stern at times, but that's his job as Inquisitor. He has to make sure we all follow the rules. Arachne can be intense, but that's mostly when dealing with the security of the covenant. Don't ever speak lightly with her about matters of security. Vibria can be intimidating at times - it goes with being a Flambeau and having dragon blood. But she's away and we don't know when she'll return. In the end, I shouldn't say any of them are really 'scary.' They just take some getting used to."

"Of course then there's Carmen, our Pontifex. I'm afraid that she can be scary sometimes. She has the Blatant Gift and tends to be somewhat brusque in her interactions, even with other magi. My advice to you is to keep well out of her path. Not that I think she'd go out of her way to cause you any trouble. Far from it. But she doesn't react well to anything that she sees as an obstacle in her way. Don't get in her way."

"In the end, though, all the magi will seem a little creepy to you because of the Gift - well, except for me, Roberto and Fleur. But you'll learn to compensate for that. You probably have already, at least a little bit, given your upbringing."