[piosenniel]

Morgoth glanced back at the companions, but his gaze was not fixed on them but at a point well behind them.

Pio turned, her elf eyes attempting to discern a target, her ears straining to catch a sound.

'To your left, just a little and at the place where we first met him.' whispered Veritas, motioning with her staff, which also served as a quasi-antenna at need.

There it was . . . small sounds of confusion and alarm and then a thick curtain of returning silence.

'Your friends won't be coming with us.' said Morgoth. 'They've been evicted for the moment and returned to their original positions.' His gaze took in the 5 companions. 'It's just you and I. & that will have to do for now.' His hand caressed the REG which he held lightly under one arm, his finger just leaving what appeared to be a 'reset' button. Even as he finger lifted from it, the button returned seamlessly to the smooth surface of the REG, and disappeared.

The 5 huddled together, questioning glances stealing between them. 'Friends, what friends?' asked Rose. 'I hope they got back ok, whoever they were.'

'Mithadan, probably' returned pio 'I'm sure I heard him tracking us at one point. He'll figure out something. Don't worry about him. We've got more present problems to sort out.'

'Morgoth!', called Birdie to their guide.'How is it that they were returned and we were not?' She was eager to learn all she could about the REG. She had plans for it still, providing they ever got out of here.

Morgoth smiled another utterly disarming smile and explained how the 5 were under his protection at the moment; that he had attuned himself to the REG and was able to adjust its focus as he needed.

He turned back to continue on their way - glancing back once at Rose, he narrowed his eyes, and then laughed. 'Wings, yes. Fly, no-- only if you toss them!'

Birdie blanched, regretting she'd said anything about the laptop or PDA.