Welcome to Gaia! ::

Wren sighed. "He's afraid something will happen to me. I understand that he's worried but I really do think that it's more dangerous to travel here than out where you go. And if something happens to me, there will be trouble for the family, as well as the kingdom. I'm the last of the Elessedil bloodline."

Earendil smiled at Lin. "Then why don't we just get the blocks for today, and sometimes when Andarien is with us we can see what he does with some of the other toys?" he suggested. "It will be a start, at least."

Wren giggled at that. "Well, if my grandparents had more children, I suppose ... but I doubt that will happen. My father will never remarry, of that I'm certain. My mother's death hit him very hard. So really, it's up to me, which of course is the reason I can't let anything happen to me."

Earendil nodded. "All right. We should probably get a lot of them so that he can build more things with them."

If something was worth getting, it was worth getting enough of it after all.

Wren smiled. Miyuki was a child, and she was doing the best that a child could to reassure her. Of course, her own worries were different, but she was touched by the effort.

"And I've heard that you're going to start learning to sense things without your eyes," she said with a wink. "Alassëa is going to teach you, yes?"


Earendil nodded and looked at the blocks. "Should we see how many come as a set?" he asked. "Carrying them isn't a problem, we both have runed bags, but I just wonder how many come together."

He glanced towards the corner of the shop, where the man and child were still whittling away.

"That's a good idea," Wren agreed. "But remember, even if Ioreth isn't around as a danger, it's also good for when you're out traveling and it's night time, or raining or something."

In fact, it had honed her own fighting skills so that she could sense things even when she wasn't expecting it or focusing. It had been difficult, yes, but she was glad she'd had that training.

Earendil chuckled softly as he went along with her.

The man in the corner had been glancing up continually while his customers had been looking around, and when he saw them coming towards him and the boy, he set his carving down and rose to his feet. He was a little taller than Earendil, and his hair was gold, his eyes a bright blue, his skin tanned but not dusky like the Dark Elves. He was smiling, though his smile did not quite seem to reach his eyes.

"Welcome," he greeted them warmly. "Is there anything with which I may help you?"

Wren laughed at the look on Miyuki's face. "You're not a fighter, I know. I've been told. But despite that, it is important that you know how to take care of yourself if something happens. After all, you can't always rely on others."

Earendil nodded his agreement with Lin. "The building blocks," he added to clarify. "We would like to get some for our son but we're not sure how many come together or anything."

The man glanced towards the display of blocks. "All of them," he replied. "Fifty eight, one for each rune."

"And how much does the set cost?" Earendil asked, reaching for his gold pouch.

"Two silver, eighteen bronze," came the reply.

Earendil handed the man three pieces of silver, receiving two bronze in exchange. The man headed towards the back to get them a fresh set of the blocks, packed neatly in a leather drawstring bag. "Here you are."

Wren smiled and patted Miyuki on the head. "Someday you'll find something that suits you," she said softly. "It might take a long time, and you should do your best in the meantime to practice with what you have, but someday you will find something that works for you."

The man bowed slightly at Lin and Earendil. "You are welcome," he said formally. Then he straightened up again. "May I help you with anything else?"

Earendil shook his head. "Nothing more. Thank you."

The man bowed his head again. "I bid you a good day," he said simply; and without waiting for a reply, he returned to the corner with the boy.

Wren put one hand to Miyuki's back and guided her gently towards her parents. "Set?" she asked them with a soft smile.

"Enough to build a small castle," Earendil chuckled, hefting the bag. He opened his runed bag and held the mouth wide. "In it goes!"

He was a bit put off with the way the shopkeeper had ignored and dismissed him and Lin, but he wasn't going to make a big deal of it. He knew what the Light Elves were like, especially those of the Westland. He didn't like it, but he would have to tolerate it.

Once the blocks were put away, he smiled at Miyuki. "So that's one shop. I think the tailor was the other one we needed to see?"