The Geomancer, Ian, coughed for attention, and made them focus on their work again. "Do you normally let your mind wander when casting spells? This may be slower work, but it's still about channeling Mana in dangerous ways. And only you, Tazo, have done even basic enchantment before."

"About that," Vonn said. "I've been told that a machine can't activate a spell by itself. So how does a ward like your chomper barrier or Kolm's alarm really work? For that matter, what about the bracelets that triggered a wind spell on falling?"

"What do all those have in common?"

Tazo added, "Or your hiking boots."

Vonn frowned in concentration. "Something living is touching them?"

His trainer said, "Right. An unattended item generally does nothing, though for an effect like improving soil you can just have a professional wake it once in a while to keep it going."

"Then something about living beings is able to activate a spell."

Tazo said, "And not just a mouse or a goblin. A person."

"That was my next question. Which means the Woven count?"

"Right."

"So if you want a ward against non-people, you still need a live Human. Er, a person attending it."

This was a whole other area of research he could do! He didn't have any background in the centuries or millennia of magic that this world had, but he did know something about circuitry and programming. Somehow, somebody had made an assemblage of plants and necromancy into enough of a semblance of intelligent life to be recognized by the System. Therefore, the System had some way of deciding that something was a "person". Was that an intelligent judgment the way a human would say something is "art", or could it be fooled mechanically? Something in the System was able to read his intent and mental state when it came to things like counting something as an Engineering device. So --

Tazo waved a hand in front of Vonn's face. "Did you hear anything I just said?"

He blushed. "No."

"I said, we need to check each other's work."

Vonn swapped the stake he'd been carving for Tazo's, and tried to examine the preliminary spell-carving. The act of whittling in the pattern they'd been taught had begun to impose a spell on it. "Like a normal spell but frozen in place. And less detailed?"

Tazo frowned at hers. "Well, yours is less detailed. See here where they're different?" She compared their work and pointed out where hers was... pretty much identical. He said so and she answered, "No, look. Right where my clawtip is."

Vonn strained to see, and it took some exasperated comments from Tazo and Ian before he finally got it. She hadn't carved differently, but the tracing of a spell there looked more like a branching tree than his bare trunk style. He went back to his work and sort of traced over his whittled marks without cutting deeper. "Like this?"

"Better!" said the expert.

[Skill gain: Geomancy (Senses)]

The message appeared in his vision. He blinked and said, "Just got the skill. I assumed it was another Learning ability."

Ian shook his head. "This one is more about noticing your surroundings and interacting with them, compared to Elemental Magic and Healing Magic. Or Necromancy."

That was disappointing, since it meant Vonn would likely never be great at this field without putting his limited supply of upgrade points into Senses. Still, it was good to learn the basics. He continued the exercise that helped his teacher create some basic materials, then watched how the man applied his own greater skill to attach a full spell to them. Or almost full; they had to be inserted into the ground.

Vonn wanted to watch the process. But there weren't enough of these widgets to justify making a trip out west today. For now, the town was relying on mundane guards. Besides, he had other work to do.

#

The next day, the community got together for the delayed plan of building another house. It was a subdued session this time, done with people keeping watch on both the western horizon and anyone in the shantytown district who might be looking for trouble. Vonn's role was grunt labor on the roof where his balance and agility made him safe. Most local roofs were slanted to keep snow off, covered with slate shingles imported from just upriver. This new building was no exception. Each overlapping tile went on with hooks attached to the wood, staggered so that each block was held up by one hook below and pinned by the fasteners beside it that held the next row. Vonn found the pattern satisfying.

But the sun brutalized him. He had to rest often, laying panting on the grass, despite wearing a crystal tuned to cold. The Humans were doing better.

Urika had been working indoors as usual, at the forge. He presented a mechanical lock, no trivial gift at this technology level.

Polestar was there, dragging logs. He paused only when Ashfall arrived with a cargo of shingles. Vonn watched the Centaur mare come over to drop the stuff off and put in a token effort. He paused in nailing part of the angled roof into place to watch Polestar stammer and scuff at the dirt. Well, that'd be one way to convince the new guy to hang around!

When Vonn got the chance, he climbed down and caught Ashfall on her way out. "Are you planning to stay with the company for a while?"

She was plain by Centaur standards, with a bit of a horse-like snout, but had an easy laugh and a knack for bulky, heavy work orders that complemented Vonn's team. She said, "Everything's a mess lately. Since you left town I've been helping at the forge, but that Engineer you borrowed has gone back north to Silvermire. My plan is to keep working here, if you'll have me. Like I said, it's nice not constantly having muddy hooves."

"We could still use you. Lots to work on!"

"Thanks. I hope you're not going to keep Polestar sleeping in the hangar when fall sets in, though. He'll never tell you, but the camping life must be wearing on him."

"I wouldn't do that to him. I want that space for another airplane."