Adarin notices the lights, but doesn't comment. When they arrive, he gets off of the cloudpine with his daemon carefully, and then grins at her. "That must be a marvelous way to travel."

"Uh. I can look away? If she wants to be without clothes in her own home, I suppose it's unfair of me to ask any different," he says, looking somewhat embarrassed but trying not to make a big deal of it.

"She won't care if you look at her, but she'll be annoyed if you make a big deal about it. Witches don't have any hangups about being naked," shrugs Isabella. "We go around in our silks because mortals care, but as often as not skip it when it's clan lands or our own homes or whatever."

"I will not make a big deal of it. Isn't that er- cold, though?"

"That seems extremely lucky. You could just walk into a snowdrift and feel nothing at all?" asks Adarin, curiously. When Metis yells back he adds, "And, no interference or bothering if I can help it. Interfering with spells could get people killed. So no."

"Can you do it without an alethiometer handy?" asks Isabella.

"I could get the rocks, and a basic plan of how to do the spell down, but I would need an alethiometer in front of me to actually complete it," he explains.

"Aha. Well, there are rocks around outside, if they'll suit. I'm supposed to make dinner for me and Metis and can probably get away with sharing with you, but after that, if the rocks outside won't do, we can go looking elsewhere, and if they will I can start on the spell to fetch one of the missing alethiometers."

"They will, unless the rocks are particularly flimsy or something. Or if you want them to be in some kind of fancier stone?" says Adarin. "I brought my own food, if sharing dinner's a problem. I'd expected this to be a long trip and to not find any witches that would let me borrow their attic."

"I'd like them to hold up reasonably well, but I don't want them for their cosmetic value. We'll see if Metis makes any pointed remarks about dinner while I'm making it, shall we?"

"Sure. If she does, I'll take the hint and skulk off to the attic to eat cold bread in silence," he says, teasing a little.

"I can get you fed," snorts Isabella. "I'll do it, too, for an alethiometer index that works like you promise I'll find a way to get you dinner at a five-star restaurant, but Metis might take exception to divvying up the squab."

Adarin laughs. "Fair enough! Thank you. I honestly don't mind sticking with the food I brought. Most of it's meant to be cooked and isn't cold bread at all."

"Do you cook with magic?" asks Isabella, departing the attic to get started on the aforementioned squab.

"Only technically. I light a fire with magic, then it's regular cooking from there," he explains brightly. He follows her out of the attic, to look for some suitable rocks.

"Please don't set the attic on fire. You can use the firepit in the backyard when we aren't if you like." Isabella ducks into the fridge for two already-plucked-and-beheaded pigeons and takes them out to the back yard, where she skewers them on the spit. She lights the firepit with a dash of salt from the covered crock next to it; soon the pigeons are cooking.

"I was not planning on setting your attic on fire. I believe I said I wouldn't bother your teacher or interfere? I'm certain pyromania counts as one of those," he says, amused. He goes on the hunt for rocks! This is done by hand, rather than anything showy or magic, because practicality.

"Hey, you're from a zombie world, who knows what counts as something that can go without saying?"