Vanyel is there five minutes later. "Sorry that took a while." 

"I apologize for dragging you away on such short notice. Leareth, I'm going to pick you up to carry you through the Gate." 

He does this.

Leareth doesn't resist. He should be perfectly capable of walking through a Gate, and yet. 

Vanyel steps out into the hallway, since Yfandes doesn't quite fit into the room itself. He draws on the Silmarils. Raises the Gate, steps through–

–and winces, ignoring the sudden inexplicable discomfort and urge to sprint back across, what is up with that. It's fine, he's fine.

The fact that he's suddenly missing Stef is presumably unrelated and also stupid. 

He carries Leareth back to his room. Sets him down. Melody?

:Back already? I thought you weren't–: Pause. :Is this because something's wrong? I can head across the island now if you need me: 

We were shot at when we arrived at Cuivienen. We were in little actual danger, we all have shield amulets and Vanyel was right there, but Leareth understandably - he will just send over his general impression of Leareth rather than trying to put it into words.

:Oh. That's unfortunate. I was kind of in the middle of seeing someone here but I can be there in an hour? Or if it's really urgent I'll come sooner: 

I don't think he is deteriorating or anything. 

:All right. I'll try to wrap up here and be over as soon as I reasonably can: 

Thank you. 

How's Leareth.

He's less tense now that he's in familiar surroundings. Also very apologetic. He feels like he made a very big deal out of almost nothing and now multiple people have dropped everything they had planned to accommodate him and this seems - suboptimal, really. 

It is extremely predictable that lethal ambushes while you don't have any magic are really upsetting and necessitate some changes in plans. I'm fine. Vanyel is fine. There are a dozen other princes of the Noldor in Vinyamar to talk about relations with our neighbors and trade deals and music and so on. 

I want to ask Melody if we can give you some magic back or if it's all or nothing.

Oh. 

I cannot understand why both not having any magic and getting some magic back are terrifying, Leareth thinks at Maitimo. Surely at least one ought to be acceptable. 

I wouldn't necessarily expect that.

I suppose that not having any magic is scary for - the obvious reason - and deciding that I wish to have some magic again is scary because it is a choice and an action. 

Leareth thinks he was so much closer to both of those being fine, before, but apparently it's still easy for his mind to fall back toward the state where trying to influence the world around him feels more dangerous than just giving up. 

This is not very surprising but it must be very frustrating for him.

It's so frustrating! It's not at all the direction that any of the thought-patterns that make up a Leareth are supposed to point – at first he didn't feel like he had much comparison, there, but over the last month he's slowly felt more like he remembers who he is, or at least used to be. 

Maybe a hug will help? 

Hug.

Technically this doesn't help directly with the part where nothing in his head is working right, but it does help him feel less pointlessly frustrated. Instead he can be very cozy. 

If it helps they can hang out like this until Melody comes.

After most of an hour, Leareth is calmed down enough that he extracts himself to get some water to drink.

Melody arrives not long after, though she pauses outside as usual. :Now still a good time?: 

I think so. 

Melody's here, he tells Leareth.

Leareth nods, sits down on the bed to wait for her.