After much deliberation, bickering, and woefully insufficient explanations, it was decided that Elsa would meet with Tak and Robin on a daily basis.
Elsa and Tak walked in relative silence after parting with Robin. Elsa noticed Tak watching her with a concerned look,
"What's wrong, my dear? You look as if you could just burst with worry." Tak looked at her for a long time, mentally composing and rejecting responses until he eventually stopped along the edge of the path.
"Elsa, my love, you know that you are very important. No, don't start with girlish modesty; this is not your doing, it was in play long before your birth." Elsa blushed and tutted at this. "I wish I could properly explain why, but it is a terribly long story and our top priority at the moment is ensuring your safety. And that's where the problem lies. That which makes you so important also makes you sweet and kindhearted. You never argued with the other children because you were unable to; there is not a pugnacious bone in your body. And you also lack the ability to lie." Elsa hung her head and her face turned red with guilt,
"But Tak, I can lie, I just lied to the headmaster today. Oh, I must not be the one you want; please tell me you don't have to leave me now." She sniffed, moments away from breaking into a sob. Tak raised his dog equivalent to eyebrows,
"Think, Elsa. What exactly did you say to the headmaster?" She scrunched up her face in concentration, the momentary distraction halting the coming tears.
"I saw you going into the forest, and I just knew that I had to follow. I tried not to, I really did, but I couldn't pay attention, I couldn't even concentrate on what I was doing. Eventually, I approached the headmaster and told him that I felt horrible. He asked me if I felt I needed to leave and I said yes."
"But you did feel the need to leave." Elsa blinked, surprised by the interruption. "And you had been feeling awful for quite some time."
"It's no good, Tak," Elsa exclaimed, seeing what he was getting at, "I tried to tell myself that it wasn't really lying. But it was still dishonest and that's just as bad as lying." Tak seemed to grow more excited as she grew even more morose.
"But don't you see, my dear? It wasn't lying, it was misdirection. The important fact is your motivation; why did you decide to deceive the headmaster?" Elsa's face returned to its scrunched up position of concentration.
"I suppose I just didn't want to explain the entire situation to him."
"Come now, child, you're not thinking." Tak interjected. "Why didn't you want to explain things to him?" Elsa's face seemed to scrunch beyond the bounds of elasticity,
"Well I remember worrying that the whole situation seemed so fanciful and dangerous. I was a little worried that he would report me, but then I started thinking about how much trouble he might get into by simply listening to me."
"Exactly!" Tak erupted, "You're intentions were as pure as they come. You deceived him in order to protect him. This is exactly what needs to happen!"
"Oh, Tak, my darling; I've become confused again."
"Don't worry, little one, I'll help you. You are now privy to a very dangerous secret; Robin and I can protect you, but you are the only one who we can protect. You must keep this secret from everyone, for their own safety. You won't be able to lie but you must protect them through misdirection and omission. Do you think you can do that? Robin and I will help you as much as we can." Elsa sniffed, put on a brave face, and nodded.
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