The mathematicians get to work on trying to understand the problem statements Leareth's people sent over. Fëanáro comes up with another artifact upgrade so Vanyel can do magic a little longer without getting tired. It's not very good. He thinks he also has a modification of a Silmaril that would make for a vastly more powerful one but that needs to be an absolute last resort because the Silmaril in enemy hands would be disastrous. 

Vanyel agrees. That would be terrifying. The current modification is helpful; it gets his tenable conversation time without an artifact up to ten minutes, leaving enough reserves to Gate in an emergency, and it means that if he does have to Gate to Velgarth in an emergency he won't be utterly drained from it. 

They get more updates. All the remaining resistance in the south of Valdemar has been crushed. Word from Leareth's spy network: Rethwellan has militarized their border and is refusing all talks of alliance with the new occupying forces. It seems awfully helpful for Vkandis that Valdemar is sandwiched in between Karse and Iftel, though, both of which He already controls. 

Five days in, late in the afternoon when he's resting after poking at his nearly-complete scrying artifact, Vanyel feels the communication-spell reach out to him. <Wingbrother?>

<Starwind! What>

<The scouts have Prince Nelyafinwë. He is badly hurt> 

<What> Fortunately k'Treva has the artifact and that means he can hold the link without exhausting himself, and Mindspeak at the same time. :Fëanáro, come right now. They have Maitimo: 

<Starwind, tell me more - we thought he was dead...> 

He heads over. 

Could be a trap. 

:I know. I'm getting more information: 

<He escaped Haven in the attack. Says Leareth called a Final Strike to cover him. He was injured then but still made it nearly to the Border on foot. Came under pursuit by occupying troops. Our people were near enough to hear a call for help. They fought them off and Gated him to the Pelagirs. Not k'Treva, we know it could be a trap, but - he is not in good shape, he might have died if the scouts had not had a Healer with them, so it would be a risky trap>

Vanyel relays all of this to Fëanáro. It could be a trap anyway, of course, but...what are they going to do, not help him? 

Can we talk with him?

:Not directly with the spell, he's not a mage. I suppose one of the Tayledras could relay, but he's not in k'Treva and I don't know the scouts who are with him right now: He frowns. :If I Gate to k'Treva I could speak with him over osanwë range: 

We'd be gambling a lot on the Star-Eyed in fact not being on Vkandis's side. But - we notably wouldn't be gambling on Maitimo's presence not being some kind of trick, he could only talk to you at that range if it were really him -

:That makes sense. Just a moment: 

<Where is he? We're concerned this is a trick and I need to talk to him directly, but I - have hesitations about Gating straight to k'Treva. I need to speak to him and I can do that from a distance, is there a place in the regular scout range that's within fifty miles?> He thinks he has a hundred with Maitimo but fifty seems like enough and he's not wanting to strain his Mindspeech range excessively. 

<Just a moment> Pause. <The silver rock crossing is sixty miles, does that work>

<It should, yes. A moment> 

:Fëanáro, I can Gate to a place that's a good distance from the Vale - I'm less worried about the Star-Eyed being able to intervene drastically if I'm not near a Heartstone. Sixty miles. It's within our range: 

All right. - probably commit now not to be persuadable to go get him.

:I agree: He’s not delighted about it, but it sounds like Maitimo isn’t imminently dying, there’s a Healer with him - k’Treva can get more Healers to him - and Vanyel can’t help on that front anyway. :Hmm. I don’t want to wait too long but we can spare five minutes. What other precautions should I be taking? I won’t be able to talk to you while I’m there:

Don't tell him where you are, obviously - and that means keeping senses private, you know how to do that? Don't tell him what we're planning, or who is alive, or whether we're in contact with Leareth. 

:I think I know how to do it - check if I’m doing it now?:

- yep, you got it.

:All right. I’ll wear my shield-talisman but won’t bring anything fancier, just on the principle that we don’t want our maybe-still-secret techniques in enemy hands and that includes the Star-Eyed in the unlikely event where She betrays us. And I’ll come back in exactly an hour, or sooner. If I’m not back in that time, then even if I make it back later, you should assume you - might not be able to trust me fully: 

He isn’t sure what options the Star-Eyed has for acting through him but is reluctant to assume they don’t exist; he’s not exactly Tayledras but he is a Wingbrother to k’Treva.

All right.

If they can't trust Vanyel they are pretty much out of options. But he doesn't say that.

:I'm going to be extremely careful. I won't stay any longer than I have to, to confirm it's him and find out what happened: 

Vanyel waits for Stef to catch up. Hugs him. "I'm sorry, love. I know it's going to hurt, us being in different worlds, but you really can't come." 

"I know. Just - don't be an idiot, all right? No heroics. Promise?"