The Fifth will handle telling them. They're... going to withdraw from the challenge.

...Nod.

"We'll still pass along any historical stuff we find," she promises. (...She needs to think about that poetry book though.) "And you can look at the studies and all once we're done."

That's appreciated.

"No problem - you guys have been a big help."

They'll head out, then.

Cool. 

...Gideon slouches and puts her head on the table. 

Pat pat?

That helps! 

...She thinks she trusts the Third and Sixth a bit more than the Fifth (and she definitely trusts the hero worship of the Fourth but like, they are teenagers, so it's probably good they left with the Fifth). She doesn't know if she trusts them enough for - speculation.

(Even if it might be helpful, because Gideon has no fucking clue where to even start with this mess.)

"On that note," Palamedes says. "Do we want to call it here for now?"

"I'm alright either way."

Mrf.

"That sounds good. We can pick up tomorrow."

"Fair enough. Third, do you think you could help me ward the body?"

...She's still a bit tired, but she's mostly recovered, so: "Sure."

Gideon lifts her head up. "I know a lot of ward theory, if you can power something I draw out for you." It was pretty much the easiest way to directly help Ellyn's necromancy, growing up (plus she still has all the books she obsessed over while trying to break into the Locked Tomb seared into her head, and then she and Ellyn needed to re-ward the Locked Tomb, and Gideon naturally insisted on doing it correctly this time). " - Oh I've also kinda like, memorized a bunch of sources on high security wards, and I've got my notes condensing those books. So I can also help evaluate if it's actually secure - and keeping people away from places is literally our job."

Genuine Ninth House ward schematics? Yes please.

"If it's not too much trouble," she says.

"I've still got energy left in me - and I'm used to being Ellyn's research monkey, anyways."

"Sounds good."

She'll push some more juice and pretzels at Ellyn, first, then set about making clean copies of a few (not particularly classified, but still powerful and most importantly secure) wards - which include some of her own design tweaks.

Ellyn pays just enough attention to make sure of which ones Gideon's offering, then obediently eats her pretzels and drinks her juice.

She does also think it's good to layer wards - including something from the Third, Sixth, and Ninth will reduce the chance that any one attacker can get past every style present (and this way you can cover the weaknesses in one ward with a second, later ward, and also generally waste people's time and give you a chance to respond to the various alarms being tripped). 

Of course, defense in depth. Fortunately they do have a diversity of styles to call upon.

She's definitely also interested in the Sixth and Third's wards, as much as they're interested in hers. (Ninth House best House and all that jazz but more importantly novel theorems.)

Knowledge for knowledge.

One of her favorite kinds of trade.