Sunspire Mountains you would come up to me, mumbling awkwardly

"yeah, well," he says, feeling more awkward still, "it's alright." of course it isn't, not really (only less than two weeks prior he'd still been knight of a forest and the king elk had been alive), but brienne is no longer a cenma and wholly unresponsible for tending to whatever emotional woes befall him. also, talking about feelings makes him squirm.

the news that sunspire is being lead by none other than rannoch perks his ears up excitedly. mato's always spoken so highly of rannoch, delight has long since secretly desired to meet him, to find out more about the original incarnation of northstar vale that mato departed from to make tindómë. he hopes the news that rannoch is near will cheer up mato as well -- maybe it'll help pull him out of his funk. "oh, bri, that'd be great," the morwinyon says enthusiastically, "i've always wanted to meet rannoch too -- i'm glad you were able to find a new home, too." and truly he is. brienne's departure is maybe the only one that hasn't stung so bad. maybe because better than anyone else he can understand the scar that mato's flame leaves and the need to remove yourself from it when thing don't work out. "i hope we can be on good terms," he adds, referring to tindómë and sunspire -- and brienne and tindómë, too. he doesn't say the m-word (and he won't unless she addresses it) but even now he knows that particular spectre haunts their interactions (and how silly since it's not even like they're a thing, whatever semi-reciprocated feelings lay between them). but only time can really tell how this particular development will shake out, and delight's eager to meet that time head on.