Helixa & Syna,

My apprenticeship is indeed going well—kind, though rather perfunctory, of you to ask. I have never before had such uninterrupted time to focus upon potions, though it is perhaps a bit more grunt work than I might like. One can only "find meaning", as it were, in dicing flobberworms for so long. If nothing else, though, I have access to a broader range of ingredients and texts than I am accustomed to, and I shall of course be making good use of these.

There is, however, an unforeseen downside to my summer activities: my mother seems resolved to pack a good deal of so-called 'quality time' into my off hours; it almost seems as though she is more aggressive than in a typical summer! I do not imagine I can bare this overlong, and so would relish an invitation to stay with your family for a spell.

Send help,