She stiffens when he gets close enough that she wouldn't be able to get away if he lunged, but doesn't otherwise react.

So after a minute he closes the rest of the distance and sniffs her.

Wow this is deeply unpleasant. She doesn't move.

He is trying really hard for friendly, curious body language but she's clearly terrified all the same. He sighs and retreats, wagging his tail. He tells Tyelcormo that she is from another world and was in Angband a few weeks ago and does not seem to have met the Enemy but that she has been near Maitimo very recently.

She relaxes, marginally, when he moves away.

Okay?

What were you doing in Angband?

I was trying a new kind of teleportation spell, and it didn't work how I was expecting it to, and it put me there rather than where I was aiming for. I didn't stay long.

You saw Maitimo.

I rescued an Elda; I haven't asked their name and they haven't offered it. I didn't see anyone else while I was there, though.

Rescued him.

Where is he.

My world, the cave I've been living in. They don't trust that this is real and don't want to come here in case it's a trick, but I can open a pair of portals so you can talk to them. I should warn you that they're still in very poor shape, though; it's only been a few days and they're still not well enough to move practically at all.

Please do set up portals so we can talk to him.

All right. I have to put the portal on something; a tree is fine, but if you'd like it elsewhere I'll put it wherever you tell me to.

The wall of a building, please. We have a watch tower on your left, you can put it on the inside of that.

And so she heads to the left to look for the watch tower.

There it is! It's stone and very pretty. There are Elven guards, armored, who nervously stand aside for her.

Pretty reasonable. She goes in and finds a good spot for the portal and casts it, warning first that it'd be dangerous to read her mind while she does so. I need to go back to my world to set up the other side, so they can see and hear you. Osanwe doesn't work through portals; would you like me to come back when I'm done with that?

If we'll be able to speak to Maitimo then I think we'll just start by doing that, the voice says tersely.

Sure. She disappears from the tower and reappears in the cave. That went all right. They had some kind of giant wolflike creature come sniff me - image - named Huan. I didn't have a chance to ask for any other names; they still aren't sure of me and want to talk to you right away. She puts a portal in the viewing rock. Do you want that light portal? They know we're in a cave.

Yes, it'll be better if there's enough light they can see me. Thank you. Huan. Yes, I remember him now.

Grin. Good. She casts the light portal.

I won't be able to understand what you're saying but I'd still like to watch, if you don't mind.

I don't. If you're the Enemy you'd watch anyway.

So she finds a spot to sit and watch, visible enough that she's clearly not hiding but also far enough away that she's clearly not intending to be part of the conversation.

"Hi," Maitimo says. "This is almost certainly a trick and obviously don't discuss anything sensitive. I may not even be able to verify it's me; the Enemy tampered with my memories and could probably impersonate me pretty effectively."

"All right," says a tense voice on the other end.

"If you're real, though, and not an illusion of the Enemy's. you need to learn Kobold's teleportation magic, it'll help you win the war. I'm not vouching for their trustworthiness; I don't trust them. But if the magic is real you need it."

The kobold watches without comment.