"I don't think so but I would expect them not to give us an escort for a couple of days, the way he was talking. And he might want to copy a spell off me first."

Nodnod. "Well. I guess I can occupy myself by spinning thread indefinitely. Just - tell me when."

"Yeah. Let me know if you need anything. If it's cheap I probably wouldn't mind but I might not think of it, I have a lot to think about."

"Yeah, of course. Thank you. Uh - obviously if you find a way to get us any warmer clothes it would be really good not to be so dependent on fires and endure elements, but, uh, I'm assuming that one is going to be hard, given how they make clothes here. Other than that I guess I'm fine."

"Maybe if I kill a bear they would let us keep the bear skin. Not that I have a great bear-killing strategy or anything but I can - think about it. Talk someone here into letting me copy a combat spell eventually."

Nodnodnod. "Yeah. Just - if it's not competing too much with anything else."

"Yeah, if it's convenient."

She waits for Hauskuld to ask something of her and reads peoples' minds (not his) and has her Unseen Servant spin. And is bored and anxious, mostly.

The next day Hauskuld asks her if many people where she comes from know how to spin thread by magic.

"In Cheliax about one in fifty is a wizard. But we are the greatest people of our world; in most places it is much less. Mostly wizards are too important to be bothered with spinning thread, so it is done by hand by people without magic, but with spinning wheels which make it more efficient."

Thoughtful sound. "You recite an incantation, to achieve it?"

"Yes. We call the spell Unseen Servant. It can do many simple things, not just spinning; it could bring me drinks, or sweep the floor, or add wood to a fire. There is an incantation and a movement and the spell eats up a short length of string, and it takes what we call a first-circle spell slot - I get five of those a day - and how long it lasts depends on your power as a wizard. Mine last about a quarter of a day."

"A spell slot?"

"The way my people do spellcasting, people can only hold so many spells ready-to-cast in their mind and on their person at one time. I can do nine, but only some of them can be complex spells. Unseen Servant is not very complex, I could have all nine be Unseen Servants if I wanted. But I can only have two of them be Tongues and if I try to start a third Tongues I won't be able to tie it off."

"Hmm. I am not sure I have ever had cause to cast as many as nine spells in a single day. Perhaps there is some limit there."

Nod. "The limits were not well understood until fairly recently in the history of my world. Wizards used to be rare enough and secretive enough that no one could put the picture together; you just tried things and saw whether you could do them. But now we understand it better and take lots of statistics."

"Statistics?"

"There are days at my school where wizards have to make - as many of the most powerful spell they have as they can, and then as many of the next most, and on down, and then report what they've got. And then cast them and measure how long they last, which also varies with power. And then the school has lots of examples of wizards and can notice patterns."

"Interesting. I have never heard of wizards gathering together in large enough numbers to test such things. Perhaps in the nations that are known for having many casters."

"The study of magic in Cheliax is much more advanced than in other places, in my world."

"I see. It makes sense that you would want to go back."

"I was very happy there. But - if I am called to be here instead then I am called to be here instead. And the best of all would be to learn things from the wizards of this world before I go back" so I can teach people the spells that cannot be resisted unless you recognize them. 

"That seems a worthy errand. Next year, I think. When the Thing is over."

Nod. "Thank you."

"You expect to spend the winter in Reykjavik, then?"

"If that interests the princess, probably."