A towering study (D2 mid-sept morning before classes)

[Sylvain Leloup]

''Or the war memorial?'' he mused

[Layla Smith]

"War memorial?" Layla looked to Sylv as if asking what he was referring to.

[Sylvain Leloup]

''Yeah, the one nearly outside the grounds...you don't know about it?''

[Layla Smith]

"There's a lot I don't know about it seems" Layla shook her head "maybe it's linked then. We should go check it out sometime. How far is it from the thirteenth tower?"

[Sylvain Leloup]

''Pretty far I'd think thought I am not sure''

The boy scratched his chin

''Maybe at night?''

[Layla Smith]

"So we can see if it's the watch tower referred to by that note..." Layla nodded "good idea. Maybe it would be better to do that after midterms though."

[Sylvain Leloup]

''Yeah, we need to plan this carefully''

[Layla Smith]

"I wonder if we can enter that tower to see where the light shines to..." Layla closed the book on ciphers, folding up the note carefully as well. "I'll keep this book for as long as I'm allowed to, see if I can work out that cipher. Gonna be almost impossible without the code though, but I have an idea about that."

She smiled, looking up at Sylvain.

"We'll crack this. I'm sure of it."

[Sylvain Leloup]

''Could'nt a spell do it?'' he wondered

[Layla Smith]

"Crack the cipher? Hmm...Maybe. I'd have to research into that. It's a normal muggle cipher, not a magical cipher. Otherwise a revealing charm might do it" Layla shook her head "but if I find out anything I'll give it a try."

[Sylvain Leloup]

''Allright, I am sure you can do it''

[Layla Smith]

"Yeah I'll get it" Layla said with a grin, getting up and picking up the book "I think we've learnt all we can for now and classes are starting soon. Don't want to be late."

[Sylvain Leloup]

''Yeah...I guess we should not''

He really seemed non-plussed about schedules

[Layla Smith]

"You always seem so...chilled about everything" Layla commented as she lead on out of the library "never really knew anyone who didn't seem bothered about anything. What's it like?"

[Sylvain Leloup]

He raised an eyebrow, somewhat amused by the question

''Everything is ultimately the will of the great spirits...or so the Wendat believes. The control americans and europeans crave is an illusion...I just accept it as that.''

he shrugs

''Or I try to at least''

[Layla Smith]

"The wendat? Sounds tribal, you're a native american? No you said you were from Canada....Native Canadian?" Layla shook her head "it's certainly a way to look at things. I can't disagree either, it's all about control."

Both good and bad

"Still, it's a cool way to be. I just prefer to bury my head in a book or something."

[Sylvain Leloup]

''I am a métis, actually. My mom was québécoise but my father was wendat''

He shrugged

''Books are okay, to each his own''

[Layla Smith]

"Oh....uh, ok."

Do I tell him I haven't a clue what any of that is? No, I probably shouldn't.

"I'm just well...plain old English. Grew up in London, so I'm a Londoner! Doesn't sound as exciting as a..Metis, huh."

[Sylvain Leloup]

Sylvain tilted his head

''Are métises exciting for the brits?''

[Layla Smith]

"I have no idea" Layla shrugged, looking away "just...sounds more exciting than being a Londoner. I dunno."

[Sylvain Leloup]

A sly smile began to draw itself

''Do...you know what a métis is?''

[Layla Smith]

"Um....what if I didn't, would that be something bad?" Layla kept looking away, blushing a little more "because if it is, I totally do!"

[Sylvain Leloup]

The sly smile turned into a grin

''Nah, it's okay. I don't expect you to know that''

[Layla Smith]

Thank god!

"Well...good...um...what is a Metis then?" Layla peeked back at Sylv.

[Sylvain Leloup]

''There is essentially two types of métis but they all have the same root. At the most simple level a métis is someone born of the union of a native american and a non-native. In the canadian west there were so many of them comming from european and cree unions that they became their own native tribe.'' he explained

''So a métis is either a 'mix-blood' or one coming from the western métis communities''