Sandry shook her head. "Most people aren't mages. And most mages work in different ways than I do. One mage in four or five is an ambient mage: most mages have to learn how to manipulate magic with runes and symbols. I've met a few other thread mages. My teacher, and her current student. And other sorts of ambient mages. They can be associated with other crafts or natural things like plants or the weather."