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For a moment, Daeron didn't move, his eyes blazing, until Leilani stepped forward and put one hand on his shoulder.

"Now is not the time," she told him softly but firmly. "Believe me, I trust him as little as you do, but right now we have to get out of here."

Daeron's eyes did not change, but he did as he was told. Slowly, his fingers loosened their grip on Emile's shirt, and the human relaxed slightly and took a small step back.

"I didn't-" he began; but Daeron interrupted him with a shake of the head. "Later," he said crisply. "Right now, we've got to get going."

And he turned his back on the man to help clean up.

Amalirahc nodded anxiously. He had been traveling with his parents for a long time, so this wasn't the first time he had seen death - though admittedly this was the worst he had seen - but he hadn't been in the middle of it either, so it wasn't affecting him nearly as much as the others. And he was really worried about Miyuki - she was his best friend, and he couldn't stand seeing her so afraid like that. It was killing him.

Emile was a bit shaky from the reaction he'd gotten from Daeron, and he nodded when Lin called him over, without questioning her words. He would much rather talk than be taken care of be Daeron. If she wanted to talk, he was more than happy to talk.

Elros was stacking things in the wagon when they got there, but he was just finishing up - the wagon was full and ready to go, so they would have to pack the rest of the things in the other wagon. Amalirahc hopped up and held one hand down to help Miyuki up, his golden eyes still filled with anxiety.

Amalirahc tugged Miyuki up into the wagon and patted the crate next to him so that she would sit beside him.

"Miyuki," he said quietly, "it's me, Amalirahc. Your old friend. You can talk to me about anything."

He had grown up quite a bit since the last time the two had been together. Though he was still younger than Miyuki and River, by a few years, he was quite mature - far more mature than one would expect from such a young boy.

Emile followed Lin into the wagon and sat atop a chest, crossing his legs and slouching like a child awaiting a lecture he knew would be coming.

"Look," he said tentatively, "I - I know how this must look, but really - I had nothing to do with this!"

Amalirahc reached over and hugged Miyuki comfortingly. He was young enough that he could get away with it without it being considered inappropriate, and he was aware that he had only a limited number of years remaining for that to be the case.

"I don't think it's a very nice area, either," he told her quietly. "But not everywhere is like this. Mama and Ada and I have been to different areas in the Southland, and there are better places. I promise it's not all like this!"


Emile looked at Lin, and there was fear in his eyes. He knew the position he was in. Daeron's reaction to his appearance had made it quite obvious. But running wasn't an option, it would only make him appear guilty.

"I was hiding," he replied quietly, calmly. "I told you yesterday, I can't fight. I'm terrible with weapons, with any weapon! And if those people saw me ..."

He shuddered.

"They hate me as it is, they despise me because I choose not to live like them, or with them. Because I choose to enjoy my life rather than waste it in the poverty they are too lazy to leave behind. But if they were to see me with you, if they suspected me of being friendly with the elves ... they would kill me. At least now they will still tolerate my presence."

"Well, sure I have!" Amalirahc said brightly, petting her head as if she were the younger child. "Mama says we've run out of places to see for the first time, but it's nice to go back to most of them. The humans don't like us very much, but they're mostly not like the ones here. This town's the worst of them, it probably wasn't a very good place to start with."

He looked around, and his golden eyes filled with sorrow. "The people here would do anything for a bit of money ... or if they felt they had a reason to. It doesn't even have to be a real reason for them."


Emile frowned slightly. "I told you, I like to travel. I've spent most of my life traveling. Not just in the Southland, either. And to travel to other places, you need to learn their languages. What more is there to say?"

"Those are the worst kind of people," Amalirahc said harshly. "That's probably why they attacked! Because they don't even treat children well!"

He squeezed her hand reassuringly. "Don't you worry," he told her with a smile. "Our parents won't let anything happen to any of us! Everyone's just fine, aren't they? No one got really hurt! Be cheery! And hey, I saw your mama had another baby with her, did you get a little brother or sister or something? You'll have to tell me all about it!"

Emile blinked at Lin. "What does your father have to do with anything?" he asked her.

"Well, why don't you show him to me?" Amalirahc asked him brightly. "I didn't really get to look at him yet, and I think he's stopped crying."

He was sincerely eager to meet his best friend's little brother, and he had a feeling it would make Miyuki feel better too. Help to distract her.


Emile stared at her. She, a - whatever she was - with a human father? That was ... ludicrous.

"And your father ... he is a legend," he said slowly. "Does he live still?"