'It's amazing what you can learn in a few hours down the local tavern over a beer or two. Someone always seems to know something interesting and if you're good at nodding and tutting you can get all the gossip and scandal. So I thought I'd pop me second best shawl on and listen in while supping a couple of Danny Light's better beers. You have to know that he waters the beer and know the name of the wench he doesn't want his mother to know he's been seeing before you get a decent pint.
Anyhow, it turns out that this magic ban is more serious than I thought. It's not the first time magic has been banned in Lunecaster. After the Great Mage Wars the Guardian banned magic from being used within the city walls. Some of the wounds that were inflicted were terrible. Or so I heard, I was only a girl when the Great Mage Wars were happening so I didn't see much. Mother told some tales when she'd had a beer that made me rather queasy but as I say I didn't see anything myself. Although magic wasn't allowed in the city everyone knew that some had to go on, for healing and the like, otherwise we'd have been patching folk up with bandages and poultices the old fashioned way. That was the old Guardian in them days. He knew that some magic was important and turned a blind eye to it. Some folk took liberties but mostly people were sensible. It was mainly fighting magic that was banned.The sort that made people's arms vanish or their heads shrink. Good job too, nasty stuff fighting magic.
This new Guardian, well he's very young and new to the position. He's banned all magic, no exceptions. Technically that means I'm not allowed to use magic when making my potions. Now no-one will suffer if the love potions stop working but there are more serious things than whether some young folk can get to snog the object of their affections. There are potions and spells that keep people healthy, keep the mad from hurting themselves, keep the dark thoughts away. Some of the old folk who lived through the Great Mage Wars need their little bit of magic to keep the nightmares away. And there's many a lass who's grateful for the soothing power of magic when her time comes and the baby's on the large side.
So all the talk at the tavern was about what we'd do if we couldn't use magic anymore. Danny Light spent a fortune on having the curse removed from his bar and he's worried that if magic stays banned someone who takes exception to his weak beer might curse it again. I'm more worried what will happen when I runs out of potions and need to brew again. Because if I can't use magic I've got no way to make some silver. And then who's going to put bread on my table?
Some of the more heated patrons at the tavern are thinking of going to the Citadel to petition the Guardian. Us old 'uns sucked our teeth - if we still had them - and cautioned against. Folk are getting twitchy and the Guardian isn't likely to welcome delegations. Some of the guards are a bit trigger happy too, too fond of a ruck as it happens. My brother among them. I kept quiet. If they knew I had a brother in the guard they'd want me to go see him. We don't speak see, not since Mother died and he sided with Father.
I have a feeling things will heat up in the next few days. Lucky for me I've got a stack of herbs to dry and store. Keep me out of circulation until things calm down. Nothing as soothing as dubbing dried herbs between your hands. Maybe we should all try that rather than getting agitated.'
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