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"Not that we need it, right," Earendil joked. "But it's always nice to indulge once in a while. As a treat only, it's not good to make it a habit. It has no health value, after all."

At least most of it didn't.

"Oh," he added, "and one thing - don't feel shy. Hurin can be loud and overbearing sometimes, but ... that's just the way he is. He's quite friendly, really, if you can see past that."

He paused. "And ... he's not fond of humans. I've tried to convince him otherwise, but his father was killed in the war by humans, and ... well ..."

He smiled at Lin reassuringly. "Don't worry, you'll be fine. He might be a bit cold at first, but just be yourself and he'll warm up soon enough."

Earendil chuckled. "Like you've been dealing with my father for so long," he grinned. "Yes, I'm sure you can handle yourself."

They reached the sweetshop, and Earendil reached for the door, holding it open for Lin. "After you."

The shop was neatly organized by types of sweets, and had everything from rock candy to sugar canes, to cookies of all sorts. Shelf after shelf of sweets in all shapes, colours, and sizes ...

"All made by my friend," Earendil confided to Lin with a proud grin.

There was a young girl behind the counter, no older than Lin's physical age, and perhaps even a bit younger, with long black hair and soft brown eyes. She waved at Earendil and Lin as they entered, smiling brightly at them.

"Welcome to our shop," she said happily. "Feel free to look around, and ask me if you have any questions."

Her eyes lingered on Earendil for a moment, then shifted to Lin and turned curious.

The girl was obviously surprised by Lin's use of the elven tongue, but she simply smiled.

"My father makes all of it," she said proudly. "His skill is great."

"Indeed it is," Earendil nodded with a warm smile. "And speaking of your father, is he home? I'd like him to meet my friend."

The girl nodded again. "I'll be right back," she said, and disappeared through a door behind the counter.

The cookies had every shape imaginable - animals of every variety, weapons, snowflakes, stars, moons, clouds, raindrops, trees and plants, people, crowns and sceptres ... and so on.

Earendil chuckled at Lin. "Your brother is a miracle of nature," he grinned. "Though I'm sure Hurin would love to have him as a customer."

At just that moment, the girl returned. "Ada will be down in a few moments," she told the two of them. "Is there anything that I could help you with instead?"

Earendil shook his head at the girl. "Thank you, but it's your father we would like to see," he told her firmly, ignoring the annoyance that flashed through her eyes.

Earendil followed closely behind Lin, deliberately ignoring the girl behind the counter - though he did keep an eye on the door back there, waiting for his friend to appear.

"What do you think?" he asked Lin quietly, smiling down at her. "He can do amazing things, can he not?"

Earendil couldn't help but chuckle. "Well, if you did eat it, he will only make more," he grinned. "It's meant for eating, after all, and it is his livelihood - if no one ate any of the sweets he made, he would be out of business and begging in the street."

A shameful way of life, really - mostly reserved for those who, like Lamthanc, had their hands removed as punishments for their crimes and could in no way earn his bread otherwise.