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Amalirahc kept pace with miyuki, but River grinned and ran ahead of the others. "Grandmama!" she sang out as she pounced on Arthael's back. "Grandmama! We're back! Is dinner ready?"

Arthael laughed, but she'd heard River coming at her so she hadn't been taken by surprise. "Just about, just about," she grinned, her single violet eye shining brightly. "Go on, take a seat. If you knock it into the fire you'll spoil it."

Earendil heard Lin approaching, and he turned to greet her, a warm smile on his face. "Welcome back," he greeted her warmly. "Did you have a good flight?"

The moment she was close enough, he swept her into his arms and kissed her warmly.

"I certainly hope it will be," Arthael murmured as River and Amalirahc also sat down so as not to disturb anything. "It's been a long time since I've prepared something so small. Since Haven started, it's been venison, mostly. The odd pheasant ... fox, even a wolf once ... but nothing like rabbit."

She smiled at the children. "I'll let you be my judges."

Earendil smiled at Lin and hugged her back briefly before releasing her again and continuing to set up their tent. "It's been quiet," he replied. "Andarien fell asleep shortly after you left, and there hasn't been a peep from him since. We're just waiting on dinner. Daeron, Halmir and Elros are on duty for now, Aric, Aethos and I will be taking the second shift."

Earendil finished pounding the last spike into the ground for the tent, then stood up again. "Well ... I guess we could put our things into the tent so that we don't have to look for it later when it's dark," he suggested. "And I'm not sure if you would want Andarien to stay in there while he's sleeping. It would be warmer for him, at least. We'll hear him easily enough if he wakes up."

It was pretty much time for them to rest and relax, which was always a welcome time of day.

Earendil nodded. "I'll keep him wrapped as he is and put him in the tent then," he murmured. He headed to the wagons and picked up the sleeping infant ever so gently so as not to wake him, then brought him to the tent and set him inside. Then he took Lin's hand and led her towards the fire, where dinner was just ready.

Within two days they had left the forest behind, and they had to rely on the food in the wagons to feed them, since there was little game to hunt. It was another two weeks to Ardruin, and before they arrived at the city they could see the smoke that rose from the chimneytops. There was a great wall about the city, and the gates were guarded by men in armour.

Elros looked solemnly at the humans who were guarding the gates. "I wonder if we'll be allowed to enter with all of our things," he murmured. "They might deem our group too large ..."

"Not to mention, storing our wagons and horses would take at least two liveries," Daeron added. "Maybe we should just set up camp and go in a few of us at a time. And if we set up camp right beside the wall, or at least near it, we should be safer. At least, that's how I feel."

"We would also be trapped if we were attacked," Aethos pointed out. He was a military man, after all.

"And yet," Elros spoke up again, "if we are directly beside their wall, they would be more hesitant, I think. They would be afraid that we would damage their city, or of repercussions. After all, this is the capital - if anything were to happen here, word would spread and eventually reach Her Majesty, who would assuredly do something about it."

Earendil looked thoughtful. "It sounds logical," he had to admit.

"If they even have that many," Daeron quipped.

Celeb chuckled. "Well, why don't you guys wait here and I'll go ahead and ask the guards if that's all right," he grinned. "They might keep such a close eye on us that no one would be able to do anything to us. You never know."

He clucked his tongue at his horse, and it started off towards the guards.

"There's a thought," Earendil laughed as he dismounted. "Using their suspicion as our protection."

He was carrying Andarien since Lin had wanted to ride, and the infant was looking around with wide eyes. As he had grown a bit older, he had stopped crying quite so much. Earendil supposed it might be because things were less frightening because they weren't new anymore.

"Of course we can," Earendil grinned. "As long as it's not too late. Then we might have to wait until morning. But this time hopefully we can stay for at least a week or so."

"That vould be nice," Haldia admitted as she massaged her legs. "I do not vant to complain, but I do need to rest ..."

The bouncing and sitting wasn't doing her much good, she needed to be able to sit still, or walk around a bit at her own pace, rather than trying to keep up with horses.