Nod. :Huan, I am going to try to draw on your magic, to see if I can use this to help Fëanáro: He keeps petting, and this time reaches out with his Gift as well. 

Huan goes still, but doesn't object. He can draw on the magic just like the artifact's magic, though there's a whole lot more of it.

Leareth conceals a sigh of relief. He keeps going until his reserves are full to bursting, which takes under a minute, and then straightens up. :Huan's help will be sufficient for almost any magic, short of a Gate large enough to admit all of your people and crossing an ocean: he sends to both Fëanáro and Nelyafinwë. :For that, I suppose the Trees would do. I would prefer to begin testing it with smaller Gates in any case. The next question is aiming it. The usual method involves having visited a place myself, which would obviously rule out crossing the ocean with it. However, I can use a blindly aimed version, if you are able to provide either maps or an approximate direction and distance. The latter would be particularly imprecise, however, I assume you wish to reach the Outer Lands at all and not some exact location within them: 

Leareth ducks his head. :Also, if you wish to do it before I have had a chance to sleep, then I will not be accompanying whoever chooses to go at first. I will be very tired afterward, Huan's assistance or no, and I do not wish to place myself in a position where I am unable to defend against threats to my safety: 

Oh good! I'd like to do a trial in one hour with Tyelcormo, Huan and a few of their companions. It makes sense for you not to accompany them, as we don't know what to expect to find there and can't afford to risk you.  We can give you a direction and an approximate distance. 

:I am willing to attempt it, then, though I cannot promise immediate success. Might I have a place to lie down and rest for the interim?: And he reaches out with private, shielded Mindspeech to Nelyafinwë. :May we speak privately?: 

- you mean in a room that doesn't have other people in it? Sure. 

He can rest in the library, he says to his father. 

Yes, all right.

"Library's this way."

Leareth follows Nelyafinwë. He's actually not especially tired, right now, his body hums with mage-energy, but he has a lot of thinking to do.

The library's very pretty and has luxurious couches. What can I help you with?

:Two things. One. Your father is...in a massive hurry. I am concerned that this will not leave enough time to prepare. I assume that Tyelcormo knows the danger he is consenting to, here, but – I wished to make sure that you were also tracking this, and ready to either stall or ensure that necessary preparations are made in time. Also, I might wish to at some point explain to you all of the uses of my magic, so that you can take this into account in your planning:

Slight smile. :I trust you to make wise use of limited resources, more than I trust your father: 

- it does our relationship a lot of damage, when I stall him. I'm trying to talk him into taking more of our people along when we do leave, I have limited ability to make other asks. One of our limited resources here is my father's patience. Tyelcormo knows what he's doing, and there's very little in the world that could seriously threaten him, but - yes, ideally we'd have more time. I do think there's a strong case we'll make use of limited time better than our adversaries will.

Internal sigh. Your father is poorly placed to be King, if he cannot muster the most basic of patience, Leareth thinks but doesn't say. 

:I understand: he sends. :I agree, on the last point, but I was not sure your father was truly making the choice for this reason, as opposed to - years of bottled-up haste to begin, I suppose. Perhaps I sell him short. If I can help by making it cheaper for him to assent that more of your people come along, perhaps by Gating all of them here from various locations, or if I can assist in transporting supplies so that we depart as well-equipped as possible, I will do so. Though it may trade off against my ability to defend myself or anybody else once we arrive, since it seems your people need less rest than mine and your father is not particularly eager to take this into account: 

He was planning to wait another thirty Years, I do think the haste is a consequence of the concern you raised rather than - general impatience. But impatience for very good reasons still has many of the harms of impatience for bad reasons. The people he wants to leave behind are Nolofinwë's faction in Tirion. I think it's larger than he realizes, and we need them. But - shrug. Separating the factions will probably prevent whatever harm Melkor meant to do through them.

:There is an argument either way: Leareth agrees. :In an emergency, if we meet a threat greater than we can handle, I could perhaps return to transport them - without offering a way for anybody else to return, if your father does not wish it, and assuming they were still willing. I can Gate myself alone back to a place I have already seen much more cheaply, and I still hope to be able to use the Trees for a Gate departing Valinor: 

He looks down at the beautiful rug underfoot. :My second question is - are you all right? You...seem unhappy. Generally, and especially at a particular moment earlier. I do not know the cause – I am no longer trying to read your thoughts, since I trust your goals and it seemed to trouble you before, and in any case I cannot keep up with the number of conversations that Quendi can, so I was rather scattered. You need not tell me, of course, it is your business and not mine. However, it concerns me. Is there anything that I might do to help?: 

I love Tirion and these people and I am afraid that we will be permanently divided by the events of recent years. I think you might be able to help, but it'll have to wait until the more urgent problems are solved.

So it'll be all right, then, so long as he can keep himself under control. He can do that. It's not forever.

Leareth is fairly sure that Nelyafinwë both isn't saying anything and is making a deliberate effort not to think it. It's unfortunate, that he feels he needs to do it, but not as unfortunate as his not knowing about Leareth's abilities, both for strategic reasons and because, well, Leareth is trying to cooperate with him. He's keeping a lot of secrets, and intends to for a good long time, but - that one in particular would be seen as a worse betrayal the longer he waited, and justifiably so.

:That is all. Can you ensure that someone comes to find me when your father is ready for the Gate?: And he goes to stretch out on one of the couches, which is just as comfortable as it looks, and closes his eyes. 

He leaves. Once it sounds like Leareth is asleep he stops scattering his mind about Tirion and goes to his room and -

- yes, this is fine, he can do this for the short time until they leave Tirion and it matters less what Leareth thinks of him. Of course it will still matter, because Leareth doesn't think Fëanáro has any business running a country, but -

- but buying himself time now is particularly valuable. 

He gets back to work. 

An hour later someone comes to let Leareth know that Tyelcormo's party is ready to depart.

Leareth did in fact nap for most of the hour; it seems like a good idea not to have been awake for a day before attempting a difficult casting in a new world. He's been awake and pretending to be asleep for the last few minutes, though, mostly extending his senses, gauging quick snatches of the surface thoughts of random passersby. 

They are bringing food for the scouting expedition and worrying about the political situation and wondering what magic Leareth can do and being glad he chose to support the rightful heir to the King.

None of that spells immediate disaster, at least. 

Leareth sits up when he feels someone coming with the intent to collect him. "Now?" he says in Quenya. 

"Yes, if you're ready."

Leareth is not exactly the readiest he’s ever felt for something, but he nods and follows.

He has joined up with three other Quendi; they're wearing backpacks and have bows, arrows and long knives. Huan is licking his paw. 

"Leareth! Whenever you're ready."