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"I get the feeling that she's determined about everything she does," Earendil said dryly. "Once she gets her mind set on something ... it's set."

It was probably one of the reasons she had been able to survive for so long on her own. For most people, being alone in a swamp was a death sentence - but she had survived even while blind.

"At any rate," he added, "Arthael is working on breakfast."

Kelirahc was asleep beneath the wagon where the children had played their cards the day before, but everyone else was bustling about. River was helping her grandmother prepare breakfast, Amalirahc was trying to be helpful by fetching things; and mostly everyone else was simply sitting and chatting while they waited.

The moment Earendil and Lin were out of the tent, Andarien leaned forward, stretching his arms towards the ground. "Dah!" he said. "Ah dah!"

Earendil chuckled, holding one hand out to make sure the fidgety boy didn't fall. "I've a feeling he's going to be as active as Miyuki once he starts walking," he grinned at Lin.

As soon as they found a place to sit, Arthael was ready with food for them: fresh sliced fruit with eggs and bacon, and a hearty serving of each for everyone.

"Kelirahc brought back some supplies with him when he stopped in Tavari last night," she told Lin and Earendil with a grin as she served them. "Seeing as we're not sure how long we're going to be here."

She cast a glance over her shoulder at Alassëa, who was sniffing at her food suspiciously. "Truth be told, though, it wouldn't surprise me if we were leaving today," she admitted.

Andarien pouted when he realized that he wasn't going to be getting any of Lin's food, but he wasn't going to give up. He leaned forward, mouth wide, and tried to get some of it that way.

Arthael looked thoughtful. "Well ... she was up half the night with Aethos," she murmured, "just talking and learning how to talk again ... I honestly think she wants to be back with people again. I don't know, it's just a feeling that I have."

As they watched, Luk and Aethos sat down on either side of Alassëa. Luk took her staff and put it to the side, and Aethos began to explain to her what the items on her plate were.

Earendil looked at the food on his plate and frowned. "If the fruit were boiled perhaps," he replied, poking at his fruit. "As it is, it's so fresh it's too hard for him to eat. Maybe Kelirahc brought some fresh bread, too, Andarien can eat that."

He looked around and spotted Kelirahc lying beneath the wagon. "Best not bother him, though. Maybe Leyenda will know. Or Arthael."

He looked up at Arthael, who was still talking to Lin.

"Well who knows how long she's been out here," Arthael was saying. "I've been on my own before, and I wouldn't readily do so again. Ever."

Arthael nodded at Miyuki. "If you want to get some, it's in the bag on the top of the wagon. There's a bowl and a flask in the crate next to it."

"I'll get it," Earendil said quickly, eager to do something at last for his son. He set his plate down and jogged over to the wagon to get the needed items.

Somehow it amused Arthael.

"At any rate, I've got to keep serving breakfast before some people start complaining," she told Lin. "Enjoy."

And she headed off to finish serving breakfast.

Andarien wasn't paying attention to the fact that his father had run off, he was still trying to get at Lin's food. His mouth still open wide, he stretched as far as he could towards Lin's plate, grunting as he did so.

Earendil was back very quickly with the items that they needed, and he sat down again, making sure his plate stayed well out of Andarien's reach.

"Breakfast, Andarien!" he said cheerfully, opening the flask and pouring some of its contents into the bowl. Instead of water, he was surprised to see that it was a slightly thicker brown coloured drink. He blinked at it as he set the flask aside. "Mead."

Pure nutrition.

Earendil grinned at Lin as he tore off a piece of the bread and sopped it in the thick drink.

"I don't know what goes in it, but it's been described to me as being the same as eating a full-course meal with vegetables and meat and everything," he explained. "It's a traveler's drink - and a poor man's drink, since it's probably one of the cheapest drinks out there. No alcohol, which pleases some and annoys others."

He put the small bit of bread in Andarien's wide open mouth, and the boy blinked in surprise at the new taste. He sucked on it for a long time before finally swallowing down the piece of bread and opening his mouth for more.