Elbegast destroys Morgan's wand to start anew

Master Elbegast strokes his beard and turns his face up toward yours. "Well, Morgan, I will accept you for conjuration intensive study. But you need to start over with your tools for work like this. Your wand?"

He takes it from you, regarding it with an appraising eye. You feel a tingle as Master Elbegast calls the Sight and inspects it minutely. "This won't do. Start over and build your own wand."

Two words and a pass of his hand, and your wand wilts and twists like a green stem in a fire, then ignites with a flash and is consumed in a moment.

You feel hollow in the pit of your stomach. You had some history with that wand. You and Fay had some erotic history with that wand. Poof!

"Better to start anew." Master Elbegast looks up at you and hands you a slip of paper. "Have the Librarian lend you Le Bateleur, On The Magical Weapons. Use those formulae. We shall test your work. Now on the matter of..."

Master Elbegast looks like he'll be going on all morning at this rate. If you're going to catch Golondrina between class and practice, or even at lunch, you need to get on your way.

You owe Master Elbegast a difficult task on CUNNING at -3, to build a new magic wand based on a book from the Library.

Roll +AMBITION at -1 (2d6+1) to PUT OFF YOUR HANGER-ON so you can catch up with Golondrina. Roll: 2 1 +1 = 4, MISS.

On a miss, they throw an embarrassing fit. Expend a FAVOR from Golondrina to avoid a worse outcome.

"Master Elbegast, I..."

"Woodbine, enough!" One leg tenses as though to stamp his foot in anger, but instead he paces back and forth in annoyance. "Today is our time to put things right, eh? So let us do just that."

The Master of Conjurations and Devices insists on walking you across the broad courtyard between his workshop and the Library, his short thick legs pumping like pistons as he drags you along by hand. He prevails on the Librarian to fetch a copy of Le Bateleur and another of Nine Times Banish, Nine Times Bind, a remedial text on preparing for ritual magic.

He mutters continuously as he takes you around from place to place, procuring the tools and materials for your new project.

At length he leads you back to a magical workroom not far from his own. It's vacant, nearly bare, but for the most elementary working tools.

"Stow your new materials. Banish nine times. Take the books. Ward and seal the room. Study Le Bateleur. Start now."

"Oh Morgan, there you are!"

It's Golondrina, tall and broad-shouldered, a strong face with a smile framed by auburn hair, her red House Leontes robe bringing out the red notes in her hair.

Master Elbegast turns his head and frowns at her impertinent interruption, but before his irritated sputter becomes an articulate complaint, you give Lolo a chance to be your faithful knight and protector.

"Master Elbegast," you say, "Golondrina and I had planned to meet today." You turn to her. "You wanted help from me to practice and get better before you go away at term break?"

Help Me Get Away.

"Yes, very much, Morgan," Lolo says. "I want to catch you before you get too busy."

Good girl good girl Lolo.

"Oh very well," Master Elbegast says. "Honor of your house, no doubt. Secure the working area and start tomorrow, Woodbine."

You stand and stare quietly into each other's eyes until Master Elbegast is safely distant.

"For you," Golondrina says. "You looked miserable. You'll have to push yourself a little harder when working with him, I expect."

You sigh. "I wonder if this is a test from the Warden, as much as anything."

Golondrina raises her shoulders, a half-shrug. "It wouldn't shock me if the Warden knew how he was going to treat you, but I don't think she's that subtle, I mean, to try and make it worse for you? Or that Torch actually holds grudges. Holds them quietly, I mean."

"Not like Whiptail and Hawk hold icy, buried grudges. I mean, I covered for the Warden on why there was a disruption in his class." You and Golondrina share a nod. The Forbidden Spell Lust, cast by the Warden herself, and not dismissed. You take a breath. "And Warden didn't make things worse on that. I suppose it doesn't matter. Master E is the best if I want to conjure cloud castles, so, as you said."

"House Leontes is good for you," Golondrina says.

"Well, it's not letting me hide, I'll say that."

The two of you laugh together.

"Let me put a ward on the door. He'll check THAT at least."

Golondrina waits while you situate the supplies, including the copy of Nine Times Banish, tidy the workroom, perform a hasty banishing, and finish with a fierce warding on the door including a visible and obvious witch mark with your namesake, a flowering coil of forest honeysuckle.

Woodbine.

"Is it too late for supper, Lolo?"

Golondrina arches an eyebrow at the pet name.

"There'll be something to eat, don't worry, Morgan."

It's your turn to startle. Has Golondrina learned to flirt with innuendoes?

"Did Fay tell you to say that? To say it that way?"

Golondrina laughs. "Oh, come on, Morgan."

You still don't know how she meant it.

Lolo takes you by the hand. Her hands are always warm. She leads you across Boarbristle's central courtyard toward House Leontes.

Le Bateleur, On the Magical Weapons, is tucked into an inner pocket of your gold-trimmed red robes.