Thanks. Back soon.

She reappears in the cave.

Everything all right?

Mmhmm. No luck with ideas but maybe they'll come up with something given time.

Findekáno - image - would like to talk to you. They aren't upset, or not very, as far as I can tell.

Of course he does. I really can't. The Enemy really likes looking like him.

...all right. I can do a portal setup so that they can see you and you can hear each other but you can't see them, if you want, but if you don't want to that's okay too.

That would be better. Thank you.

All right. Light spell?

She gets everything set up on that end, and then returns to the ice with a skin with a portal in it.

The Enemy liked impersonating you; they're not ready to see you yet. But they can hear you and you can hear and see them with this.

The Enemy -

He shudders violently. Okay.

...yeah. She looks pained, and moves to sit next to him where she can lean comfortingly on him.

He could definitely use some comforting leaning. But by the time he talks to Maitimo he's calm. "Hi," he says. "We crossed the Ice. Want the names of the dead?"

"Yes."

And he starts listing them.

It's going to be a while. Ten thousand people.

She could use some comforting leaning, too. She's not going anywhere anytime soon. Might fall asleep, though, it's been a long day.

That's all right. He won't fall asleep. He'll speak until his voice is hoarse and then say to Maitimo, "what else do you want to know?"

"I don't remember any names," Maitimo says. "The Enemy took them from me. Tell me - tell me everyone, what they're like, what they care about -"

"I don't know that like you - like you used to."

"Tell me anyway."

The kobold sleeps on, a warm furry presence. She clings, just a little, when Findekáno shifts.

He talks to Maitimo all night. It wasn't how he'd planned to spend the day.

But.

This he will never forgive Maitimo for faking, if it's fake. And if it's not, it's going to be really hard not to forgive everything. 

The kobold wakes up before dawn. She doesn't interrupt, but gives Findekáno a brief hug before teleporting off, and returns a little while later with scrambled eggs for both of them.

He smiles wearily at her. Thanks.

And keeps talking.

She snuggles up again and eats.

After a while he says stiffly to Maitimo, "my people need me" and rejoins the host.

She heads home.

You okay?

If those were lies then I am much the worse for having listened to them. If true they'll be helpful.

Nod.

I like Findekáno. They seem very sensible.

He's all right.

Nod. Is it likely to cause problems if I start spending time with them?

What kind of problems?

Shrug. With you, with your siblings, with your host - with theirs, if I'm spending time with your host too, though I don't think that's very likely. I still don't know practically anything about what happened, and I don't mind that exactly but I'd rather not cause more problems.