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Hunters and Mayard’s Requiem if you want to
know what I mean.  They originally only printed a couple hundred copies of Requiem before the Guildmaster in charge of printing was stopped …but one of the press
boys smuggled out a dozen copes before they burned the lot, and Requiem has been circulating underground ever since.  One of the underground movements
made thousands of copies.”  He chuckled lightly.  “And since it’s banned, everyone has read it.”  He smiled wider now.  “It’s a lot more popular than
Yammering’s work, that’s for sure.”  
     
    Mia
laughed, but noticed that she’d had so much tea that she felt sloshy inside.  
If they stayed much longer she was going to have to excuse herself to use the
ladies’ room. 
     
    Emma
finally ended the conversation.  “Ethan, I have to say it’s been a pleasure.  
Thank you again for pulling her out of the way…”   He interrupted.  “Anyone
would have done the same.”   Emma nodded.  “But you are the one who did.”   She
stood up.  “Come along Mia.  We need to get back to the boarding house before
dinner.”  Ethan smiled at her as they were walking out.  “I’ll bring those
books to Creation.”   She bobbed her head nervously, thinking about facing all
those other students.  Emma huffed as she glanced down the road and at the
setting sun.  “I think we’ll call a cab.  I’m a bit too full to favor walking
as far as the boarding house!”  
     
    The
next day Mia snuck another look at her brand-new wand out of the corner of her
eye.  Emma was having trouble keeping a straight face, but Mia couldn’t help
herself.  It was just so pretty.  The wand maker had really done an outstanding
job on it.  She picked it up again just to hold it in her hand.  It fit
perfectly of course; wand makers used the blood gathered at testing to sync the
wand to the wielder.  Everything about it was balanced perfectly as far as Mia
was concerned.  Mia liked the low hum of magic that she could sense when she
held the wand.  It wasn’t like hearing it; it was more like a low vibration
that she could feel in her bones, but that wasn’t exactly right either…
     
    The
shopping continued until the final day before class began.  They ate breakfast
for the last time with the landlady and their fellow boarders.  Then they
slowly packed Mia’s new possessions in a cab for the trip to the dorms.
     
    The
goodbye between Mia and her guardian was emotional, but quick.  Emma didn’t see
any reason to draw things like that out.  Mia was installed in the dormitory
and Emma boarded a stage coach back to Forestreach.  Post was delivered every
second day, and Emma had bought a large bundle of parchment for the express
purpose of keeping Mia up to date on all the goings and doings in Forestreach. 
Mia had promised her guardian full details on her life at the college, but Emma
shook her head.  “Just be sure you drop me a note at least once a week so I know
you’re still breathing.  You’ll have much too much to do to write me every day.”
     
    The
dorms were something of a shock to Mia.  There were six beds in hers, each with
a nightstand, wardrobe, trunk, and magelight at the head of the bed so you
could pull the curtains and study quietly after your dorm mates were
sleeping.   She’d never actually seen a magelight before she’d come to the
City.  The streets used them, and Mrs. Sullivan had them in the drawing room. 
She’d never had the opportunity to turn one on and off before.  This one had a
full range of light: six levels of brightness, red, blue, and yellow lights to
read encrypted spells, even a night-light setting, of all the absurd things.  She
played with the magical orb for a good fifteen minutes, tapping with her wand
to change the levels. 
     
    The
dorm included a semi-private bathroom, with claw footed tubs in little cubicles
and four water closets with modern flushing facilities.  It would make a