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"You bet I would!" Amalirahc grinned, his golden eyes gleaming brightly.

Just then the food was brought in, and Amalirahc dug eagerly into his meal, while River was much more calm about it. The meal passed quite pleasantly, and afterwards everyone headed to their rooms to bathe and for bed.

When morning came, Amalirahc was the first person in the dining room for breakfast, eager to go with River and Miyuki to the city to play ball with the other children.

"Miyuki!" Amalirahc called to get her attention, waving her over to where he and River (who had made it down before Miyuki, not having several tails to care for) were sitting. "Over here!"

River rolled her eyes. "It's not like there's so many people in here that she wouldn't have been able to find us," she pointed out, forgetting their talk of the previous day about him being so much younger than her and Miyuki.

Amalirahc grinned. "So what? Now she doesn't even have to look!"

"I did," Amalirahc grinned.

"I didn't," River said at almost the same time. "I wanted to wait for you. It's no fun sitting and doing nothing while someone else is eating."

"True," Amalirahc realized. He thought for a moment, then grinned again. "Then I'll have something else so that I'm not left out."

"I think Mama and Papa said they wanted to come with today," Amalirahc said as he ate. "Just in case."

"In case of what?" River asked suspiciously.

Amalirahc shrugged. "I don't know. They always say that."

River rolled her eyes. "That's reassuring." She turned to Miyuki. "Grandmama said she would come later on to take me to the tailor's. She wanted to take me before we play, but I told her Amalirahc wouldn't wait, even for a half hour or an hour, so she said okay."

"Maybe," River smiled. "Maybe they'll come later with my grandparents, that way Andarien won't be out as long, Grandmama says that babies get grumpy if they're out for a long time."

"Mama and Papa can take us," Amalirahc offered brightly. "They won't mind! Since they're going anyway." He looked around, then leaned closer to the girls and lowered his tone, "They don't like to let me around in this city by myself very much. It's so much bigger than any of the other cities."

"And did you take horses to the city?" Amalirahc asked her. "Because if you did then you could see more than if you didn't, because if you don't take horses then it takes forever to get there!"

He'd walked it before, and it was a good hour's walk at LEAST - and that was just to the EDGE of the city!

"Of course, you left partway into the afternoon," River added. "It wasn't like you had a lot of time to start out with."

She giggled. "And besides, I've seen you in shops with shiny things. Sometimes you can take a long time! Otherwise you would be able to see more of them!"

She knew her friend well, indeed.