"She seemed pretty stable to me but I can't rule out that it was a front, I suppose. She can't have gotten all that far, though, so I'm not sure why you haven't just Mindspoken her."

"We've all tried! She's always had very good shields and it seems like she doesn't want to talk to us, we can't even find her that way. Rolan could, maybe, but, well..." 

"But, well, he accidentally ripped a hole in her brain, yeah. I think she'll be fine. I can't guarantee it since I am not holding her prisoner to ensure it. Maybe in the morning she'll talk to you."

Some worried and unhappy looks are exchanged. 

Vanyel folds his arms. "I think Belrun is right, and I think hauling her back here against her will is going to make things worse rather than better, even assuming we could find her. So. Plan: I go to bed, if Leareth turns up I can talk to him about the Companion bond, which is likely to take the whole dream, and I'll avoid anything else. I can do that." 

He glances at Belrun. :Um, given the fact that a dream tonight is likelier than baseline, maybe it would make sense for you to, er, sleep in my bed. Unless you want to stay with Amshalan tonight in which case, reasonable. I guess I could sleep in the stables too and just try to avoid Yfandes...: 

:It's really dumb that the buildings aren't made to fit Companions. Uh, I need a few minutes to talk to Amshalan after everybody disperses and then I'll get back to you?:

:Sure, of course: 

There are some mutters and some Mindspeech-looks and then everyone finally starts to disperse. Keiran takes Tran by the arm, gently, and leads him away. 

:Well?: Belrun asks Amshalan. :What do you suppose? You Chose me, are you - allowed to keep me?:

:–can we go for a walk. Maybe a run. I can't - it's really hard to think right now: Amshalan is sort of restlessly shifting her weight. 

...you're not wearing a saddle:

:Oh. Right. I can - get one - although on reflection running around in the dark is probably a dumb idea and I'll break my legs: 

:Yeah. What's hard to think about exactly, can I help -:

:Um. It's - hard to talk about - the thing that's hard to think about, but. It's like - there are a lot of thoughts I can have hypothetically? But - not if it's in real life. And - you are kind of in real life: 

:Yeah, I am. Real live me as advertised. Was this a bad idea?:

:Most of me - doesn't think so. You're - my Chosen. You're - really great actually. I - just - I can't - the part about–: She gives up in disgust. Stomps her hoof on the path. :Goddamnit. I can't THINK. This is stupid: 

:If it helps to have it hypothetical -

- if I'd just been left alone I was going to try to eradicate some infectious diseases. Leareth thinks the gods would've stopped me. Hypothetically:

(Amshalan is soft. Pet pet.)

:I - think - people dying of infectious diseases - is bad actually: Amshalan sends, slowly, carefully, picking out each word as though balancing on unsteady rocks in a river. 

:So do I! So hypothetically, assuming Leareth's right at any rate -:

Amshalan tenses up. Forces herself to relax. :...It's - really hard to - look at - that. Him. Like something - doesn't want me to: 

:At - Leareth?

Well, depending on how the dream works if we wind up having a stable sleepover with Vanyel you might encounter him tonight, so -:

Amshalan blinks. :I didn't really mean literally looking, but. What does he look like - ooh, is he handsome...?: She seems to have found some different angle of attack, one that involves a lot less hesitation and discomfort. 

:Um, I think so but if you want an objective assessment we might have to prevail upon Vanyel, I'm not objective about him at all:

Chuckle. :Suppose we'll have to ask. Anyway. I - hmm. I can - think - that he's...damn it, what's the phrase. In your league? I can - notice you're wonderful - obviously, I Chose you - and - want you to have the best only in men. And - can imagine - thinking your lifebonded wasn't good enough for you - that you deserved better - but I don't. I just - what's even after that, there's - a next step there...: 

:...that if I'm great and he's good enough for me he must be pretty great too? You were noticing earlier about - doing big things that require knowing where everything is -:

:Right: Amshalan seems about to start a sentence several times in a row but keeps getting stuck. :–I can see that in the abstract?: she confesses finally. :Just - at some point - probably he's going to do something specific. Which will be - perfectly in line with that - and also make my head explode. I - know it's stupid - I - what - how...: