And they can get set up near the fire - a couple people move out of Grec's way - and sit down with their spellbooks. "How are Osirians about Infernal Healing, that's one you might not have..."

"Ooh, no- how does that work?  Unless I know it by a different name, I had not heard of such a thing."

"Gives people fast healing. Works on undead, if you have friendly ones, on top of being an arcane healing spell at first circle. You need devil's blood or unholy water, but even since going Iomedaean the commander's said we're allowed to summon devils for it if we run out - don't ask me how he squares that."

"First circle arcane healing?  It works on undead and mortals?  Infernal priests do not channel positive energy, though?"  Khalid starts flipping pages.  "I dearly wish to see that but mine are mainly common, at least in Sothis- hm, do you have Secluded Grimoire?  Not as useful as what you could instead prepare but such efficient planar transport..."

"I have that one, too bad."

"Hmmm... Flaming Sphere?  If you have another first-circle one to make change?"  The shivers have  stopped enough now to handle a cantrip without dropping it more often than not, and Khalid starts drying their things off again.

...yeah, that's definitely a girl in drag.  Older than she looked at first glance, if you parse the delicate features and soprano voice as a woman's rather than a beardless boy's, maybe seventeen or eighteen.

Well, sometimes wizards are girls. Maybe Khalid is a girl's name. Maybe that's how Osirian girls dress, or she's in extra layers that belong to her party members to handle the cold. Grec doesn't care. "I don't have Flaming Sphere - is it good for swarms?"

"Yes, quite good, at least if the swarm is small enough or fears fire.  It's not unlike Fireball - I can't cast Fireball yet but I've seen it - except much smaller, only a quarter the size, but it lingers for a few moments and you direct it about if you can keep the link up."

"I would quite love to have that one. Not for here, really, probably won't singe a vescavor."

"Oh, be forewarned it doesn't fly- it can hop about ten yards straight up, but no higher, and it must roll on the ground to go sidewise, not in the air.  At least so far as I can do, anyway, it's possible there's a variant with finer control, or it takes practice."

She flips back to the earlier pages.  "What is a vescavor?  Apart from a swarming demon.  Alarm, Feather Fall, Sleep...  have you anything good for range, I got Bull's for Tariq because Omar had an heirloom bow already..."

"Toothy, bite straight through armor and rock if they're of a mind to, glow a bit green. I have those... have you got Abundant Ammunition, it comes up here a lot. Bed of Iron. Longshot."

"I've none of those, I think Abundant Ammunition will be most useful, and I don't yet have any really good physical conjurations besides.  Bed of Iron is the one for sleeping in armor only, yes, it would not have helped with rocks or snow?"

"Yeah, armor only."

"Flaming Sphere for Infernal Healing and Abundant Ammunition, then?  And... perhaps we could speak of other ways to trade later?"

"I'm not giving you two spells for one when the one won't even work on vescavors."

She wrinkles her nose and mutters something annoyed in Osiriani.  "Well, have you anything interesting at second circle, then?  Unless you're missing Unseen Servant or Silent Image, those are my last first-circle spells.  Aside from Endure Elements and Comprehend Languages which I expect you must have."  

"I actually don't have Comprehend Languages. It doesn't come up much, everyone knows Taldane."

"Oh- well, then would you accept that for Infernal Healing?  Or..."  She squints thoughtfully at him.  "I'd trade Flaming Sphere for Infernal Healing and the ink to scribe it, if your stores could spare it?  Considering that your fort saved our lives."

"We haven't gotten a supply run with anything less essential than food and ammo in a while, I'm using my personal ink supply."

"Much as I want Infernal Healing I don't actually need it, not enough to swap for my best second-circle.  Maybe somebody else along the way will lack Feather Fall."  She flips back to the loose folded leaf of charcoaled notes marking the beginning of her second-circle spells.  "Do you know Rope Trick?  I almost bought it last time I could afford a new spell... not that it would have been any more use to the poor camel, I suppose."

"Don't you? If you're taking the long way around that's a lot of forts without clerics you'll be going through. I have Rope Trick."

"They'll still have wizards, though, will they not?  People say Chelish wizard schools are the best in the world."  Some people said that, anyway, despite it usually provoking an immediate argument and occasionally a brawl when they said it in adventurers' taverns.  "Rope Trick for Flaming Sphere?"

"Wizards stretched a lot thinner on the Endures. This is how they have you trying to trade in Abadarland, first circles for seconds or for extra ink or for twice as many spells?"

She opens her mouth, closes it again, stares confused at him for a moment.  "Did I not-  Flaming Sphere is second circle.  I fear I must apologize for my poor Taldane."

"- oh, well then I'll trade you Rope Trick for it."