In the Great Southern forest of the land of Auteria live the Elves of the Forest. This ancient race make their homes amongst the trees, there is only one building on the ground. It is made of stone, several stories high, and set in a large clearing. It is the Elven Magic Academy where all young Elves must learn to control their powers.
The Head Master of the Elven Magic Academy, Debrone, was in his office waiting for his next appointment to arrive.
“Ah good morning, your Highness,” he greeted the new arrival.
“Good Morning, Master Debrone,” replied Prince Thalon politely.
“No doubt you are wondering why I called you here. The time has come for you to complete the last of your Teaching Trials, tutoring a student. The student in question will be here in a quarter-hour, but I wanted to discuss the case with you first. Miss Jhenna is an orphan; myself, and others among the Masters, believe that fact has contributed to her poor academic record. To put it simply she is eighteen years old and still taking, and failing, the Tenth Year classes.”
“I see,” replied Thalon, thinking, great, just great.
“It is not that she is not intelligent, she just refuses to apply herself. Do you recall the... incident... last year, when persons unknown managed to turn the school garden into a miniature jungle?
Well, that was her, she confessed, completely unrepentantly I might add, when we were going to blame the ten senior Earth students.”
“So how am I to teach an Earth Mage?”
“Ah, that’s another thing, she hasn’t chosen a specialty yet”
“What?” exclaimed Thalon in great surprise, usually Elven magic students had picked a specialty by the age of sixteen, if not sooner!
“You heard me, that’s another reason she’s in level ten classes. She is also consistently late, never finishes assignments, and frequently fights with other students. If you can tutor her, even to a consistent level Eleven, you can teach anyone, but if you find yourself unable to do so no one will hold it against you. The last thing I need to mention is that Jhenna is a Wild Elf, so try not to be too surprised by her appearance, it would not be a good start to your Teacher/Student relationship!”
“Don’t worry, I think we will get along fine.”
“I hope so,” said Debrone wearily, “I don’t know what we’ll do with her it this doesn’t work.”
“It will, Debrone, it will,” Thalon said, there was a rap on the door.
“Who is it?”
“Student Jhenna, Head Master.”
“Come in, Jhenna.”
The heavy wooden door was pushed open and Thalon got his first good look at his Student-to-be. She was smaller than the shortest Forest Elf, at least eight or nine inches shorter than his own six feet. Her dark red-brown hair, shoulder length and loose, would have made her stand out even if she was taller.
Jhenna impudently returned his appraising look, her pale grey eyes trailed from his long white-blonde hair and dark blue eyes, to his silver trimmed green tunic and Fire Master's Ring, to long green clad legs, and narrow feet in soft soled boots.
The entire exchange lasted about a minute, and then Debrone spoke.
“Is it too much to hope that you’re early for once?”
“Yes sir,” replied Jhenna, “Master Anton sent me, Sir.”
Thalon watched the girl as she spoke, her voice was respectful, but her eyes were laughing.
“Well, what did you do this time?”
Jhenna muttered something in the general direction of the floor.
“Speak up girl,” ordered Debrone.
“I pushed Lady Althina into the manure pile,” she repeated herself more clearly, Debrone looked unconvinced.
“What else?” he demanded sternly, Jhenna muttered at the floor again. “Jhenna!”
“From the second floor Sir,”
“I see, and is Lady Althina injured?”
“No, Sir, It was a soft landing, you know?”
“Indeed, and why did you feel that Lady Althina deserved this?”
The question was asked mildly, in the tone of an inquiry about the weather.
“She called me a mentally impaired dwarf, sir.”
“Well, we’ll discuss your punishment shortly, since you are here early I would like to introduce you to someone. This is Master Thalon, he is to be your tutor, that is if he still wants the job.”
“Good day, your Highness,” said Jhenna with a less than serious bow.
“Of course I do, Master Debrone.” Thalon turned to face Jhenna. “Good day Jhenna, and please don’t call me ‘Highness’, well not in private anyway.”
“Don’t worry, Sir, I’m not as bad as the Master makes out,” she grinned at him, “I’m much worse!”
“Behave, Jhenna,” snapped Debrone. “Now you’ll be studying every afternoon, after classes, with Master Thalon.”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Now, about you punishment-You will spend your rest day helping the gardeners manure the gardens.”
“Yes, Sir,” replied Jhenna with no hint of a smile; it wouldn’t do for Master Debrone to realize she liked gardening.
“And you will apologize to Lady Althina, in your next class.”
“Yes Sir.”
“Finally, your lessons with Master Thalon begin this afternoon. Thalon, you may choose an empty classroom, and have Jhenna meet you there.”
“Is the room you taught in occupied anymore?”
“I don’t believe so, you may use it. Jhenna, that is the room with the black door in the north wing. Be there promptly after final class.”
“Yes Sir,” she replied, now sounding bored. “May I go now, Sir?”
“Yes, Jhenna, you may go.”
“Good day Sirs.”
After she had made her bow and left the room, Debrone look at Thalon and said;
“What do you think then?”
“Two to three years, I believe, but I need the old texts.”
“Oh, why so?”
“They are a lot better than the new texts”
“First,“ noted Debrone, “you will have to catch her, and keep her in the classroom!”
“She will, she will,” Thalon reassured him, Debrone laughed.
“What do you think of her punishment?”
“Too harsh, I guess, apologizing to the girl in front of the class.”
“You think so, let’s see.”
Debrone gestured to his scrying mirror and an image began to form...
Jhenna was the last student to arrive, and the classroom was full.
“Student, you are late,” snapped the teacher.
“Apologies, Master, I was in the Head Master’s Office.”
“Well, sit down then.”
“If I may, Sir, Is Lady Althina here?”
“Yes.”
“Thank you.”
Jhenna’s voice dripped with sarcasm as she addressed the class.
“Lady Althina, esteemed classmates, it seems I have reason to apologise to you all. To my classmates, for interrupting the tedium of history class, and to Lady Althina for pushing you out of a window and into a pile of manure.”
“Now sit down,” said the teacher, anxious to get the disruption over with.
“Yes Sir.”
As she sat down Jhenna turned towards Althina and added;
“I was aiming for the rose bushes!”
...Debrone waved his hand again and the mirror went blank before Thalon could see the class’s reaction.
“Still think I was too harsh?” asked Debrone, sounding amused.
“No, she is just like me at that age, remember?”
“I’ll be blunt with you, no other Master in the school will take her as a single student. This is her last chance really, no one can control her.”
“I know, Debrone, I know.”
“You’re free until last class finishes, with any luck Jhenna will turn up for tutoring. Any questions?”
“Yes, will you get the old texts out for me?”
“Just let Althea know on your way out.”
“Right, Good day Master Debrone,” said Thalon as he left the room.