"Would Doriath take it as hostile if Celebrimbor sometimes brought people to well outside Doriath but within range to talk to him? I doubt he's lonely but it'd be nice to have unmediated contact, and I have various problems I'd like to bring to him."

"My naive model is that they wouldn't care, but I can ask if you want."

"If it's convenient."

Lúthien looks mildly distressed. "It's hardly as if we can prevent it. Yes, I suppose, though if he conveys information about how to navigate Menegroth or the like -"

"Well, you can ask him not to, or if that's not good enough I can ask that Celebrimbor not bring him company," Loki says, "if that's a concern."

"I don't know whether it's a concern. 'If provoked they'd sack the city and he'd happily feed them detailed instructions on how best to do it' is a perfectly justified read on them, your favored 'lovely people who have definitely gotten the mass murder out of their system' is a justified interpretation too."

"Well, I guess I don't need to reiterate my position on the matter. I'll relay whatever answer you give me, I'm just asking the question."

"Does he not have enough people to talk to? And they can write him letters, that'd be fine."

"Maglor doesn't expect he's lonely. His family misses having him to talk to for what I presume are both practical and personal reasons. Letters may do just fine."

"Please ask them to instead do letters. They'll have privacy, we can't read their script."

"Okay," he says. "Thank you."

No tremors this time, for whatever reason.

There are letters. Around a dozen of them.

Which she presents to Maedhros on arrival.

"Thank you," he says. "There will be a lovely concert at which they want my brother to sing blindfolded. I imagine he'll go '...oh, all right' but in case he objects tell him I insist."

"And am I to have anything to tell him about why you insist?"

"I've been longing to hear his voice and should be able to hear it even from here," he says steadfastly.

"If you say so. I guess I'll go check in with Lúthien and find out where they want me to pop him in."

"Great. Thank you."

Lúthien?

Hey!