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Ulani shook her head. "No, not since Ulrich's mother left," she replied softly. "His sister, when she got married, moved to the city, and then there was a drop in Westland visitors, but once his mother left the Four Lands altogether ... they pretty much stopped. I suppose it could be considered a good thing, since most of the people who did come were idiots ... but still."

"Not in the least," Ulani replied with a smile. "Now, I fully and readily admit that I have a temper, but most of the people who came here ..."

She shook her head again.

"Let's just say, even Ulrich's sister wanted to get rid of most of them," she concluded. "And she's the most even-tempered person I know. It takes a lot to upset her."

About an hour later, Aliya came back into the house. All that the others could see of her was a blur shooting past the kitchen door; but a few minutes later, she came into the kitchen at a calm pace, holding a pair of pants draped over one arm.

"Here, Mum," she said sheepishly, adding it to the pile of clothes to be mended (which by this time had nearly disappeared). "I fell out of a tree."

Ulani sighed and rolled her eyes. "What am I going to do with you?" she murmured. "Go find your father and let him know we're eating without him if he's not back soon."

Aliya nodded and waved briefly to Cindy before running out of the house once more.

"She doesn't notice, most of the time," Ulani smiled. "Falling out of a tree ... you saw how much she didn't care. As if it's an everyday thing for her. She's usually quite careful, but ... she does tend to hurt herself quite often. Still, I don't discourage it - what doesn't kill her only makes her strong, after all."

She set her mending aside and rose from her seat. "I'm going to get dinner ready. If you'd like to stop, feel free, I'll be staying in here."

The next day and a half passed slowly, but finally the time came when Ulani was preparing the children to go see the cereus flowers as she had promised.

"Wrap yourselves warmly," she told Aliya as she tied Adonai's cloak about his shoulders. "It's summer but it gets cold out at night." She finished and straightened, then looked at her daughter. "You have everything you wanted to take?" she asked.

Aliya nodded. "Paper, pencil, water - I'm set!" she agreed. She glanced over at Cindy. "What about you? Are you bringing anything?"

"That should be everything then," Ulani murmured, more to herself than to anyone else, as she looked around just in case. She tied on her own cloak and smiled down at the others. "Let's go, then," she murmured, and ushered everyone outside.

"Look! Look!" Adonai giggled, tugging on Cindy's cloak to her her attention and pointing her towards the sky. "Fow moo'! Pretty, yike Cinee no'booh!"

Aliya slipped past the other and headed in the direction of the trees. "This way!" she shouted excitedly, beckoning for the others to follow.

Adonai giggled and held Cindy's hand tightly, leading her quickly after Aliya.

"Got' be fas'," he told her as he picked up the pace. "If you swow, fwowers be op'n 'fo' we ged deah!"

Aliya was waiting for them at the trees so that she could lead them onwards without worrying about them getting lost. Really she didn't need to worry, since her mother was also with them, but she wanted all of them to arrive together.