"Like I said, it's understandable. Your approach to security is really strange to me, but I assume what confuses me makes sense to you and it's probably just information I'm missing. What's this about apocalyptic? I thought you were just losing a perfectly normal war, is that hyperbole or is the fate of the world actually at stake?" Maybe they should see if they can work a spell to keep their thoughts hidden, they had a ring for that but that is long gone.

"Perfectly normal war? This is the first one in written history, so it's hard to actually say, but I really doubt most wars where you're from are this bad or there wouldn't be a where you're from."

"Wars tend to be really really bad but 'apocalyptic' is not generally an adjective that applies. Where I'm from we have more of a history of war than you seem to--Though maybe we just have more history, how long have you had writing?--but I've only actually lived through one myself. It was, as they go, pretty bad, but I'd still hesitate to say apocalyptic. No gods were involved--Well, one, maybe, but She doesn't count--and with them absent I seriously doubt there was enough power flying around to actually seriously endanger the world. I don't know if people around here tend to be more powerful than back home."

"We've had writing three thousand years as they're counted now, my dad invented it. The other side in this war is an evil god."

"I will concede that your war is far more likely to qualify as apocalyptic, then. Any strategy for wi--no, you think I might be a spy, best not tell me that." They lapse into silence. War with an evil god--and no opposing gods mentioned--seems to rule out every afterlife they've heard of.

"I mean, the reason princess up ahead was all upset is because recently a bunch of idiots including Nargothrond's erstwhile ruler went and got themselves captured. We can assume the Enemy knows everything we were thinking of doing as of recently."

"...Lúthien is a princess? And she's wandering the plains alone and on foot because...? Is the war going so badly that you can't spare anyone to guard your commanders?  I understand 'lead from the front', but 'lead from the front alone and underequipped' is...not common practice where I am from." From the way these elves seem to be running their war, Malak is not convinced that this Enemy is not just a moderately-powerful sorcerer pretending to be a god.

"I have absolutely no idea why Lúthien was out wandering on her own and am hoping we'll get an explanation when we get there. She didn't say anything to you?"

"We didn't have a language in common and I really do not like your form of telepathy, I assumed if it was of dire importance for a stranger she met on the road to know she would have told me anyway but my own curiosity could wait until I had my language spell."

"It probably has something to do with the recent mess in which the erstwhile King got captured but what flavor of connection I'm not even going to guess at."

"Of course. Well, if your King has been captured and you're not worried about information security, I look forward to seeing the full extent of the miserable strategic situation Fate has seen fit to put me in. And shoes, I look forward to shoes. How much farther is it?"

"Five miles? And he wasn't my king."

"Oh? King means leader, does it not? And you are living in his city, though I suppose you never said you were from there. Are you a diplomat, then?"

"Something like that. My kingdom was east of here; it fell in the Battle of Sudden Flame, and we fought our way across to Tol Sirion in time to bail out its ruler when it fell, and then we retreated to Doriath while the dust settled, and then we were sticking around to help Nargothrond mobilize for the counteroffensive when its king became seized with temporary insanity and we had to talk him into surrendering his crown before marching off on a suicide mission."

Malak opens their mouth as if to say something, then closes it again.

"You need a lot more context, trust me."

"Or don't, whatever."

"You have more reason to distrust me than vice versa. I was waiting for context. You don't have to give it, though, I'm sure I can pick it up later."

"No, I'm happy to give it, I'm just - you're from so far away I'm not even sure where to start on providing context. Uh, at the very beginning of time the gods warred over the shape of the world, that familiar?"

 "Yes, actually. Though I don't remember if that was what they were warring over, either I wasn't paying all that much attention or my sister skipped over that detail or maybe the scholars back home didn't know it. Or this is a different war between the gods at the beginning of time."

"Anyway, eventually the main continent is an appalling mess of competing artistic visions and all but one of the gods head off, raise a new continent, make it really pretty, and seal it off from the rest of the world. Shortly after that Elves come into being."

Mm.

"Melkor, remaining god, harasses and then kidnaps and tortures various Elves he manages to catch away from company, forcibly breeds them with things of his own invention, gets the race of orcs, magically binds all of them to his servitude at birth, is generally a charming fellow. Eventually - after centuries, of course - this catches the attention of the other gods and they go to war with him."

Hm. Still consistent with what I know but again that's mostly due to ignorance.