Hug.

Rebecca tucks herself in against Michael and shivers.

"She had Kat. They took Kat away so she'd have more orcish influences. She decided to run away, she traded some favors. We - we shoot orcs, when they come here. All of them are sworn to obey the Enemy, and that means he can turn them into his agents at any time with no notice. We can't risk it. My brother was a prisoner in Angband. She escaped with him so we'd spare her and Kat. We kept them here. She was - happy, she liked the music -

- we told her that if she wanted to swear not to hurt us, she could go free - she did - if you swear two things that contradict each other your brain tears itself apart in unimaginable agony. We tried to avoid that by having a clause that - if she wanted to - she could surrender and then the oath would be void -

- the Enemy tracked her down. Made her aware that she'd sworn - I don't know what - something that contradicted - and she wasn't even lucid enough to surrender and get out from the contradiction -"

"My parents took Catherine and sent me to a convent and Michael kidnapped her back for me."

Lean. Weak smile.

"Beka killed her mother. I assume her father was already dead."

"I think mine are alive but they don't talk to us, or let my siblings."

"D'you want to meet Catherine?"

" - sure -"

"Tippy -"

House-elf.

"Can you fetch us Catherine please?"

"Yes ma'am!" exclaims Tippy, and she vanishes and soon a little girl who looks like a mini Rebecca barrels into the room.

Catherine stops in her tracks when she sees Macalaurë. "Papa," she stage-whispers to Michael. "Papa he is too tall you have to shrink him."

Weak giggle. "Hi, Catherine."

"TOO TALL," says Catherine. "...pick me up."

He does.

"SO TALL!" exclaims Catherine, grabbing a braid for balance.

He swats her hand away, looking appalled. "No!"

"Ah!" exclaims Catherine. "Did not pull, did not!"

"You can't touch, you can't touch, no one can touch. If I were to get married then my wife could touch. In private."

"Put me down!" demands Catherine.

"Hair is a married thing?" says Rebecca, bewildered.

He puts her down. "Yes, it is. Elves never wear it loose. Beka even braided the parts that were - long enough -"

"Oh. Uh. I'm not going around like this solely because of my questionable propriety, so you know." Catherine runs over to her and Rebecca scoops her up.

"Okay," he says, like he had definitely assumed that but hadn't especially minded. "Sorry, Catherine, I didn't mean to scare you."

"Too tall," says Catherine. "Papa shrink him."

"That would be very rude. He's here to teach us singing magic."