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While the others were listening while they were busy with other tasks - Uri looking through the case, Azok tending the fire, Sabor checking the elves' supplies, some of them checking weapons, and Goren preparing some food - Tal was focused entirely on Eron and Shoneah, listening intently to them.

"What is chemistry?" he asked curiously. "This is something I have never heard of before."

The way he said it seemed to imply that there was a great deal that he did know.

"Ah," Tal nodded. "Similar to what we learn then, at least when it comes to the earth. Composition, structure, properties ... this is standard education for we of the Earth Elves."

He smiled and nodded at Eron, waiting for him to go on.

Tal chuckled softly. "Well, it sounds as though the students in your world are much like the students in ours," he grinned.

"Not that you've taught for a while," Jabek quipped with a chuckle.

Tal shrugged. "It was never for me, not really. I very much prefer field work to teaching."

Shoneah listened to the conversation quietly. She was learning about her traveling companion as well, and it was only sinking in now that really, she didn't know him any better than she knew these other elves. After all, she had only met him the day before.

She shivered slightly and pulled the blanket more tightly around her shoulders. Her blouse was wet from the rain, and there was a chill in the air now.

Tal smiled and put his arms out to the sides. "This," he replied cheerfully. "We, altogether, are a hunting party, and each of us has his own specialty. I am in tracking and reading, Sabor is our medic, Azok feeds us, and the rest of us hunt."

Shoneah smiled faintly. "Your people sound like my people," she said softly.

"Oh?" Tal turned his attention to Shoneah.

Shoneah nodded. "We are a nomadic people, living in a large mountain range. Hunters, trackers, warriors ... though ... my father was a metallurgist, he's the one who makes our weapons. I am a tracker and warrior, though until I ended up here, I was studying to become our tribe's next Grandmaster."

She scuffed one foot on the cave floor. "I am ... was in charge of training my little brother."

"Thank you," Shoneah smiled faintly. "The Grandmaster said the same. It has been centuries since he's taken an apprentice ..."

She trailed off, her eyes sad. It might be centuries again before he would take another apprentice, she realized. Because there was very little chance that she would be able to return and take her place again.

She felt tears welling up in her eyes again. "Is there any way at all that we might be able to return home?" she asked, looking at Tal. "Do you know of anyone at all who might be able to help us?"

Tal fidgeted uncomfortably. "Well ... not offhand, no ... but I think I speak for all of us when I say that you're welcome to stay with us until we can find out something more."

Shoneah glanced at Eron. She would be quite happy to accept, but she wasn't sure if he would be comfortable living such a life. Perhaps he would be more interested in searching for a town or something. He wasn't used to the kind of life Shoneah knew they would have if they stayed with the hunting party.

Tal fell deep into thought as he considered the question, and Shoneah felt it was best to give him silence to think. It was a few minutes before the man spoke again, and when he did, he shook his head slowly.

"Not here, really," he murmured. "We are a very self-sufficient people, there's very little that we trade for. That's not to say that we don't trade if the opportunity comes along, but ... we're not really on any trade routes."

"Not quite true," Jabek interrupted, squatting next to Tal. "We trade. West of us is Shiezin, Fire Elves. They give us protection, we give them some of the metals they need."

"I don't think that's what they meant," Tal sighed.

"He asked about trade," Jabek grunted. "That's trade."

Tal rolled his eyes. "He was not asking about the trade, he was asking about a place. Somewhere they could meet someone who might help them, I would imagine."

"They might have some luck in Shiezin," Azok spoke up from where he was tending their meal over the fire. "They've got a lot more going on than we have."

"Not that they do a lot of traveling themselves," Talmon pointed out quietly. "Still, as a fearless people, they do tend to encourage more trade and travel than most other countries."

"What about that place where all the races come together?" Goren asked. "The Place of Silver Mountains?"

"Caras Galadhon?" Tal said, arching one eyebrow.

Goren shrugged. "Same name, different language."

Tal nodded thoughtfully. "Well, people do say that's where people have accumulated the most knowledge ..."

"No one really knows much about it," Azok said quietly, "other than that's where people go if they want to marry outside their own race."

"Nothing but half-bloods," Talmon frowned.

"But since there are people there from many races, it follows that they must have accumulated quite a bit of knowledge," Tal said patiently. "Of course, those who go there, stay there. They risk enough, just going there; and they would never come back once they arrive."

Shoneah frowned. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Azok looked at her evenly. "It means traveling is dangerous, and coming back to your people after marrying into another race is even more so."