"All right. I can pass word to Savil through our Companions if Elspeth does decide to swing by. Hopefully she'll be able to make time tonight. She is very curious about, well, all of it." 

"Wilbur and I are pretty bizarre and unprecedented."

That gets another chuckle. "Certainly true. Do you have any other questions for me, right now, or information you'd like passed along?" 

"What's her Companion's name? What's your Companion's name, for that matter, Yfandes says lots of Companions don't really talk to people who aren't other Companions or their Heralds but that seems...weird...to me."

Lancir looks surprised and pleased at her asking. "My Companion is Taver. Elspeth's is Coryn. Both stallions." He chuckles. "And, yes, I can see it seeming odd to an outsider. Honestly, for passing things between Heralds, it's almost easier to relay through our Companions; they're better at multitasking. And relatively few non-Heralds are Mindspeakers. Companions can talk to non-Mindspeakers, but it's tiring for them, and also it tends to alarm people if they've never heard a voice in their head before." 

"I guess that makes sense. I'd suggest some kind of sign language but in addition to not having human larynxes they also don't have, uh, hands. And if they're all effortlessly telepathic among themselves and with their Heralds...I can see how that would have developed the current status quo. It's just that I, not always a biped, am not much inclined to thoughtless biped chauvinism."

Lancir smiles. "I can see that." 

"And Yfandes is such a sweetheart."

"She is." The smile broadens. "Though she can also be quite intimidating when she's angry. Not sure if you've ever seen her lose her temper?" 

"It hasn't really come up, no."

"...I suppose it wouldn't have in a fight, if she was traveling with you. She's not a fan of anything threatening her Chosen, and she's got sharp hooves. The other time I've seen her furious was with Vanyel's father. Fortunately she skipped using hooves or teeth on that occasion." 

"I know nothing about Vanyel's father except that he sucks, so that checks out. And yeah--I didn't actually have to protect Vanyel from much, physically, but I absolutely would have done so very efficiently if I'd had to."

"You're a very good friend for him to have." 

"I try. He needs a good friend."

Nod. "Anyway, did you have anything else to discuss now? I've got another meeting I should be running to soon." 

Headshake. "No, it was just Staven."

Then Lancir will head off. 

She goes back inside. 

"So I think that went well." 

"Oh?" 

"We talked about stuff and he's not ready to unveil the resurrection stuff yet much less start with anyone from the whole mess that ended with half a landholding in flames but I could maybe sneak back and steal the body secretly and, uh, apparently the Queen is going to show up at some point to confirm that 'Lendel is himself and not some kind of horrifying necromantic abomination."

"...Oh, gods." Tylendel wraps an arm more tightly around Vanyel. 

"Well, you're not! So there's nothing to worry about, right? ...I mean apart from the part where she's a Queen, which, fair, I'm kinda nervous about that part too."

Tylendel shivers. "...It'll be fine," he tells himself firmly. 

Donni is grinning. "We get to talk to the Queen! That's so exciting. I mean, I did make my oath to her and everything, but still. Reckon she'll ask us questions to corroborate whether 'Lendel seems like the same person?" A speculative look. "I could make up– don't look at me like that, Mardic, I won't actually make anything up about how he drinks blood now or whatever." 

Lucy makes the conscious decision not to mention that that was technically in fact a possible failure mode. 

"I've never met a Queen before. The country I was born in doesn't even have royalty."