“You can’t both talk. Then I get confused, and I can’t answer right, then you get confused too. She’s like me and I’m helping her!” 

The half-elf shuts up.

And how are you helping her, broken child?

“Broken child,” the girl agrees. “She doesn’t want to be killed, so we’re not killing her. That’s how I’m helping! Also, maybe sister would give her money, so she can not be a slave? Unless she still wants to be? I don’t really know I guess? Or unless sister has her killed for seeing us? I guess that probably wouldn’t be helping? Uhhhh… give her chestnuts maybe?”

Money is exchanged for goods and services. What service is she providing that your sister would value? Your sister doesn't need another free half-elf, even one who hasn't seen your face.

“Ummm?” The girl thinks for a bit. She rams her sword into a crate for safe keeping. “I don’t know what she does? Maybe she could kill cultists too? I bet she would enjoy that. It would be like us killing Arcanist Adrien.”

Your sister does not need cultists killed every day. We have gone many days without killing cultists. Unfortunately.

“Ok…” the girl thinks hard. “Ok, um, half-elf person? What do you do? Because I think probably the best thing would be for me to get sister to pay you and free you and stuff, but the voice says she’ll probably only do that in exchange for goods or services? Is… that what you want?” 

"Oh! Um... Mostly I'd like to go home? It would be neat to be...free? But I'd really prefer not to be kidnapped and sacrificed by cultists, if I have to pick! I can do some things that people would pay for, if they need them? I, um, help people, mostly. If someone gets hurt, but not enough to go to a cleric, or if they don't want the church to know? Or if they want to talk about something but they don't trust the confessor? Or if they want their kids to know how to read, but the bishop doesn't like them and won't let them into the children's school? I guess I'm kind of like a priest but if you don't want a real priest..."

“I…” the girl takes a deep breath and attempts to gather her scattered thoughts. “I’m sorry. Stupid crazy princess of Ardholm. Ruins everything. Except she’s not a princess anymore, because she went and got crazy. Told to kill the cult, cult is killed.”

She smiles as if this explains everything. The smile fades, somewhat. “I’m not going to hurt you,” she continues, “and neither will the cult. I… you can go home? I… I’m… um… I think I’m hurt, but not in a clerics kind of way?” She brushes absently at the still bleeding laceration on her shoulder. “Hurt in the brain,” she clarifies. “Is that something you can heal? Fix my brain so sister loves me again and mother and father come home?” 

"Your sister and parents aren't really in your head? So, um, it's harder for changes in your head to affect them? But that's okay! Cause you can still make changes that make your life better, or that let you feel better. Regardless of how other people act. I guess I know a little about that?"

Not addressing crazy statements about princesses. Those sound dangerous to acknowledge. Or remember.

“Ok,” the girl agrees. “So… you go home, and I clean up here, and then later I can find you and you can fix my brain, and I can get you money, and everyone will love me again and we can be friends? Does that sound alright to you?” 

"Um, that sounds pretty good? If things work like that? I could also help clean up? If you want help with that? I guess you'd need to untie me. I guess you'd need to untie me for me to go home anyway? Unless you carried me home? But I could walk without taking off the blindfold if you don't want me to see you, and I don't think I can help you clean things with the blindfold on."

“Oh, right,” the girl hastily unties her new friend, and removes the blindfold. “I’m sure it’s fine. If sister gets mad, she’ll be mad at me, not you. Probably.”  

If the half-elf has ever held a coin, read a newspaper, or attended a royal address, she may recognize the girl’s face. 

Eep!

Time to try to forget that as quickly as possible?

Meh. If she has to justify herself in a Circle of Truth she's already screwed. Avoiding new thoughtcrimes won't help.

"Oh, thank you! Do you want me to help clean, then?"

“I’ll just burn everything,” the girl shrugs. “Or ask the voice to burn everything, I mean.” 

"Okay! Then, um, should I...go? Or do I need to...tell you where I live?"

“That would probably help, yeah.” 

"I live by the...huh. I guess I don't. I live...with my mother? Outside the Sunrise Gate, near where they dry the hemp? If you ask around for the elf someone will know where she is, she lives behind the sackweavers."

“Okay!” The girl gives a very large, only slightly forced and maybe a little apprehensive smile. “Wonderful! I’ll see you there then. And then you can fix my brain and I can have a friend!” She withdraws a scroll from one of the many cases at her belt. “Probably you should go now. Everything will soon be fire.” 

Should she ask for something to sell? A cultist's ring?

No, that's evidence. She still has the book. That's the only important thing.

"Uh, thank you! I'm going to go! I'll...see you?"

“Stay safe! Don’t let any more cultists grab you.” She waves a cheery goodbye, then retrieves and cleans her sword. “Ok voice, burning man?” 

Take the jewelry first. No need to waste resources.

And the voice will read the scroll.