Kordas nodded, knowing that was about the best explanation he was going to get out of them. He might be a mage—but it was pretty clear to him in this moment that he didn’t know a fraction of what they did about magic.

“And just as cheesecloth lets wind go right through it, the Aetherials were not as much troubled by the waves as we were. But it did confuse them, and blew some of them away from us. Meanwhile, those who learned stable magic had to fight as much for stability as anything else.” That was Dole, pouring himself another cup of wine. “Which, really, is only fair. We here on Velgarth were the ones that made the mess, it’s only fair that we are the most affected by it.”

“I should make some stuffed bread,” said Sai, out of nowhere. Sai’s magic, as Kordas was actually aware, extended to baked goods, and his specialty was stuffed bread, sweet dough filled with sweet pastes like fruit or nuts, savory filled with cheese and meat. “Should I make some stuffed bread?”

“Stuffed bread is always a good idea,” said his brother solemnly. “All for stuffed bread?” Even Hakkon raised his hand. “Ponu, give the lads some wisdom.”

Kordas glanced over at his cousin, whose expression revealed that he was still trying to process everything he’d just been told.

“Some people are makers, some are bakers. Some are cooks, and some are chefs. Everyone has their own recipes, and everyone wastes good ingredients into a charred mess when they overdo it. That’s spellwork. Good spellwork needs a sharp, resourceful mind, a prepared work space, the right tools, good ingredients, and a schedule. Anything else that you want to know?” asked Ponu.

“Jonaton—” Kordas began.

“Found a way to find a way to anchor a distant Gate last night, yes, he was loud enough about it,” said Wis. “Yes, we’ll help with the actual Gate construction, but don’t bother us with the petty details before you get to building it. Yes, between us and about half a dozen more of your tower-dwellers, we can make it reach quite a long way.”

“Yes, he seems to be on the right track,” said Dole. “Yes, he’s probably right it will work. Yes, he’s also right that there’s a level of uncertainty, and you can thank those idiots a millennium ago for that instability.”

“Yes, we know how to keep the Emperor from noticing it,” Ponu said. “It’s simple. Tell him ‘don’t build a Gate that pushes, build a Gate that pulls.’ He’ll know what we mean. If he does that, you can put the thing far enough away the Emperor won’t connect it with Valdemar, even when it’s active, and that will solve your problem. It’ll also get things through to the other side faster if he builds it that way.”