He sits down next to him, puts a hand on his shoulder. 

You will probably get upset about it. But - I don't know. I think if it were me I'd want people to talk to me.

I talked to - a friend of my grandfather who went through Utumno. He said -

- don't ask what he wants, it's hostile, right, if you know what someone wants you know what they don't want. do try to pay a lot of attention to what he wants, since otherwise probably very important things that he wants won't happen as he won't think of asking for them. 

- don't touch him.

- don't - don't drop cues that there are bad things in the future, or him-requiring things in the future - we shouldn't tell him about whatever it was that happened with your final gate to Velgarth - or that we could use his help figuring out whether it's possible to fish a Maia out of the Void.

Vanyel nods. Leans against Maitimo’s shoulder.

:I’ll talk to him. Just - need to get my head around it, you know? I knew him for fifteen years, I’ve - probably learned more because of him, changed more, than with anyone else. And - it’s really hard to convince my mind that I can’t just talk to him exactly the way I used to. And - also still try to remember that it is him, there’s got to be - something left...:

Yeah. I'm so sorry.

Vanyel sits there for another minute. :Thank you: he says finally. He gets up. Walks back to the tent where Leareth is lying. Sits next to him. 

:I have absolutely no expectation that you believe anything I'm saying, right now: he sends. Leareth is compulsion-prevented from Mindspeaking, which is probably excessive but it can be used offensively; his Gifts aren't blocked though, he can hear it.

:You were right that I would want to know about what was happening here, and to help. You were right to bring me here, even if there wasn't a lot of opportunity to coordinate on it beforehand, and you - did a lot right, in those first few months, so that I could start out in the position I did. It was still really hard and I'm sorry it took so long, but - the fact that we still had a path to victory is thanks to what you did before me: 

He closes his eyes. :I'm not going to ask you for anything more than what you already did. And I'm not going to make promises, because I figure that won't be very reassuring. But I'm here and I don't currently have any intentions of leaving: 

Leareth doesn't move. Mostly it's because of the compulsions, this time; if he could move normally he might summon enough curiosity to turn and look at Vanyel's face.

Melkor...hasn't been this good at Vanyel, in the past. Though it's not like he can trust anything he remembers, anymore, any reasoning about it is built on quicksand. Melkor eventually figured out something convincing enough that Leareth fell for it; if he can do that in one area, he can do it anywhere. 

Vanyel sits there for a while. Tries not to cry. He can go do that later, somewhere else, it feels disrespectful to do it in front of Leareth. 

Eventually he gets up and heads to see if he's needed for anything. 

I think mostly the next priority is getting to your world. To warn them about whatever that was and to get a Mindhealer who can do something less restrictive than this.

Vanyel nods. :I'm going to need...at least a day, I think two would be better if we're not in a huge rush. The fight: if that's even the right word for it :took a lot out of me. But I agree that's really important. It's possible the healing songs would help me get back faster: 

I don't think it's worth exhausting yourself to do. Two days sounds good. 

And he leans his head back and sings. 

If Leareth doesn't let any of his thoughts drift where Maitimo can see them he'll make him get up and walk around and eat in two hours.

Leareth does not float out any public thoughts in the next two hours, or for the rest of that day, except very occasionally in response to one of them talking to him directly. 

Then he will walk around and eat every four hours while he's awake and drink water and roll over every hour and - do we need to tell him to sleep?

:The compulsions shouldn't stop him from falling asleep if he's tired, but it's not like there's regular day and night here - my sleep was all messed up at the start because of that - it might be helpful if we pick a schedule: 

Sure. We can match him to you, I think Quendi sleep less.

:Sounds good - and yes, I'd noticed that. Especially your father: Vanyel frowns. :How is Fëanáro? I haven't spoken to him since...: 

All right, I think. He's making plans to build the Quendi city we originally came out here to build. And making plans for diplomatic contact with the peoples of your world. 

:...Should I loop him in on the Gate I'm doing to Haven? I'm going to have to do it to the main part of the Palace and hold it for a bit, I don't know where Melody will be and I haven't coordinated with her or anything. Was thinking I'd use the time to update Savil a bit. She's probably worried sick about me. Anyway, your father could send through a party at the same time if he wanted: 

He probably would, but I don't know how many people we have who speak your language yet. I guess we have two days.

:Mindspeech and osanwë seem to interface fine? I could communicate right away even before I learned Quenya: 

Yes but it'd be like - showing up in rags, or covered in blood, or something, showing up not speaking your language. 

:I really don't see our King taking that much offence from it. He knows you've had more urgent priorities than learning a language: Vanyel shakes his head. :It takes humans months or years to become fluent, usually. I gather most Quendi are faster than that: 

Yes. A couple weeks, for most people - and words are very important, you're closing off so much if you aren't competent to use them -

:I suppose you do have a good point, there. Anyway, talking to people in my native language isn't tiring, and I'm not sure I'm needed for much else, so I'd be happy to give some lessons: 

All right. I'll put a diplomatic party together. Is it going to cause problems anywhere else that we went to Valdemar first?

:I can't see why it would? Leareth's side has a diplomatic contingent in Haven too, you could talk to them, and - I mean, your contacts in Velgarth are Leareth and me, of course you'd want to talk to our respective homelands first. Randi will figure out the political ramifications, he can help coordinate who else you should maybe talk to: 

All right. Thank you. 

He will set up language courses. While they're learning the language they can maybe pick up some cultural things as well? How is the King addressed? How is the King selected? What are Valdemar's biggest problems? Which of the Quendi fields of study and inventions are familiar?

Does Leareth have any thoughts in public before they Gate.