As part of their travels, Daja and Frostpine are staying with some friends of Frostpine's from his days of studies as a Goldsmith, the Bancanor family. While they are staying there, Daja realized that the two eldest daughters of the family possess ambient magic. She devises a metal scrying mirror to test the twin daughters Niamara (Nia) and Jorality (Jory)'s aspect of magics. Shy, quiet Nia is discovered to possess Carpentry magic and loud, impatient Jory if found to possess Cooking magic.