"Right. And I was like 'I don't want a sword' and her bearer was like 'have you considered she doesn't care' and I was like 'that makes me want her LESS', and then we got Need woken up more and I told her off and she has agreed to be attached to a rotation of volunteer Guard members acting as an - I forget the word - helping them find things relevant to her."

Leareth blinks, then smiles. "That is the most sensible use of Need I have heard of. And...yes, it does seem to be a very unsophisticated plan, that did not take any of your specific characteristics as a person into account. Which - fits, if the gods, do not have the ability to make precise predictions because Their Foresight is blind to you." 

He shakes his head. "...And then I suppose They decided to abandon subtlety. Anyway. Where did Need's current bearer hail from - was she Karsite?" 

"Shin'a'in? If I'm pronouncing that right."

"...I see. That fits with the k'Treva connection, I suppose, but I am almost certain the Star-Eyed Goddess does not have access to gryphons, which indicates a plot between multiple gods and that is deeply concerning." He glances over. "Nayoki? Have you ever been to White Gryphon, and are you aware if they currently mount an army?" 

"Hmm?" Her eyes refocus. "Not I know of? No need. Peace with Kmbata." 

Leareth nods absently. "I see." He frowns at Bella. "You said Taver was angry with you for unrelated reasons. What reasons." 

"Uh."

"...Did you enact a plan that interfered with the Heralds or Companions? In spite of my warning?" 

"I am currently unable to ask permission to describe the details."

"I will take that as a yes. I still do not think it explains the gryphons–" Pause. "It is true that Iftel is formally allied with Valdemar - not a particularly meaningful alliance, in the past, yet perhaps a Groveborn could call in that favour. And if my rather tenuous speculations are correct, Iftel's original population base may have contained both gryphons and the other species represented. So the theory would explain that. Not, however, the army."

Leareth slowly leans forward over his knees, massages his forehead in both hands. "Congratulations, Bella. In several weeks you have rendered my life more complicated than the gods were able to accomplish in the past twenty years. And, possibly more surreal than they have managed ever." 

"Sorry."

"You need not apologize. I am not upset with you, merely - surprised. I am not often surprised in recent centuries and I do not especially enjoy it." 

Leareth sits up. His lips twitch. "Surprised, and impressed. It is occurring to me that, whatever the exact explanation here, a god or gods - most likely Vkandis - was in possession of a secret army, kept in reserve and hidden even from my knowledge, likely for the past eighteen hundred years. And They burned that resource in an offensive against a single person. You." 

"Well don't I feel special. Are they likely to - I don't know the word - take somebody and tell me they'll hurt them if I don't do what they want -"

"A hostage?" Leareth stares past her. "Until recently, I would not have thought They had the fine control necessary for such specific direct action; it is not characteristic of Them. However, sending armies after particular people They dislike on several weeks' notice and without any cover story at all is also not characteristic. Is there anybody still in Haven who is known to be close to you?" 

"I have friends. I could pull people out if you have enough people here to get mana from but I couldn't check first."

"...In your position, I would strongly consider it. I have about twenty personnel here in total, and could Gate in more people if you judged it truly urgent. Though, I would perhaps hesitate if any of them are Herald-Companion pairs who do not already know of my existence. They could react...badly." 

There's a polite knock on the wall next to the curtain, then a rustle. A matronly woman in her fifties rolls in a cart with several trays of food on it. "Master Leareth!" she says (again, in the language Bella doesn't speak.) "I did not know you were planning to be here or I would have aired out your library." Her lips purse in disapproval. "Are you taking good care of yourself? You look tired." 

Leareth glances over at her with surprising warmth. "You need not worry about the library, Maddi. And, I am well enough. Emergency Gate, is all."

Bella reaches for a plate, pauses, looks at the woman for confirmation.

The woman nods and smiles.

"This is Bella," Leareth says in Valdemaran. "She is visiting from very far away." 

"Thank you," Bella says, taking the plate. "Twenty people total is enough to get one person here since none of them are wizards."

Nod. “If mana were not a limitation, how many people would you wish to transport in?”

"Uh, if mana were not a limitation, I'd grab one person who has Mindspeech, loan her the earcuff so she could do communications, and then take anyone the invaders twitched at."

"–Yes, I think it wise to re-establish Mindspeech contact."

He turns back to the woman, switches to the northern language. "Maddi, find everybody and bring them here. Now, please. Rastan in particular – we may need a Gate."