"Right. But we can tell if a name is real."

"Right." General falls silent, unable to think of anything else to say. (She desperately wants to ask for updates on her brother, but for infosec reasons they're avoiding revealing that she has any relation with Woodlark.) 

And a while later the Gate goes up and Wingsister waves to Promise. 

Promise flutters through. "I have a letter from Woodlark," she says, depocketing it.

"Oh! Thank you." Wingsister reaches out to take it. "I - did you talk to him, is he...?" She trails off. 

"We spoke, yes. I don't know what's in the letter though."

"He didn't want to come back with you." It's a flat statement, not really a question. 

"Right."

Wingsister gives her a look, but doesn't actually ask 'why are you being so unhelpful' out loud. "Er, I'll read the letter, I guess. Is that the only thing you came down for?" 

"I'd like a word with the Groveborn."

Blink. "Oh. Um, all right." Her eyes go briefly unfocused. "My Companion's passed that on to him, he can talk to you in Companions' Field. This way." She starts walking. 

Flutter flutter.

A white horse-person is standing in the field waiting for her. He's taller than Woodlark's Companion, and radiates a greater sense of something-alien. 

:Promise: he says. 

"Hello. What can you tell me about your most recent conversation with Woodlark's Companion?"

:She approached me in an agitated state and was - evasive, about the exact cause of her very obvious distress. I gathered she fought with her Chosen but she did not go into depth on that part. She did inform me of Woodlark's discussions with Leareth, and that the previous Groveborn before me, who is dead now, had ordered her not to tell anyone. I think that her decision not to bring me in after his death was an oversight and I should have been told years ago: 

"I wouldn't know, but okay. That's all?"

:She also told me of one earlier conversation with Leareth where he claimed he was no longer planning to invade. And of your existence, of course, and your brief meeting in k'Treva. Apparently you made a rather rousing little speech about Leareth's merits relative to those of the gods: The Groveborn's mindvoice is, perhaps, very slightly disdainful.

"It wasn't especially intended to rouse. Somebody'd asked me a question."

He just looks at her for a moment, piercing blue eyes. 

:And then she ran away: he says. :She did not inform me she was going to do that, and did so while we were distracted by Woodlark's sudden Gate. I do not know her current plans: 

"His sudden Gate to the drop point, or was there another?"

:I do not know where his Gate was to. We sensed one from here: 

"Okay, when was this though?"

:Several days ago, the time matches the one Leareth specified for Woodlark's collapse at the drop point: 

"Okay. Is anyone upset with Woodlark about anything at the moment?"

:I think several people are upset that he ran away without speaking to any of us! Wingsister in particular is quite hurt: