"I'm glad I could save the ones I did but it feels like I didn't do enough and I'm sorry for that. I'm sorry for your friends who died."

"May Mandos judge them justly."

...sure.

After the elf leaves, Malak will fill their time speculating about Enhancement magic and making magic items, until Celegorm and Huan are ready to go.

Doesn't take them too long.

Then off they will go. They are happy to be leaving Nargothrond. Most of the people are happy to see them go. How mutually beneficial.

It's starting to get chilly. The trees turn golden.

Malak is slightly resistant to cold like they are slightly resistant to heat. They bundle up anyways. In a few days Tol-in-Gaurhoth is on the horizon.

No one appears to be there.

And Malak is totally 100% trusting their senses on this.

Celegorm? What does Huan think? Is there anyone here? Can we track Sauron if he fled?

He lets Huan roam around. Yeah, some orcs still there, not many, could go in and clear them out. He thinks Sauron went north. Probably to Angband.

...So not particularly pursueable then. Damn. I shouldn't have waited as long as I did. Can he tell how badly injured Sauron was?

He was insubstantial the whole way but no, not besides that.

Eugh.

...How much did we miss him by?  Should I be kicking myself for escorting the prisoners all the way that I did?

I find that never helps.

...I will take that as a well-intentioned 'no' that actually means 'yes'. If I'd asked for you right away we might have caught him.

They take a long breath and let it out again.

I'm going to clear out the orcs, then head to Barad Eithel. Do you want to help with the former?

Unless you're attached to not having company I'll stick with you for both, Nelyo might be there.

Hardly. I just thought you wouldn't want to see any of your cousins. I think I'm running into the everyone-has-too-many-names problem again, who's Nelyo?

Technically speaking, the orcs put up a fight. But Huan is here and Malak is here and despite Celegorm's apparent skill he's not contributing very much and the orcs don't stand a chance.

Nelyo's Maedhros. In the Quenya, which is banned, but I don't actually give a fuck what Elu Thingol wants anymore. And I don't mind Fingon, as cousins go he's fine. Crown's a little big for him but that's why Nelyo will probably be there.

I don't think Lúthien gives a fuck what Thingol wants anymore.

...Want to teach me Quenya while we walk?

- yeah, actually. 

Great! Usually when I'm learning a language I cast the translation spell and then just pay attention to both what I hear and what I understand. I can't do that right now because I don't have space for translation right now, but we could do it with osanwë?

Yeah, should work.

So, no more Sindarin until we reach the city. What would you like to talk about?

Oh, if you were hoping I'm an entertaining conversationalist that's not going to work, I fight the Enemy and that's pretty much it.