:Haven't been keeping track, that's Keiran's department.: 

:Thank you.: 

A pause.

:...I love you.: Words that he thought he might never again have a chance to say to her. :Any other news?: 

:Blai's Healing worked on Randi. Not - well - but enough that Shavri thinks it buys him time. And there's stronger magic, in his world, if Leareth...: 

:All he needs is time.:

Time that Vanyel isn't, actually, convinced they have yet. Not until he knows for sure that they've defused the trap that the Star-Eyed shaped Brightstar into. ...Damn it, he thought all of this through in the Shadow-Lover's realm and if he had Yfandes he would remember it better– stop it. Focus. 

:You should talk to your parents. Your father took it hard.: 

Wow, that sounds almost more painful than talking to Brightstar, and less strategically critical. :I'll...make sure to do that.: 

Pause. He is now definitely having this conversation to stall and put off dealing with the more agonizing things, but - he can't make himself. Not yet. Not now. His mind is an unsteady foundation built on sand and void and if he pushes too hard he doesn't know what will happen. 

:...How's Arven?: Does she know that he's alive. ....Does she know that he was dead. Probably. Karis is the type of parent who - it's not right to say "doesn't believe in protecting children", but - who doesn't believe that keeping secrets is actually a way to protect them. 

:Would love a hug from you, I'm sure. But - once things are a little more settled. We thought about evacuating her and Karis back to Sunhame, but they're still here.: 

That's...it feels like it means something, it feels like there's a thread of thought there from the Shadow-Lover's realm, but he can't chase it down. 

Savil can tell when Vanyel is stalling and she can also tell when he desperately needs her to be talking to him a little bit longer. 

:Your mother's having her chance to shine. Apparently Blai can cast a spell to help us all catch up on sleep but only if he has an absurdly expensive pillow, and guess who had one of those. ...Oh! Did you hear about Blai's Companion?: 

:Melody filled me in.: 

There's an ugly feeling in the back of Vanyel's mind, that he's embarrassed to look at. Yfandes would say something reassuring about how he's only human, and he would feel better, but the entire goddamned problem is that Yfandes isn't here– STOP IT STOP IT STOP IT he needs to focus why did he say no to Melody when she asked if he wanted her to put in some blocks...

Oof, predictable in hindsight that Vanyel has complicated feelings about that. Apologizing won't help, because acknowledging it won't help.

...A distraction might, though, and she sure has one. 

:Did Melody mention his Companion's name?: 

:Er, no, why?: How can that possibly be important. 

:It's Seldan. Now, what does that remind you of...?: 

:...Are you serious?: 

See? Distraction!

:Kellan was fairly sure. ...Hasn't mentioned it to him yet because, and I quote, 'the last thing he needs is something else to be smug about.': 

:Huh, what's he smug about?: 

:To hear Kellan tell it, the question is 'what isn't he smug about.' Having the best Chosen, his Chosen having been right when everyone else in Haven was wrong, being a special Groveborn dispensed as a direct divine intervention and how that implies he was the best possible person for it...: 

:I mean, that's not wrong! If you had to pick one former Herald who can keep up with Leareth...: 

:Kellan says 'don't you dare say that to him, he'll be insufferable.' The other Companions all want to see how long they can stretch it out before he realizes we're still quoting his books six hundred years later.: 

:I always wondered if he and Leareth knew each other.:

Aaaaand he should really drag himself away from this conversation now. 

:Talk more later. Er, if Brightstar does happen to Mindspeak you, tell him where I am right away, all right?: 

And he'll pass on a message to Keiran, asking her to please have someone track down Brightstar immediately. Then reach out to Katha (it feels wrong, doing all this contacting people directly rather than Yfandes routing via their Companions in a much less obtrusive way, he supposes he could try for their Companions instead but it would hurt too much) and confirm that Feniss is aware of recent events and is not still being held incommunicado or something. 

It takes another thirty seconds to confirm that Blai is in the dining hall, and then he takes Stef's hand and heads that way. On foot. Because Yfandes isn't here. 

Stef normally hates it when Vanyel forgets to even slightly include him in Mindspeech conversations, but he's trying to cut his lifebonded a lot of slack, right now. He can feel what it feels like, across the lifebond, and it's honestly very impressive that Van is capable of walking and talking right now. 

Blai probably didn't prepare extra Endure Elements today because why would he, but Stef is still daydreaming about it hopefully. 

There's a Companion loitering under an awning just outside the dining hall. 

:You must be Vanyel: His mindvoice has some of the echoing-blazing quality of the Groveborn, but without the sense that this mind is more alien than a human spirit could ever be, because that isn't true. :Glad you made it back. And since I bet no one remembered to tell you – Blai's world has resurrection magic.: His mindvoice is - very pleased with himself. :I'm arranging for Yfandes' body to be brought here. Once your northern archmage has a chance to sort out contact...: 

Vanyel is not going to burst into tears. He's not. In front of reincarnated Seldasen? It would be mortifying. He would never stop being embarrassed about it. 

:Thank you. Er, has Blai...?: 

:He hasn't agreed to the bond yet. I think he's leaning toward it, but Enara thought he ought to know the downsides.: