"It's much prettier, though I don't know if this is anything like the prettiest mortal location."

Dry laugh. "Not so much. The sunsets are good, I guess, but there are much better landscapes further south." Sapphire starts telling her about the prettiest forests and rivers and lakes she's seen south of the mountains. 

"I can't do illusions or I'd show you pretty Fairyland places."

"Can some sorcerers do illusions?" 

"I don't think they're as good as mage ones, it's basically a special application of fairylights, but maybe it's possible to do differently and I just don't know about it."

"Hmm. Is sorcery the sort of thing you need to learn from a teacher, or can you sort of do your own research on it and invent techniques?" 

"You can invent techniques very slowly or learn them out of a book or be taught. I mostly learned from books."

"I bet Leareth would be interested in helping you get books on sorcery from Fairyland. If you wanted, and if it's something we can help with." 

"The only libraries I already know how to find are close to Thorn."

Nod. Sapphire looks like she wants to say something, stops herself, and then thinks for a while. "Is it especially dangerous for you to go explore the area around your other Gate, the one on a different continent, and find out if they've got libraries? I don't know how hard it is for fairies to learn each other's names." 

"It's not especially dangerous, but it would probably take a while, libraries are probably less dense on other continents than on Queenscontinent and even there they were pretty far apart."

"Fair enough." Sapphire sighs and tosses a pebble down the adjacent mountain-slope. 

"My old tree has my introductory books inside but I don't really need those anymore."

"Mmm. Those we maybe could get the same way we got the branch, with Fetching and Farsight– Oh!" Sapphire's eyes suddenly go wide. "Just had a thought. Maybe we could steal you some of Thorn's books the same way we got your cutting? Have Leareth Gate a Fetcher-Farseer to a nice hidden spot a mile away, and if you draw us a map he could Farsee inside the library and yoink some books. I guess the trouble is that someone would probably notice, though, even if they didn't notice the last expedition." 

"I... don't think I want Thorn to get the idea that I'm somewhere - in reach. Even if I don't specifically know what he'd do. The tree was worth it and lower risk that anyone would even be there."

Nod. "Of course." Sapphire falls silent again. 

"Sorry."

Crooked smile. "Don't see what you've got to apologize to me about. I'm not a sorcerer who can learn it from books." 

"I mean, you could learn it."

"- Really? You don't have to be a fairy for it?" 

"No."

"Wow. I'm - somehow really surprised that hasn't come up already. Leareth is absolutely going to want to try learning it." 

"I think I'd want to - know more about what he'd be about, with it?"

"Guess that makes sense. You should talk, I'm guessing he's been waiting rather than pushing on that so you can have as much break as you need first." Sapphire tosses another pebble and then stands up. "Anyway, I should head to bed." 

"Goodnight."

The next day she goes looking for Leareth.