Loki's not a fan either. It is not the Elves' fault, though.

Lots of the things wrong with Elves can't really be characterized as their fault. For example, they have no good way to get coal, and it's really hard to work a forge without coal, and it makes sense that they'd mostly wander around living in trees and singing. Not what he'd do, but certainly comprehensible. Also, their gods are ridiculous but it seems they didn't make them up, so while he'd previously held it against them that they made up such bad gods, they turn out to be accurately reporting the story there.

Also some of the singing is magic!

Yes, he has one of the heat-forge-songs! The Elf who invented a heat-forge-song deserves commendations. That is using the fact one is stuck as an Elf to its best advantage.

...She will tell the composer of Rathsvith's remark. Look, there she goes, writing it down, almost succeeding at not laughing.

Can Elves read? He was under the impression that they didn't really bother.

The newcomers can! Maitimo's father invented an alphabet. Someone in Doriath has also separately invented an alphabet. Loki's confident that these inventions will catch on, since writing is great.

Writing is great, but she's counting on Elves to notice this. He's pleased to hear that the newcomers can write, though, that'll make trading with them far simpler, they have to keep so many people on hand in Menegroth just because of complications with verbal contracts!

That sounds frustrating. She's mostly expecting it to catch on because most societies pick it up eventually, but she admittedly doesn't know how long it will take. Elves are slooooow. Except, like, Maitimo's immediate family.

He nods fervently. "I don't think death is a blessing or anything, but Elves sure make it clear why some people think so."

"Oh, I intend to live forever myself and it doesn't have this effect on me."

"In that case I have no idea what their problem is."

"I'm not sure either. Maybe one day someone will discover it and patent a cure."

He laughs. Then, quietly, glancing at the Elf in the corner, "if it's not a sensitive subject, why won't Maitimo's kin take him back?"

"They would," Loki says. "They're building somewhere to put him; he'll probably only be here for a few years. Also he can probably hear you. It's complicated; Maitimo, how sensitive do you consider this subject?"

He starts, at that, and seems almost to come back to life. "Sorry, Rathsvith, I should have explained earlier. One ability of the Enemy is to play hallucinations, so people think they've escaped and rejoined their families when they're really still in his power. I think he does this partially to gain from our minds information about the peoples who we left, and partially so if we really do escape we'll never be sure of it. So I decided a long time ago that if I escaped, I wouldn't go home and wouldn't let him use my mind and my reactions to get a map of my family home, or my family themselves."

"So, yeah, he's slightly awkward company sometimes," Loki says. "I promise I really rescued him and you are not a hallucination, Rathsvith. I'm very glad there's a place for him here."

"I like a lot of things about Dwarves but that is probably one of the best things," Loki says. "If you think of a way for me to copy it, I want it."

"I can't think how you'd copy someone's head," he says.

Loki makes an illusion of Rathsvith's head, briefly. Then shoos it. "Yeah, me either."

"And he wasn't released when the Enemy was done with him, he was rescued when I happened to spot him," Loki says, "which I suspect is a protective factor too."

He nods. "As far as I'm concerned he's all right for an Elf, and no one has any grounds for complaints when you're paying your way."

"I appreciate that."