Leareth starts walking. "You could ask him? If I Mindspeak him from here he will not be able to answer me, but he can answer you." 

"Mm."

Leareth?

The not-Mindtouch startles him, and he jumps a little. He's been holding himself tense for the last however many candlemarks. 

...Did they win. 

Yes. Also Maitimo said it would be all right for you to read his mind again now, though I'd want to bring you over rather than giving you the earcuff for that.

Oh. 

He's not sure how to respond to that, at first, except that it only reinforces the feeling he's already been having for a while. 

I want to go back to Arda, he thinks finally, just as Bella and his alt are approaching the hall where his room is, and it feels hard to explain why, so he sort of shoves some half-formed thoughts in her. 

Vanyel, his Vanyel, is there. Maitimo is there. He misses the Quendi singing. And...it's probably safer than Velgarth, now, the Valar other than Melkor are hopeless at a lot of things but they're not trying to destroy him. He's not in any position to be the level of paranoid and cautious that he needs to be, in a world where the gods are against any of his plans ever succeeding. He wants to be back in a world that lets him have allies. 

I can bring you. I'll be landing us in the infirmary, I've been patching people up from injuries sustained in the aftermath there and if you want to lie back down it's a good place. Now?

I should tell my alt. In five minutes? And can you give us privacy? 

Yes. She steps out. Lets Rúmil know she'll be a few minutes.

Local Leareth goes in, shuts the door. Raises a privacy-barrier. Sits down. "You want to hear what happened?" 

Nod. 

Then Leareth will start at the beginning and tell his alt a summary of everything that's happened. He mostly elides his suboptimal handling of the compulsions thing with Bella, both because he's not even sure how to describe it accurately and because it's not something his alt needs to worry about right now.

He does mention Maitimo's offer. Several offers. He doesn't say that he's confused about it. 

But it's kind of apparent anyway. Reading your own body language is easier than reading someone else, it turns out.

Trying to describe why it makes perfect sense for Maitimo to offer that proves surprisingly hard. 

"We worked well together," he says finally. "He - is trying to be good. He wants to save all of the people. And...I imagine he knows he cannot stop you from moving people there in secret if you wish, so his offer does not really change things from that perspective." 

"I am not going to start setting up in his world against his wishes! For one thing, I am sure he is keeping some strategic secrets, and that means that something might explode in my face." 

"Well, you could do it with his blessing instead, and I am certain he would tell you of anything relevant." Deep breath. "I want to go back. Now that the war is over and it is safe there. I cannot actually go home, yet, but - it feels more like home than here, and Vanyel is there." 

He pauses, startled, but only for a second. "Of course. I understand." He waits a few beats. "I suppose we ought not keep Bella waiting, then." 

He looks around his room. "The only thing I need to pack is my notes." 

Then local Leareth can find a case to put them in and load it up, and be ready to go a few minutes later. 

Angband Leareth hauls himself out of bed, he's exhausted from spending all day stressed about the battle happening in another world that he couldn't do anything to help with, but he can manage doing this on his feet, and carry his luggage himself. 

He pushes the door open. There's still the momentary freeze when he tries to leave his room, but it's gotten easier to route around. "Bella, I am ready." Can you do the calm thing. Deciding to go back to Arda is really stressful, it turns out! Even though it's something he badly wants. Maybe more so, because of that. 

She does the calm thing. She places them in the infirmary and makes sure he's near a bed to collapse into if necessary.

It's a Quendi infirmary so there's pretty artwork and the bedsheets are silk and have flowers embroidered.

He's relieved to sit down, even with the calm effect he's kind of shaky, but it's surprising how much of a relief it is to be back. Especially given how many awful things happened in this world. He can even hear people singing in the distance - which on some deep-buried level sends a jolt of fear through him, probably it's related to some stupid horrible fake memory or maybe a dozen of them, but he's calm and he can let that pass. 

"Thank you," he tells Bella. "You can go back to your work." 

He realizes a few moments later that of course he can't Mindspeak Vanyel to let him know that he's here. Osanwë works the same way that Bella's subtle arts do, though; he just has to think his thoughts public, and try to do it to a particular person.  

Maitimo? 

He assumes it's the other Leareth for half a second, then realizes that's not Mindspeech -

- Leareth. 

And now he has no idea what to say. His brain grinds on it for a few seconds before he can formulate words. 

I apologize if I am disturbing you. I wished to return to Arda. Sudden wash of - not panic, he's too forcibly calm for that, but doubt-worry-fear tangled together - he didn't even think to ask Bella whether that was all right with the Noldor, it would be entirely reasonable fo them not to want him within hundreds of miles after he helped Melkor.

I hope you do not mind, he finishes, uncertainly. 

Of course we're glad to have you for as long as you'd like to stay. I will try to arrange a place for you - we're building our new city, now, at last, so you will have to forgive us some construction noise - do you have your magic back or should I get Vanyel to shield it -

...He's startled and amazed that Maitimo thinks he might have his magic back. No. Because it would be a terrible idea, but he doesn't make that thought public. I - would appreciate Vanyel shielding it. I am at the infirmary where Bella is working, which is fine, but - if there is a more private place I could stay, that would be nice.