that you came along," he said. "That should count for something."

Daja went back to her room, feeling decidedly grumpy. For one thing, changing clothes for the evening meal was the kind of folly practiced by people who had too many clothes they didn't have to wash. Since it was the custom in wealthy houses Daja changed her garments, but it chafed her spirit.

More than the clothes, though, Frostpine's information irked her. It was bad enough that she must teach — she was _busy,_ after all. Just going to a mage she didn't know to find out what exactly she must teach was somehow worse. She felt as if she had been challenged to do something, and had failed.

The magical testing methods Frostpine had mentioned involved seeing. She hadHe looked at Nia. "This is the girl you spoke of?"

"Niamara Bancanor, this is _Viynain_ Camoc Oakborn," Daja said giving him the Namornese title for a mage. As Nia curtsied, Daja added, "And this is her sister Jorality." Jory curtsied as well. "Jory doesn't share Nia's magic, _Viynain_ Camoc."

"I see that," he said. "Come along, then, _Ravvikki_ Niamara. I'll give you the tour." He led Daja and the twins around the shop, identifying for Nia what was being made. He took a moment to inspect each of his people's work before he moved on. Nia looked at everything with wide and shining eyes, breathing the scents of paint and wood shavings as if they were perfume. By the time they reached the second floor, her dark and practical