In a well-managed court no one is in very much debt except within the court, patrols happen frequently, and there are feasts on special occasions. You can mostly just check those things and get a sense of whether people follow basic rules competently, someone is allocating resources with overall safety and stability in mind, and whether they can plan ahead at all. This does not guarantee it'll be a pleasant place to live. Good fortune is one of many things that go into a pleasant life. But a court without good fortune definitely won't be a good place to live.

"Is there much mixing between courts, that you know that to be a regularity?"

Yes. We trade with a few dozen other courts and communicate with twice that number.

"What's usually traded or communicated?"

We trade food, clothes, information, inventions, art, music, stories, occasionally people. From farther away we mostly get communications about significant events. Weather, courts collapsing or warring, natural disasters.

"People?"

Yes.

"Should I assume that if you don't elaborate you don't want to or that you don't know what I want to know?"

I'm willing to elaborate on any of these things though it's expensive to elaborate on all of them. This one's important, though?

"I already don't know how many patrols I owe you and afterwards I still won't, so yes."

You trade people via the same process used for circular settling of debts. If you are very much in my debt, and I am very much in another court's debt, I can offer them your debt to me. It is common to promise people in your court you won't trade them as long as there's no pattern of bad behavior. Sometimes people are traded without significant debt because they prefer the other court, or have a lover there, or think it's a better fit.

"Thanks."

Why don't we arrange you those patrols, and then you can ask some more questions later.

"Okay."

I really don't mind, it's just - more responsible. If your entangled-person got into trouble right now it'd hit me quite hard and I ought to endeavor to avoid that.

"She seemed to think she was going to die but I don't know on what timescale she expected that or how accurately."

Some people can survive indefinitely without a court or persuade a court to take them in even with an enormous liability. Most people probably can't, though. If this was only a few sleeps ago I'd be surprised if a moderately competent person was in trouble already.

"She didn't seem very bright but I think except when it came to me she knew what she was doing."

Then she'll probably make it a few seasons.

"What sort of thing is liable to get her?"

I will write that up while you get set up for patrols.

"Okay."

And some people show her the route that she's supposed to fly and mention that sometimes people do patrols invisibly.

"Oh, how is that done?"

With clothes! Everyone she's seen so far has had visible clothes but that's actually more work, by default magic clothes don't have any traits and that means you can't see them.

Some are fetched for her to borrow.