:I think the hypothetical Companion would agree to it if they saw there was no better option. If they saw how bad the situation was, actually. I think they'd be desperate for an answer that - doesn't result in breaking everything: Sayshen tosses her mane. :Only breaking one little piece. Which, honestly, I can do without: 

Okay. Thank you so much, that must have been - exhausting and so hard and -

Do you want a hug?

:Er, yes. That would be lovely: Sayshen's blue eyes rest on her. :I am pretty tired. Fortunately, I have nothing else on today: 

Bella hugs her around the neck.

Sayshen is soft and warm and smells good, and is generally very huggable. 

Thank you, Bella says again. Uh, we didn't do the whole thing where I described my confidentiality policy, but informally how private do you want to be about what I saw?

:Oh. Hmm: Sayshen thinks for a moment. :I'd...prefer you didn't tell anyone, except, it's fine if you talk about it to any, er, hypothetical Companions and their Heralds who it could be useful to. Preferably without my name attached, but if it's too hard to anonymize it fully, eh: 

Thank you so much.

Sayshen dips her head. :I wish the best of luck to hypothetical Companions, then: 

I'm sure hypothetically that would be very appreciated.

Sayshen nods and then wanders off. 

Bella goes and finds Vanyel.

He's sitting in the shade of a tree near the edge of the field, looking at nothing in particular; he doesn't react to her approaching. 

She sits beside him. So that went pretty well, all in all.

He straightens up. "Oh!" And then looks around, spots a group of teenagers twenty yards down the path nearby, and switches to Mindspeech. :Can you, um, tell me what you found out?:

I was directed to an unbonded Companion who'd rather their name didn't enter into it. Also it's okay with them if I tell you or Yfandes about what I learned, but it shouldn't go beyond that.

Uh, Companions have non-native structures embedded in their minds which do the Bond thing and also do the - commitment to Valdemar and the gods' will thing. Those are separate. And brittle, from some angles. I was just looking and fuzzing stuff out a little to help them think past it because they kept interrupting themself mid-sentence when the structure made them run into a dead end, but having the conversation persistently enough broke the second part, I didn't have to help break it at all.

Vanyel nods. He's still calm, but with an edge that hints he would be panicking right about now if not for Bella's calming effect. :What should we do now?: 

I think you should have a conversation with Yfandes, with me there and facilitating, maybe right now so nothing gets into a crisis point before we can next carve out time.

Nod. :That...sounds like a reasonable plan...and also really scary: 

It's probably going to suck. I'm hoping that now I know what I need to steer for I can get it over with pretty quick and then you two should be okay to talk to each other normally.

Vanyel straightens his shoulders. :I trust you. Let's do that: 

Where is she?

Vanyel...is going to have to unshield and check in order to find that out, which is kind of terrifying even if he knows it's necessary, and it takes him a minute to work up the courage. 

"She's in the garden on the other side of Healers'," he says dully. "She, er, says she's happy to come here, or wait for us there, but - isn't sure if we want privacy to talk." 

Privacy would probably be a good idea.

Vanyel nods. "Um, then she suggests we go down by the river. Er, near where I was hiding before, but - maybe not the exact same spot."