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Andarien wasn't really sure what Miyuki was talking about, but he did get the gist that he was supposed to put his bread into the yellow stuff.

"Like this?" he asked, picking up his bread and smearing one corner of it in the yellow puddle on his plate. He looked up at her for approval, completely oblivious to Aethos and Alassëa's laughter.

"Okay."

Andarien watched her closely while he munched on his yolk-sopped bread. It tasted good, he decided. Nice and calm after the sweetness of the fruit. The fruit was too sweet for him, he didn't like it very much at all.

Earendil and Lin finally joined them in the dining room. It wasn't hard to spot the children in the room - despite the fact that there were several other guests breaking their fast, Miyuki kind of stood out, even if Andarien and Alassëa more or less blended. Even Aethos's fiery orange hair had bleached in the summer sun and wasn't as bright as usual.

Earendil pointed them out to Lin before leading her over to them.

Andarien looked up at his parents. "It's weird," he frowned. "The yellow stuff is good but you can't pick it up with your hands and the fruit is - is - is - blech!"

He didn't know what it was that made the fruit taste so bad to him, but then he just didn't have enough experience to know what sweetness was.

Earendil sat down next to Andarien. "Oh?"

Earendil just shook his head incredulously. Not liking one of the fruit, okay, he could understand that - but not to like any of it?

"Just finish what you can, okay?" he told Andarien.

Andarien nodded and took another bite of his bread.

"Oh?" Earendil smiled at Andarien. "How did you like that?"

Andarien looked up at his father. "The millow wa' c'unchy," he said around the bread in his mouth. "Bu' i' wa' okay."

"I was surprised that he ate the core," Alassëa spoke up. "And how he liked that part better than the other fruit, I have no idea."

Andarien swallowed. It was easier to talk without food in his mouth, he thought.

"Hand?" he repeated, looking up at Lin. He looked at his hand. "Oh. The yellow stuff is messy, but it's yummy."

He licked at it again. He could still taste it.

Andarien blinked at Lin. "Is that the yellow stuff?" he asked hesitantly.

Earendil smiled and put one hand on the boy's head. "It is," he assured him. With a glance at the boy's plate, he added, "It doesn't look as if you've touched the white, though."

Andarien looked back at his plate. "Well ... it doesn't go on the bread like the yellow," he replied as if it were common sense.