"Vanyel might be much more willing to, for example, go out and meet you to speak. Which is the sort of demand that might actually change my future actions, here, but I would not expect Vanyel to be comfortable coming to speak with me, and am reluctant to even request it explicitly." 

"I guess that makes sense. We're assuming that's safe for me, presumably, that Vanyel is not the gods' instrument to cripple you by lifebond-breakage?"

"I really doubt it? He does not have a relationship with any god where they could directly possess him, as is sometimes possible with the peoples in pacts with the Star-Eyed, or with priests and others closely serving Vkandis. It would be very out of character for him to harm you, and the gods mostly act via people doing exactly what is characteristic for them and makes sense given their motivations, but nudged in a particular direction."

Sigh. "That being said, it would not be guaranteed safe and I would wish to take precautions. I am not sure what precautions would work without having more of a plan there. For now I suppose I can add that offer to the letter, and work on a phrasing that is both not a lie and also as de-escalating as possible." 

"Okay." She looks over his shoulder while he edits.

Leareth eventually gets it down to a phrasing that, while not the most conciliatory one possible, is minimally confrontational-sounding and also true. The letter is substantially longer but still fits on a single page, which Leareth thinks is concise enough.

"How would me going to talk to Vanyel work?" wonders Belrun.

"I am leaving some of it up to him because I think that is more conducive to his thinking it is a good idea - you saw I suggested meeting at a border, since I think Valdemar would prefer I not Gate anybody in, and also that means you do not need to interact with other Heralds and Companions, who I trust, well, less than Vanyel. You could have some bodyguards, but honestly, if we are trusting Vanyel enough to have you meet him at all - and I do trust him with it, which is kind of saying a lot actually - then bodyguards will not make a huge difference." 

"I'm fine going alone if I go at all. But I'm not sure how I can get around nonmagically in a snowy mountainous area, given the givens and reserving flying for when a mishap won't kill me."

"I would plan on Gating you to near the location suggested, just, not to within Valdemar itself, and having some means of transportation that is not walking - do you know how to ride? They might also request a place that is not along the northern border." 

"I know how but I'm not good at it."

"Does 'not good at it' mean 'likely to fall and hurt yourself'?" 

"No, unless the horse starts cantering. I'm capable of sitting. But they pick up on me being stressed out. I can probably fix this if it's important, I know why it happens, it's all the nightmares I had when I was a kid overgeneralizing to normal horses, but it never has been a priority so far, I've just ridden in wagons when taking long trips."

"That makes sense. I think for most locations they might request, I could arrange a wagon as well, since there will generally be cleared roads. If Vanyel is being polite and helpful he might also offer something." 

Nod.

"Anyway, I suppose I will read this over a few more times and then I probably need to Gate over at least briefly to send it via the usual network and make some other arrangements. You can come if you wish." (He's hoping she will, being a thousand miles apart is not fun.) 

"Yeah, I'll come."

Then they can Gate out a few minutes later (he's going to have so much weather-magic to do tonight so no one gets mad and comes to find him about bringing in storms). The trip takes a couple of hours and is mostly Leareth Mindspeaking with various people now within range. They haven't heard anything yet about movements in Valdemar but will be keeping a closer eye. 

His letter should arrive by the next morning. 

She's pensive, scribbling in her notebook, and doesn't stay up any later than he does when he's tired out from all the Gating that evening.

Leareth sleeps in a bit, due to being tired out from all the Gating, and the first thing he does is check in with the communication-spell. 

:No news: he tells Belrun. :I suppose we wait, now. What more do you need to do before leaving would make sense?:

:Get my eggs, ideally inform the Dean and my students and a couple friends, and then pack up the last-minute stuff:

:All right. It does seem possible that we will be able to come back, if things become - less tense - but I do not think we can promise the dean that: 

:Yeah. Also I'll have to tell Rana goodbye. Uh, is there a better way to handle the eggs besides short range Gating them to Rana's with all the other luggage, and then getting all the boxes and eggs through in one long range Gate?:

:Hmm. I could enclose them in a couple of layers of shields and then float them in the lazy susans and walk, which would be more annoying but less tiring than a short-range Gate: 

"Up to you, it's your reserves."

"Hmm. I think I am more concerned about delays than arriving a little more tired, and will not need to urgently throw more magic around, so we can do the two Gates."