"Not a bad thing, I assure you. Magic is often a matter of practicing and practicing until you can only get it wrong with extreme effort." Which, in Dorian's view, was really where northern mages got it wrong. They mixed fear and religion into things when it really was best regarded as nothing more than a sword permanently affixed to one's hand. Practice, practice, practice. "May I ask what sort of actual training you've had up to now?"