Uh... what magic?

"Ralli... you seem to be confused," Bella told her, now recognizing Ralli had evidently had her expectations set high. "These aren't magic curtains, they're just ordinary bed curtains. Expensive ordinary bed curtains, love, so do make sure I get those back undamaged, if you don't mind."

"Oh..." Ralli visibly deflated, staring at the bundle of bedposts and curtains in her arms and clearly applying herself to considering the applications. "I suppose that if my training course takes place in these, at least I can limit it to one trainee seeing me naked at a time-"

"Ahem. Ralli," Bella interrupted her. She knew it wasn't an ideal solution, but it wasn't THAT far from ideal. "Calm yourself and think a bit. These curtains will protect your modesty from prying eyes, while allowing sound to travel. Understand...?"

"I do not," Ralli admitted. "Is there some reason my noise would be embarrassing?

"No no, I mean, don't teach a fighting course tomorrow," her friend helped her along, rolling her eyes in a gesture masked as a toss of her hair. "If you teach an ordinary lesson as you would to your classroom, you can do it from inside the curtains. Don't give anyone an excuse to approach you, and don't approach them. Do a pop quiz, honey! Something along those lines."

"Ah... I see. That makes sense. I have rarely quizzed them."

"You... have been teaching them more than fighting, haven't you?" Bella asked with some concern. "Wait, no, don't tell me. I don't want to know. Just focus on this for now, okay? Ah, and take this lantern. The light inside those curtains will be very dim, otherwise..." The instructor disappeared inside her room again briefly, before emerging with an oil lantern and a big smile across her lips. "Aaah, I wish I didn't have to teach tomorrow! I must admit, I wish I could be there, Ralli dear..."

"I wish I did not have to teach tomorrow, and I do not wish to be there. Thank you for your help." The deathspeaker opened her fingers to allow Bella to loop the hanging ring of the lantern into them.

"Any time, my sweetest sugar! Don't get all those students of yours too excited, hmhm! Hmhmhm..." giggling with a funny look on her face, Bella disappeared back into her room... Ralli heard the door lock behind her.

The sergeant stood by herself in the hallway for a moment, collecting her thoughts. In the process, something strange hit her. "Bella knows I cannot see. Why did she believe I would need a lantern? Perhaps Bella was as distracted as I am. Also, she forgot we were going to eat dinner together." It was puzzling, but it was also far from Ralli's biggest worry.