He does the osanwë equivalent of snorting. Tell me about it.

I would have gone and got one of those data storage things that can hold a hundred worlds' works in a box smaller than your head if only I'd known!

Soberly, We'd have built some boats.

Well. Those look like some Nolofinweans on the horizon, which means I and most of my friends here will be turning back. We thought we'd send two.

How were they chosen?

Family of apprentices of Father's, so he trusts them, who seemed of the right temperament and didn't happen to actually set a ship afire, though they also wouldn't have been good candidates if they'd ignored the order.

Good, good. See you later.

Likewise.

And Loki swoops down to walk with the group now that there is nobody to keep her company in the air.

They nod at her. "Hello. We weren't sure if you'd make it."

"I wasn't either, but I made good time to and from the Dwarves. Dwarves are great, by the way."

"Aulë's very good for a Vala."

"I'm mostly charmed by their culture over their design specifications, although I've heard some good things about those too."

"What're they like?"

"They're very into trade. They use gold as a basis now but I delivered a lecture on fiat currency, which may or may not take off - they're going to do a small scale experiment! Their ruling council is designed to handle only those problems particularly intractable to trade. The place is beautiful and they light it up for visitors, which is very thoughtful."

"Perhaps if we manage to get through this trial without anyone resenting anyone we can ask about visiting Dwarves," one of them says ruefully. "That sounds lovely."

"Well, they are very far away, although they do have thousand-mile trade routes and are interested in establishing one with the newcomers - I didn't explain all the newcomer-related drama, though."

"Well, yes, everyone will hate us forever if they hear about that, even the Nolofinweans communicated that they wouldn't share it."

"I'm actually finding it much easier to imagine the Dwarves snorting and going, 'Elves. Hope they've learned their lesson,' and not bringing it up again, but admittedly I am basing this on less than one extremely charming day of exposure. I will have to ask them if they mind saying 'Quendi' next time I'm there."

"That's very reassuring, I hope they do. Might not be worth the chance, though. Aren't you sending Lord Nelyafinwë there? He'll figure it out."

"I am, yes, and he's likely to be a better source of Quendi-relevant information on Dwarves than I am."

"Thank you for rescuing him."

"You're welcome. I only hope one day he manages to be completely rescued instead of merely physically rescued."

"No one gets out of Angband, that's a saying of ours that's older than history. This is what he'd want, given how things were."