[Nell du'Galle]

Arin was listening to Odyleon as he explained the nature of the dates that he required and the position of the aligned moons in the skies on those dates, although there was a definite air of his thoughts being elsewhere as he leaned over the outstretched charts where the movements of the moons were delineated. His finger was tracing the outlines of each lunar pathway in turn, a smile of pleasure tripping the corners of his mouth as he occasionally tapped a pertinent symbol. The swearing an oath to become a student of cosmology, pulled the lips into a momentarily wider smile, but as Odyleon waited with quill grasped in hand, Arin straightened up and cleared his throat, ready to bestow the wisdom that had been sought.

"You are correct in the fact that the alignment of the moons occurs once a month, and for this month and the following eight periods the dates for the alignment are as follows," he answered, with the air of one who revelled in the certainty that the information about to be given was accurate. "The twenty second darkening of Cryxatum; the twenty fourth darkening of Aperitus; the twenty fifth darkening of Optia, the twenty second darkening of Ioannes; the twenty fifth darkening of Imperos; the twenty third darkening of Junctior; the twenty sixth darkening of Kalendryas; the twenty first darkening of Immanis; and the twenty second darkening of Ponutis." The dates were intoned with gravity and at a pace that allowed sufficient time for Odyleon to make notes, a gentle pause after each date being filled with the scratch of quill on parchment.

"As for the compass direction of the alignment, that is a more tricky thing to predict with accuracy, for despite studies into the paths of the moons, they are whimsical bodies who dislike adhering to our maps," Arin continued, with an affectionate sigh. "However do not despair, for with a little preparation before each significant date, you will be able to predict the position of the alignment from wherever you may be in the Empire. It is a simple process, that only requires a sheet of parchment and some ink. Four or five darkenings beforehand, in the early evening when the moons begin to rise, choose an observation point and look towards Majora, the larger and brighter of the two moons. You will probably want to choose the candlemark that this ritual will begin, I suppose. Any how, check the compass point of Majora at this time and note it down. Next, you need to sketch the skyline that lies under the moon, including any tall trees or significant landmarks. To measure how high Majora is in the sky, choose a landmark underneath the moon, and stretch out a steady arm with a clenched fist. Place one fist on top of the other to measure how many fists there are from the top of the landmark to the moon. Then note on your sketch the position of the moon, making a note of your measurements. If you do this each evening before the date of alignment, you will be able to plot the course of Majora and so attain an accurate prediction of where the aligned moons will be in the sky on the darkening of your ritual."

Arin cocked his head to one side to check Odyleon's reaction to this basic but easy way to predict the position of the moons. Requiring no fancy instruments, or special apparatus, some new scholars were disappointed to be told to use their fists to measure the height of the moons in the skies, although of course for more advanced students, more complicated calculations were undertaken that didn't use this method. However, Odyleon was not such a student. "Of course the only drawback to this method is if the skies are cloudy, yet the climate in Vers is most often favourable, so I think you will have little trouble."