She takes the bag. "That should be fine in an emergency, thank you, sir."

"And I'll check in tonight when I'm back," Vanyel offers. "I think we should be able to leave tomorrow. ...Do you or Deskyl actually know how to ride horses?" It's finally occurred to him that he shouldn't take this for granted either. "I think the fastest way to get back to Haven involves borrowing horses – er, I'm sorry, most mages could get back right away with a Gate, but I'm...sensitive to Gates, it's a lot harder for me." 

"That's all right, sir. I don't think Xaari Deskyl has ever seen a horse before yesterday, unfortunately."

He turns bright red. "...I guess that explains why she didn't want to ride one. Um, I'm just worried that it's over two hundred miles and I don't know if it'd be bad for her to run that far when she's still injured, even if she could keep up. And...it's cutting it close, in terms of getting there in time to get you the things you need to eat."

He grits his teeth. "Maybe I should just Gate us back tomorrow morning. I won't be able to help you on the other end, but I can give you a note that explains it to Savil, my aunt, and my Companion will be able to talk to her Companion, and I think you'd be able to sort it out fine." 

"-do you have any vehicles we can ride in, sir?"

"I'm not sure what you mean - like a carriage? We could probably hitch a ride with someone that way but it'd take twice as long as riding." 

"That's fine, sir. I can do something like sleeping that means I use much less energy, or something deeper than that where I don't use any energy at all, and I'll be fine once Xaari Deskyl makes the generator for me. The main problem is arranging for her to be all right while I'm asleep."

"...I'm going to have to think about it and ask around." Vanyel isn't sure if Lancir is going to mad about him taking twice as long to get home – make it three times as long, on his own with Yfandes he could travel considerably faster than a normal horse. Not that it matters. He is absolutely going to make sure that Deskyl and DZ make it safely to Haven.

"How much, er, taking care of is she going to need, while you would be asleep?" He bites his lip. "And will she let me do it? She, um, seems more comfortable with you." 

"I'll have to talk to her about what she wants to do, sir, whether she wants to be awake for it or not and what she's comfortable with. She does seem to like you, and it won't be anything complicated in any case."

Oh no riding in a carriage with Deskyl for a fortnight without DZ there to ask for help sound awful, he'll put his foot it in again and get yelled at for sure, assuming he doesn't manage to mess up somehow and make her injuries worse too. 

"All right," he says. "I need to go - I'll talk to you again tonight?" 

"Yes sir. Thank you again." And she goes.

Vanyel eats breakfast, and then hauls himself out for a draining – and mostly boring – day of helping interrogate captive mages. He has to cast some different spells to keep them contained longer; at this point, he's not worrying about what will happen afterward. Herald Jores isn't exactly delighted with him for deciding to leave so quickly, there's a lot left to do, but he accedes to it fairly gracefully. 

He spends another, even more painful two candlemarks going about the town and then talking to the innkeeper, trying to find them a ride back to Haven. It's after dark by the time he drags himself upstairs and tentatively knocks on the door. He's exhausted from sleeping poorly, has a tension-headache, and he never wants to see a stranger's face ever again. Away missions are awful. 

DZ spends most of the day inactive, conserving her energy aside from brief trips downstairs for lunch and dinner. She's a little slower to answer the door this time when Van knocks.

"Are you all right, sir?"

"I'm fine," he says firmly. (He does not look particularly fine). "Just a long day." He tries to peer past her to see if Deskyl is sleeping still. 

Yep.

That's fine, he can keep talking to DZ. "I, um, spoke with all the merchants I could find. The only caravan anytime soon leaves in two days, not tomorrow, and, er, he really didn't give me a good feeling. We could possibly get there by hitching shorter rides with different people, there is traffic on the road, just... I don't feel comfortable being away from my duties for so long either."

(Also he desperately doesn't want to have to spend two more weeks making awkward conversation with strangers who are doing him a favour. It's pushing it to say he would Gate just to avoid that, mostly he's worried about what if something goes wrong and DZ starves so much that she doesn't wake up again, and what if they end up needing him in Haven and he's a week away on the road, but...it's a bonus.) 

He squares his shoulders. "So I think I had better Gate. It'll get you and Deskyl to Haven first thing tomorrow, while you still have reserves and can be awake. I'll be, er, really exhausted from the spell," he'll be unconscious as soon as he crosses the threshold, "so I won't be able to help you find who to talk to, but my aunt will be right there and I'll give you a letter for her explaining what you need. Yfandes will be able to explain too – um, she understands if you talk to her, even if she can't talk back, and she can talk to Deskyl with Mindspeech. Does that work?" 

"Yes sir, if that's what you think is best. We can wait if it would help you to rest beforehand."

"I'll get a good night's sleep tonight," Vanyel promises. "It'll be fine. Did you have any trouble with getting food or anything else?" 

"No sir."

"All right," yawn, "do you need anything before I go to bed?" 

"No sir. Thank you again."

Vanyel nods and trails off to his own room, where he mixes up some of his sleeping-herbs. (Yet another reason to Gate: he only has about three doses left, he can't imagine getting through a two-week journey staying in inns without it.) 

He still lies awake for a while, but manages to sleep solidly until the sun is up. He packs his things carefully, takes some steadying breaths, and goes to knock on the door for what will hopefully be the final time. 

DZ answers promptly. Deskyl is awake, this time, standing behind her in the doorway.

    "Yes sir?"

"I'm ready to go when you are. We just need to go to the edge of town to use the temple archway." Don't look terrified don't look terrified don'tlookterrified. Fortunately controlling his face is something Vanyel is practiced at. He's shielding as hard as he can, and hoping Deskyl won't bother to read his mind now that DZ can speak Valdemaran. 

She doesn't seem to be, no.

    "Yes sir," DZ says, and relays this to Deskyl via sign language.