Nod.

"Will the books stay dry if they're in the bag with the carpet? Mine's not waterproof."

"Mine is," Mahdi says. "The trip goes slower when you can't read but the books will be fine."

Nodnod. "Tomorrow's fine then."

So they leave the next day. 

It rains.

They cross over watersodden forest and watersodden forest and watersodden forest.

She draws her coat tight around herself and shivers.

Hagan has Endure Elements to go around, which is a good thing, because it gets quite cold. 

They see the camp as it starts to get dark. Their fires are very very smoky, probably because it's barely possible to keep them going at all in this weather.

"There's no city on the map," says Mahdi without looking at it.

      "This is the Andoran-Galt border," says Fazil. "Maybe the latest nonsense somehow -"

"Has Galt enforcing its borders for the first time in a decade? On the one it shares with Andoran?"

      Fazil squints. " - it's Andoran enforcing the border."

"Andoran's not letting people in?"

"I guess not." Fazil is still squinting. "Plausibly we should land and ask."

Nod.

They land on the Andoran side of the border. Fazil makes a light; some guards come over to meet them, weapons drawn but not looking particularly unfriendly. 

       "Evening, sir," Fazil says. "We're travelling through for an appointment in Isarn. Anything we should know?"

"- well, I wouldn't go to Isarn if I were you, there's that."

        "Something changed?"

Laughter. "They had a revolution."

         "What's this here?"

"Andoran made the decision to close our border with Galt."

          "I see. This took them by surprise?"

"I wouldn't really know."

           "Mind if we go over there and see what we can do for them?"

"You're Osirians?"

           "Yes."

"Going to sell them into slavery or something?"

           "I just want to help." He gestures at his holy symbol.

"Galt needs more than prayers."

           "I imagine so, sir."

Mahdi lifts the carpet and sighs heavily.

She doesn't imagine saying anything will help, so she doesn't.

"Why can't they get through?"

"They'd track mud everywhere, see," he says bitterly.

        "We'll just stop overnight, see if anyone needs healing," Fazil says, as the carpet lands on the other side.

"Rope trick," says Mahdi. "Can you climb, kid?"

"Mhmm."

       Mahdi makes to bundle up the carpet.

"Leave it."

       "Why?"

"Might need it."

       "I can't go up there with the girls unless you do, you know."

"Maybe Fazil will bring back a local who has hypothermia and the capacity to supervise you."

So no one accompanies them up the rope. At the top there is a warm, dry, space with a window looking straight down the rope. 

So they climb up the rope and look down at the people below.

The people below talk for a while. Then Mahdi sits down at the base of the rope and Hagan wanders off.

"What do you think they're gonna do?"

"Dunno. Lawful good, right? Can't break the laws and can't ignore the people, not if they don't want it to count against them. I doubt they have to fix the problem, though. Probably just have to talk it over long enough that they feel like they considered it, even if they know the answer already. Maybe spend some spells on healing."

Sigh.

She keeps watching the people.

Fazil comes back first, after about three hours. He is soaked through and muddy.  

"How're you two?" he asks when he reaches the top. "Sorry 'bout the mud."

"I can fix it!" She starts up prestidigitation. "Uh, we're fine. How're things down there?"

"Very good," he says tiredly. "They're - cold and wet and hungry and they're worried whoever comes out on top in Galt will come here for them before Andoran reverses its policy. I don't know why they think Andoran'll reverse its policy. Healing's not even very good for cold and wet and hungry."

"Could they go somewhere besides Andoran?"