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"Maybe when I head back to the ship," Celeb muttered. "I'll ask Mother to draw a hot bath or something." He slipped the orange slice slowly between his lips and began to suck on it, the least painful way for him to eat.

Haldia fidgeted with her food. She felt guilty about him being in so much pain - it had been she after all who had stopped Arwen from healing him up entirely, in hopes that he would realize that he had not been right to hit Cald either. But she had not expected him to be in this much pain - though she admired that he wasn't complaining about it or making a scene.

"I will fly you back when you are ready to sleep," she said quietly. "All of you. There are no spare huts here anyways."

Haldia smiled at Miyuki. "If you want me to," she nodded. "There is nothing here to hold me back."

Even as the words left her mouth, a shadow appeared at the edge of the firelight. She looked up to see Cald standing there, his eyes focused on her, ignoring everyone else. In his hands was a leaf wrapped around something. Without speaking, he held it out to Haldia, waiting to see what she would do.

For a moment, Haldia just stared back at Cald, and a slow fury began to glow in her eyes. How did he dare show his face after beating Celeb so badly, and after being stripped of his mark? How could he even show his face in the village? Let alone expect her to accept something from him!

As she reached forward to take the leaf from his hand, his eyes lit up with hope - but very quickly his expression turned to hurt when she dropped the leaf and its contents into her fire without even looking at what it was. Deliberately, she turned her back to him, her jaw clenched in anger.

The entire ordeal was silent, and over in a matter of seconds, but it might as well have been a shouting match with the result that came of it. Cald finally got the message: he was not wanted and never would be. Still without speaking, he turned and left them all alone.

Haldia nodded and took a deep breath.

"I am fine," she replied to Miyuki, forcing herself to be calm. "I do not understand how he could still be here ... how he would dare think that I would accept him now, after all of this ..."

Celeb was looking at her bemusedly, and she scowled at him. "What?"

Celeb shook his head ever so slightly. "I guess I'm just happy you finally made up your mind about one of them, at least," he replied.

Haldia reached out as if to slap him, but just at the last moment she thought the better of it and simply pretended to.

"What?" Celeb asked, looking over at Lin. "She said these guys have been bothering her since she returned two years ago. Clearly, she hasn't been enjoying the attention. But she could have done that from the start and they wouldn't have bothered her! That's why I say it's about time, because I think she knew back when it started that she would have to do that."

He looked over at Haldia knowingly. "Am I right?"

Haldia looked back at him evenly. He was right. But she didn't want to tell him so. She hadn't known for sure when it had all started that it would come to this, but she had known for a while - a long while - that she could never accept a gift from anyone on the island.

Earendil laughed at Miyuki's comment. He barely knew Donovan, but he knew him well enough to know that Miyuki was right about that.

"Still," he grinned. "I think it's better than simply not taking it. That's what you've been doing for years, right, Haldia? Just not accepting their gifts?"

Haldia nodded.

"But they haven't been taking the hint," Earendil went on. "Now he can have no doubts."

"Let us hope," Haldia murmured, "but there are two others that I do not know if they will have gotten the hint yet."

Their remainder of their meal passed uninterrupted, and when the sky began to lighten, the Night Elves began to return to their huts. By this time, Earendil was rubbing his eyes to try to stay awake. He was so tired ...

Without waiting for the others to ask her, Haldia summoned her roc and helped them climb up. It was clearly time for them to sleep - and after two days' worth of activities, they deserved it.

Haldia brought them all to the ship, since the beach would soon be busy with activity. They would be able to rest on the ship a lot better than if they stayed on the beach. Not to mention, they wouldn't have to worry about sunburn while they slept.

Earendil helped Lin and Miyuki down, holding Miyuki in his arms.

"Seems as if she's finally truly exhausted," he smiled tiredly at Lin. "Come ... we need to rest." He motioned for her to follow him below deck.