:The other explanation being that they were modified or falsified somehow, which doesn't make sense either: Treven runs his blond ponytail through his fingers. :Anyway. May I have Dara cast a first-level Truth Spell for a few minutes?: 

:Yes:

He waits for Dara's nod. :Right. First - have you been keeping any secrets from us? If not, are there conditions where you would choose to in future?: 

:Uh, yes, I have not decided to tell you literally everything I know, but I don't think anything I'm withholding has strategic implications for your war:

:That'll do. Second. Are there any conditions - events that could happen, or information you could learn - where you could imagine yourself deciding to sabotage our war effort or go over to Leareth's side?: 

:...I guess I'd go to his side if I determined he was right? This would require a lot of the information you've given me to turn out to be false though:

:Tran won't like that: This is directed more to Dara than Azabel, but not actively excluding her. 

Dara nods, then turns to Azabel. :We don't know for sure that the recent attacks were him. That's why Van went north, right, in case we were wrong and actually he's still trying to cooperate if he can. The other information we told you is almost all things that Leareth said to Vanyel himself: 

:Sure, but I have it thirdhand, and I'm short on context and will be for a while, I just don't have enough confidence to commit absolutely at this time:

:I think that's fair enough. Trev?: 

He seems less happy with it, but nods. :And, if it turns out that teaching you Truth Spell even works, do you promise you won't use the coercive Truth Spell on any Herald?: 

:Er, unless we give you express permission to for some reason, I don't want to rule that out: 

:Yes:

Treven takes a deep breath, and nods. :All right. Dara, you can teach her, I have to go meet with Joshel about the treasury -: 

:I've never tried to teach someone who wasn't a Herald before! I would consider asking Shavri but, um, this is the worst time for that: She turns to Azabel and smiles reassuringly. :I'll give it a good try. You've got mage-sight, that may help– oh! Gods. If we ask you to do a lot of magic for us, we'll need a solution for the vrondi - I'll see if I can get you one of the talismans...: 

:- a solution for the vrondi?:

:Vanyel, er, made them part of the Web-alarms - sorry, the Web is a sort of giant ward system over the whole kingdom. If someone who's not keyed into it - which means anyone who's not a Herald - does significant mage-work here, they trigger an alarm for us, and also cluster and watch them. Most people find it really distracting and bothersome. It was, um, part of our plan for having warning if Leareth invades, but it's...kind of inconvenient right now: 

:I would like to be able to do magic without being bothered by vrondi:

:I'll get that sorted out. Pretty sure we have spare talismans, it's just - an issue that we're going to be bringing dozens of mages in from other countries, and we don't have dozens of them: Sigh. :Anyway. The way Vanyel explained it, the Truth Spell is a degenerate version of an elemental summoning, modified so it can be done with any mind-gift as well as mage-gift. Deedre, one of our Herald-Mages from the previous generation, researched and invented it. It's easy for any Herald to learn, but partly that's because their link to the Web makes them recognizable and trustworthy to the vrondi, it might take you more work. The basic version is this rhyme, you recite it in your head and visualize calling the vrondi like so...: 

 And she explains how to cast a Truth Spell. It's simple, but incredibly elegant, an impressive invention; even the concept of modifying a mage-working to be doable by a Mindspeaker is a brilliant one. 

:That's really cool!

- uh, now is the part where I admit I slightly wasted your time, I have a way to detect lies already but I thought it would be useful information if you would or wouldn't teach me yours:

:I see: Dara gives her a long, intent look. :...Guess I can't blame you, really, this isn't an easy position for you to be in: Her eyes light up with curiosity. :What's your way? I don't think we know of any others: 

:I use Mindhealing but it's possible to do it with Thoughtsensing too, and I've heard other gifts can stretch for it too, you just sort of - blur out your Sight till that's all you see. It took a lot of practice:

:Huh! Neat. I should ask Melody if she can do that, I never thought of it. This is something they taught at Urtho's Tower?: 

:I was physically located there at the time but I actually self-taught it based on a rumor my Mindhealing teacher told me:

:Huh! That's proactive of you. Anyway - who do you want to talk to now that you know the Truth Spell? King Randale thinks he's feeling well enough to meet you later this morning, he's quite curious: