Slowly, haltingly - his brain feels half floating out of his body, still lost in the turbulent, half-outside-of-reality currents of the Heartstone and its strange, alien mind - Vanyel recounts his findings. Highjorune is on an earthquake fault-line, with additional damage that must date back to the Mage Wars leaving it even more unstable. At the point when the Tayledras cleansed the land here, some Healing-Adept left the Heartstone in place, along with an intricate, incredible spell, the one they sensed the edges of, to hold the fault together and slowly heal it. The ban on mages is from then as well, to keep the node untouched. The royal family is all tied to the Heartstone and can be directed to serve its will. 

(This part is honestly very creepy.) 

The Heartstone saw the mage who triggered it. Vanyel doesn't recognize him, but the Heartstone does. And remembers when he placed the dagger, seventeen years ago. 

"Vedric Mavelan," Vanyel says faintly. "Royal family - Baires..." 

"They wanted to take over. Probably to get at the node-energy, they have huge numbers of mages there. But why now, did Leareth give him orders..." 

"Maybe we should just. Ask him." 

"–What, really? I'm so dubious that's a good idea." 

"Should...send you back first, Mardic and Donni too. I'll stay. In case the Mavelans show up. Can't let them at the node. But - four mages to guard the ship, makes them less vulnerable. Then, up to you and Matirin, I guess. But. Missing something here. Doesn't make sense, and - he's not stupid..." 

Savil puts a hand on Vanyel's shoulder. "Van, are you sure you're all right? You're not sounding that coherent right now." 

Vanyel rubs his eyes, forces himself to focus. "It's just the Heartstone. I can fight fine, if I have to. Hopefully won't have to." 

A few minutes after that, Sandra relays to Matirin that Savil wants a shuttle ride back, along with two other Herald-Mages, in case Leareth intends to move on the ship. Vanyel is staying behind to guard the palace. Savil apparently has a little more context to share once she's back. 

He appreciates having more defenses on the ship, and sends the shuttle out for them. He's woken more of his people, too. He's rewatching the interview with Leareth, tail swishing.

Savil, when she gets back, looks tense and worried. 

Mardic is very quiet, just nodding when Savil introduces him; it's been such a long night and he's tired and the whole aliens thing is overwhelming enough that he kind of wants to just avoid it. 

(He wonders, with some quiet bitterness, if the Andalites have remarked on the fact that, while Savil's introducing him as a Herald, he isn't wearing Whites and doesn't have a Companion with him.) 

Donni stares around at everything, fascinated, but then tries to focus. 

:Politically motivated assassination by a rival kingdom: Savil explains. :We're pretty sure a high-ranking mage in Baires, their neighbour, triggered the spell. And set it up, seventeen years ago. The Heartstone never saw Leareth, only him. Van still thinks the dagger itself is Leareth's work, so - seems like he supplied it to Baires for some reason. And may or may not have given orders to deploy it now, but - why, right, it seems so clumsy and stupid. Van thinks we should just confront Leareth about it. I'm...not sure...: 

<It seems ...somewhat unlikely that Leareth intended it to be used right now.> Tail-swish. <Maybe to distract Valdemar, but - he didn't take advantage of the distraction in a fashion which we have noticed. And I think he wants this alliance, even if he is intending to betray it eventually. This could have waited...two weeks, until we're ready to depart, if he had control of the timing. Of course, if he didn't, it's an awfully unlucky coincidence, and I don't particularly believe in those.>

Savil nods, looking thoughtful and unhappy. 

<What we lose by asking him is that he learns we know. What we gain is potentially figuring out what's going on.> Tail swish. <I very much dislike Leareth but I think Van might be right. We are ostensibly attempting an alliance here; were he an allied country we would be demanding answers. And not having them doesn't strengthen our position if we decide the alliance shouldn't be attempted.>

Nod. :So, we send him a note and ask to question him with Truth Spell again?: 

<I suppose so. One of you will need to write the note, we do not know how. Van was writing them for us.>

Savil can help write a note. 

Back in Highjorune, Vanyel sits just outside the palace and his shield-barrier, watching the horizon slowly lighten.

:I - just - it doesn't make sense. I don't see how this helps him. He's really desperate for this alliance - of course he is, it'd get him all sorts of resources...: 

Yfandes is squirmily silent. 

:It - makes me think about what he said before. About the gods sabotaging his plans. This - I mean, I don't know, but my gut says the timing wasn't his doing. Because it'd be so stupid. And...it's convenient, right, if there's some Power that - wants Matirin to be upset enough to refuse Leareth's help...: 

Vanyel hugs his knees to his chest. :And, just... He has a point, about - a lot of things in Velgarth being terrible. Things that'd be unacceptable if the world were sane. And...if it's true that the gods want everything to stay like this - we know Leareth believes it is, he was under Truth Spell, he wasn't lying - then...: Vanyel takes a shuddering breath, lets it out. :I don't know. But he kind of has a point, and - if what we learn from all this does end up pointing at him being - good-intentioned - then, just...: 

He pauses for a long time. 

:Then I'd want to help him: