Wintflink Copperblast bit the end of her quill pen as she read the last paragraph of the chapter she was in the middle of. She turned the heavy parchment page of the book and shook her head.
“I wish I’d paid more attention in class when we covered summoning,” she muttered to herself.
A noise beside her caught her attention, and she turned to see Gobmat at her side, holding a bag and a hot cup of coffee. Wint smiled at him and moved over on the seat she was sitting in, making room for him.
“Thank goodness for you,” she murmured as he climbed up and sat at her side.
Gobmat chittered and opened the bag, pulling out a freshly baked muffin and taking a bite. Wint laughed, watching him, but sobered as she looked around the desk she sat at, taking in the sight of the warlock hall in Dreadscar Rift. Aside from the permanent residents, she’d only seen one or two other warlocks, who melted into the shadows as she approached.
Wint’s head drooped as she remembered how busy it had been here when everyone was fighting the Legion. How it was now seemed to be an insult in comparison. She was jogged out of her thoughts by another shoulder bumping hers, and she gave Gobmat a wan smile.
“I guess I’d better eat up if I want anything,” Wint said to Gobmat, who grabbed another muffin.
She took one of her own and began to eat, her eyes passing over the calculations and notes she’d taken. The basic principles of summoning should work, even sort of in reverse, as Wint had been thinking of calling back those who were now missing. If you knew their true names, she thought, it should work, but the worms seemed to put an unknown twist into what needed to be done. Would they be needed to reopen the way?
Tapping the back of the back of the quill on the page, Wint sighed as a spot of ink fell into the margins. Gobmat gave Wint a look as he popped his last muffin into his mouth.
“I think we’ve gotten all we can out of the libraries here,” she said, returning his glance. “I’m going to write to Mistress Rowena. I remember a book that she had, back when we were studying with her, that might help me fill in the rest of the gaps. Let’s go.”
Gobmat handed her the coffee before he got up, and Wint took a long draught before she got up, reshelved the book, and took the cup along with her. “Don’t leave the trash, Gobmat,” she added, “Mr, Raithborne will be upset if we don’t leave the library clean.”
Gobmat snatched the empty bag and crumpled it in his hand as he hopped over to Wintflink, matching her stride as they went to the portal leading back to Dalaran.