When he asked about the pairing with her wand, Gwen thought back, remembering in quite good detail. "I do, actually. It has not been all that long for me," she blushed a little. "I didn't have very many showings of magic when I was little, just an episode or two. And not until I was almost six. My eldest brother Gifford was convinced I was not going to be magical at all and had already considered the alliances he could be making with my marriage to align Wessex with whomever the king wanted us connected to.
"Fortunately, he had not made inquiries to the matter yet when a field of dandelions I was playing in burst into puffs of white all at once. It was the most beautiful - and warmest - snowstorm I'd ever been in." She softly laughed. "He still put everything off, hoping it was a fluke but by the time I was twelve, there was just no way of denying the truth. I..." She cringed, "I blew up the halibut we were having for supper.
"My mother brought me to Ollivander the next day, actually. I just remember when he put it into my hand, the whole room lit up with the warmest glow. It rather felt as though everything had been off kilter until they put my wand in my hand. Suddenly, everything aligned around me and the world just felt better - if that makes sense?"
Merrick listened as she spoke about her past, enjoying the image of her in a dandelion field as a child making them explode into white puffs. It was far too easy to picture. He couldn't help but chuckle when she said she blew up a halibut.
"Makes perfect sense te me," he assured her. There was just something affirming about having the right wand. Your magic felt more controlled but it also felt stronger because it was now focused. "I did nae wan' te leave 'ome because Moira 'ad jus' been born an' it was me firs' time gettin' te be an older brother. But me magic was te big fer me an' me Da' insisted tha' I get me wand befer goin' back te Eire."
"Once it was in me 'and, my life fere'er changed," he said with a happy sigh. "I realized tha' I 'ad te complete me trainin' in order te be the bes' I could fer me sister. Te be able te properly teach 'er thin's an' gi'e 'er someone te loo' up te."
At least that's what he hoped he had done by going off to squire for one of his older cousins until it was his turn to become a knight. Now here he was, sword strapped to his side walking a lovely lady down to a trading post where he'd get to watch others gain their wands as well. He briefly wondered if his older brother had had a moment of happiness in his pairing or if he simply felt a sense of duty as he always seemed to.
Gwen listened as he explained, finding it rather charming that he had not wanted to leave his little sister behind yet had done so anyway because he'd had the sense then to know he needed to learn in order to later teach himself. And considering how good he had been with Lora this morning, obviously he had made an excellent helper before departing for Eire.
And he'd come back - to be a knight. Not exactly a job that let him be home for very long periods of time, unfortunately. Hopefully, now that he was back, he would have a little more time to spend with Moira when he wasn't teaching. (She was unaware that his younger sister would not be joining them today. Foolishly, she had assumed.)
"Take it from a little sister, it does not take very much to impress us. Just show up when you can and," She gave him a teasing grin, "Tell us we're always prettier than the last time you saw us. And do not mention how much we have grown since our last parting."
"Aye, than' ye fer the advice," he said, hoping he had done a good enough job of that already. He wished Moira could be at the school to not only learn but he knew his brother thought she'd be safer here than back home. True though his father had settled on the shore of Brittania, their ancestral home was in Eire, and they visited frequently enough that the accent stuck.
With Viking raids still being a thing, Merrick was inclined to agree with his assessment. Their father was stubborn however and was unsure that he wanted to send his only daughter to Scotland for safekeeping. Merrick knew eventually they would wear him down, as their mother Cait was on their side as well. She saw it as an opportunity not only for her daughter to learn under the finest magical minds but also to expand her horizons and experiences. Make her more worldly without sacrificing her modesty. Surely, Mannix Raine would come around sooner rather than later with such pressure on him.
Merrick smiled at Gwen, feeling a little bit smitten and unable to help it. He wasn't sure what was so intriguing about the woman but he felt drawn to her like an arrow on a bowstring. "I can o'ly 'ope tha' I be as good a role model as Maximus was te me," he said, hoping he could make his family proud with his new direction in life. Being a knight was hard business and he would much rather settle down and make a family than continue on the road fighting monsters and men.
"I think you are going to be an excellent role model," Gwen reassured him, gently squeezing his arm with her hand. "Godric would not have hired you if he did not think you would serve well in that capacity for all of the students you are going to be teaching." She said, her tone making it quite clear that she would brook no argument on this. "After all, how do you learn from someone you cannot respect or admire even a little?"
It was probably why she had never learned anything from Gifford, who had only treated her as a burden to bear. Godric, on the other hand, had always been doting and attentive when he'd had the opportunity to be around her. Honestly, if anyone was in a good position to reassure Merrick, it was her as (from the sounds of things) it sounded like she and Moira Raine had a great deal in common.
Just thinking it made Gwen eager to meet Merrick's sister, whenever it happened.
Unfortunately, they arrived at their destination. She wanted to frown, knowing that their little walk and time together was over now. But it had to happen eventually or the school day could never start. Of course, now began the worries that she knew her brother and the others were now facing.
What if no one ended up being interested in attending school? What if no one came and this work was for nothing? Gwen knew of one student in the village thus far but that was all she knew. While she knew that they could all teach one student - it was better than nothing - it would still be a bit disappointing if that was all this work ever amounted to.
Worriedly, she looked back over her shoulder towards the castle, hoping that her fears would be unfounded and that by the time she returned, the castle would be bustling with students.
Merrick took her squeeze as encouragement and he offered her a smile in return. "Thank ye, m'Lady," he said with a warm flush to his cheeks that he would blame on the cool morning air. He was hoping she'd have the chance to meet his family as well. In fact, she might have the opportunity to meet Maximus at some point if his older brother agreed to what he had sent him the day before via owl. He had told him to come to pick up a tome he had found in the library and take the opportunity to look over the castle and grounds to make sure it was appropriate for Moira to attend. If he saw it with his own eyes, it might be easier to convince their father to send her along.
As they drew closer to Ollivander's, his pace slowed ever so slightly. He was reluctant to give up his time with Lady Moore though it was ill-advised to consider it as such. He was here to do a duty, to protect Lady Moore from harm not to simply keep her company. Though even as he tried to remind himself of that, he couldn't quite accept that. He felt a connection beginning with her and he hoped she felt the same.
Soon enough they were standing outside of the wandmaker's shop, ready to await the students needing their wands. He kept his gaze sweeping over the crowds milling about in the trading post on the lookout for anything dangerous. Occasionally, however, his eyes would fall upon her and he couldn't help admiring her beauty and grace. While they waited, he struggled to keep his attention on what was important, keeping her safe but gradually duty won out as students began to arrive.
