"Very well, Reinhardt." He paused for a moment. The boy had phrased his question cleverly, asking not only his name but also whether there was danger ahead. "Do you know the power of names, Reinhardt?" he asked, avoiding for now a straight answer. "It is said that if you know a person's real name you have power over them. This is said to be especially true for mages which is why a wizard protects his name."

The boy nodded. He had learned that from one of his other teachers.

"You do not trust me then, arch mage?"

"Oh of course I trust you, my liege. With my life and limb. However knowing my name is dangerous and I do not wish to imperil you. Besides there is little truth to the tale."

The boy frowned. "If it isn't true, why do you hide your name?"

"Because others believe it is true and as long as they spend time trying to find my name, they aren't trying to kill me otherwise. In truth there is no magical power in words, but they have a power of their own which sometimes is greater than any spell."

"But ... the spells are words too, aren't they? Or ..." the boy looked into the smiling eyes of the old wizard "Or are the words just there to distract from the real power of the spell?"

"Now you are starting to understand."