[D1, LE, Map Room] There and Back Again

[Xanthe Vanderwyck]

"...thanks," she said, a little uncertain about imposing too much. "Maybe you could practise with me, if you want. You said you needed to?"

[Arlington Wayne]

"I'd like that." he smiled. "Hopefully, I won't hold you back."

[Xanthe Vanderwyck]

"I'm not really good enough to be held back by anyone, I think. I can fly okay, but nothing fancy or anything. Not like the pros. And i'm not really tough enough for some of the positions either. But... it does look like fun to be a part of a team game."

[Arlington Wayne]

"We'll practice together, then." he nodded. "And, get you ready for the team."

[Xanthe Vanderwyck]

Wow, she *definitely* hadn't been expecting anything like that on the first day of the new year. Maybe this year *wasn't* going to suck as hard as she thought it would.

"Okay. Just... let me know when you want to practice."

[Arlington Wayne]

"Once the class schedule is sorted out." he nodded again. "I don't have too many extracurriculars, so it should be easy to find time."

[Xanthe Vanderwyck]

"No xylomancy or anything like that?" She didn't blame him, those classes were dull and mostly useless.

[Arlington Wayne]

"It could be interesting." he shrugged. "But, I don't know if I'd ever use it. Most of what I want to practice and learn comes from Grandpa. Art is really the only extracurricular that's ever interested me."

[Xanthe Vanderwyck]

"I've seen you with a knife and some wood before. Sculpting?"

[Arlington Wayne]

"Yeah." he nodded. "Mostly for wandmaking, of course, but I try to make other things sometimes."

[Xanthe Vanderwyck]

"Wands? Are you going to be making them when you're done with school?"

She didn't actually know a whole about wands, including her own come to think of it.

"Is what you've been learning from your grandfather?"

[Arlington Wayne]

He nodded. "The Wayne's aren't widely known, mostly due to how remote L'Arbre Croche is. But, we are one of the oldest wandmaking families in North America."

[Xanthe Vanderwyck]

"Really? So you know a lot of wand lore then? Like, what the different materials and cores mean and such?"

[Arlington Wayne]

"Yes." he nodded. "Some of it will be covered here next year, but hands on experience can give you a lot more insight."

[Xanthe Vanderwyck]

She pulled out her wand, and held it up.

"So, what can you tell about this one?"

[Arlington Wayne]

He took it carefully, handling it with care and respect. He looked down its length, from one end to the other.

"Twelve inches."

He flexed the wand with slight pressure, finding little give.

"Red oak, ideal for a duelist."

Next, Arlington sniffed at it, then held it to his ear.

"Hard to say what the core is. From what I saw, however, I'd guess it's something strong. Dragon, Thunderbird or Horned Serpent. It doesn't sound like Thubdirbird, though."

Finally, he studied the carvings.

"Very interesting. What does it unlock?"

[Xanthe Vanderwyck]

"I don't know," she said, "I don't know if it *does* unlock something. Could just be part of the design. Oh, and the core comes from a dragon, I've been told."

She put the wand away again, before asking; "What about yours?"

[Arlington Wayne]

He handed hers back and took out his, offering it to her to inspect.

"It's Crooked Tree wood, carved from a sacred pine where we live. At 14 inches long, the wood is very flexible. It's ideal for my long arms, but difficult to use with precision. The core is Mishipeshu hair, adaptable and strong with the elements."

[Xanthe Vanderwyck]

She took the wand, treating it with respect when doing so. She certainly wasn't going to flick it around to try casting any spells with it, but even without that it wasn't right to show it anything but care.

"I'm not familiar with a Mishipeshu?"

[Arlington Wayne]

"It's the Great Linx, a sort of underwater panther." he explained. "It's seen as an opposing force to the Thunderbird. Its hair is coppery and can act as a conduit of its power."

[Xanthe Vanderwyck]

"I thought cats didn't like water?" She had trouble imagining an underwater panther. "Well, never heard about a core like that, but you're the expert. Are such cores rare?"

[Arlington Wayne]

"Cores can be made from many materials." he shrugged. "The more powerful the creature is the greater potential its components may have as a core. It can be unpredictable, though, and dangerous."