The ten left Bruma's east gate at 8 PM and began the two hour walk north to Dragon Claw Rock where they would camp for the night.
"How much battle experience do you four have?" Alderich asked the mages, who admittedly looked devoid of any real combat knowledge.
"Um... J'Skar and I have pulled a good many pranks on Jeanne..." Volanaro suggested uneasily.
"So then... none," Makenna spat out.
"Correct," J'Skar responded impressed with the Dunmer's blunt approach.
"What about you two?" Alderich addressed Druja and Orintur.
"Mostly casting fireballs and lightning bolts at bears and wolves," Druja said with a small amount of confidence. "I travel between the Skingrad Guildhall and the Arcane University frequently and run into beasts along the way."
"I traveled to Bruma from Cheydinhall through the woods and mountains," began Orintur. "My Fighters Guild companion and I encountered quite a few trolls and ogres."
"So," Isaiah spoke up, "we have an alterer and a destruction expert with very little combat experience, and two illusionists adept at fooling the incompetent."
"Sounds about right," Volanaro responded jokingly.
"If any of you die we are not responsible," Thurod said to the inexperienced mages.
The smile left Volanaro's face. The possibility that any of them might die had clearly not passed through his mind. Volanaro and J'Skar remained silent the rest of the walk. Makenna however spoke to Druja and Orintur about their philosophies about magic through its entirety.
"How is it you're an expert in all the schools of magic?" Orintur asked his fellow mage.
"Well," Makenna thought deeply about the question, "I just know that all the colleges are the same."
"How can you say that?" Druja uttered. "The schools are clearly separate."
"No," responded Makenna, "the schools are merely divided into vague categories for ease of use. What is Conjuration but using magic to destroy the barriers between here and Oblivion allowing travel between them?" he queried. "What is Illusion but using magic to alter one's perception of reality?" he aimed at Orintur.
"And necromancy?" Druja suggested, trying to find an exception to disprove Makenna.
"The reanimation and restoration of dead tissues," the Dunmer responded accordingly.
A look of indignation suddenly appeared on the Argonian's face. While she had requested that Makenna make the connection, she had clearly not expected, or wanted, to hear it. The thought of the so called 'Dark Art' being just another branch of magic along with others deemed less 'evil' obviously disgusted her. Druja, like Volanaro and J'Skar, did not speak throughout the rest of the trip. Orintur however, recognized that while Makenna thought of necromancy as just another , less pleasant, school of magic, he was no necromancer. The two continued their philosophical chat.