A/N: The only character that belongs to me is Noah Bunting and I hate him! Please read and review.
He found Rook a short time later, directing a group of recruits on the quintain.
"Hold your arm up…steady! Good job, Knurly. No, no, no, you must hold the lance like this or it'll come back and hit you in the face!" He spotted Xanth and signaled to him to wait. "Good job, guys, I'll be back in a minute."
"Wassa matter?" said Rook once they were apart from the recruits.
"I need your advice on something." said Xanth, shamefacedly.
"Wait. Stop. Does it have anything to do with Magda Burlix?"
"Well, yes," replied Xanth, looking startled, "How'd you guess?"
"Xanth, my friend, I saw the way you reacted at breakfast when that librarian tried to drag her. It's plain to see that you're in love!"
"Why won't she see that then?" wailed Xanth, "If you know it, why doesn't Magda?'
"I'm afraid she probably does, my poor old friend," confided Rook. "but seeing as you're not acting on it, she's decided to make you move faster. Magda thinks that if she acts like she's sweet on Noah she'll get you to admit that you like her."
"What?" gasped Xanth, completely flabbergasted.
"Yep, that's the way the female mind works. You'd better make up to her and ask her to the ball soon. Otherwise she'll end up going with that yuppie."
"But how do you know all this?"
"Xanth, while you've been zooming around on the Ratbird, I've been taking care of my personal life. Remember Jade? and Esmeralda? and now Thalia? That's how I learned. But look, if you need help, just talk to me and I'll talk you up with her. But right now I've gotta supervise the training. Ciao!"
Rook hopped onto his prowlgrim and galloped off to where the recruits were still attempting to hit the quintain and maintain their balance. Xanth climbed thoughtfully onto his sky craft. Rook's advice had been good, but he wanted to see Tweezel as well.
A knock on the door stirred the old spindlebug from a light nap. He seemed to be sleeping more and more these days. Tweezel heaved himself acrossed the room and opened the door. Xanth was standing there, looking forlorn.
"Master Xanth! What a pleasant surprise! Come in, come in, I'll set the tea boiling." Tweezel bustled around preparing the sweet beverage. When he was finished, he brought two glasses and a pot to the table. Pouring one tall cup for each of them, he sat down and looked Xanth in the eyes.
"Now, what's the problem?"
"Remember Magda Burlix?" said Xanth. "I really like her but I don't know what to do or how to tell her. And then there's this other kid…" the whole story quickly spilled out. When Xanth was done, Tweezel sat back and looked at him through half-closed eyes.
"Well, Xanth, I don't know what to say. Spindlebugs don't really feel love. I say you should woo her carefully. You have to give her pretty things and shiny things and things she likes. But I agree with Master Rook. You must act soon if all this happiness is not to slip through your fingers. And you must apologize very soon so that it doesn't rankle."
"Thanks, Tweezel," said Xanth, getting up to leave. "That really helped."
"Any time, Master Xanth, any time," he replied, falling into a doze as Xanth shut the door behind him.