Men are not welcome here. They have short memories and do not obey agreements. It is simpler to frighten them.

"Well, they're very new at - everything. I'm not one, although you could be pardoned for making the mistake. Who are you?"

We are the Nandor, the peoples of these trees and this land. They are new at everything; they will learn. They will learn somewhere other than in our homes.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Loki. Are you guys Elves or yet another sort of thing? And are you just scaring them off or are you also behind the stories of eviscerations?"

The peoples of Valinor and of Beleriand are our kin, yes. We would not harm children of Eru. The Men may tell each other false stories.

"They may! That's why I asked. Last two times I walked into unfamiliar forests that prefer to avoid visitors things tried to kill me, so I wasn't sure. I appreciate how you're not eviscerating anyone."

We have done none of them any harm, just frightened them into departing.

"How long have they been around? I just taught them to count but I haven't gotten anywhere on 'so, now that you can count, how long have you existed'. I assume you'd remember when you first noticed them."

They awoke when the Sun first rose.

"Makes sense. Is this how you prefer to have this conversation? I don't really mind, but for a telepathic species I've noticed Elves do a lot of face-to-face chatting and I'm wondering why not you. Or are you hoping I'll go away, or what?"

We are not like the other Elves. We prefer to communicate like this.

Is it preferable if I reply in kind?

As you like.

"What do Men do if they wander into the forest that's so objectionable?"

They're loud, smell dreadful, try cutting down the trees. If we sing they get fascinated and try to find us, and we like singing and need it to keep the forest healthy and our homes warm.

"Well, I'm not sure what they had in mind for the trees, but if they wanted them as fuel that should calm down presently, I gave them some magic warm rocks. I guess they'd need actual fire to cook food on but I'm not sure if they've invented that yet."

I think they burn them to scare off wild animals.

"That'd explain it too. I don't have anything to give them that will scare off wild animals, unfortunately."

They know by now not to come in the forest.

"That solves your problem but not their problem. What do you do about wild animals?"

We live in the trees where they cannot reach us.

"I guess that works as long as nothing you want to avoid can climb trees. I was hoping you had a song for it or something."

No. You can't control animals with song, not hostile ones. It would work too slowly.

"What if you could sing really fast?"

Then perhaps you could stop a charging animal in time.