Maybe.  I guess I'll see if it lasts.

:Mmm. Glad you're keeping an eye on it, anyway: 

And there can be more magic research, more meetings, planning for the trip out to see the Men - does it, in fact, last -

It gets less notable but doesn't go away entirely, at least not around Maitimo; Leareth manages to get his head together enough to stay focused when he's working with Vanyel, which Vanyel will probably report if asked, but it's hard to be around Maitimo without incessantly wondering what he's thinking or feeling.

It would be tempting to try to find a way past the shield-amulet, except that it would be deeply unfair to Maitimo to do that, especially for something this petty. It's not strategically important or anything, it's just his curiosity, and being curious does not actually make it any more Leareth's business. If he wants to know he can just ask. (The trouble is that he still has no idea how to approach that conversation at all, if it's even a conversation he wants to have.) 

Then before they go to see the humans he'll talk to Leareth again, at the end of a meeting. 

Are you sure you're all right?

Why can he never, ever get anything past Maitimo. :I am fine. I suppose I have been a little preoccupied but it is not distressing and I can manage the meeting with the humans: It'll be easier, even, he can run headfirst at some different source of distraction.

...Is it true that he's not distressed about it? Leareth is at least fairly sure of it at this point. To the extent that he can name any feelings other than confusion, he's flattered, and feels sort of warm about it, but this gives him no further hints at what to do about it. Except that apparently he's failing to 'do nothing' because Maitimo is asking him questions like this. 

All right. Just - let me know if you need anything. We're not going to - abruptly change our minds about whether you should have your magic back or anything -

Leareth shakes his head, smiling. :I am not at all worried about that, Maitimo: 

Okay. 

Van should Gate them to where the humans are, since it's a pretty impressive distance.

Van can get a memory from whoever has one and then do that! 

The humans are all either adults or under the age of four, and have a variety of skin tones that'd be implausible in any specific geographic location in Velgarth even though each individual skin tone would be at home on Velgarth somewhere. They are mostly not wearing much in the way of clothes; some have animal skins but a solid majority don't. They are all wearing really nice silk scarves that cover their hair, though. 

Clearly a thoughtful gift from some Quendi visitors. Leareth realizes he's still missing some of the details on exactly what happened, here, and Mindspeaks Vanyel and Maitimo. :Did they also appear as married couples? Do we share a language with them?:

Stef doesn't bother to ask, just bounces up to them with a warm friendly smile, tries greetings in several different languages spoken in Arda. 

We don't share a language though some people have learned theirs. They don't even all share a language with each other, and have started to break into tribes based on that. They didn't appear as married couples, as far as they know. They don't seem to marry like Quendi do, either. And they have children unintentionally, as humans of Velgarth. That comes through with a good deal of grief.

People are charmed by Stef but don't understand him!

Stef is not very bothered by this fact! He just spent months traveling through regions of Velgarth where no one could understand him, after all. He'll make faces at children and sing silly songs for them and generally try to be charming while the others figure out what to do. 

Vanyel starts unpacking their presents. :I suppose we could - mime how to use these? I did think to design it so they don't need osanwë to change, at least. Hmm, it's possible our Mindspeech works with them, I'm strong enough to speak to un-Gifted people back home, but it might be rather alarming: 

Osanwë works, I can send over explanations if you'd like.

:...Oh, right, I always manage to forget it works on everyone even if they don't have any mind-communication on their own. I would appreciate that. I wonder if they're cold?: 

He explains the gifts and asks this question (some of the people are cold) and explains what will be involved in checking their mage-gifts.

Fortunately one of the gifts is a weather-barrier, though it's not that high-powered. There are also some camp wards which have both a passive mode (it will make a loud noise if dangerous magic comes near) and can make an impassable barrier if two central focus-stones in the middle are put together in the right way. Vanyel considered making them some personal shield-amulets for hunting, but Leareth pointed out that they don't yet have enough evidence about the politics of the groups and whether they'll instead end up used to let humans who want to murder other humans be invincible in the process. So, defensive and non-combat magic only. 

Leareth will be helping check Gifts as well. It takes a minute or so per person, he or Vanyel need to touch them for it, and it won't hurt but might feel odd, it's been described as a sort of tickle inside your head. They might find active Gifts but they might also find potential, which isn't likely to awaken in an adult but means they could pass it on to their children. (The current kids are probably too young to tell either way, even potential isn't usually detectable before age five or six.) 

The humans are impressed and delighted and really really excited that Vanyel and Leareth and Stef are humans too! They've only met Quendi and other new humans. 


There aren't Gifts, but there are potential Gifts, rather more than you'd find in Velgarth except maybe in the Eastern Empire.

Interesting! Leareth is now even more wondering if these humans are just copied from himself and the other visitors. Maybe Eru decided he liked the inspiration. 

He and Vanyel can tell everyone who has a potential Gift, and have Maitimo describe some of the manifestations of active Gifts of various sorts, mage-gift but also Mindspeech and others. If these sorts of odd things start happening around a child - it usually happens between ages nine and thirteen but can be earlier - then the child needs assessment and training and the Velgarth humans will be delighted to help. 

He will translate all of this. The local humans nod very seriously and the ones with potential gifts seem delighted about it.