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Aras giggled and held up her brush.

"Now lay down, Mommy, so we can paint you too okay?" she said eagerly.

Ruque blushed and smiled at Niyana, clutching his paintbrush tightly in his hands.

"Thanks, Mama," he said softly, his ears bright red.

Idhril gasped and sat up halfway, startled by Ruran's shout. Her golden eyes were clouded with sleep, and she winced as Ruran's voice echoed through her head.

"That hurt," she whimpered, laying down again and putting her hands over her ears.

She had been too asleep to understand what he had said, but her sensitive ears couldn't handle such loudness.

"Don't worry, Mommy!" Aras grinned, waiting anxiously for Niyana to lay down all the way. "We'll let Aunt Idhril do your cheeks!"

Ruque blinked at Niyana. "Ruran went inside with Aunt Idhril and her friend," he told her. "Is that bad?"

He hadn't thought so ... but maybe there was something wrong with it that he didn't know. He was very young, after all ...

Idhril cracked one eye open and looked over at her nephew. "Well ... if you're really sleepy ... then I guess," she mumbled, though she wasn't really paying any attention to anything she was saying. She was too tired to think straight. "Just don't be noisy ... okay?"

She snuggled closer to Joruri and lay her head against his chest once more, and her eyes slowly closed, already half asleep.

Aras grinned and ran over to Niyana, dabbing a spot of purple under one of her eyes.

"That's one," she murmured to herself; and then she ran around to the other side to put her other spot.

"And that's two." She giggled. "Now Kanis's turn!"

Ruque sighed with relief, then smiled at Niyana, his green eyes shining brightly. "Okay," he said softly. "I thought maybe it was bad or something."

Idhril simply smiled and nuzzled up against both Joruri and Ruran, sighing softly in her sleep.

Celebor chuckled and held one hand out to Niyana to help her to her feet.

"Aren't they such wonderful artists?" he teased her.

Aras giggled. "Let's do Ruque now!" she grinned at Kanis.

Ruque looked quite pleased at his mother's thanks, but somewhat uncomfortable with Aras's suggestion.

"Um ... maybe not," he said anxiously.

Aras looked disappointed, but she lowered her brush accordingly. "Aw, okay," she pouted.

A slight frown wrinkled Idhril's forehead, and though she was still fast asleep she fidgeted slightly, rolling over to lay on her other side.

Ruque looked up at Niyana and nodded. "I'm sleepy," he said softly as if it were an admission. He held his hands up to Niyana so that she would pick him up and carry him inside.

Aras pouted. "But there's so much to do!" she protested. "What if I sleep too long and the day is over before I can do lots of things?"

Celebor chuckled and lifted Aras carefully in his hand. "Then you will have to do it tomorrow," he replied warmly. "I'm glad you want to do so much, but you have to rest or you'll make yourself sick."

He smiled down at Kanis. "Would you like up, too?" he asked her.

Idhril sighed in her sleep. She couldn't feel Ruran on her hair, and so she didn't even notice that he was near, and he no longer bothered her.

Jair shook his head at Niyana. "I don't need to sleep," he grinned. "I just play all day, 'cept when Mommy gives me lessons and stuff. Cos I can't go to school like the others do but I gotta learn anyways."

Elnara smiled and patted Jair on the head. "Well, if the rest of you are all going to be taking a nap," she murmured, "perhaps we should return home."

She held out a bag that she had brought with her. "Clothes for Celebor," she smiled, "though I think Helen may have slipped in some things for you as well. It's impossible to make that boy stop sewing once he gets started."

Celebor cuddled Kanis and Aras both to his chest and smiled at Elnara. "Thanks, Mom," he said warmly. "You'll be back soon for another visit, right?"

Elnara nodded. "Of course," she laughed softly. "How could I not?"

Ruque tugged on Niyana's finger to get her attention. "Aunt Idhril and her friend went inside, and I think Aunt Idhril was sleeping too," he told her urgently. "Are they going to stay with us or do they have to go back with Grandmama?"

Idhril meanwhile was getting the feeling that something was ... wrong ... she wasn't comfortable for some reason ... not physically, but emotionally. Something just wasn't right, and even though she was asleep she could sense it ...

A soft frown wrinkled her brow as she slept, and she curled up in a ball as if trying to defend herself from whatever it was that was making her feel like that.

Jair giggled. "Well sleep is good," he agreed, "but I can only sleep at night."

Elnara laughed. "Yes, he's got more energy than Celebor had as a child. And we will definitely spend time together and tell stories." She grinned. "And there are lots of stories to tell."

She rose to her feet and brushed off the back of her skirt. "I guess we'll go get Idhril then," she murmured, leaning over to pick up Jair.

Idhril flinched hearing the growl in her sleep and when Ruran spoke loudly once more, she opened her eyes and sighed. She didn't know what was going on, she didn't know why Joruri was taking Ruran away, or why Ruran was being loud again, and her brain was too fuzzy to really think.

She sat up and held her head in her hands. Her head was hurting now ...

Elnara followed Niyana into the cave and stopped short seeing the scene, and upon hearing Ruran's explanation she couldn't help but feel that something about his tone or his words wasn't ringing true.

"Idhril?" she asked softly. "Is that what happened?"

Idhril looked up at Elnara, her eyes filled with tears.

"I don't know, Mama," she replied softly, her voice wavering. "I don't know what happened ... I was just sleeping and Ruran kept being noisy and waking me up ..."

She turned her head to hide her face in Joruri's chest. "I just wanted to sleep!"