"- why."

"Because she swore things. Never ever swear things."

"Things?" asks Kat.

"Anything. If a voice says 'swear to trust me, just for five minutes, it's really important', you say no. If I come to you, or Maitimo comes to you, and tells you to swear something - you say no."

"Mama things?"

"If someone who looks like Mama asks you to swear things it's not Mama. Your mother would never ever ask you to swear anything, she ran away with you so you wouldn't ever have to."

"Mama swear things," clarifies Kat.

"Yeah, she did. When she was a little kid they made her, and then when we found her we made her, and that's why she's dead."

"...why."

"Melkor makes everybody swear things so he can control them. We were hoping there'd be a way to let your mother be free instead of guarded all the time."

She pensively hugs his arm.

"We were wrong. I'm so sorry. It would have been better to keep her locked up forever but alive with you."

"Where Mama?"

"The Halls of Mandos. That's where people go when they die."

"Why?"

"Mandos made a place for them because they used to just wander and then the Enemy could get them."

"Come home?"

"Mandos can't fix oaths. She can't come home."

"Why?"

"I guess he's just not very good at his job."

"Why?"

Snuggle. Singing.

...that is not an answer but Kat will accept it anyway.

A bit later she attempts to pronounce his name. She mangles it awfully.

Snuggle. "My little brothers called me Cáno because it's easier. Cáno and the King is Nelyo, same reason."

"Cá-no."