"You were right. I like that a lot. We have a similar story to the first part, with starfish being washed up on shore by the tides and left to dry out in the sun. But no one ever suggested doing anything to the shore to make sure starfish didn't wash up there in the future. I like your version a lot better." She sighs. "You're really great. If you have a whole family of geniuses I'm astonished they made do with only one of you."

"The kinds of starfish that end up on beaches are designed to survive extended periods in the intertidal zone. I've heard that version too but it doesn't make very much sense. 

And my family didn't make it."

"...Open mouth, insert foot. Do you know that I made a remark about tying knots being trivial, to Maedhros, after I found out about his hand but before I fixed it?"

"I expect he would have much preferred that to being treated as an invalid."

"He certainly seems to have made do. I--can be thoughtless, sometimes, is my point. I'm sorry."

"You aren't going to offend me. Though if you like, we can say you get one slip-up for every unkillable monster you destroy."

She giggles. "I prefer not to do it. Noticing and apologizing helps me get better at not doing it in the future. But I appreciate the sentiment."

And he holds her silently until she has relaxed slightly.

"Thanks," she says when that's happened and they've let go. "Best impromptu therapist."

"Good night, Odette. I will wake you when we need you."

"Good night." And she goes back to her room and sleeps.

They spend the night figuring out how to have enough people on the front lines, indefinitely, with current casualty rates and current Thindar desertion-for-Doriath rates. It can't be done, but that's all right, these casualties aren't acceptable anyway. He works and stares north and replays Thauron's voice in his head.

And in the morning Odette wakes up, looks at the dress she arrived in again, puts it on and heads back to the window to start murdering things again.

"You may head in closer to the battlefield today if that advantages you in some way. We're not facing anything unknown and there's sufficient visibility that I'd have warning if it snuck up on us. Also, Nolofinwë communicated today that your sister is well and sleeping off magical exhaustion."

"Oh, yeah, that doesn't really surprise me. What-all did she do, did he say? Can she explode Balrogs too? They didn't have to deal with a dragon-thing down there, did they?"

"I can ask him this evening. They did not face a dragon-thing. They're better-positioned to hold Eithel Sirion than we are to hold the Gap - they only have to defend one pass through a mountain range."

"I should have contacted her. But, no, I might have distracted her at a crucial moment. I think I haven't fully gotten used to osanwe yet."

"There is a way to broadcast something such that someone will get it if they're listening, and not otherwise. At the speed you fly it would presumably only be a few hours' travel if you desired to see her?"

"Yeah. Not that much point right now if she's asleep, though."

"No. But assuming there are several million orcs, which there probably are, and that once they wear us down they'll dig in and sit there, which they probably will, this will last all winter and at some point you'll want to go say hello."

"Is that a problem? I want to see her, but not so much I'll let people die over it."

"No, I imagine it would be good for your emotional health. I'd get distressed if they tried to talk you into staying over there, but I am unsure if they would."

"If they do I'll say no. Even apart from the fact that it's far more efficient for us to be in different places, Celegorm is really great at helping out with my emotional health."

He smiles faintly. "Are you heading out to the field, or do you just want a spot here with a clear line of sight?"

"I'll head out for a while," she decides. "It's probably more efficient that way."