You have made that clear and I will take it very seriously. 

Good.

And, assuming you didn't already tell people my secret and just ask them to hide it from me, thanks for not telling people.

Assuming you're trying to win the war, I want you to succeed. You are welcome to any aid we can give you. 

That was roughly my logic as well.

Practitioners can't lie, so this is kind of assumed on my world, but would it be against some rule to ask for an oath that you haven't lied to me? If so your cousins will be able to confirm it, so you won't have to worry about me making inferences from silence.

It's an extreme thing to ask but not against rules. I haven't been watching my words closely enough this whole conversation to unhesitatingly give you an oath - I'm not in the habit, our universe doesn't punish lies - but you can name specific things and I can swear to those. I won't swear to the truth on the boats without a promise you won't share it except under circumstances where you think you'd have my permission if you could ask it. 

I will not willingly tell anyone, or try to orchestrate anyone finding out, that you wanted the boats sent back for the other host and spoke honestly against burning them and did not participate in the burning, unless my best estimate at the time is that you would agree. If I reasonably can ask at the time, I'll confirm my guess first.

Aside from the thing about the boats...you haven't told anyone what you know of my real abilities and anyone except Macalaure that the cover story is false. You are not currently planning to in the near future. You would not want to become a practitioner and you believe your father wouldn't either... You've mostly given up on getting everyone under the same leader but are trying to ensure that sharing information doesn't hurt the side that shares. You offer to tell them anything strategically relevant that arises, and ask that if they find your spies they send them home peacefully. And you don't plan to parley with Melkor.

I don't like being extreme about it, but it's a standard enough expectation back home that I do think I should ask.

And I have a reputation. I don't think you're being rude, under the circumstances. All of those I'll swear to except that I bet my father would want to become a practitioner, he'd just certainly decide not to do it. 

Swearing to certainty about future events would be a bad idea if it were my kind of oath. I don't know how yours handles hyperbole. That you expect he'd turn it down should be strong enough.

Well, it'd be a good idea in the sense that he'd do what I said he'd do rather than have me forsworn. It'd be a bad idea if I couldn't count on him to do that. Expectation's much safer. All right. I didn't burn the boats. I tried to prevent it. I haven't told anyone of your abilities and haven't told anyone but Macalaure that the cover story is false, though I told a number of people 'infohazard, stop' from which they could infer the falsity of the cover story. I am not planning to tell anyone the truth and will only tell people the cover story's false if I trust them to leave it at 'infohazard, stop.' I don't intend to become a practitioner. I don't expect my father would, if he had the information I have, decide to become a practitioner. I am not optimistic about a united Noldorin command. I want arrangements such that we can share strategically relevant information. I intend to tell them anything strategically relevant that arises, and ask them if they find my spies to send them home peaceably. I don't plan to parlay with Melkor.

"I swear that everything I've said since you last spoke over osanwe is true as far as I know."

Thank you.

And...yeah, that sure was two conflicting excuses. How many people do you think will notice?

There are six people to who I said 'infohazard, stop.' I trust most of them to leave it at that and will go talk to the others. 

It still being just you so far makes this much better than it could have been.

Can I assume you won't have me followed on the way out? It's for the obvious reason.

We want the Enemy dead, we are not trying to be your enemies here. I won't have you followed. I swear that what I most recently said is true. 

Good. I could avoid it—didn't know coming in whether you'd be friendly—but asking anyway seemed like the prudent thing.

And you underestimated us, coming in. So yes, telling me to keep your secrets works better than trying to keep them from me. Good skill and safe travels.

Yes, that too.

On the way out she continuously checks for any suddenly established connections, but no one sees her when they shouldn't. Back into the air and to Nolofinwe it is.

Were you able to talk him down?

Yes. Not me being convincing, I don't think– his stated reason was that he wanted to see what effect taking advice from a non-Doomed person would have. I think the trip qualifies as a success. A very qualified success.

He guessed about the magic.

I'm sorry. It was definitely a risk. Is he going to tell people? He still can't become a practitioner, right?

He hasn't and doesn't plan to, as of right before I left. A few other people have enough information to be a problem if they disregard him saying it's an infohazard.

Maitimo can't become a practitioner without instructions for the ritual. He made a point of misleading people with true statements by magic's standards, I thought he was angling for being a practitioner eventually but he did swear he didn't intend to become one. Maybe he decided on that intention just so he could.

That'd be in character. 

Yeah.

He gave me a letter for you, after I promised not to read it or inform anyone else it exists. I thought about not promising, but that'd just mean he finds out you didn't want to talk to him sooner.

Do you want to light it on fire or do you want to give it to me so I can light it on fire. 

Decided you're not forgiving him for all this, then?

I am going to forgive him but he is not going to maneuver me into it.