"Maybe I can solve this problem just by describing how to make sufficiently large explosions to Olórin," she mutters. Sigh.

"That would be lovely but I think the Men know how to make fairly large explosions. The Queen desires to speak with you -"

"I would be happy to speak to the Queen."

"This way."

Within a few dozen paces the forest becomes properly pretty; the trees are Valian ones, hundreds of feet tall and thriving and glimmering and filtering the sunlight nicely. There are stunning little carven treehouses up in the highest branches. The grass is soft and springy; there are valleys full of blooming flowers. It is not the prettiest place Mirelóte has ever been but it is exactly what you'd expect from Elves doing low-density low-tech tree living for some reason. People occasionally stop to stare, though they manage to keep it to one at a time; probably everyone else is borrowing the starer's vision.

She breathes a little easier. "Your forest is lovely."

"That's the other reason we don't send small armies out to all the human villages - it's exhausting and terrible and in a year all undone - people get idealistic and do it for four hundred and then get so tired -"

"I can see how it might be wearing without sufficient infrastructure, yes."

"And we don't understand the things they die of well enough to help with that."

"It sounded like they just kind of die for no reason, although I wouldn't be surprised if they found other ways to do it under those conditions, and they said afterwards they stop existing."

"I don't think that part's true, Eru is supposed to have a plan for them. But they don't go to Mandos."

"Do you think it's unlikely that Eru's plan might be 'they stop existing'?"

" -yes? That would be horrible."

"Of course it would."

Blink. "Uh, the Queen's up here -" Tree! With a little rope ladder!

Up goes Ambela.

She'll recognize this person!

"- Artanis."

" - I haven't heard that name in a very long time. And I do not think I know you."

"I suspect this - timeline - doesn't have a me. I'm Rúmil's wife, if you knew him - is there a him -"

"Yes. I haven't seen him in more than seven thousand years but yes."

"Well. Anyway, I'm from a - better managed - Arda, and earlier."

"I was listening. We, ah, have an unhappy history with management."

"I'm getting that."

"I imagine it's worth comparing notes and cataloguing all the differences. Do you need anything first?"

"I was a little conservative about eating and drinking random things I found in the forest on my way here."