"Flight is too slow? Or are you worried about risks in midair?"

"I'm worried about leaving you guys and my sister unprotected?"

She nods. "We grew up in the shadow of Angband, we aren't expecting constant supervision. But that makes sense."

"I'm not planning on constant supervision, but I'd prefer to be on-call if something comes up."

"Long-distance communication would also be very valuable, then."

"Oh, I didn't just copy the eyes. The telepathy too. And it's possible to extend its range by magic."

"...are you reading us right now?"

"What? No!"

"I mean, you have leave, I just hadn't realized it was a possibility."

"I wouldn't do that without asking first."

"Elves don't tend to share that scruple."

"Elves didn't grow up on a taboo about using mind magic on other people."

"And aren't sure we're people anyway. But yes."

"I'm not sure if the elves you've met and the elves I've met have different opinions or if I've been treated more like a person because magic but either way your frequent assertions that elves think they're more people than we are worry me."

"I like Elves fine but every one I've met considers them to be much more people than we are. It's also the justification for using us in the war - we die anyway, our lives matter less..."

"And now ironically it matters less if they die because I can't bring back humans as easily. Well, the Feanorians haven't been using humans in battle, and they're who I've been hanging out with the most."

"The secondhand account of the Feanorian position on Men is that we're not competent enough to be useful or interesting."

"That's not what they told me."

"I imagine not. And it wasn't told to me by people fond of them, though the speakers also didn't regard it as an insulting or damaging piece of information to relay."

"Given all relevant circumstances I'm more inclined to take their word for it than their cousins'."

"It sounds like they've worked quite hard to earn your trust, which wouldn't be meaningful in itself except that most Elves wouldn't even know how to not be condescending to Men."

"Maedhros outright stated that the fact that local humans were illiterate and nomadic wasn't justification to be condescending to them but that it was entirely predictable that it happened anyway. I can't rule out entirely that he was only saying that to manipulate me but it seems unlikely."

"No, that seems reasonable and sincere. If he were trying to impress you I'd expect him to have denied that it occurred."

"Frankly given the tactics of the various groups of elves concerning treatment of nearby humans I think you got the most condescending bunch."

"They did teach us a great deal. People frequently immigrated to Ladros from Estolad, which is in Feanorian territory."