Okay. They don't think much like people and might not be good at warning about extra effects of things they do, because they don't know what sort of effects we'd care about, but most things they do don't have extra effects and they are getting better. They will want you to be thinking about the good of Valinor and its people, and if you are concerned for that and are not rude I do not think they'll be annoyed by anything you might say or do that is accidentally disrespectful.

She nods, thoughtfully. I'm going to want to move carefully, if they're bad at warning about extra effects. The magic is probably safe to ask about, though, I don't think there's much they could do that would upset me besides taking it away outright, and it sounds like if I just tell them that, and maybe bring a few examples of useful things I've made with it, they won't.

I am sure they wouldn't do that, no.

Grin. Good. I suppose my next question is how to find them to talk to - I'm not going to do that today, though, I have a few other questions and I'm going to try the magic ones first to see what happens but I want to think about the others before I go anyway, just in case they come up.

Aule is the nearest, and he's a short walk from Tirion.

Nod. It'll probably be a few days before I'm ready to meet them.

I understand. They will not consider that a long wait.

...um.

...I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that they already know I exist.

They know most everything that happens in Valinor, and you've been playing with the crown prince and your appearance was very confusing.

Deep breath. Intentionally relaxing back to a conversational posture, albeit a somewhat more alert one.

All right. I'll keep that in mind, thank you.

Does that bother you?

It's not something that could happen, in my world, and kobolds rely on privacy to keep ourselves safe.

You're safe here in Valinor.

That appears to have been a wrong answer.

It's still alarming to have a stranger know things about me that I haven't chosen to let them see - it would be dangerous, very much so, back home, and it still feels like it is.

I - what can they see? There's an edge of panic to her tone.

I have no idea. They don't watch us all the time, but they can if they want to, I think. I'm sorry. I understand why it'd feel dangerous. The King struggles with that- so many things feel dangerous to him, like leaving his son alone...

She nods, shakily.

...if they can read my mind... if they learn how to go to my world... if they say 'we met a kobold with teleportation magic' to the wrong person, that'd be it for every kobold I've ever met. And I have no way of knowing if they'd do that.

They wouldn't do that. They definitely wouldn't do that. And if somehow it was done they'd bring you all to Valinor to protect. Why - there are people who'd kill your people over the fact you exist?

They'd think other kobolds had the same magic, and yes, they'd kill them over it. My world is not safe.

Bringing kobolds to Valinor... might work, in the worst case. But it would be very difficult for everyone involved. Most kobolds don't tolerate change like that very well, and don't tolerate strangers at all - I'm extremely unusual in that regard.

I would like to go talk to Aule now. She offers her hand.

Okay. He takes her hand. How awful. I'm sorry.

She teleports them to the city gates.

At least it's straightforward to fix the problem this time.

How so?

I can just ask the Valar not to go to my world and tell them why and they won't, unless I'm confused about something? Compared to the last two times there were problems this big - one of them was caused by a famine, we obviously couldn't do anything about that, and the other one we could have avoided if we'd known not to provoke the elves that way, but we didn't, and we still don't know why they took it as a provocation so we're just guessing at how to avoid making them that mad in the future.

Yes, the Valar definitely won't go to your world if they might get people hurt by doing so. Those sound scary. Is there anything we can do to help? We can send food...

I don't think so. It's been calm recently anyway, it's pretty unusual to have two problems as close together as those were, but I'm not sure how we'd even find out if there was something going on to help with without putting someone at risk.

The same situation with the Outer Lands. I'm sorry.