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Tumunzahar makes Menegroth look like a contract project. Which, the Dwarves assure her, it was. The stonework is astonishingly careful and beautiful, silky to the touch up close while from a distance it gives the impression of stretching on forever above, a sky of stone with crystals for stars. Vast natural cave systems are connected by dozens of perfectly smooth, gently sloped broad stone pathways from which the fall, if she fell, would be several miles down. There are handrails. "We use those to move materials carts," someone explains to her, "we're not going to be reckless."
There's an amphitheater, a place where a hundred of the stone walkways twine around to create space for a hundred thousand people to sit in close proximity, and someone is giving a lecture or a demonstration at the base of it, the seats closest to him filled with eager, tiny, bearded Dwarf-children.
And they spiral down, and down, and down, past waterfalls and egg-sized gemstones left half in the rock and halls of crystal. Everything grows gradually more ornate and more perfectly maintained and the clang of hammers fades behind them. "People say," her guide says, "that we only have a council instead of a single King because there were nine winners of the competition to design the throne so we couldn't just select one person to sit it." And they push open the doors to reveal, indeed, nine thrones so elaborate it would be hard to choose between them, and nine squat bearded people sitting them.
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If he's difficult with you next time as a result I apologize.
purposeful_glory
I imagine there will be words exchanged about it somewhere between here and dropping him off with the Dwarves. I'll live.
Is he going to treat all Dwarves as personal avatars of Morgoth? Because they'll, one assumes, get tired of that.
purposeful_glory
I'll advise him against. I got him to agree to stop referring to the Enemy in the second person when referring to events before I got ahold of him, since he at least thinks I'm not Thauron nor personally Morgoth himself.
You aren't. It's a personal style thing. Even when Morgoth was pretending to be nice I don't think I ever saw him bring out the best in anyone.
purposeful_glory
He doesn't have any verifiable evidence of me pulling that off.
What did you speak of, the last time you two talked?
purposeful_glory
Dwarves. The mess with Sarpalarë and how this would prevent me from immediately escorting him thereto.
Will he be happy there?
purposeful_glory
Seems like a stretch, much as I like them myself. He'll have a more stimulating environment, anyway.
Thanks.
And they watch the camp for doubles, as inconspicuously as they can.
purposeful_glory
Until:
"I need some sleep." My armor's more comfortable than it looks, though, I can sleep in it fine.
"I need some sleep." My armor's more comfortable than it looks, though, I can sleep in it fine.
"Night." I sleep so rarely lately it'd be suspicious if I claimed to intend to tonight. Sorry.
purposeful_glory
Can't help but envy you that option; sleep's a waste of time. In she goes.
She sleeps invisible, armed, armored.
She sleeps invisible, armed, armored.
Nothing disturbs her.
In the morning the crowd assembles again.
Nolofinwë is done questioning Sarpalarë. There's a stage of trials in Valinor where the Valar speak and they've decided to at least have people speak on behalf of the relevant aspects - mercy, pity, justice, and so forth. The people taking on these vaguely blasphemous roles look awkward under all this attention.
And then in blue, on your left and on your far right, Irissë says.
In the morning the crowd assembles again.
Nolofinwë is done questioning Sarpalarë. There's a stage of trials in Valinor where the Valar speak and they've decided to at least have people speak on behalf of the relevant aspects - mercy, pity, justice, and so forth. The people taking on these vaguely blasphemous roles look awkward under all this attention.
And then in blue, on your left and on your far right, Irissë says.
Yep, two identical Elves in identical clothes. This Maia, if that's what they are, is rather careless.
purposeful_glory
And Loki does not - to anyone who's not monitoring her for heat and ultraviolet - appear to move.
She circles around invisibly to the matching Elves, marks each with a different colored dot.
She circles around invisibly to the matching Elves, marks each with a different colored dot.
I don't really want to surprise it in a packed crowd, says Nolofinwë, who is also saying other, unrelated things out loud at the same time.
purposeful_glory
I don't want it to surprise me, either. I just want to be within reach.
She stops easy weapon-extension distance away. Lurks. Her illusion is bored-trying-to-look-attentive.
She stops easy weapon-extension distance away. Lurks. Her illusion is bored-trying-to-look-attentive.
It turns, shuffles into a crowd, and emerges with a different bland Elven face and outfit.
purposeful_glory
But it's still got its dot. She dismisses the one on the non-shapeshifter.
I've got it marked.
I've got it marked.