"What's the distinction? And how would you stop them?"

"It's a much more complicated system and there's no single person with that much authority. We couldn't stop people from swearing oaths any more than we can stop them from speaking, but if they did then the rest of the government would inform them that they don't get to declare there's exactly one priority and no one has to follow them no matter what their job title is."

"Seems like it could have its advantages and, like you said, isn't a priority. Maitimo'll do a good job, if he doesn't actually want us dead and the Oath doesn't make it impossible."

"Those aren't very comforting qualifiers.

Hey, we've got a week to kill, think we could hover over them occasionally and listen in without being spotted? We should at least check that the orc fortress is where that one Other said it was, maybe we could stop by on the way."

She brightens. "Good idea."

Speaking of being audible...

They touch down.

They spread the word that they've met a power who agreed to cooperate with them, and that the Ice should now be much safer to cross, and that they're leaving in a week. Do you want to meet the King?

Sure. I've never actually met a King, should I be intimidated or worried about etiquette or anything?

There are Lords, but if the Elves' King were at all like Conquest then everything would look very different.

In Tirion there'd be elaborate procedures. We're heading into exile, now, unless you're intending to be rude he won't take offense at you not knowing how to act. You should do your hair up nicely.

Right, hair matters here. I'll make sure.

And once logistics are in motion they show her to a very elaborate snow-covered tent. "Your grace," Irissë says, "Amber, the Man of Earth. Amber, my father, Finwë Nolofinwë Noldaran."

She does what almost definitely isn't a properly executed bow if there is such a thing. "Your grace."

We're very impressed with your magic's uses, so far, and the only ones known to us are flying and making Ice passable. Thank you for arriving here, and aiding us. What are your goals from here?

I want to get home, and I want to convince my magic system to start fixing its ethics, and I want the Enemy gone. It sounds like my kind of magic is the one advantage anyone has that he doesn't, and Findekáno tells me he'll have the leverage to work on my pet problem if there isn't a war on, so this mostly works out to helping against Moringotto and trying to think of something that'll stick.

Have you thought of anything so far?

I could maybe destroy whatever body he's using. He shouldn't have defenses, so it's just a question of how indestructible it is and what it's made of. How much that would help, I have no idea.

Quite a lot. How do you think you could achieve that?

The best I have at the moment is effectively several tons of force that can be applied to liquid water in any size or shape. It worked on valaraukar by weaponizing their blood while they were using it, but it can also approximate a very sharp edge with a lot of force behind it and it can be redeployed quickly. If swords can eventually work....

I could hunt for larger-scale or different resources, but that's the most powerful equipment I have right now.

That seems likely to be very dangerous to him, yes. What does hunting for resources entail, and how can we aid you in that?

For me it'd mean finding somewhere with a lot of whatever elementals—nature spirits—I'm after. This would be a perfect place for anything with an ice theme, but I can't really picture killing a Power with weaponized ice. Catching them and binding them tightly enough that they take orders is entirely magical, I doubt most of you can aid with that but Irissë and Findekáno and any future practitioners may be able to.

The main problem you're in a position to help with, if it's solvable at all, is cover stories. Your army thinks I practice a strange religion, and the other army presumably thinks I'm a Maia. Once we're across, how much unofficial communication between them do you expect there to be?

That depends very much on the conditions under which we meet. If Fëanor's being particularly reckless they might have defectors come join us. I don't think there'll be any in the other direction, for multiple reasons.

I can imagine.

A single defector might be enough to catch the discrepancy, depending on what Fëanáro told to whom. Do you think he's likely to be enough more reckless than his people expected?

I think he is being more reckless than his people expected. It is hard to evaluate how much. How many people saw you?

A battlefield's worth? I didn't really count.

Maybe I get "found out" as a Maia pretending to be human, which I'd rather avoid, but it's not the worst that could happen.

Maiar wouldn't practice a Mannish religion, though. Abandoning Eru is serving the Enemy, to them. Hmmm. We cannot turn away Feanorian defectors.