Every oath we make is magically binding. Saying the words is enough.

:I really hope there is some specific wording required, or else that would seem poorly designed. And, yes, I see how that could have gone worse, if oaths can be made so–: he doesn't want to say 'carelessly', :–hastily:

There's a specific wording. 'I swear' or 'I vow'. - you can be stuck if you're interrupted halfway through, so it's conventional to say all the rest and then 'this I swear' or similar. 

My father's mostly not impulsive but - it's been a very bad last ten Years. 

:I can see that. Are you concerned that this would apply to me, when I am here? I do not see how it would. Also, do the words need to be spoken aloud and not in osanwë?: 

I don't know if it would apply to you or not. I don't know if it's a feature of the world or of us. The words do need to be spoken aloud. You don't need to be fluent in the language though you'd be a real idiot to make an oath in a language you're not fluent in.

:I can avoid those wordings when speaking aloud. If anybody needs to swear an oath anyway, I would be curious to observe with my mage-senses in case it is visible, but obviously it is not worth doing only for a test: 

Leareth rubs his forehead again. :And, I ought probably sleep before I do anything more ill-advised out of frustration with this world. The Valar believed our report, they sent one of their number to find Melkor – Tulka, maybe? Please wake me if there is any news on this, especially if it is bad: 

I will. 

The servants normally bring food in while people are sleeping, here, so it's there when you wake up. I told them not to, lest they startle you. Is there something that'd be more convenient?

Leareth approves of nobody coming into the room while he's sleeping. :Perhaps if they leave it just outside?: He tries to decide if he should be worried about being poisoned. :I could simply ask someone when I wake up, but - I may forget, if I am thinking about other things: 

I noticed. Affectionately; most of his family does the same thing. (He makes a point of having this thought louder than usual though it's still technically private, in case Leareth picked up on the "affectionate' part and not the "like my family" part.)  I can have someone notice when you wake up and go get food then, if that saves you time or worry it's probably worth it. 

:I would appreciate it: 

Get someone to listen at the door and when he's awake get him food, he tells Larya. They should not go into the room.

Sleep well.

:Thank you: Leareth nods to him, and heads to the bed, and manages to check and reinforce the wards. These ones have teeth – no one should come in, anyone who does isn't going to be badly hurt but they'll definitely get a shock. 

He falls asleep with one hand tangled in Huan's fur. 

No one wakes Leareth. Word reaches Tirion about the Valar's decree; there's some anger, but it's shortlived, as everyone knows the prince is planning to leave anyway. There's a debate in the amphitheater of the school of political science about whether the Valar have the authority to exile Quendi from Quendi cities. Nelyafinwë walks through the city looking for people who look out of place. He doesn't see any. 

Leareth wakes up about ten hours later.

He stays motionless for a little while, and does a quick sweep of the city, scrying with mage-sight alone. He doesn't need to see people's faces; he's looking for any of that characteristic space-filling fuzz of magic. 

A couple Huan sized ones. No bigger ones.

Good. He gets up, deliberately makes some noise. :Nelyafinwë?: he reaches out. 

Yes?

:Which Maiar are expected to be in the city?: He sends a quick impression of where in the city he sensed their magic. :I am not necessarily worried, only checking. If this is as expected, I will resume working on the artifacts now: 

We don't have any full-time. They're probably with some researchers but I'll check.

:Thank you. I will do a sweep every hour or two, it is not too difficult: And for now he'll keep working on artifacts, and eat food if and when it shows up. 

It does that, promptly.

Leareth finishes the next artifact, and – damn, he doesn't recall hearing Finwë ask the Valar about his shield-talisman and he was too distracted by being in front of fourteen gods to ask himself. He's not sure what to do about it now but he can at least pass a brief message to Nelyafinwë.

And then keep working. If no emergencies happen, he can churn out a shield-token every hour until he runs out of appropriately sized crystals, at which point he would switch to the larger blanks he prepared for keeping food frozen. 

No more emergencies happen except that Huan gets impatient, eventually, about staying cooped up inside and starts pawing at the door.

Which is pretty understandable; he's a dog, magical or not. :Go: Leareth tells him, using magic to nudge the door open without standing up. :I may call to you if anything untoward happens: It's not going to be hard to find him outside, the magic is pretty unmistakeable. 

–And this seems like a good time to run another sweep of the city for suspicious magic sources. And find the nearest mind he can ask about food, he isn't sure how many hours have passed but there are a dozen shield-talismans piled next to him now. 

They have decided to just make sure there's a tray of food outside his door at all times, actually.