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While Earendil was helping Lin to pack their family's things (they had made themselves quite at home during their few weeks in Ebonscarp), Amalirahc and River were playing with Miyuki and Kaito outside the inn. Halmir and Arthael had gone for the horses and wagons, and Kelirahc, Leyenda, Elros and Aric had gone off to help load things up. Leilani was watching over Remiel with Alena and Shiloh, and Daeron and Iorlas had gone off for one final attempt to find Ioreth before they set off. Shiro was sitting on the edge of the fountain with his tablet, tapping away as he updated his digital journal before they left. Aethos and Alassëa had gone to say goodbye to Alassëa's old friends. After their fight, they had made up quite well, and Alassëa now trusted Aethos well enough that she allowed him to lead her around without her staff in hand.

Leyenda and Kelirahc had bought Amalirahc a ball while they'd been in the town, and Kaito had convinced the children to join him in a game of dodgeball - quite unfair of him, since he insisted on being the first person in the middle, and as he was quite agile and thus very adept at avoiding the ball. Still, it kept them busy while they waited for everything to be ready.

"To be honest, I think she's nothing but trouble," Earendil replied, fastening his bag and slinging it over his shoulder. He started putting on his weapons. "Iorlas has yet to say something positive about her. And Amalirahc is completely terrified of her - though I have no idea when he might have run into her."

All he knew was that Amalirahc had come tearing into the inn one evening seeking comfort from his parents, as if he had seen what Shiro had called a 'boogeyman', and the only thing that they could get out of the boy was that he had seen Ioreth somewhere.

"Oh, there's definitely something else to this, more than we already know," Earendil agreed with Lin. "Until that day, I didn't think Amalirahc knew what it was to be scared of anything. He is very much his father's son. But the question that remains is, what is it that we're missing, and if it would help us to understand Ioreth why won't Iorlas tell us what it is? Unless it's something she thinks would make us think less of her as well ..."

After all, she had said that she was different from most elves, which wasn't exactly visible on the surface ... she looked like everyone else, at the very least.

Earendil shrugged as he finished packing everything on his person. "Who knows?" he asked Lin. "We could ask her, but I have a feeling she won't tell us."

She was so secretive about everything else, why would this be any different?

"Would you like to carry Andarien, or would you like me to carry him?" he asked.

Earendil smiled back down at Lin, then turned and called over his shoulder, "Andarien! Go to Mommy, it's time to go!"

"Go!" Andarien beamed, scrambling to his feet. "Go!" He had learned a few new words during their time there, and had become quite adept at both walking and running. He ran over to Lin, arms outstretched. "Up!"

Andarien was positively gleeful as he was carried out to the wagons, and the moment the wagon was in sight, he shouted, "Wide! Wide! Go fun!"

Earendil laughed and tossed his bag into one of the wagons. "All right, everything packed?" he grinned at the others.

"Just waiting on Aethos and Alassëa to return," Luk called out from where he was packing the food crates in one of the wagons. "Daeron and Iorlas are just returning now."

"I'll get them," Leilani offered. "I'd like to say goodbye to Adar again anyways."

Daeron shook his head at Miyuki. "No, no such luck. Not even a whisper of her whereabouts."

"And she's not easily missed," Iorlas added quietly. "She must be in hiding somewhere. I just hope that she'll leave these people alone once we're gone."

"Other than that it looks like we're ready to go, once Leilani returns with Alassëa and Aethos," Daeron said. "I must admit, I'm looking forward to getting back on the road again. I enjoy traveling more than the stopping, I think."

"Yes," Daeron conceded with a chuckle, "but I was busy then. At least relatively so. Things needed doing - slavers to stop, children to save, and even after that there was guarding and hunting ... and if I wanted to go on small trips I could. This is different. You come and go as a group so you're a bit tied down that way, you see the same shops for two weeks straight ..."

"Stop it, Daeron," Earendil laughed. "You're going to end up in trouble if you keep going on like that. You should enjoy the break while you have it!"