Vell looked towards Meli.
"Is that so?"
Meli looked a little embarrassed.
"I can't do any magic," she said. "But I've been studying for a while! There's still a lot I don't know."
"She spends most of her free time with her nose in a book," the innkeeper grumbled. "Sometimes I wonder if she remembers she works here."
"I do my work!"
Meli lowered her head a little.
"I just think magic is interesting. There's so much to learn, and so many things it can do. I thought that if I studied hard enough, I might…"
She glanced at Sonder, then quickly looked away.
"I've never seen anyone do magic like that before."
Sonder seemed unsure what to say.
"It's not easy, and there are many kinds of magic," she said at last.
"I know! Well, I know a little. But books can only tell you so much, and it's different when you actually see someone use it."
The innkeeper sighed.
"And there she goes again."
"Oh, she isn't doing anything," Vell said, waving away the complaint.
Meli fell quiet.
Vell watched her with some interest. He had met plenty of people who wanted to learn magic. Some were drawn to the power, others to the knowledge, and a few simply wanted to understand the world around them. He wondered which sort Meli was.
He also wondered if magic still worked the same way in this new world.
"And your master?" he asked. "What sort of 'wizard' is he?"
"He's a scholar," Meli answered proudly. "He studies all sorts of things. Magic, history, old ruins, ancient objects. I don't know everything he works on, of course, but he's very clever."
"Then perhaps I should pay him a visit," Vell said. "He sounds just like the sort of person I'd like to have a word with. Perhaps we'll get along splendidly."
The innkeeper snorted.
"Maybe he should help the little people," he said with a cough. "Maybe fix me roof?"
"He's always busy with other things. I'm sure he does his best for the people of Seroti," Meli said, a little defensively.
Sonder had been listening quietly. She seemed tired, and her clothes were still damp from the journey.
Before Vell could wander off to do something else, she spoke to him.
"We should clean up first. I'm sure Meli's master would prefer not to meet you while you're still wet and covered in mud."
Vell rose from the stool.
"That's a great idea."
He turned to the innkeeper. "Thank you for the room. We won't trouble you any more than necessary."
"You'd better not," the man replied.
Vell and Sonder followed Meli to their room.
But Vell's mind was still wandering.
Could the weather have something to do with Endrith?
The thought occurred to him, but he dismissed it almost as soon as it came. Weather manipulation on such a scale didn't seem particularly like Endrith. If he wanted to cause trouble, there were far more direct ways of doing so.
Then again, Vell had no idea what Endrith might have become, or what he might be trying to accomplish in this world. He had already learned that there were things he didn't understand, and he had no reason to assume he knew everything about his old enemy.
Perhaps there was some hidden purpose behind it all.
Perhaps there wasn't.
He glanced once more at the broken roof.
It did seem very ordinary.
For the moment, he should probably be more concerned with getting dry.