Chapter 3: Instruction Continues

Once we had settled down and spent some time admiring the scenery, we spent most of the trip teaching Sarah about using her talent. Her ability to read my mind had been growing since we had met. In many little ways, she had been demonstrated her talent. Now it was time to start her 'formal' training. We started with Magic.

"The first thing to remember, Sarah, is the Rule of Three."

"What's that?"

"It's sometimes called the Threefold Law. There is a verse that sums it up."

Except in defense if it be
Ever mind the Rule of Three!
Thrice what thou givest, returns to thee.

This lesson well, thou must learn
Thee only gets what thou dost earn!
Be careful, child, lest thou get burned!

What it means is: that if you do ill, or do good, it is returned to you threefold."

"What happens if you get a criminal locked up for a year? Do you get locked up for three? That wouldn't be much fun!"

"No! In that case, you're doing something for the greater good. However, it is a warning. Never practice magic if you're in a bad temper. Keep calm and cultivate your serenity. You'll be better for it!"

"I see, but what about spells?"

"Spells are not really necessary. They're an adjunct. You use them to formulate a magical process. It's not the words. It's the thought behind them. You'll find that tyros never get beyond spoken spells. A wand helps to direct a spell. Later on, a finger will do, or even, just the thought. A wand is particularly useful when the spell you're using is a general spell; like the one I used to rescue you. It's just a tool."

"What other tools are there?"

I delved into my bag and pulled out what at first glance looked like a black-handled knife in its protective sheaf.

"This is my Athame," I told Sarah, as I let her examine it. "It is used whenever you need to cut a magical connection."

"But it's so dull. How can you cut anything with it?"

"That's because it cuts magically. In fact, if you should draw blood with an athame, it loses all power and must be destroyed. If you remember, I used it to disassociate you from my psychic compass. I cut the connection."

"That's all right, as long as you never cut the connection between us!"

"I don't think that there's any danger of that." I said, admitting to myself that my feelings for Sarah were deepening.

"There is a similar tool." I said as I returned the athame to my bag. "It is a white-handled knife called the boline. The blade is sharp and it is used mainly for gathering herbs. The penalty for drawing blood is, however, the same as that for the athame."

"Do you have a boline?"

"Not with me. I rarely need to look for plants in the field so I only carry a basic set of tools with me."

"What other tools do you carry with you that I don't know about?"