"So, Rhysel," said Keo, "do you have any preliminary plans for starting a class in your magic next term?"

"Only roughly so far. Tekaal suggested it would be a good idea to schedule a demonstration for the students, to give them an idea of what my magic entails and generate some interest. Beyond that - not much yet. Until you do the information transfer for me, I don't think we can make any more concrete plans, as I don't know enough about your system to arrange a teaching plan, and Tekaal doesn't know enough about my magic yet to do it either. Although he has learned a few tricks already, and found a couple of cultural gaps that I was blind to."

"I see. What kind of a class size do you think the two of you will be able to handle?"

Rhysel looked at Tekaal for a moment. "I would guess a couple dozen or so? What do you think?"

"I think it would have to depend on the time slot," he said consideringly. "I suspect that an introductory course in this subject is going to need a lot of one-on-one work, so to deal with that many students, we'll either need a long class, more than one class with both of us, or separate classes with each of us. We should also be careful about how many students we start with, because the two of us will be the only people competent to teach it for a long time yet, and we'll need to teach all of the levels of the course - with new introductory courses at least annually."

"I would prefer that, at least at first, we team-teach the classes - until I'm more familiar with teaching, and you're more familiar with my magic," said Rhysel.

"That was my thought as well," Tekaal agreed.

Rhysel looked at Kanaat. "How many hours could we monopolize the students per day?"

"Well," the headmaster said, "we're probably going to have to create a special program to deal with this, so the usual maximum of six hours in class per week probably doesn't apply. I'm not sure what would be a good guideline, though."

"What other classes would they still need to take?"

"I think it would depend. It's entirely possible that we would start admitting students solely to learn your magic, and not wizardry. Students who are still pursuing wizarding qualification need to take the tier theory class, enough practica to pass the practical exam, and enough academic subjects to pass the EAST - but that's per tier, and could be spread out if they're willing to take longer with each tier."

"If we arranged an hour or two a day of actual class time, and them a few more hours a week of sort of study time where we were both present, would that be doable by the school's standards?"

"We can arrange it, certainly."

Rhysel looked at Tekaal again for his opinion. "Do you think that would be enough, based on what you've seen so far?"

"I don't know how much there is to learn," he said. "So I can't speculate on whether that amount of classtime would suit to get the students through the material in an appropriate period of time."

She nodded. "I guess we'll know more next week."

He nodded.

"That's another point, though - how many years are students likely to stay? 12?" Rhysel asked Kanaat.

"The average is about thirteen years total," said Kanaat, "but as I understand it you won't be able to take anyone until they've reached a certain age, and most of the students don't start that old - well, depending on species."

"About eleven to thirteen in human years, is when most people can start," confirmed Rhysel.

"Humans typically come a bit young - age seven or eight," he said, "elves a little older, equivalently - more like thirty or thirty-five."

Rhysel mulled that over. "We could potentially start as young as ten for humans - it's uncommon, but not unheard of, back home - so the elves coming in at that age range would probably be all right just then. If anyone has to wait a year or two, that's not a real concern for me, provided they can get the necessary training in the remaining ten or eleven years they'd be at the school. I simply don't know how long it will take under your teaching system."

"We're probably going to want to restrict it at first to students with excellent grades," the elf said thoughtfully. "There will probably be more interested students than you can take on to begin with, and it will be very time-consuming to get up to speed in an entirely different branch of magic."

Rhysel nodded. "Part of the way it works at home is for the older apprentices to help in teaching the younger ones. Would that be acceptable here once we get some students with a few years' experience? Sort of assisting in the classroom setting or study time?"

"Yes, teaching assistantships are a possibility for older students - with excellent grades," he said.

She nodded. "Well, if you're only allowing those with excellent grades to start, then that first batch would probably meet that standard," she said with a smile.

He nodded.

"Korulen's expressed some interest. I assume her grades are good enough?" She winked at the girl.

"Yup," Korulen said happily.

"I confess, I have no idea how to break teaching my magic into any sort of tier system," she said thoughtfully, after taking several more bites of her meal.

"You won't have to," Kanaat said. "Tiering is wizarding only. The magic comes with an age requirement, and as long as you have an organized system of prerequisites, you should be fine."

"That at least, won't be a problem," Rhysel said.

Not having anything else to add for the moment on the subject of teaching, Rhysel looked at Keo's parents curiously. "Tsuan, there's something I've been really curious about since I heard about it. If people in Egeria hate dragons so much, why'd you decide to live there?"

"They couldn't tell we were dragons," she said. "Hair dye is marvelous stuff."

