Quincunx Ch. 15

"Dav." The voice cut through my thoughts. "Ferlatio was asking how you were getting on, I gave you a poor report. Why I don't know but I think it pleased him."

"Thanks, I've been tinkering with the old magic spells, I've de-cursed the old Wizards House and done some reinforcing of others."

I waited for any reaction.

"I need somewhere where safely practice, somewhere unused. Are there any dungeons or deep cellars?"

"Dungeons, umm," he mused. "There are the wine cellars, we could use those."

I thought of our own cellars, just my father and the wine steward were allowed in there.

"No, I might damage the wine. Nowhere else, nowhere in the grounds?"

"I don't know the grounds that well, I think there may be some empty chambers, it was built as a palace so there was plenty of storage space. We keep books in two."

I let him take me down, after a bit of wandering we found a walk in arched lock up, some ten yards deep. He conjured up extra light as we shut ourselves in. He made stones for me to lift and move, torches for me to light, in the couple of hours I was still having to concentrate hard but I had the magic in my hands now.

It was our tummies that brought us up, his water clock showed that we were late for the first sitting but early for the second and we went our separate ways to eat. After the meal sat amoung the acolytes my next task was to face Rash, this time the news should be welcome. I walked up to her quarters and found Miri in.

"Rash should be in," she informed me. "She was expected half an hour ago."

She let me into the room and offered me a seat.

"Well, have you learnt any magic yet?" she asked.

"No, not much, I still can't get the concentration right."

"I've learnt a lot, in a couple of months I will be registered to practice."

"What's Rash been doing?"

"Oh, she goes to one of them Ecathloot café's, that's where the 'in' crowd hang out, she was trying to arrange a house through one of them. That's where she is now."

Rash was in a bad mood when she finally came back, complaining that the father should have made time to see her, now she was going to have to go back this evening. I waited out her rant and then told her of the house.

She was slightly leery of the idea, especially after I explained its reputation, but agreed to take a look. I told her that now was a good time for me, she pondered a second before telling Miri to 'Come along', then turning to me and saying. 'Well, come on then show me the way.'

On the way there I warned her that it was dusty and that most of the furniture and things would have to be replaced. She was even more skeptical when she saw the grounds, I encouraged her with the thought that a gardener would soon have it under control.

You could see my footprints criss crossing in the dust but she saw through that to see the potential in the design of the house. We three sat on the steps outside as she made her plans to hire maids to clean the place up, she would go and see the furniture makers.

After half an hour we left and took the short walk back through the university gates where I wished her well and we parted ways. I walked back to the dorm, hoping to find it empty so that I could take a well earned nap.