Okay. I won't listen to your thoughts while you're casting.

Thanks. She sends the impression of a grin.

Also, the chance of us running into a hostile mage here is pretty much nonexistent - most likely I'm the only person you're going to see at all unless you go looking for people, at least until spring and probably even then.

And I'm not sure if I should, need more information. No one in this scenario has heard of the Enemy?

It takes her an extra moment to process that. Right. The local species of people are kobolds, who hide from anyone outside their tribes and will panic if you find them; tigerfolk, who are generally all right but will probably be nervous about you; and elves, who are awful and dangerous.

Will they torture us if they capture us.

Can't promise they wouldn't try. They're not hard to stay away from, though, especially since we can teleport.

I can only teleport back to here.

'Here' is three hours of hiking through a trapped cave system that they have no reason to explore and the entrance isn't even slightly close to their village and is too small for them to get though, if we're not safe here we're not safe anyplace, but I can see if I can find a decent second place to give you a spell to teleport to.

Thank you. Who are they terrorizing? Can't guarantee I can help you stop them but I might be able to.

Were, us kobolds, a few decades ago. They've been leaving us alone since I was tiny, I don't think they're going to start that again unless something provokes them - which knowing I can teleport would, by the way - but it was pretty bad while it was going on. They give the tigerfolk some trouble, too, but nothing systematic.

Okay. I'll take a look once I'm better.

Better not to. We don't actually know why they stopped, and it's hard to guess what might provoke them, and things are mostly okay. Plus they have mages and I have no way of telling if they've hexed you.

She pops down to the pantry for a moment and returns with a dried leafy branch, which she starts using to strain the mashed fruit.

What am I expected to do in this scenario, then?

Nothing, since it isn't one. She shrugs.

Wait for the plot hook. All right. Thank you.

I'm going to be doing my level best to give us a nice safe quiet winter, I hope it's not going to bother you too much if I succeed at it.

I very much prefer that. Thank you.

Me too.

She's satisfied with the consistency of the juice, and tries a sip. This isn't great, but it's probably the best I can do without cloth for straining - I might be able to get some but it won't be very soon.

I only want a few drops anyway. But thank you.

Mmhmm. Same way as the water, and I'll only send a little, let me know when you're ready.

All right.

Drip drip. It's pear juice, with a tea-ish flavor from the leafy branch.

He can't taste flavors beyond noting if something is obviously poisoned. It isn't obviously poisoned. It has sugar; he can see how his stomach reacts to that.

She keeps an eye on him for a couple seconds, and then takes the remainder of the juice and the strained pulp and starts setting up another batch of soup. Will it bother you to smell me cooking with meat?

You should do what you need to.