No one really knows how the parties get to yes

Fair enough. You could write them a letter, if you don't want to give away more than that.

I'd rather not talk about magic in a letter. That'd rule out the elementals and the fact that Melian is a practitioner. Which, I can't think of a reason Maitimo shouldn't know....

He nods. If you think it's wiser to visit them you obviously may. A safe way of giving them technology does not come to mind.

Maybe not in general. I could aim for things that would be harder to reverse-engineer if the Enemy sees them in action, or that would benefit us more than him regardless.

Those both seem like wise goals.

Hopefully even achievable ones.

Now that the food problem is taken care of, probably, are we going to start exporting? Since we're already not the ones reduced to eating orcs.

I suppose that is one avenue to being looked upon more favorably by the locals. We can send south, ask about the populations there as well.

The locals, and the Feanorians. Either just because they're currently starving and we might be able to do something about that or because they'll have things to trade.

I am fairly certain that they'd rather starve than ask us for help, but you are welcome to offer. My brother is a little prideful.

It's starving the rest of their people that's the problem. But if they turn it down, they turn it down.

And predictably more defectors wouldn't be bad.

Indeed. I don't have much sense of whether my brother cares about doing right by his people. It would surprise me, but he has surprised me before.

I'll ask Maitimo. He certainly cares about looking like he cares.

That I will grant you. How quickly do you expect we'll have food to trade?

Shorter than however long the plants in your greenhouses normally take, but I can't say what fraction.

All right. Was there anything else?

No, I think you know everything.

Thank you, Amber.

And the Feanorians.

She goes through Indil; no need to interrupt Maitimo directly and a lot of the recent trip actually is general-Feanorian-public safe.

Hey! What's up?

Just got back from the hidden kingdom. The good news is Doriath is very safe and they're at the moment glad we're here, the less good news is we can't expect backup in any form that might put their people at risk.

Well. A safe place for civilians is something. The people we talk to are mostly unimpressed with the King, are they being fair?

If it's just unimpressedness and not active disapproval then probably. The Queen seems responsible for more good and bad.

The king is also Elwe.

Oh, lovely. Do you know if Nolofinwe's planning to tell them - or did you already -

No! It probably can't stay secret forever, though.