[ Trahearne smiles a bit at the praise. ] Thank you. I'm fortunate to have such a patient teacher.

[ His smile drops, though, when Eustace keeps talking. ] Easier said than done. I believe this will take quite a bit of practice on my part. [ Not to say he doesn't appreciate the help, he just realizes that finding a mental--no, emotional shortcut that works every time will be a slower process than he'd like to admit. ]

I know I may be getting ahead of myself, [ He eyes the few patches of ice still clinging to the vines. ] but how do you think we are to remove the vines? The same way as the ice, perhaps?