A field study

Aly blinked her eyes rapidly for a moment... A new task? Hadn't she just been...

Oh, well, she'd only just been about to clean the markings of her failed ritual spell... hadn't she? Why did it feel like there had been something else... But no matter. If Master Inzo had a more interesting task in mind, she surely wasn't of a mind to complain! She stood up straight to regard her uncle properly. Even so, it felt like the man towered over her. To be fair, she felt like nearly everyone towered over her. Even wearing the two-inch heels of her academy-issued shoes, or her riding boots, or even taller, more formal heels - three or four inches at most, as that was the absolutely limit she could justify as a young lady trying to avoid being labeled as some sort of harlot - Aly felt shorter and smaller than most of her peers, and problem compounded by how slender she was through and through. Not that she was feeble by any means... on the contrary, she was quite athletic, with toned arms and legs and a tight core - she regularly garnered odd looks from those who caught sight of her running laps around the academy in the early morning or heard her performing her workout routine in her room, traditions she'd picked up from her father. Even so, her muscles were lean rather than bulky, and her personal fitness was more suited for agility than strength, so it did little to temper the feeling of a man (or anyone, really) standing over her and dominating her by their sheer size!

Aly had learned to best those feelings... for the most part. She still felt an ill-understood thrill of anticipation in the shadow of a man she might dare to admit she was attracted to, but far be it from the young woman to indulge any fantasies of why that may be! In the case of her uncle... well, but of course she should stand in awe of a mage so great and benevolent..!

"What shall you have me do, master?" She asked innocently, her eyes bright and full of wonder, eager to absorb whatever knowledge he may impart, whether through lecture or assignment.

Were Master Inzo's cheeks flushed, or his facade unusually disturbed? Hmm... no, that was probably just Aly's imagination. He cleared his throat before answering. "Are you familiar with mandragora?" He waited for the girl to reply in the affirmative before continuing, "Then I presume you are also familiar with a certain grove a few miles outside of the academy, for it is well known that the pixies who live there tend a garden of mandragora. Harvesting the fresh root of a mandragora itself is only one of the challenges you must face; negotiating with the pixies is another. And, of course, there is no certainty that other challenges may cross your path along the way. Still, there should be plenty of time remaining in the day for you to travel to the grove and return before dark. Admittedly, this is little more than a chore, but it shall be a fine test of your skills. Have you any questions?"