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"I don't get it," Andarien replied with a puzzled look. Iorlas looked just as confused.

"A quip about the General's lack of observational skills," Kyrie explained, still grinning. "Dekra is the capital city of Garnelia, and that is where the General lives, where his power is the strongest. Ten years they lived there, and Elspeth and Alaric were kept in hiding, and in all that time they were not discovered."

She glanced back at the couple. "That does beg the question, though ... how did you end up escaping? You said you had help ..."

"Keeping hidden and staying indoors ... especially with Alaric growing older ... it was torture," Elspeth murmured. "We had to get out. It took some doing, but eventually we were able to sneak out of the city. Soon enough we had soldiers after us. We managed to keep ahead of them for almost a week, but Alaric and I ... well, suffice it to say that neither of us were in any shape to run for long. They caught up to us."

"I was thinking we be dead!" Alaric interrupted his mother's narrative. His dark eyes were sparkling with excitement as he took up the tale. "And Father fight very hard but he sword break! Soldier want kill Father but then Mailon come and like that!" He snapped his fingers. "All soldier dead!"

Alaric nodded so eagerly that his hair bobbed up and down on his head.

"He is big and strong!" he exclaimed. "He fight very good, not even get scratch on him!"

"He was chased out of his own country," Elspeth explained, "because he didn't hold with their beliefs."

"We didn't ask," Elspeth admitted. "It didn't seem right to pry. But he was a White Elf, if that helps."

"Well, he can't have been from Caras Galadhon," Kyrie mused, "or else believing differently than others wouldn't have been a big deal. That leaves ... Sier Belen ... Sieland and Jielam."

She looked at Lin. "Still, if he's a White Elf, then the only thing that would get him chased out of his own country is being sympathetic with those who are not White Elves. Considering he helped Elspeth and her family, that must have been the reason."

"It certainly wouldn't surprise me," Elspeth agreed.

Elspeth smiled softly. "At any rate, here we are. We made it here a little over a year ago, and we managed to get this house, and we have been doing better and better ever since. Alaric is growing strong and learning quickly, and my own health is much improved as well. We have not seen Mailon again since he brought us here, but he did tell us not to expect to see him again. Now our only challenge is teaching Alaric and Duran the language here."

"I am learn!" Alaric protested, though he was grinning.

Duran just chuckled.

"Yes," Elspeth agreed, "he is showing great improvement. Unfortunately, my poor husband doesn't seem to be having the same success."

"But at least he will have you to translate for him," Wren pointed out, "so he will not be alone."

Elspeth smiled again. "True." She looked around at everyone to see how they were getting along with their meals, and when she saw that everyone's plates were empty, she asked, "Have you all had enough to eat? There is more, if you would like ..."

Her offer was met with protests and thanks on all sides. It had been quite the meal indeed, just as much a feast as the food Lancaeriel had prepared for them using the provisions that Elspeth had sent them.

The house was mostly quiet when Miyuki woke: the travelers were for the most part still asleep, the warmth and comfort of the beds working with their exhaustion and full stomachs to make them sleep longer than they usually would. In fact, there were only two other people up and about when Miyuki rose: Elspeth, downstairs and working on the laundry that her guests had given her (at her request of course), and Kyrie, who was sitting on a couch in the kitchen/living room area, reading through a portfolio of some kind.

As for Lancaeriel, Miyuki's roommate, she was still fast asleep, and didn't seem to take any notice when Miyuki rose.

Elspeth was in the side room downstairs, but Kyrie, sitting on the couch, looked up from her reading when she heard the footsteps on the floor above her. It wasn't long before she saw Miyuki come down the stairs.

"Good morning," she called out softly, aware of the fact that most of the others were still asleep. "Sleep well?"

The half-blooded woman herself looked as though she had slept very well. Maybe it was the fact that her clothes were clean, or that she was once again clean, or that she had slept the night through for the first time in a long time (seeing as she always seemed to take at least one of the night watches while they traveled), but she seemed friendlier this morning.