They set out the next day, Abigail had gotten more details about the next trial. The official trials began in two weeks in Waterveil. An amount of time that Abigail was going to attempt to cram enough knowledge for Ratface to pass in. Ratface was sceptical given her lack of years studying but it wasn’t like she had a choice.

  It didn’t escape her notice that the glamour had helped her get to the trial in the city it wanted her help in. Did the trial somehow tie in with whatever was there?

  She should tell the others. This is exactly what Abigail had told her to work on. Yet the fact that it was watching stopped her. It had specifically told her not to if she wanted the information it had, and she needed it.

  She ran her hands through the cloak in front of her. Abigail had taken them into one of the deeper stores to get quality clothes. She had to admit that these clothes at least felt better.

  “You’re making a face,” said Kryssa. She was the only one with Ratface at the moment, there was a separate section for the boys and Abigail and Tiffany were trying to find clothes that would insulate Tiffany’s plants.

  “Just thinking how surreal all of this is. It was only a while ago that I didn’t even think I’d leave Lurian.”

  The glamour let her own hands rest on another cloak.

  “A while ago I thought I was going to spend my life trapped in your mind. I never thought I’d get to touch something like this.”

  “Is that a subtle way of telling me it’s my fault?” Ratface asked. She gave Kryssa a cheeky glamour to let her know she was joking.

  “Yes, you meddlesome rat. Don’t go complaining about your own efforts. We could have all lived a different life if you’d just stayed in that junkyard.”

  “Excuse me it was a midden, and it was Halmir, and I’s home thank you very much.”

  Kryssa snorted.

  “You took the only things worth keeping from there already. Don’t claim you miss waking up in garbage.”

  Ratface made a face, and the glamour bumped her hip against Ratface’s.

  “Speaking of Halmir. I see the boy’s got bored of looking at clothes. I’ll go wait with him outside.”

  Her hands lingered on the coat, and she let it slide through her fingers as she walked away. The glamour liked to touch things, but she seldom interacted with them. Was she embarrassed they’d all make fun of her. Ratface lingered at the coats before grabbing her purchases and hurrying over to the counter. She met up with Tiffany and Abigail who had managed to find something for the druid to wear. It had deep pockets all around it and some that were on the inside. Tiffany could store the plants that needed heat there. It was a cloak that wouldn’t work for anyone but a druid. This must be what separated the shop from the one they’d seen close to the road.

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  In the end Ratface had bought new boots, some thicker clothing, and two cloaks. Abigail looked at the two cloaks and raised an eyebrow but shrugged when Ratface just grinned in answer. They carried their bags out into their waiting wagon, meeting Albert on the way. He was carrying both his and Halmir’s purchases. Ratface tilted her head at him.

  “It was easier to just get his size and look on my own. He kept snuggling into things,” said Albert. They looked over at the rat boy who was playing with Kryssa. He was utterly unrepentant.

  “Well rats do like their nests,” Ratface murmured.

  They jumped into the wagon. Halmir and Kryssa as the most awake ones took the driving while the rest sat in the back.

  “It’s odd. The people here use magic for everything, yet their clothes are still just thick to fight the cold,” said Ratface. Abigail smiled.

  “Well, that’s as good a lesson as any. Why do you think that is?” she asked the group of them.

  “It’s expensive,” said Albert. A practical boy at heart.

  “It’s a waste,” said Tiffany. Abigail pointed at her and she continued, “when I first got my magic, I thought it would be cool to use it to tend the fields. I figured I could use it to do the ploughing.” The druid grimaced as she looked back. “It didn’t work at all. The plants put roots all through the new field and I ended up having to rip it all up before I could plant anything.”

  “Exactly,” said Abigail, “magic is useful and, at least in the Lady’s lands, flexible. That’s not to say that it’s always the best choice. Any set of runes I could add into these clothes would ruin the fabric faster and require intensive circuitry to set up. It would also be more dangerous and someone like Ratface would struggle to use it.”

  “I can’t use the stoves here?” Ratface asked.

  “You can, but only because the runes are designed so that even a child can use them. They take mana from the world around them it’s your body heat they use to register you’re touching them. Should you go somewhere less magic rich than the Lady’s land then you wouldn’t be able to. So why would anyone bother with their clothes being made out of runes like that when they could just go with the simple solution of having winter clothes.” She held all of their eyes, “Ratface is the only one that’s taking the trials, but I’ll use this opportunity to train all of you in a rune knight’s teaching. Here is lesson one; don’t waste magic where something simpler would work instead.”

  “And when the solution is magic?” asked Ratface. Abigail frowned.

  “We’ll work on that too. It’s not like you can’t cast magic; Kryssa is proof of that.”

  Ratface paused. That was true, but the spell to bring Kryssa out had felt special. It had felt different to the other spells she’d seen around in a way she couldn’t describe. The mention of the glamour reminded her of one of her purchases. She pulled out one of the cloaks she’d bought and draped it over the glamour’s shoulders. The glamour looked at her in confusion.

  “I know you can just change your form to whatever you want, but sometimes it’s nice to feel something right? Besides, now we match.” Ratface explained. She pulled out the other identical cloak she’d bought.

  “A waste,” said Kryssa. She looked away but Ratface still managed to see her smile.

  Which made it all worth it in Ratface’s mind