They've made it through the pass and built temporary shelters in a wide valley on the other side. There are people singing and dancing and reclining in the evening sunlight. Findekáno is building more shelters. Irissë isn't visible.

Loki sets down by Findekáno. "Afternoon."

"It is," he agrees.

Snort. "I got a decent map of the continent from Lúthien. I can leave you a copy." She pulls a duplicate from the one on her person, expands and sharpens it. "I can make it follow an object. Or a person, if someone thinks a map illusion tattoo would be fashionable. Elu doesn't mind this area," she indicates, "being settled, and says someone will have to ask the ruler of this city," she indicates Brithombar, "about settling near there. You're hereabouts, now." Point.

"Okay. None of those are close. We were considering staying here a few weeks anyway, to rest and recover; I'll talk to my father, but I expect that's indeed the right course. Maitimo?"

"Current plan is to teach him to fly because he thinks it's computationally expensive to simulate the whole continent. I don't know how fast he'll pick it up. I thought I should ask you for a knife or something - in case he runs into orcs while alone and being invisible isn't sufficient -"

"Right. Can you carry a knife as a swift?"

"Non-bulky things like my clothes and small objects get folded away with my Asgardian form, when I change. I can't bring him a huge sack of food but I can bring him a knife."

He pulls one out of his belt. "Thank you."

Loki stows it. "You're welcome." Pause. "He said - I recently thought of a way to not have to permanently sacrifice my notebook paper to write things down but I hadn't thought of it then, I won't have the exact words - but he said that if he weren't in a hallucination he would want to convey that he's very sorry and that if there's anything you can think of you'd like him to do which wouldn't in the case of a hallucination help the Enemy he'll do it."

She sighs. "If you don't want me to pass on things like that I don't have to."

"No, I'd prefer you tell me everything he says. I just - don't know how to react to that. It's a manipulation on so many levels I don't even know how to think about it. On the one level there's that he thinks he's talking to Moringotto. That's what he wants Moringotto to think he'd say to me, it might not be what he'd really say to me. On another level, it's not certain that whatever he'd say to me would be true. He lied - and lied very very well - when it mattered and he cannot possibly imagine I'll take whatever he says at face value from now on. And then there's - what do I want from him? I don't want anything from him. I want things for him. I want him to be happy and to know that he's safe. I - I'm not even sure I'd want a sincere apology, and I know as a question of fact I wouldn't be able to tell it from an insincere one."

Loki writes this down as he says it. "...He suspects I won't be able to convincingly fake you, at least not indefinitely. Do you want me to relay that exactly, or - not?"

"Does...does he want to meet me? So you'd slip up sooner?"

"He doesn't want to display interesting-to-the-Enemy reactions to people he knows and has said he'll go completely catatonic if any such person shows up and won't go away. I won't relay this if he doesn't want me to, either. But I want to know if I have your permission." Transcribe transcribe.

He nods. "Yes, of course, whatever you like. ...I think the Enemy must be planning to attempt to impersonate someone. Maybe Maitimo, maybe someone else, but why on earth else would they be seeking information in that vein? We should probably be careful, except I'm not sure how one goes about being careful that your relatives might actually be Maiar playing them."

"I don't know either. I suppose I'll keep a lookout for any of my magic suddenly being difficult; I have to concentrate to oppose the light in Doriath at all. I don't know any other signs besides acting out of character and I haven't been here long enough to know anyone in all their moods."

"I'll suggest to my father that we warn people to notice out of character behavior among their friends and relatives, and talk to us discretely about it." He lifts another stack of wood and starts walking. "Have you told Maitimo's family?"

"Not yet. I'm going to him first and I'll discuss what to tell them with him; I'm due at their camp tomorrow."

He nods. "You're being very patient with this. The wellbeing of one Feanorian can't possibly rank among your current priorities."

"Well, I'd like to hand him off but he's not very handoffable. I do not anticipate sticking with the regular visits indefinitely; he doesn't even like my company - I'm just looking for some solution that's more sustainable."

"It surprises me that he doesn't like your company." He starts digging a hole. "Thank you, anyway."

"He thinks I'm an implausible malicious hallucination," she shrugs. "I wouldn't enjoy my company either. You're welcome. Where's Artanis?"

He turns around and points across the valley. "There - oh, you can't see - third house from the river, she's sitting out front."