Makola nodded, and turned to the relevant pages of the textbook. He was getting sand between the pages, but then he didn't have the in-built reverence for books that most people on the island seemed to have, and several of the pages had various stains on them, and some were crinkled from damp, as he was developing the art of reading while eating, drinking and walking.
They sat together for about an hour, discussing the most likely spells and non-magical remedies that were likely to come up in the practical. With Melissa's advice, Makola started to feel considerably more confident about the exam, but his head was starting to ache from all the reading he'd been doing, the words swimming in front of his eyes. He frowned and pinched the bridge of his nose.