"Excellent. Not that I'm interested in you, you know. But that doesn't hurt your pride, does it?" Daisy's tail twitched. "It's not like you're terrible, though." She eyed Dhiren's statistics curiously, actually examining them for a change entirely from an analytical view. "There's a lot of interesting details here. Most of it has nothing to do with you, the you standing here. It's all about what could happen with future children, I think specifically with me?"

Dhiren nodded, a smile spreading across his face. "Well, I am glad that you have such a high opinion of my blood. I think I will pass that along to my girlfriend. She'll be glad to hear it."

Daisy sat up at that. "I, hum. You know, I wonder if I can look at her and get the other half of this, figure out how well you two would get along, blood to blood." She shrank back to a tired flop. "But that sounds like a good way to ruin a fine thing. You two are quite a good item together already. Don't let me mess that up." Her tail curled. "It'd be like trying to predict a kid's future from a baby photo, and then telling them what to do with their life because of that."

Dhiren nodded slowly. "I think I see. Since we are quite set on coming together, casting a curse, however well-meaning, on it would only serve to make us miserable. We'd constantly wonder if we were doing things the way we were 'meant to'."

Daisy nodded, her whiskers twitching. "Yeah, that's a fair assessment." She looked over at her new saber-tooth dagger. "Now this." She turned it about in her hands. "This is nice and straight forward." She kissed the side of it, paused, and burst into laughter. "Did I just indirectly kiss a dead saber cat? Crazy." She set it down. "But yes, I have the power to tell who's got good blood. You do, by the way. Strong children with you. No obvious defects popping up. If you weren't taken, and were my type, maybe someone to consider." She paused, coloring. "Man, why am I thinking like that?"

Dhiren was looking at her with a slightly bemused expression. "You are a brood mouse. It's your nature to want to breed with the strongest males available." He paused, and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I imagine those of the mouse type would rate even higher, but I hear you have a cure for that."

Daisy darkened, face on fire. "She told you that?!"

"Your researcher? She mentioned it to me." Dhiren waved it away. "Mostly as a warning not to avail myself of your milk, not directly. I wasn't planning on it to start, but a warning is good, lest I sup up some mutagens without meaning to."

She sighed heavily, and flopped down onto her back, her eyes closed. "I have a lot of powers that just seem to come naturally to me." She pointed at him. "When do I get to learn magic? On purpose! I want a power I decided to have." She huffed. "And not something silly. I mean, seriously, I have a power that tells me how good of a father someone would be? What a weird power." She rubbed over her stomach, her cheeks burning again.

"A little." Dhiren was smiling though facing his book. "I'm glad you're feeling better, if you can talk to me this easily. You've been getting more and more comfortable." He glanced over. "You were so stiff and scared at first. What's changed?"

Daisy looked up at him. "I guess that's a good point, isn't it? I don't know. I feel like I belong. I'm a student." She sat up. "I'm ready to learn, and do what I have to." She wriggled her fingers in the air. "Just impatient for the—"

A knock came from the door and a teacher stepped in, smiling at Daisy. "Ah, awake. Good. I wanted to talk to you, Miss Daisy. I have a new class assignment that I am giving to you." The professor held up a hand to forestall any protest. "You've been here a while now, and I believe you are ready to be tested. This is an assignment, and I expect you to complete it within the week." She raised one finger. "Complete it, and you will be given direct remedial magical training, to get you to basic proficiency." She clapped. "The class is called, 'Find a spell', and that's all you have to do."

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Daisy blinked at that, ears lifting. "I just have to find one?"

Dhiren shook his head. "That's not nearly as simple as it may sound, Miss Daisy." He looked at the teacher. "Are you serious? I mean, I know she's a good student, but is she really ready for that?" He looked back at Daisy, his eyes wide.

The teacher clasped her hands together, tail swaying behind her. "After this last excursion, I feel she is entirely ready for it. And, as I said, if she completes it, I will personally teach her the magic necessary to get her to basic proficiency level."

Daisy was quiet, then she smiled. "I'll take it. Give me the assignment, and I'll see if I can get it done."

Dhiren looked at her, and he frowned slightly. "Don't kill a talented student before she even gets started."

"Have faith." The professor gave a smile. "I'm not sending her alone. Miss Daisy, you know this gentleman, do you not?" She waved at the door as it opened, allowing a male fox to be shoved in. Theodoren glared at who had shoved him, but said nothing. "He will be your assistant. This is his last chance to prove himself. If he fails, he's out."

Daisy felt her chest tighten. "Theodoren?" She felt her heart beating faster, her blood pumping in her veins. "Why do I have to have him?"

The professor leaned in. "Because you're you, Miss Daisy. If he acts up, you can bend him into a pretzel. You have official permission to do so, and I expect we won't see him darkening our doorstep again. I know you two have bad blood, which makes this a fine trial for him. Help her, and see that she succeeds. Do this, and you may resume your classes." She bowed to Daisy. "I will leave you to it, then."

"Wait!" Theodoren protested. The door closed. "Fine." He looked at Daisy with his hands on his hips. "Looks like we're together, whether we like it or not." He smiled, showing a row of sharp teeth, and she couldn't tell if he was trying to be disarming or intimidating. "We have an assignment to complete, don't we?"

Daisy sighed and rubbed her forehead. "Do you know what we need to do, exactly?" She stood and moved closer to him. "Because I have no idea."

He shrugged. "I don't know either. I was just told to go along with whatever you wanted to do. So what do you want to do?"

Dhiren coughed into a fist. "She is to 'Find a Spell'. A daunting task. You two had better work together. And you, don't cause problems, you're not going to get another shot at being in these halls. Not unless you can convince the headmistress to give you a chance."

"Which I get if I help her win. Find a Spell? Damn, they're not making this easy." He whirled on Daisy. "Look, that means we're going into one of the dungeons, and not the upper floors. We have to get all the way to the bottom and defeat the guardian. Only then can we have a spell. There are several spells, in fact, but not many. One to a dungeon. You beat the guardian, you get it. You won't have the skill to use it, but who cares. Bring them the tablet and you pass, I bet." Theodoren was rubbing his chin. "I know a dungeon that's not too bad. I've been there before, and it should still have a spell. You and I are a good team for it, too."

Daisy raised a fuzzy brow. "What makes us an especially good team for it?"

Theodoren smiled at her, his ears pricking. "You're a fighter, and I'm a mage. We'll make a great team. I'll keep the enemies off your back, and you can deal with the big stuff." He snapped his fingers. "Besides, some of the monsters are immune to magic but weak to physical and others are the other way around. Might and muscle? Perfect match for that place."

She looked at him, then at Dhiren. "Do you think we can do it?" She was skeptical, but she had to try, didn't she?

Dhiren shrugged. "I'm not sure. But he's not wrong. Assuming he paid attention in class, not a bad match for that kind of dungeon. Just don't go too far down. I don't think you have enough power to tackle the guardians, either of you."

Daisy put her hands at her hips. "We have to go to the bottom, and take out that guardian, or no spell. Are there spells easier to get? Because I don't mind a bit of a challenge, but I'd like to keep my hide, too."

Theodoren shook his head. "There are no easier ones, they're all guarded. But I think we can do this."