"We can do that, Ser."

"Thank you. Is there anything else urgently important for me to be aware of?"

Headshake.

Nod. "You're free to go, then. ...Good work today, all of you. You saved a lot of lives, and quite possibly the entire Wardstone line."

"Thank you, Ser."

Is Hulrun going to make a huge fuss about it if Thall moves with them toward Defender's Heart.

No. (He certainly doesn't trust that Thall won't attempt another escape, but he expects that they'll be able to apprehend him before he can do much damage now that they don't have to spend as many resources focusing on nabasu and such, and with the Select supervising a third-circle wizard can do quite a lot of good.)

There are still a few stunned demons in the streets of Kenabres, but they can be easily dispatched.

And as they round a corner, there's Ember, smiling radiantly as she casts a healing spell on a squirrel.

"...hello again."

"Hello!"

"Is that someone's familiar?"

"I don't think so? But he was hurt, and there's no one else he could go to for healing." She looks around at his party. "But if the rest of you are hurt, I still have plenty of spells left."

"We are in adequate shape... how many spells do you get in a day?"

"It depends, the past few days I've been getting more and more! Yesterday I cast seven small spells and two big ones before I ran out, and lots of my little sleep spell, but today I might be able to cast more. ...But I think my grandmother must have seen how many people there are who need healing, because yesterday she gave me a new spell that I can cast as many times as I want that does a little healing too. I'm still not quite sure how it works, I tried to cast it on someone who was badly injured and it only worked the first time."

(Indeed, whatever she was doing to the bird didn't look exactly like a Cure.)

"I've heard of that. I'm not sure what it's called. If you get very powerful you might be able to do Regenerations like that too. Diamondless Resurrections. Your familiar might be able to do the same separately. If they work on everyone once a day this would be a fine time of day for us, if you're not otherwise busy."

"Oh, that would be really good! So many people would be able to see their friends and family again!"

She taps everyone in Blai's party with healing.

He said he would really try and he does not know which members of the archmage party were important.

"Thank you very much. Have you considered gathering or joining a party, to more safely make progress toward that level of power?"

She tilts her head a little to the side. "I hadn't thought about it. ...There are many good, brave adventurers in Kenabres, but it makes many of them sad to spend time with me."

"...does it? Why?"

She looks down at her burn-scarred hands. "I think... they like to imagine that because they're trying to do the right thing, they'll never hurt anyone that really matters. And they don't like thinking about the fact that good people trying to do what's right can still hurt people, or about the people they're hurting."

Woljif ducks his head a little.

"I'm not sure what that would have to do with having you in a party."

"When they see me, it reminds them, and then they feel sad."

"Oh. ...I do not expect to have this problem any more than usual if I look at you."

Nod. "...do you need healing very often?"