leave of absence | Glowfic Constellation

"At least fifty by any accounting of whose belong to who."

purposeful_glory

"So perhaps that would be intractable. Especially as it occurs to me that I know how to ride Asgardian-trained horses and it would be an astounding coincidence if yours were taught the same. I can ask permission to have a couple of your people along to divide the horses into shorter strings and see what your cousins think of that."

"I can tell the horses to stick with you," Tyelcormo says. "My primary concern about sending those numbers with you alone is that they're astonishingly vulnerable to attack."

purposeful_glory

"If Moringotto or one of his Maiar attacks me personally I will probably have trouble - of some unclear magnitude; I do not know exactly how much and that's what I'm going to look for the hidden land to find more about - but if it's orcs and it's too many for me to knock out and take captive, they have shown willing to run if they're suddenly blind and deaf."

"Assuming the Enemy hasn't since given them orders to act otherwise. We thought since we could take orcs, we could manage the parley with Moringotto; he had Balrogs, there, and there were no survivors except Nelyo." Tyelcormo shakes his head. "I'm not sending fifty horses out alone with only a few people to protect them, even if one of those is Loki."

"I gave Loki my word I'd give her the things our cousins have a claim to," Macalaurë says.

"Did you say when? Because I'm not putting people in danger so you can redeem your word faster."

purposeful_glory

"Balrogs?" asks Loki.

"The most popular physical form for the Maiar to take," Macalaurë says. "The word is Thindarin but seems to share a stem with the Quenya vala+raukar, 'power' and 'demon'."

Tyelcormo interrupts him. "They're very large, burn everything in close proximity, have fast-moving whips, and we have yet to determine how to kill them; it might require specialized weapons."

purposeful_glory

"Ah. My usual weapon is almost the opposite of specialized. I suppose you don't want any of your cousins coming here to escort the horses away."

They both look at each other consideringly. "Depends rather a lot on which cousin," Tyelcormo says.

"I'd strongly prefer not to make a production out of it," Macalaure says, "on the assumption that they would be unwilling to play such a production as grateful receipt of an act of charity and we'd be unwilling to play it as an admission of past wrongdoing."

purposeful_glory

"Do you estimate some of them as being able to play it as nothing other than 'we are here for some horses'?"

"Without rather forcefully tacking on 'which you stole from us when you abandoned us to the mercy of the Valar?" Tyelcormo shakes his head. "I'm impressed that you've talked them into moving to the other side of the continent and not confronting us. I have to imagine they're itching to, no matter how much they've concluded it's a bad idea."

purposeful_glory

"Well, if they don't want to receive a contingent of you and yours either, I suppose I could ask them to wait until you've accumulated some more orcs to help escort the horses."

Tyelcormo laughs. "That'd be something. They're still crossing the mountains, yes? It might make more sense for us to send them horses once they've found somewhere to house and feed and defend them."

purposeful_glory

"That too is a reason to wait, yes. I'll visit them while I'm flying around looking for the secret - location. Is it a political unit of some kind? A country?"

"Yes. It's called Doriath, the fenced realm."

purposeful_glory

"While I'm looking for Doriath I will drop by and mention the logistical trouble and the reformation of orcs and the associated linguistic updates they will need to make. I assume it doesn't matter what they call themselves or Moringotto as long as it isn't specifically 'Elves' and 'Melkor'?"

"I don't think so," Macalaurë says. "They'll probably settle on Quendi and Moringotto if not reminded that my father feels passionate about both."

purposeful_glory

Nod. "Anything else I should tell them?"

They look at each other. "No.'

purposeful_glory

"All right. I will be here the day after tomorrow to update orc acquisitions unless something very urgent comes up. Have a good day."

"Safe travels." They both walk off, Huan at Tyelcormo's side.

purposeful_glory

Loki turns non-invisibly into a bird and flies, listing southeast with the intention of landing among the other Quendi before sundown if she doesn't find anything.

There are some stirs in the brush in the mountains that might be orcs, but not in any great numbers and not threatening either host.

purposeful_glory

...Loki leaves them. She isn't sure yet the rate at which the Fëanorians will bring orcs in and doesn't want to disrupt a manageable throughput.

Is there anything that looks like it might be Doriath?