:Oh, that's a good idea, I should think if there's anything I should test. Er, it's complicated because - some abilities, like talking to anyone this way even when they're not Gifted, we don't normally talk about or use, and there are others that - that I think we don't reliably have unless it's an emergency, and then it just happens - I've heard of us having Fetching that way, or even being able to use node-energy ourselves to run faster: 

:That's kind of weird:

:I guess it is kind of weird. We're made that way. Er, what sorts of elements would people tend to use to try to catch me? What I know from Velgarth is, hmm, we're physically tough, and we can take a lot more of most magic attacks - levinbolts, fireballs - without serious injuries than our Heralds, although partly we're just bigger: 

:Uh, if for some reason I wanted to catch a wild horse I might try to trip it with some Earth or Wood, break a leg, plan on healing it later. But somebody might try, hm, icing you - people don't always thaw safely after they've been iced, but for a horse they might not care, it's still a decent chance - that one's not safe to test. Might surround you with fire and expect you to be too spooked to go through it, or Shine or Shadow you in the eyes so you couldn't see:

:Hmm, I'd expect to have some resistance to the ice one - we're very tough with normal winter cold, we can actually keep our Chosen alive in a blizzard or whatnot by deciding to burn through more magic and run extra hot. Obviously I won't spook as easily, and we can run through an ordinary fire and come out just a little singed. We've also got Thoughtsensing and a little bit of something like mage-sight, so something in my eyes won't entirely blind me. I don't know about tripping - we've got fast reflexes but not perfect, but - hmm, we can sense the magic itself, so I'd expect that to make the tripping attempt quite obvious. I suppose it really all depends on how hard whoever it is is trying to catch me, and how fast they escalate if it doesn't work on the first go: 

:That I can't tell you. Still, you might want to do your grazing mostly at night or something:

:Oh, that's easy. And I'm not fussy, either, if there are any meadows here or there in the woods I can find them: 

:I don't know where all the choicest meadows are, I am not a goatherd, but I wish you luck:

:You're welcome. It sounds like maybe I'd better give Jisa a lift back to the city, once we're ready to go back, and then fend for myself until tomorrow? Jisa and I can still talk easily from five miles apart, so it won't cut me out of the planning loop: 

:Yeah, that makes sense. Will she have to relay to cut me in?:

Mental sigh. :I can talk to you from there too, technically, it'll just be more tiring for me and - more doing things I'm not really meant to do, but you know, this seems like a situation that's worth breaking the rules for: 

:Where'd all these rules come from?:

:You know, I'm not sure. It's - the way things are done? - From the gods who made us, I guess: 

:Yours - show up and hand out instructions?:

:Nnnno, not really. I'm - not sure how it works: 

:...you aren't sure how it works: repeats Maurabel.

:Yes. Our gods are very mysterious: 

:I see: says Maurabel, who does not at all see. :Jisa, you ready to ride yet?:

:Mmm?: She lifts her head. :Sure, I can ride: 

Enara bends and offers her neck for Jisa to grab and pull herself up. 

:This way: She leads the way, lighting the path, back toward the school.

Jisa is very quiet for the first half, but eventually starts perking up. 

:This is so irritating!: she complains to Maurabel. :I didn't realize it was going to be that hard going home even once I knew how!: 

:Do you think you can do it more efficiently next time?:

:Enara thinks so but I don't know if that'd be enough: 

:Enough for what?:

:I don't know, to make it feasible to bring more people over? I couldn't've held that Gate any longer than I did: