"Ooh, ooh - ooh -"

Lila's excited about the first few spells there, but as Eriape continues down the list, she's increasingly ignoring her to think about what she'd do with scrying faraway people, or creating undying animals, or --  There're so many things it'd be fun to do, and so many others that'd be useful to do, and a lot of both could fit in her Story...

But she does hear the end.  "I can read!" she pipes up.  "How long does it take?  Can I learn anything this afternoon?"

"Well, you Have Met a Splendid Teacher this very Night- my Friend Haria is Skilled in a Great Plenty of Spells, and a Great Teacher of Secrets!"

"Yes! I am Very Good!"

"Ooh, you can do magic too!?"

Lila buries her hand in Haria's fur.

"How do I start?"

Haria wiggles. "You will need a Spellbook! Then you can Learn the Script Therein, which we use to Represent the Strange Shapes of Magic! Once you Know those Shapes well Enough, and can see them In Your Head- it Takes a Long Time- you can cast Spells!"

"Ooh, a magic book of my own!  I haven't had any since - since things went bad."

She used to love storybooks, when she was sitting in her rooms with nothing more interesting to do, wishing to be in a story of her own.  Selma didn't let her pack any, though, so now all she has are Fraddir's magic books and two dry histories.

"How long does it take!?  A week?  Two weeks?"

"It depends on how Clever you are. They Say Aroden, a Local Wizard who Lived Hereabouts, learnt it All in a Single Week. It took me Somewhat Longer" twenty years "but I have only Paws to Write With. The Great Lady Eriape was Very Patient."

She looks around at all Princess Eriape's projects in the room.  Fraddir has just one Project, and look at how much patience it's taken him.  If Princess Eriape's got so many projects going on... she must have a whole lot of patience.

"If it might take me a whole week... maybe I can look at the magic book and then maybe get started on something else first?"

Oh, and there's something else.  As a Princess herself (even though she doesn't look like it anymore), she feels Responsible to call out - "And why're you calling her just Lady Eriape when she's said she's a Princess?"

"We have Been Friends for Fifty Years! Does your Friend Fraddir call you Princess?"

"There are Magic Items! Clarabella has Boots that lets Her Teleport. Eriape has a Magic Dagger that Stabs by Itself. I have a Hat for Secret Missions that makes me Look Different!"

"No, but I thought Fraddir wasn't doing it because we're all supposed to be in disguise..."

She trails off for a moment.  Fraddir looks like he wants to use her full name and title, but she never asked herself whether she wanted to be called by her full name and title all the time.  Suddenly, she's not sure.  Just the simple "Lila" makes her feel... like things are different.  Like she's in a more exciting story.

"For fifty years... wait, are you Undying too?"

"They all are! I Spent a lot of Time on It! Fifty Years to Make Badgers Smart and Undying! A good use of Time! I have so Many Friends now! Forever!"

"Fifty years!  But - wow!"  She throws her arms around Haria.  "And is that how they can talk too!?  And read and do magic?"

She twirls the magic ring on her own finger, reflexively avoiding the twist that would turn it active.

"I spent much Time in a Quest to Discover" (in the vivisected brain of a very unlucky druid) "The Means to Awakening the Badger! This Spell, which out of All the Wizards in the World only I can Cast, is my Greatest Work!"

"Yes it is so great!  How'd you pick who to awaken?  And -" she looks down at Harià "- how does it feel?"

"I found an island far away, where there lived only peaceful little birds that could not fly. They were not Interesting, so I imported some Badgers. Now there's many colonies of Badgers there, and I go there every few years, and pick a particularly strong and wise Badger to make of them Undying."

That sounds like a great story!  Cuddly badgers and cute birds on an island living together!

"Fun!  What does it mean for a badger to be wise?  If she can't talk yet or do magic?"

She looks over at Haria as she asks the question.

"Being an Animal that Cannot Think is Horrible. You are always Aware that there are Many Things you don't understand and that are Scary, like Thunderstorms, Being Hungry, and Strange Sounds. Even on Badger Island, where there are No Predators of the Badger and Many Delicious Moles to Eat. Eriape makes as many of us Clever and Undying as she can Afford! Being undying is not as Comfortable, but I am no longer Scared all the time."

"I use Spells to Determine the Best Badger!"

Wait a minute... lots of moles to eat... an island of flightless birds...  She suddenly remembers one time in the castle when a bird had hurt its wing in the courtyard, and it wasn't long before one of the cats got it.  She hopes there're still some of those flightless birds left.

And that bird must've been really scared.

"I didn't know all the animals are having such a horrible time.  I'm trying to be nice to the animals in the forest - especially with my magic ring - is there anything I can do to really help?  Should I just learn more magic?"

"Yes! Learn more Magic! Eventually you can Learn Awaken!"

"Yes! Learn more Magic! Also you should be Nice to the Badgers in the Forest! Give them Snacks!"

"I'll try.  What sort of snacks do badgers like?"

"Soft Boiled Eggs"

"Hazelnuts!"

"Moles"

"A fresh Cat"

"Ham"