She smiled. "But why there, when there are lots of places that don't mind dragons?"

"Oh, Egeria's nice," Tsuan said. "Friendly people, tasty food, lovely warm weather."

"Your family seems generally to take the weather into account when choosing places to live. Is that generally the case for all dragons, or just a quirk with your family?"

"We can live wherever we want. Why not live in a place with nice weather?"

"It's not a family thing," said Keo. "Vara lives in Pleia, of all places, and our cousin Maeris lives in Tava, which has so much rain it's a miracle the place is above water."

"Hyenra indicated a preference for warmer climes at dinner the other night." Rhysel said mildly. "And I suspect Vara had other reasons for living in Pleia that are irrelevant to the weather." She grinned at the dwarf-dragon couple. "For me, though, I think the first criterion I'd look at, were I to move somewhere else, would be how they'd react to knowing I'm an offworlder."

Pilar smiled at Rhysel's comment.

"Lucky you're living here, then," said Keo.

"Indeed. At the time, it certainly seemed the best choice. And I think I'm starting to fit in well, despite the cultural gaps."

Keo smiled happily.

Rhysel smiled back. "Not that I know that many people yet. With one or two exceptions, everyone I would consider a friend is in this room."

"Who're the exceptions?" asked Korulen artlessly.

"Kolaan, who delivers my groceries for me, and possibly Samia, although I'm still not sure if I can call her a friend or not."

Narax scowled at his food.

Keo looked at her brother. "Um..." she said. "Rhysel, I'm not sure if there's a good way to say this..."

"She still hates the fact that I even exist?"

"No, nothing like that," Keo said hastily. "She - um - she and Narax are having a trial separation. She's staying with her stepfather in Ertydo. That's why she's not here."

Feeling some twinges of guilt, Rhysel said, quite sincerely, "Oh. I'm sorry to hear that, Narax."

"Thanks," he said shortly.

Rhysel seemed at a loss for what to say, although her expression was sympathetic.

"Sooooo," said Korulen, "we were hanging out with Leekath again the other day and I think she wants to learn your magic too, Rhysel. She's weird but she's got amazing grades - better than mine - so she could do it."

Rhysel nodded with a smile, accepting the change of subject. "She's an interesting one, all right. I actually wanted to talk to her before I arrange a demonstration, though, since she's the only vampire I know how to find."

"What do you need a vampire for? Do you have a lot of blood lying around you want to get rid of?" asked Korulen.

"No, nothing like that. I'd been trying to figure out what I could do from the death aspect of my magic in a demonstration setting. Given the constraints of the room, and given my so far cursory ability in it, the ideal choice would be to do the working that shows one's lifespan. After finding out that vampires' lifespans change based on who they bite, it struck me as probably the most useful way to show that one - if she'd be willing to participate. And I'd have to ask her to find out if she'd be willing."

"You could probably get her to do it," said Korulen. "She's pretty agreeable, really. And I think she actually keeps track of her approximate lifespan, so she won't mind knowing for sure."

"I figured she'd be a more willing candidate than anyone else I could think of. I know I'm not all that keen to find out exactly how long I'd live, barring accident or illness. But some of the other simple things, like destroying an infestation of termites, or sensing if something's about to die nearby, are really quite hard to arrange in that sort of setting."

"Yeah, there aren't any termites in the school."

"Doing something simple from the other disciplines wasn't all that hard to work out. That was the only one really throwing me."

"What are you going to do for mind magics?" Korulen asked.

Rhysel reached across the table to Korulen. "Give me your hand. I can't do it without physical contact yet, although I should be able to by the time I do the demonstration."

Korulen held out her hand to touch Rhysel's as instructed.

Rhysel sent a memory into Korulen's mind. Korulen saw a woman who, aside from obviously being pure elf and not a cross-breed, looked almost exactly identical to Rhysel. She was standing over a stove, cooking something. The woman sant a cheerful, wordless tune as she worked, and the smells of mushrooms and seasoning accompanied the projected memory. Rhysel released Korulen's hand after a moment or two, sitting back in her chair. "What'd you think?"

Korulen blinked. "I definitely want to learn mind magic."

Rhysel smiled. "So do I, actually. I'd never thought it all that useful until I met your family, but I can see how useful it can be now, so I'm rather keen on picking it up myself."

Korulen nodded. Keo smiled self-consciously. "I think Lutan's going to want to do image magic," Korulen went on. "She's artsy like that."

