"It used to be a lot worse,"

>Adler: You continue using elfmind. No, she won't need a scalpel, she just needs her mind. >Burnside: That's boring. It's just like your old Stabbing Teacher from back in the Antglade used to say, "A sharp wit is no mach for a sharp blade." He said that all the time, right until you stabbed him to death. You made a necklace out of his jawbone. You might still have it, actually. >Adler: "ELFMIND!" You think angrily at her. >Burnside: Using Elfmind. Ugh, fine. What does he want to test out? >Adler: You want to find out if the trees can hear elfmind. >Burnside: Why doesn't he read that forest magic book Ash wrote back in faerie? Adler should still have. >Adler: Oh yeah. That's how you found out what his real name is. Wait. How does she know about that? >Burnside: Ash told you. You did mention that you've met him and have spoken with him while he was working with the Duchess. Did Adler forget he has it? >Adler: Uh, Well... Um. You instruct her to go back to humming. >Burnside: You gladly go back to your private jam session. >Adler: You fish the aforementioned book out of your elfintory. You also find Ash's "How to be Unseelie and Look Good Doing It" book. You refused to look at in on principal before. But it might be worth thumbing through to get a better idea on how your unseelie "allies" will probably betray you. You have no intention of being unseelie and it's not like the book can hypnotize you. What's the harm? You make a mental note to thumb through that one later. You quickly skim through Ash's forest book to see if it mentions if trees can hear elfmind. It doesn't give any conclusive answers on the subject. Figures. Ash mentioned he didn't put all his secrets in there. Rather than waste time arguing with Burnside, you decide to just ask a tree directly. As long as you don't mention your plan with Oak, it should be fine. It should be obvious that elfmind would be your first method of going around him. Ash would probably be pleased that you're trying to be subversive, the weirdo. You walk to the edge of the circle and look at the nearest tree. "Hey, can you hear this?" You think at it with elfmind. >Tree: It's up to the author whether trees can or can't hear elfmind. If so, Adler asks it if trees can hear elfmind conversations between other people. If not, then they obviously can't eavesdrop on mental conversations and there's nothing to worry about. >Adler: With that answer in hand you get an idea for another test. Time to find out if elfshot can affect elves. You call out to Burnside and tell here there's something else she can help you with as you ready your bow. >Burnside: What is i- Woah! Hold on! There's no need to do anything rash! You can change, you swear! >Adler: Twang! Head shot.

If Burnside were a musician she would probably devise a song that kills people.