Got it. It'll take me a while to get all of that without making anyone suspicious.

That makes sense, especially if you're asking someone for one of the few remaining roses and it only exists because of sentimental value. Uh, nothing but the food gets consumed, they will get it back later.

While you're doing that, would you benefit from an aerial view of the Ice? I don't have the eyes for it, but I could take a passenger if someone who's already fully informed wants to.

I'll ask Findekáno, thanks.

You're very welcome. Flying's great.

I'm desperate to try it. But this is important and I'm the one making up nonsense about your religion, so I should be the one to keep doing that.

You are going to lose the ability to lie soon, remember. But that'll be surprisingly little interference on the ability to make up nonsense.

Noted. The problem is saying things I believe to be false? Saying things I don't believe?

Either. Saying something and being wrong costs too, but less so. Practitioners talk in conditionals a lot, or things that are technically questions. Or just true but misleading, like the fact that there are in fact a lot of weird human religions.

Okay. I'll get to work on collecting peoples' precious stuff from them. They are going to agree, I'd just feel bad saying 'this is an order and I can't say why' to people who trust us.

They will get it back afterward, for anything where the normal use doesn't involve eating it or lighting it on fire.

If the candles or incense are important to someone, we'll owe them. Even though it's for a good cause.

Owe them by the rules of your magic? Because by the rules of our society if someone wants something for a good reason it's theirs, and if the King wants something for any reason it's his.

First thing. The rules are on a bit of a hair trigger about debts.

In that case I'll be super sure to give everyone something valuable in return.

It barely applies to you yet, but it's a good habit to have. Good luck with collecting ingredients.

Thanks. And she heads off.

And is Findekáno anywhere to be found? Wait, of course he is.

Are you free? Irissë thought you'd be interested in an aerial view of the Ice.

Definitely. Can you explain how your thing works, more specifically than 'magic'?

I've got a couple of river spirits that can control the motion of a mass of water they're touching. Each can exert just about enough force to lift the entire setup; between the two of them that allows a lot of speed. Those were hard to come by and I probably can't casually get more at that level.

When I'm flying alone, I'm in a sphere of water and they move that while holding it in its shape and me in place. I've only got one water-breathing mask, but we can have our heads awkwardly sticking out the top so there's air. We don't need to optimize for speed. Just to be complete, there's a couple other elementals involved. A weaker water spirit to keep it clean, the heat elemental to keep us from freezing, and on Irissë's suggestion an ice one to disguise the warmth in case anyone's looking.

You might want to wear something that won't be too inconvenient to be submerged in. We can magically evaporate the water on the way out, can't do that while flying.

Fascinating. Where were you trying to fly to?

The moon.

That should probably come with a summary of what moons even are.

What moons even are: the summary. Including Earth's one in particular.

We don't have one of those. Uh. Why were you trying to fly to the Moon?

You want the long version or short version?

It'll take this thing a little while to get us up, right? And I'd like to scout as much as possible of the Ice from the air. We probably have time for the long version. Incidentally, where can I find you?

I'm by the...eastern?...edge of the camp nearer the ocean. "Over here."

And he finds her. "Hello."