" - She didn't look Sindarin actually..."

"There are a couple other kinds, right?"

"I think so... Something to ask."

"Yeah."

Back to the inn in the meantime, then?

To await their promised mealtime adventure.

But before that time arrives - shortly after they leave in fact, while Celebrimbor is still likely lost in thought - somebody else arrives at the guildhall.

Annatar hasn't actually gone back yet, too, and she goes to greet Domhildr.

"Annatar! How've you been? How's Celebrimbor?"

Smile. "Well, though it's more boring without you here - come, let's get comfortable while we talk."

"Alright - will Celebrimbor be joining us?"

"She just started a new project - and there's actually something I'd wanted to talk to you alone about..." She starts leading Domhildr to her receiving room before her office. 

Frown. 

She doesn't say anything until they're in private, but once they are - "What's up?"

" - I know you love Celebrimbor, and you love being with her, and working with the guild."

"So - I know she's never asked you this, too, but - I was hoping you could tell me why you seem pressed to leave sometimes? Especially if there's anything I could help fix."

"I don't think it's something that can be fixed easily. I've tried."

"Domhildr - I'm willing to put a lot of effort into both of you being happy with your arrangement."

"Into Celebrimbor getting everything she wants."

"There's points I'm sure she'd be willing to compromise on."

"She loves you, too. She's just - "

"Reserved."

"I know."

"Then what's wrong?"

"It's - a dwarf thing, mostly. But a relationship thing too, I guess."

"I get - " she makes a broad gesture and a frustrated sound. "I get this itch - we have a word for it, it's common, downright most people get it a little, and I think flat out a third of everyone gets it just about overwhelmingly - "

"It's whenever I'm above ground. Some people, a roof over their heads, or even a shallow hall built into the earth is good enough - that takes the edge off for me, but even there I feel - weightless. Like I'm about to float away, and like I can't navigate. I can manage in the tunnels mostly, but I have to stop a lot while I'm walking because I get - disoriented."

"And it gets worse over time, the longer I'm above ground."

"Eventually - I start feeling like a stranger in my body. Like I'm barely tethered, and this empty - stone vessel - is walking around in my place."

"There's rumors of people turning back to stone if they spend too much time under the open sky. It sounds fantastical, like crazy talk, but - it feels like something that might happen."

"And Celebrimbor gets - cold, sometimes. I don't always know if I'm imagining it, but - it feels like she gets colder and farther away the more that itch is building in me. And that makes it harder to feel - like she's my anchoring stone, which makes the itch get worse."

She quickly considers and discards several possible answers before settling on 'a hug.'

Hug's good. 

Seems indicated. 

But, eventually - 

"The dwarven king would be delighted to host her in his Halls in style with all the materials she could ask for, I'm sure. And the Mirdain can travel with her, or at worst they know how letters work."

"I don't know if - she'd uproot her life for me."