down again.
Joshua glanced down at the table, up again at Mari. “We still have some wine left. Before I go, a toast to fewer boring lectures, to successful spells, and your graduation as a wi… as a mage of the college.” He lifted his wine cup, drained it, still staring at Mari.
Ellen picked up Mari’s cup. “Since the toast is to Mari’s success, we two should drink it, not she." She sipped from the cup, put it down, and looked up intently at Joshua.
“Of course. Well, back to prepare for my next tutorial.” He fled. Ellen sat back down again. Mari looked at her curiously. “That was very strange. What are you laughing at?”
Ellen took a bite of her stew and, still smiling, chewed it thoughtfully. “It wasn’t supposed to show.” She swallowed and said, “I was laughing at Joshua trying to get out of the room before I fell in love with him.”
“Before you what?”
“Before I fell in love with him.”
Mari inspected her friend’s face. This was not her sort of joke. “There was something in the wine?”
Ellen nodded. “A love potion, I think. I’m not properly trained as a healer, but mother taught me some useful tricks. Dealing with potions was one of them."
“So that was why I felt so odd. I don’t think love is quite the right word. I wasn’t in love with Joshua. I just … .”
“Wanted to walk down by the river among the willows, pull him down and tear his clothes off?”
Mari nodded. “Two years ago I had a crush on one of my tutors. It was a little like that, but with parts missing. I wonder what he wanted.”
This time it was Ellen’s turn to look surprised. “I thought that was obvious.”
Mari shook her head. “There are two whores in the village that I know of, one of them quite pretty. With easily a hundred single men in the college, they must get a lot of business. Joshua might enjoy seducing me, but in the long run there would be consequences … . He can’t be that stupid.” Her face had gone pale, but her voice remained calm.
She thought a moment. “Perhaps he thought if he could get me pregnant my father would let him marry me. He doesn’t know Father! Lucky for him it didn’t work; he should be more grateful to you than I am. I can’t think what might have happened if you hadn’t been here. I didn’t think potions like that were included in what students here got taught. Didn’t Magister Hal say something about them?”
“They certainly are not included in what we are taught; love potions are a compulsion, in violation of the bounds of magery. Magister Hal discussed them in one of his first lectures. And if they were taught here, I wouldn’t trust Joshua with making one; he’d be as likely to poison as seduce you.”
“He must have bought it. Lots of money and no morals—the perfect customer. It probably isn’t the first time; he seemed so expectant.”
Ellen nodded. “I expect they’re also against royal law, at least for what he was trying to do. Should we speak to Hal or one of the other magisters?”
Mari shook her head. “Better not to have my name in a scandal. I will just have to be careful about drinking anything he offers me in the future.”
“That may not be enough. Potions are not all he can buy. You said you wanted to show me some trinkets you were thinking of purchasing from Master Dur’s in the village. Will he still be open?”
“I expect so. It’s still light, and I don’t think he closes until dark. But what … .”
“Show me whatever you like, but I want you to buy an amulet case. And let me look at it first so I can see if it will do.”
When they got to the jeweler’s shop it was indeed still open. Inside they found Alys, pondering several necklaces and bracelets. The jeweler was in the back room of the shop tidying up after his dinner, having left a mug of beer behind him on the counter. Ellen and Mari looked over his wares; Mari commented in a low voice. "Mostly silver, and none of the stones are very
Joshua glanced down at the table, up again at Mari. “We still have some wine left. Before I go, a toast to fewer boring lectures, to successful spells, and your graduation as a wi… as a mage of the college.” He lifted his wine cup, drained it, still staring at Mari.
Ellen picked up Mari’s cup. “Since the toast is to Mari’s success, we two should drink it, not she." She sipped from the cup, put it down, and looked up intently at Joshua.
“Of course. Well, back to prepare for my next tutorial.” He fled. Ellen sat back down again. Mari looked at her curiously. “That was very strange. What are you laughing at?”
Ellen took a bite of her stew and, still smiling, chewed it thoughtfully. “It wasn’t supposed to show.” She swallowed and said, “I was laughing at Joshua trying to get out of the room before I fell in love with him.”
“Before you what?”
“Before I fell in love with him.”
Mari inspected her friend’s face. This was not her sort of joke. “There was something in the wine?”
Ellen nodded. “A love potion, I think. I’m not properly trained as a healer, but mother taught me some useful tricks. Dealing with potions was one of them."
“So that was why I felt so odd. I don’t think love is quite the right word. I wasn’t in love with Joshua. I just … .”
“Wanted to walk down by the river among the willows, pull him down and tear his clothes off?”
Mari nodded. “Two years ago I had a crush on one of my tutors. It was a little like that, but with parts missing. I wonder what he wanted.”
This time it was Ellen’s turn to look surprised. “I thought that was obvious.”
Mari shook her head. “There are two whores in the village that I know of, one of them quite pretty. With easily a hundred single men in the college, they must get a lot of business. Joshua might enjoy seducing me, but in the long run there would be consequences … . He can’t be that stupid.” Her face had gone pale, but her voice remained calm.
She thought a moment. “Perhaps he thought if he could get me pregnant my father would let him marry me. He doesn’t know Father! Lucky for him it didn’t work; he should be more grateful to you than I am. I can’t think what might have happened if you hadn’t been here. I didn’t think potions like that were included in what students here got taught. Didn’t Magister Hal say something about them?”
“They certainly are not included in what we are taught; love potions are a compulsion, in violation of the bounds of magery. Magister Hal discussed them in one of his first lectures. And if they were taught here, I wouldn’t trust Joshua with making one; he’d be as likely to poison as seduce you.”
“He must have bought it. Lots of money and no morals—the perfect customer. It probably isn’t the first time; he seemed so expectant.”
Ellen nodded. “I expect they’re also against royal law, at least for what he was trying to do. Should we speak to Hal or one of the other magisters?”
Mari shook her head. “Better not to have my name in a scandal. I will just have to be careful about drinking anything he offers me in the future.”
“That may not be enough. Potions are not all he can buy. You said you wanted to show me some trinkets you were thinking of purchasing from Master Dur’s in the village. Will he still be open?”
“I expect so. It’s still light, and I don’t think he closes until dark. But what … .”
“Show me whatever you like, but I want you to buy an amulet case. And let me look at it first so I can see if it will do.”
When they got to the jeweler’s shop it was indeed still open. Inside they found Alys, pondering several necklaces and bracelets. The jeweler was in the back room of the shop tidying up after his dinner, having left a mug of beer behind him on the counter. Ellen and Mari looked over his wares; Mari commented in a low voice. "Mostly silver, and none of the stones are very
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