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"Ah," Halmir nodded. "Yes. I hope she doesn't plan on buying too much, though, her bag doesn't have a rune on it like your parents' bag. Whatever she buys is going to take up space."

He watched Amalirahc as the boy finished off the bun. "Amalirahc, isn't that your fourth?" he asked with a grimace. "You're going to end up with a stomach cramp if you run on a full stomach."

Amalirahc just grinned. "By the time we get there, it won't be full anymore," he promised. "I'll be okay!"

Halmir laughed. "So true!" he agreed heartily. "So true."

He looked around again, then motioned towards the door to the hall. "Come on, we might as well wait for River at the bottom of the stairs," he suggested to Miyuki and Amalirahc. "We'll be closer that way, we won't have to wait as long."

They had to wait for Amalirahc to finish the last two bites of his bun, and by the time Halmir and the children walked down the hall and arrived at the entrance of the castle, at the bottom or the stairs, River was already on her way down, her feet barely touching the marble steps as she raced down the steps.

"Careful, River," Halmir called out warningly as she reached the turn in the stairs.

River just grinned. "It's all right, Grandpapa, I won't fall."

And sure enough, she didn't, and she jumped the last three steps and landed lightly in front of the three. "Ready!" she announced cheerfully, holding up her bag before she slung it over her shoulders.

It was quite a walk to the city again, and sure enough, as they passed by the bakery, Amalirahc was eying the goods in the front window.

River giggled at him. "We just ate breakfast!" she exclaimed. "At least wait until lunch!"

"But they just smell so good," Amalirahc said sheepishly.

"Good point," Amalirahc grinned. "All right, I'll leave it til later."

He started running, then slowed down again, mindful of the girls. "going to play football, going to play football," he chanted quietly to himself, bouncing from one foot to the other as he walked.

River giggled and leaned closer to Miyuki. "Think he's excited?"

River giggled at that. It was true. She was a bit surprised that Amalirahc didn't have a ball of his own by now, though she supposed he might prefer to play with others, and wouldn't see the point in having his own ball.

"It is fun, though," she smiled. "Maybe today we can actually try a real game instead of just taking turns kicking the ball at the goal."

She would like that, personally.

"We can ask," River smiled at Miyuki. "Even if we can't play a proper game, I'm sure we can figure something out."

They rounded the last corner, and the field lay ahead of them. The same boys were there today as had been there the day before, but there was an extra person as well - a girl, a bit smaller than the boys, sitting at the side with a large basket. She was watching the game and cheering.