...oath?

They all promised the Enemy enmity undying. It's more complicated than that but that's the bit that might not let them die of grief.

...okay. That sounds, uh, risky - not a bad idea in the actual situation, I guess, but. Oaths have too much in common with hexes for me to like them much, besides really simple safe ones.

One difference is that hexes are something you do to other people, right? But I agree that it was risky and unwise.

Yeah, if just anyone here could do something hexlike to anyone they wanted I would not be sticking around, that would be terrifying.

Can't anyone who can do magic do that? 

Yeah, and I'm going to be careful about who I pass it out to for exactly that reason.

If it's osanwe-transmissible whenever it's used keeping it from the Enemy will be really hard. Very important, obviously, but very hard.

Mmhmm. We need more mages than me but we don't need a lot more mages than me, and they don't need to be in risky situations, it's possible to do a lot with spellbearers and magic items. And it's pretty trivial to enspell someone to be able to teleport home if they want to, and I should be able to do something that teleports someone home if they're hurt - I might even be able to work out a spell that'll teleport someone home if they're in Angband at all, but that'll be risky to figure out.

Also it might be possible to keep it private? Maitimo mentioned once that there's a way of doing private thoughts but I haven't asked how it works yet.

Oh, that'd be tremendously good if that's all it takes. Keeping thoughts private isn't hard, though it has to be deliberate. And he explains how it's done.

Oh, that shouldn't be hard, that's practically the same as how I manage my body language when I need to keep a secret. Can't test it with the magic until it won't be a disaster if it fails, though.

Okay. Sometimes even after your other thoughts are private it slips under pressure, so do wait to test it. 

Mmhmm.

I should get going. Thank you, though. I'll see you tonight.

See you!

And she stops by the cave for the rest of the eggs. They're going to be okay, she tells Maitimo, first thing.

Of course he is, he says fondly.

They really are pretty great.

My brothers are too, but these are not the best circumstances to see it in them.

Mm. Well, I'm working on it. Speaking of which -

Hmm?

Going to go bring them breakfast.

Thank you.

No problem.

And here she is in the testing room.

Hello.

Hi. Breakfast? These eggs are even already peeled.