Rhysel nodded. "She might want to branch into elemental and wild as well - at least a little - if she's interested in using it artistically. I can shape stone and fire and water and create patterns with air using elemental magic, and wild mages can shape wood as well.

"She might do that too then."

Rhysel smiled. "Any more of your friends interested in it?"

"I don't think all of them know about it. It's not what we usually talk about."

"I wouldn't expect you too. Not when you have things like the boy - what was his name? - that took Lutan to see that play over the weekend, to discuss instead."

"Retaar," Korulen laughed. "Yeah, they've been going out on and off but I don't think they're officially together or anything - yet."

Rhysel grinned. "Anyone ready for dessert?" she inquired.

"Yes!" said Runa loudly.

Tsuan laughed, as did Rhysel. "I don't know, Runa. Did you eat enough dinner to earn dessert?" the hostess asked, laughter trilling along her voice as she teased the parunia.

"Earn dessert?" asked Runa.

"With my family, if we didn't eat our dinner, we didn't get dessert."

"Your family," the infant pointed out.

"Yes. And my house." She grinned at Runa, her voice still clearly teasing.

Runa puzzled over this for a few moments. "I'm cute," she said winningly with a toothy grin.

Rhysel laughed. "Yes, you are. But did you eat your dinner?" She winked at Keo.

"She's been stealing off her daddy's plate. Apparently she doesn't have my appreciation for spicy food. I think she's earned some dessert," said Keo, scratching Runa where her horns jutted out of her head.

"All right then. Anyone else ready for dessert?" Rhysel floated the several pies, the cream puffs, the cheesecake, and Tsuan's cookies to within easy reach of the group.

Runa's eyes boggled at the spread.

Keo pulled a pie out of the air, took a sliver, and passed it along. Most of the others present followed suit with other items, and they all began circuits around the table. Most people took a little of everything as it came around to them. Runa was given small portions of each dessert from Keo's plate and gobbled them up quite rapidly.

Rhysel smiled, "She really likes dessert, I take it."

"Just like her grandma," said Tsuan fondly, digging into her second variety of pie.

Rhysel grinned. "I can't say I complain about dessert myself. These are delicious, by the way," she added, gesturing to her half-eaten cookie.

"Glad you like them!" said Tsuan with a grin.

"I do. I've not sampled chocolate very often yet, so it's still a very delicious change of pace. And these are particularly good."

"Variation on an old Mekandish recipe," she said. "Minus some extraneous filler ingredients and with a secret ingredient."

"Secret ingredient?"

"Not in front of everyone," admonished Tsuan, wagging a finger. "Strictly from baker to baker."

Rhysel laughed. "As you wish. I'm just curious why you keep it secret."

"Because if it got out, other bakeries could duplicate it," she said.

"Ah. Makes sense, I suppose. I got all my recipes from my mother or my aunt. Neither of whom are professional cooks, so it never occurred to me to keep anything secret to prevent duplication."

"Ask Keo to tell you the story of the pecan creams sometime," Tsuan said wryly. Keo looked embarrassed.

"Oh?" Rhysel raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

"Later," said Keo. "Runa, which pie did you like best?"

"Lemon," said Runa.

"I think she's developing a taste for sour things," remarked Keo.

Rhysel nodded to Keo's comment. "Maybe I should make some lemon drops sometime soon," she muses.

"What's a lemon drop?" asked Korulen.

Rhysel looked surprised. "A drop is a hard candy. About half an inch in size. They can be flavored in different ways. Lemon and cherry are my favorites."

"Sounds interesting," said Tsuan.

"They're good. The lemon ones are a bit sour despite the sugar. And not all that hard to make. I could probably make a batch tonight if you were all really interested."

"I think this many kinds of pie is enough dessert for the day," demurred Keo.

"Well, I rather meant make them after you leave." She smiled. "Try the cherry cheesecake, too. I think you'll like it."

"I'll get to it," laughed Keo. "I took some of everything."

Rhysel grinned. "With as many people as I was having over, I figured this would provide sufficient dessert for people to take some home."

"Oooh," said Tsuan.

Rhysel laughed. "Yes, you're welcome to do so. Keo's made a habit of it. For some reason, she likes my cooking. I sometimes wonder if that's the only reason we're friends." She winked at Keo.

"If she could be won over solely by food she'd visit us more," said Kilaer wryly.

"I visit plenty!" protested Keo.

Rhysel laughed cheerily. She looked over to Tekaal from time to time as the conversations progressed, smiling at him.

He smiled back whenever she looked in his direction, and appeared to be enjoying his food, but seemed content not to participate in the discussion.

---

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