"Okay, that's good to know. It's a little too dark to write even now my eyes are adjusted or I'd be trying to take notes."

"—oh, right, dayfolk vision. Not sure how to help with that, sorry. I bet you can get more light in Silver Falls, there's some folk who like it brighter."

"Oh good, I like to write."

"This far north you won't see much sun even when it's up, but I'm sure there's some way to put together enough lamps to suit you."

"Lamps are fine. You're being very accommodating."

"Well, you're an outworlder," she says reasonably.

"Still, I appreciate it."

"I'm glad!"

"What do you all do when you aren't taking outworlders to see the Queen?"

"We're scouts! We scout. Farther south than here, usually. Updating maps of the borderlands, making sure there isn't anyone sneaking up here to do mischief."

"What are you doing this northerly, then?"

"Taking a little holiday. With permission, I should clarify."

"You go on vacation with your squad?"

"Why not? We're all good friends."

"I suppose that makes sense."

"I certainly like to think so!" giggles Charm.

"How did you all get squadded together?"

"Oh, I'm the newest - I was really happy to get put in Starlight's squad, he never gets lost, you know, it's great - I'm a real good tracker, Reflect and Ebb and Snowfall are good at sneaking for when we need that, Button's here to look intimidating and carry the slowpokes -"

Button rumbles a laugh.

"So it's assigned. Do you have to report to somebody?"

"I suppose so, yes."

"You suppose."

Charm laughs. "I don't know, 'report to somebody' just sounds - so official."

"Are you an unofficial squad?"

"Maybe it's another one of those things where humans are a bit southern? We know where to hand in our reports and how often we're supposed to take holidays and when we're supposed to check in about this or that, but there's nobody whose - job it is to pay attention to us?"

"I suppose if you didn't want to report and take only certain numbers of vacations and so on you wouldn't have joined up in the first place?"