Thaddeus rested his chin on his hands, covering his half smile with his hands. He imagined she could be quite manipulative with those eyes and that adorable little pout. No mystery she had gotten full marks in Charm. The cooking was a problem though. Thad was a good cook, but he barely had time or patience to cook for one, and he was quite sure a young learning girl like her would need a better diet than the pork, mushrooms and gallons of tea he usually sustained himself on. He would have to do something about that.
When she finished speaking there was a long pause. After several seconds , he frowned and removed his hands from his mouth.
"Referring to me as simply 'Master' will be acceptable. You will respond to Dellana, miss Dellana, apprentice or simply 'girl'. Now …" He stood up and rested his palms on the table, towering over her as he leaned towards her. "We will talk more about your failed subjects when I lay out your schedule. As for cooking, I'll just consider it another part of your training. Can't have a woman of your age who doesn't know her way around a kitchen, especially not one who's supposed to be earning her independency."
His frown eased and he looked almost pleasant. "Now, let me show you around. Don't speak unless asked, I'll answer any questions in a minute." He moved around the table and put his hand between her shoulder blades, guiding her through the house.
"The kitchen is where I do most of my works with potions and poultices. This here is just a broom closet, which I'm sure you'll become intimately familiar with later. This is where I sleep" He made a sweeping gesture across a barren room with a bed and a cupboard with a candleholder and a book on it. "This here is the herb cabinet where I collect my ingredients and keep my food stored. There's a ladder to the attic where you'll be staying. You can climb up there later, it's pretty empty right now. Through the window you can see the stable, where the cow lives. Behind that is the vegetable garden and a bit into the forest is the river where I usually go to get water and take my baths."
He led her to a door painted with chalk symbols of protection and a bunch of runes that meant nothing to Dellana. "This is my sanctum" He said, as he opened the door. Inside was a large room where the wooden floorboards had been painted black. It held a single chair next to a large table and two large bookcases filled to the brim. The black floor was covered in large overlaying rugs and the curtains in front of the windows were keeping the room very dim.
"This is where I do much of my own research and where your theoretic studies will be conducted. Most of these books are way beyond your level and you'll be reading only the ones I set out for you." He turned her around by the shoulders and put a finger under her chin, turning her face towards his. "I want you to understand that this room is off limits when I'm not in there with you. I do not tolerate disobedience and if I ever find you've as much as set a foot in here without me knowing …" He let the promise hang in the air as he suddenly thought of the bakers daughter, wailing over her daddy's knees.
He turned and closed the door to the study. "Ahem, I trust I've made myself clear. You can speak freely if you wish to ask me something. Don't be shy now"
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