The Andalites try this out and decide that it is much less intolerable to be human-shaped if you spend some of your time not trying to wobble around on your legs. Not anywhere near enough of them. How do humans endure. 

<One thing that would be very valuable to know> he says to Vanyel, <is whether when we acquire a template of a Gifted person we acquire the ability to wield Gifts.>

:I'm Gifted, but - it might not be the best idea to try that first. I have a lot of Gifts and they're very powerful - if your people have trouble with standing and talking then - uncontrolled Gifts are really bad...: 

He fixes his eyes on the floor. :Alsoyoushouldwearclothes: 

<The artificial skin you are wearing? What is it made of?>

"Um, this is linen and this is wool, I think, we could definitely get you some spare fabrics or just spare clothes from Haven. Um, don't wear literally this, though, only Heralds wear Whites." 

<I don't know if we have the means to manufacture that so we would be grateful to borrow it. Only Heralds wear Whites?>

:It's a uniform, so people recognize us even if they haven't met a specific Herald. Healers all wear green, and the military Guard wears blue. Does your world not have uniforms? I guess if none of you need to wear clothes...: 

<We do not communicate rank with artificial skin, no. I suppose that would make sense if you have to wear it anyway.>

:Hmm. What other supplies can we help you with. Do you have enough food, are you warm enough staying in here... And we should get you someone with less ridiculous Gifts than mine to test it. Can you fly that shuttle thing all the way to Haven and back? It's way faster than traveling even by Companion and Gates are tiring: 

<We can fly the shuttle to Haven, yes. We didn't do it initially because Yeerks would have some chance of detecting it, if there were Yeerks operating here, but I think at this point that seems unlikely. We have enough food and the Dome can be temperature controlled. If you have obvious countermeasures we could deploy against attempts by Leareth to enter it disguised by magic, that would be useful, and someone with weak Gifts to run that test seems important.>

:I can cast wards but they'll only alert me or another mage... Honestly it's possible I should stay here. At least until we can get another mage up here: 

<That does seem possible, if you would be willing to do it. I know your people have their own war to fight. What supplies would you need from Haven, if you were doing that?>

:Not that much. I can make a list for you to take back to Haven - hmm, actually, maybe I should send Yfandes with you. So they don't panic that you kidnapped me: He shrugs. :I was taking a break from the front and visiting my parents when you arrived, so you're not really pulling me away from the war effort, and watching this place will be way less stressful and depressing: 

<All right. Yfandes and Arran -> he tail-gestures at a nearby Andalite - <can go back to Haven; I want to reevaluate our plans to fix the ship in light of some of the things that we have discussed. And then I think -

- I would like to know more about Leareth.>

Yfandes follows Arran. With some reluctance. :Take care, Chosen. I'll be back fast: 

Vanyel takes a deep breath. :All right. Do you have specific questions? I'm missing a lot of information about Leareth because he's, well, very paranoid and secretive, and also I don't have a way of verifying most of it and he could be lying to me: 

<He is thousands of years old? How is this accomplished? Has he run a country before?>

:I don't know how he made himself immortal. Magic, I assume. His body can die but he - comes back, like different incarnations. It seems like he reappears as an adult, so he either can just make a body come from nowhere, like our Groveborn Companion - but I think that's a miracle from a god, not just magic - or he takes over bodies or something. He's run multiple countries before, I think, and been an advisor to even more: 

His tail lashes at 'takes over bodies or something.' <Which ones? Do we have records of what they were like?>

:Some. There are some treatises he published that I guessed were him. And - I think he has records of everything. At one point he told me how to get into a cave of supplies and records, as part of proving his immortality - it's full of books but they're in code and I was never able to decipher it: 

<Do you have them somewhere where we could take a look at them.>

:Oh. Some are in my room in Haven, I can probably tell someone to get them–: He stops. :Complicating factor, the other Heralds don't know I talk to him. Our Groveborn Companion, Taver, wanted it kept secret for some sort of Foresight bad-feeling reason. Anyway, some are there and most are still in the cave, I could take you to it if your shuttle is able to fly six hundred miles: 

<It can do that, yes.>

Nod. :You think you'd be able to read them?: 

<If we are unable to I will disbelieve that this man is of your world, which would be important information in its own right. Making codes that our capabilities cannot break requires our capabilities, or something very close to them.>