"I guess you can try it."

"Your assistance would be useful."

"What is it you want me to do?"

"More gates. Local intelligence and strategic consultation."

"I can do that."

"Good. The speeder will be here soon. Which side do you prefer to stay on?"

"This one. I want to close this gate and go plant my new tree but I can open a new gate near this place for you from there."

"When should I look for it?"

"It'll definitely be settled in a week and a half. Might be sooner."

The speeder appears and hovers a little ways off. Occlus bends down to pick up the comm.

"Take this. If the gate settles and I am not here, press the button on the side to contact me."

"...Okay." She takes it and tucks it in her bag with the books.

"Until then."

Occlus gets in the speeder and flies off.

Three days later, the comm button is pushed.

And shortly after that, Occlus returns to the spot.

"Hi."

"Hello. How involved do you prefer to be in this campaign?"

"Depends on whether you assail courts that have my name and how good your extraction protocol is."

"I am willing to listen to your advice on both matters."

"My first master will still remember my name but also runs an unusually unpleasant court with a high concentration of sorcerers, either or both of which might be motivating."

"Perhaps once I have a sense of what works as a counter."

"Then there are other courts you could try, although I don't have good intel on any of them in particular."

"If they are small enough, that shouldn't matter."

"Then you'll want a mixed court, not a breeder court, breeder courts get big."

"'Breeder'?"

"Most fairies don't have children. Some kinds do."