The professor’s voice suddenly lost its teasing tone, becoming much more serious. He gestured expansively around them. “Many people in this world simply accept things for what they are, without ever asking ‘why?’, just like you’re doing Codrin. You’ll find as you get older and notice the world around you that people don’t treat magic much differently. If anything, it’s worse.” He snorted in derision. “You wouldn’t believe how many well educated, ‘well-bred’ mages think that ‘because magic’ is a good enough answer.”

He leaned in, this time making sure he addressed everyone equally. “My point isn’t that you should have all the answers. Sometimes, it’s enough just to recognize that you don’t know. Maybe flint and steel could inform you about better fire magic. Maybe those storm clouds coming in could teach Lilly about water magic. Maybe Volmar and Alek actually learned something from all that tree punching. Who knows? When you’re ignorant and uncomfortable, you’re primed to learn what you never thought you could.”

He looked back to Codrin, pointed to the flint, then tilted his head meaningfully to Nadrina. “Or maybe you can learn to recognize when you just need to ask for help.”

Lilianna expected the arrogant young noble to argue or march off in a huff again. Instead, Codrin simply stared in silence, his brow drawn down in thought. After a few moments, his shoulders sagged with a defeated sigh. He turned to Nadrina and held out his tools pitifully. “Flemm—um, Nadrina. Could you perhaps... assist me?”

Nadrina looked just as surprised as Lilianna felt, but quickly beamed at him and nodded. “Happily!”

It only took a few more minutes, with Nadrina’s coaching, for Codrin to get the fire going. Everyone started preparing their rations, but each did so in contemplative silence, thinking over what the professor had said.

“Make sure you all get some rest,” the professor continued, once they’d all gotten settled around the fire with their rations. He took up position again on his log and closed his eyes. “Tomorrow, I just might teach you even more things you never thought you should know.”

Chapter 11

Aldric had forgotten how much spying from a tree could make your butt hurt.

After several days of rousing all the kids at the crack of dawn, much to their collective displeasure, he’d assigned them chores for each day. Codrin and his team would go out to hunt, Lilianna’s group would go out foraging for wild greens and more wood, and Volmar would watch over the camp. The jobs rotated every day. He let them use magic again, since he’d made his point yesterday. Because of that, they’d been mostly on their own, but he was still keeping watch, just in case. He only had to make sure they didn’t know they were being looked after.