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Earendil blinked at Lin in surprise, and then a warm smile crept over his face.

"I agree," he said softly. "We could be here for a very long time, and not being able to converse with the Night Elves would prove to be problematic."

He was glad that Lin had decided to learn. He had wanted to from the moment they had learned that there were people here who only knew that language, but he would have felt very guilty learning without Lin, since he had promised her that he would not. And he didn't blame her for breaking her promise to Aragost: that had been a promise made in another time and another place, and she would not have known then how essential it would be in the future.

Storm and Starr exchanged a glance, and then both of them smiled up at Rhea. "We would also like to learn," Starr spoke up for both of them. "Who knows when else we might need it as well?"

Rhea grinned at everyone. "I'm glad. Not only for myself, but for your sakes. It will be a lot easier for you to understand everyone now, and without a translator you won't have to stand around and wait for someone to help you."

And so, while they explored and Earendil worked on his map, Rhea taught everyone the language that they didn't know. Unsurprisingly, Celeb was the fastest learner, followed by Kelirahc.

Earendil had a bit more trouble than the rest, though that could perhaps have been explained by the fact that he had fewer lessons, as he was the one who was also working while they learned.

At the end of a week, and having explored a large chunk of the southern coast, he finally announced that it was time for them to return to the beach, let the others know that they were all right, and resupply.

"You know," he grinned at Lin as they packed their things up again, "this is going more quickly than I had thought it would. I think it's easier because of the topography, when the land is flat like the Southland it's harder to tell distance."

Earendil chuckled. "Well, it's not as you're a cartographer, either," he reminded her good-naturedly. "I've been studying this for well over a decade."

By the Valar, he made himself sound old. But at seventy six, maybe he was.

Earendil nodded, then chuckled softly. "Well, I had to do something while waiting for you," he teased her. "Other than nothing."

He had spent several years helping with training, learning a bit of this craft or that one, but until he had settled down to learn map making, he had only drifted.

Earendil pursed his lips thoughtfully, but then he looked down at Lin, his eyes sparkling, and laughed. "Not at all. It was well worth the wait, and let's face it, if I didn't then I wouldn't know how to make maps, and this would be an expensive pleasure trip, rather than something to the advantage to all of the Four Lands."

He ruffled her hair affectionately. "I know I don't talk about it much, but I do try to think ahead and what I can for my country."

Earendil grinned. "That's Shiro's department," he winked. "And I'm sure by this time he's made quite a bit of progress. Knowing him."

He brushed some vines out of their way. "By the way," he added, his tone curious, "is there anything in particular that you want to get out of the trip? I mean, other than the adventure. Shiro's here for the history, I'm here for the maps, Rhea's here to see if there is anything beyond her abilities - which I think she may have found ..." He laughed.

Earendil chuckled. "Then just say that your quest is for knowledge. In general. It gives you something to strive for, rather than waking up each morning and simply thinking, 'Now what?'. I mean, being in the same place day after day with nothing set or planned ... for me that would take away some of the enjoyment. But that could be just me."

He looked up at the sky. "I think my goal right now," he murmured, "is to finish the map, so that when I am done, I can ask Kelirahc to take me for a ride on his dragon up into the sky, and see if my map truly resembles the island. That's what I want, to confirm my reason for being here."

Earendil looked down at Lin, his expression warm.

"That's one question you never have to ask," he told her. He hesitated a moment, then seemed to think better of whatever he was going to say, and instead simply reiterated, "You're always welcome to come with me."