The Prancing Pony

stoic \STOH-ik\, noun: 1. (Capitalized). A member of a school of philosophy founded by Zeno holding that one should be free from passion, unmoved by joy or grief, and should submit without complaint to unavoidable necessity. 2. Hence, one who is apparently or professedly indifferent to or unaffected by pleasure or pain, joy or grief. 3. Of or pertaining to the Stoics; resembling the Stoics or their doctrines. 4. Not affected by passion; being or appearing indifferent to pleasure or pain, joy or grief.

"Aw, Brel, don't be so stoic all the time," chided Mena. "You'll receive your powers any day now, so lighten up a little! I heard the Grandmaster Destra didn't get hers until her seventeenth birthday."

(A/N: Wow, I don't think you can find a more generic fantasy-type word out there. Not a Terry Brooks book goes by without a character being mentioned as stoic and sitting in the corner of a tavern, all Aragorn-esque. Also, sorry for the lack of posts lately. It's been crazy at school, but I'll try to do better this next week.)

Ten points to the first person to find my unintentional pun!

imprimatur \im-prih-MAH-tur; -MAY-\, noun: 1. Official license or approval to print or publish a book, paper, etc.; especially, such a license issued by the Roman Catholic episcopal authority. 2. Approval; sanction. 3. A mark of approval or distinction.

Ky and Eli sat by the embers of last night's fire, the only two humans still awake in the castle (with the exception of the baker, just rising to prepare the day's bread).
"We have to leave at sundown. I don't see any other way."
"It would be wondrous if that were possible, but we don't have the king's imprimatur!" argued Eli.
Ky exhaled. "I know. Rostroff can get us past the gates, but beyond that we're going to have to rely on what little luck we have left."