I would be honored to do that. Why is your work important to the Goddess?

Moondance blinks at her, almost as though he's never considered this question before. 

:...I mean, the damage after the Cataclysm was very bad! Most of her territory was destroyed and made uninhabitable - it was bad for people and it must also be bad for gods: 

That makes sense. What are the Star-Eyed's teachings - is one supposed to pray to Her, is there a specific way to do that, is there a way to make oneself particularly convenient to direct -

:Teachings... I am not sure how to answer that. She gave us magic, once, and our mission. She...wishes that we do what is needed and also keep our people united and raise the next generation? The Pelagirs are not a safe place; we must be strong and we must work together closely. But - She has given us those gifts we need to live the happiest lives we can, in the midst of that danger. - Oh, I wish I could show you the Vale now. You would find it very beautiful, I think: 

Maybe someday once you have more reason to trust me. I know that you all have learned very little of Cheliax and much of it very alarming.

Moondance nods. It's not like he can deny it. 

:- There are prayers, yes, and trance-exercises to make oneself more open to Her direction. And I know that the shamans of the Shin'a'in learn to leave their bodies and walk the spirit world, to speak to Her representatives there. I do not know how to do that, though, and - She does not speak to us often, or clearly. I am - more open to Her direction, because of my Gifts, and even so I rarely have more than vague intuitions: 

His lips twitch. :My Wingbrother Vanyel did once Mindtouch the Heartstone in order to yell at Her, but I cannot say I would recommend that: 

I don't want to yell at her! And I have no reason to expect that talking to me would be a good use of Her attention, I just - wouldn't want to ignore my dreams if dreams are direction, or ignore my intuitions, if those are. And I would very much like to learn the trance-exercises. 

:Then it would be my pleasure to teach you!: Moondance tries to smile encouragingly at her. :And I can tell you of what my teachers said, on recognizing when dreams and intuitions are Her touch on the world: 

Carissa will be such an attentive student.

Moondance is also a pretty good teacher! Carissa can get a couple of candlemarks of very patient instruction and explanations on a couple of different trance-exercises, which Moondance explains are also very useful for learning Gift-control - he wonders if they would also help with concentration for her kind of magic, or if it's different? 

At this point Starwind arrives, and (without actually asking) picks Carissa up again and hauls her back to her room so that he and Moondance can talk in private while they babysit Leareth. 

Moondance seems less likely to kill her but she actually thinks she likes Starwind better, he makes sense.

She practices her trance exercises for the rest of the day and occasionally contemplates swords of teleport and how they ought to work.

Around midday, three horses, travelling at a speed it is impossible for horses to reach even for a brief gallop, tear down the road towards Haven. They kick up no dust, because their hooves are misty and insubstantial. 

The Heralds have been in an endless meeting since shortly after dawn. Vanyel's been pushing back against Tran's insistence that now is an especially good time to question Leareth, while he's still out of it and not trying to trick them. 

They haven't come to any clear decisions when one of the Heralds on duty in the outer city contacts them with news from the Guard-post by the outer city gates. 

Randi sighs heavily, rubbing his forehead. 

"Right. Fine. It's got to be magic from the other world, so...Cheliax? Probably?" He pinches the bridge of his nose. "Van, Savil, Tantras - go out and meet them, I guess. We'll call this meeting for now." 

Vanyel had been vaguely hoping for a chance to drop by Healers' and check how Leareth is doing today, but there's no good reason for him to want to do that, and it seems bad to leave the probably-from-Cheliax riders waiting. 

He goes out with Savil to wait for them. 

(A couple of more junior Heralds have been dispatched to find out what they're there for, and - if as hoped it's not with hostile purpose - escort them to a meeting-place. One just outside the Palace walls, because everyone is feeling kind of on edge.) 

Yfandes is still very quiet and tense and not giving any commentary on Vanyel's responses to the meeting. She doesn't have comments on this new development either, but she does at least show up and carry Vanyel to the planned meeting location. 

The envoys speak fluent Valdemaran and say their intent is peaceful, and they want to arrange diplomatic relations with Valdemar and discuss what can be done to reduce the harm caused by the present disarray in Iftel.

That's really awkward. 

Savil is going to try to avoid talking much in this meeting, because she is really not good at diplomacy. Especially not when most of what she knows about a country is that they're literally trying to be evil on purpose. 

Tantras is not having an amazingly good day - it's only a year since he lost Taver, and he's more functional now but stress really gets to him. 

He does his best to take over gracefully, though, introducing them and their roles in Valdemar's government and inviting the envoys in to sit down and have tea while they discuss.

Vanyel is also in a very bad mood. He's mostly but not entirely hiding it; he can't help speaking rather coolly. 

"It's worth noting that we aren't fully up to date on the situation in Iftel. The barrier means relatively little spillover on Valdemar, but also delays communications. It's also worth noting that we have a formal alliance treaty with them." Under Elspeth's government, not Randi, but he doesn't mention that. "So far they haven't asked us for military aid, just food and medical support, but it would be a rather awkward quandary if they did." 

The lead envoy introduces himself as Aspex Hulien, delegate to the court of Her Majesty Abrogail Thrune II, and he's very complimentary about the tea, which isn't grown in Cheliax and has to be imported from halfway around the world. 

"That would indeed be an awful quandary. Perhaps we can arrive at some plan to avoid such a dilemma for your people arising. Cheliax has no desire to go to war with Valdemar; war is always a tragedy. But surely the treaty does not oblige you to join in every military action Iftel starts, if they ask?"

"Perhaps not, but it would depend, right. ...Can you tell us a little more background of how this war started? What we've heard so far is - limited. But it's very surprising to us that Iftel could have started it. They're a peaceful country. As far as I know they've never had a war in their entire history." 

"What do you actually know about their history? My understanding is that they go to extraordinary lengths to ensure that almost nothing about their society is learned by outsiders. Certainly they haven't permitted any of you to go look for yourselves. And certainly, when Karse, commanded by the same god, invaded you, they sent no aid, as their god instructed. Iftel was Vkandis's secret army, held in reserve for when He required it. I don't know who opened the portal - it was not done by the Queen's command, certainly, and no one in Iftel has claimed responsibility either. But when it did open, they attacked us."

That...is very uncomfortable. Is it all from talking to Leareth and guesswork, or do they know it more directly...? 

"Maybe it was some sort of weird magical accident? Your world has at least one other interplanar rift, apparently."