exploratory kidnapping

[alicornucopia]

In this room are two women, one gray and sixty years old, one just thirty and red-haired, both wearing elaborate outfits. The younger casts a spell.

In this room is now also a third person. (On whom the elder woman promptly also casts a spell, which she had at the ready.)

Comments

[missnicegirl]

...

Matilda sits down and reads the books.

[alicornucopia]

The books explain shrens. (Well, most of them are about peripheral topics and just summarize shrens-the-concept in the first chapter, then go on to talk about the history of shrens, or notable accomplished shrens, or shrens in the context of Dragon Council politics, or case studies of families that have found themselves burdened with shrens, or shren psychological problems.)

[missnicegirl]

Matilda looks up the addresses of Elcenia's four shren houses. She blinks home to explain to Jenny that she might be out for a few more hours.

She teleports to the entrance of the shren house in Paraasilan, Esmaar, for no particular reason except that it's one of the three that is on land. She knocks on the door. She waits.

[alicornucopia]

Presently the door opens. A woman who looks twenty and has sky-blue hair opens the door.

She looks at Matilda.

She does not seem impressed.

She says a few words in the local non-Ertydon language.

[missnicegirl]

"Hello," says Matilda. "I'm sorry, I don't speak Leraal, I'm from another world. I have a kind of magic that learns how to do new things very easily, and it hasn't learned how to do very many things yet, but I learned about shrens just now, and now I want to teach my magic how to do something that will help shrens. Can I come in?"

[alicornucopia]

Jensal looks at her.

Jensal stands aside.

[missnicegirl]

"Thank you," she says. "My name is Matilda. The magic is called ialdae." She comes in. "What things would help? I just read about you in some books, I don't know very much yet. But I didn't want to wait."

[alicornucopia]

"Painkillers. Social acceptance. Linguistic acceptance. A cure," says Jensal.

[missnicegirl]

"Linguistic acceptance?"

[alicornucopia]

"The word for your magic is Draconic, so you're passing familiar with the language. In the exalted opinion of Draconic," says Jensal, "shrens are awful. This can get wearing."

[missnicegirl]

"That seems bad. I think maybe I should try to help the babies before I try to fix that, though. I don't know how, but I can learn things, I'm good at that. How do I help the babies? So far ialdae has learned how to move objects around and mimic the effects of some wizard spells and do a thing like a light's light that can work at a distance or on lights... It's hard to figure out what things are easier or harder to teach it, but I really want to do something."

[alicornucopia]

"Will it help if I go and get you a baby?"

[missnicegirl]

"It might!"

[alicornucopia]

Jensal shows Matilda into an office, indicates that she may have a seat, and goes out. She is back shortly with a little black baby shren.

[missnicegirl]

Matilda looks at the little black baby shren.

She concentrates on understanding this problem...

[alicornucopia]

"Hi," says the little black baby shren.

[missnicegirl]

"Hi," she says. "I'm Matilda." She can be polite and do magic at the same time.

[alicornucopia]

"I'm Semry."

[missnicegirl]

"I'm trying to figure out how I can help shren babies not hurt," Matilda explains to Semry. "It's hard, but it's important."

[alicornucopia]

"We have to fly," says Semry, wobbling a useless wing. It hits Jensal in the face. Jensal is unmoved.

[missnicegirl]

"And you can't," she agrees. "I don't know why, though. I'm trying to find out."

Concentrate. Concentrate. See it, but don't just see it. Understand.

"...it seems like," she says slowly, "there's a... magic thing, something about the magic that you have, that's making your wings not work. Pulling all their strength out."

[alicornucopia]

"Does this give you an avenue by which to help?" inquires Jensal, helping Semry fold his wing.

[missnicegirl]

"It might. I don't understand why it's doing that, yet, or where the strength is going. But I think it might be safe to try putting more strength in."

[alicornucopia]

"Might. And if you're wrong?"

[missnicegirl]

"I don't know. So far, though, every time I teach my magic to do something, it turns out nicely and conveniently and doesn't hurt anyone even by accident. And I don't know how else to find out how safe things are except by thinking of ways they could go wrong and fixing all the ways I think of and then trying them."