She's not his. She's supposed to look like that.

...did this person just read her mind - she sits down abruptly and bursts into tears.

- I'm not very good at the languages here yet. Sorry, I won't let her run in here again. She backs away, wiggling Kat in her arms.

The lady in the nice dress is still very upset but she doesn't try to do anything about them leaving.

Beka goes and chases Kat till Kat is tired indoors, and then goes looking for Iri.

"What is it?"

Kat went to the swan place and bothered a swan and I think I upset her.

"Oh."

Upset swans is - sort of a difficult problem to solve, considering.

Well, yes, but usually it isn't me upsetting them.

"Do you know - how -?"

She didn't seem to like that I was reading her mind? And she was really confused about Kat being an orc and a kid and stuff.

"Understandable, I suppose. He doesn't really - tell them things. Do you think it would be any use if I went and talked to her?"

Maybe, yeah.

"I can try it."

Thanks, I didn't mean to bother her.

She nods.

And Beka goes off to sing songs in a tree.

And Irikaino goes to the swans.

It's the newest, Luar, who Beka met. She does not really want to talk to Irikaino. But she does peer out her half-shuttered window long enough to say, "You can tell her that - it's all right, just don't do it again -"

Do what, the mind reading thing?

Yes, I think so.

Okay. Should I not listen to the other swans either?

It's hard to tell and I'm not sure they'd be honest if I asked but it seems plausible that they might want their privacy - they have so little else -

I used to sometimes go to Angband prisoners who'd done something Melkor wanted to encourage, and sing to them and stuff, but this has not seemed like that would be a thing, am I right?

I think it would probably not be a thing.

Okay. I'll make sure Kat doesn't wander there again.