The Quendi takes half a step back and confers with some other Quendi in a language that is definitely not Valdemaran.

Stef is starting to get pretty freaked out now. He points hopefully back the way he came. "Laiquendi?" He takes a breath, holds it, ready to use the only defence he has if they don't start calming down soon. 

They are arguing! They are not especially calming down.

Well this is very scary and Stef is pretty sure he can't outrun Quendi, so he's going to sing very softly under his breath and tell them with his Bardic Gift to be calm calm calm and then maybe he can sort this out. 

They start to calm down. They start talking in more normal tones. Then someone points at him and says something and one of them swings around to punch him in the head, hard.

A thousand miles away, Vanyel startles awake from a nap. :Maitimo something's wrong: he sends within a fraction of a second. :Have you heard anything about the Valdemaran party–:

- no? 

:I have a really bad feeling: He has a bad feeling about Stef in particular, actually, but that's - embarrassing - and he trusts the bad feeling itself, or at least trusts it enough to be worth checking - and it's way too loud to ignore.

He can't Mindspeak at that range. :I'm Gating to Vinyamar: 

- okay. Want me -

:If Leareth's all right? If there is a situation I could probably resolve it more easily with your help: He's already up and grabbing his boots. 

Van wants to check a situation in Vinyamar, okay if I go too? he asks Leareth, grabbing the satchel of his things that Larya usually carries.

Leareth startles a bit at the sudden osanwë but takes a deep breath and settles back down. :Yes. I hope Vanyel resolves it quickly: Asking questions now will only slow down their departure. 

And Vanyel is ready to Gate as soon as he and Maitimo can rendezvous. :I don't know where Randi and the others are but I'm assuming you know who in Vinyamar you can ask: 

Yes, I do.

And he can walk into the room Vanyel is in.

Vanyel Gates to the Palace in Vinyamar and steps through and takes the Gate down instantly after Maitimo is through. He waits maybe five seconds. :Where are they:

Laiquendi. I haven't been there, I'm trying to get a read from someone who has.

:Pass it on to me when you have: Vanyel is aware that he's being rude and he's going to apologize after, but - every part of his mind is screaming that there's an emergency right now and he doesn't know what it is except that Stef is in danger. 

He has it a minute later. Looks like this.

Vanyel raises a Gate on the same doorway and thirty seconds later they're there. :Maitimo, see if you can learn anything from the local Quendi: He reaches out with his own Mindspeech, hunting for Savil, who's probably the strongest Mindspeaker around. 

They're here. About half a mile that way. The locals live in the trees. Some of your people are with them, some stayed on the ground - the ones with them are fine -

Vanyel heads that direction at a run. :Savil!: 

She was having a very nice time watching Starwind and Moondance frolic in the trees and is annoyed to be interrupted. And then worried. :Van? I thought you weren't on this continent - what's wrong–:

:Where's Stef: 

:Huh. He was right here – I don't see him: She pulls Dara into the link as well. :Did you see where Stef went?: 

Dara reluctantly pauses mid-tree-frolic. :...No, why?: