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Earendil burst out laughing. "Punch him?" he laughed. "Why did she do that?" He chuckled again. "And I'm sure you're right about Rhea, she does seem to have fun dropping bombs, as you say. She loves getting people worked up."

He grew quiet suddenly, reminded of the problem that Caranthir had brought up. Rhea would have to talk to Aerin, and soon ... and he couldn't help but want to be there when it happened.

"Don't you mean three?" Earendil smiled as they waited for an answer. "Elrohir and Haradhel had Arwen, who had Leyenda, who now has a child of her own. Three generations there. Four, if you count Elrohir and Haradhel."

From within, a voice called out, "Come in." Though no one opened the door for them.

It had been Arthael who had answered the knock, and her reason for not answering the door was obvious. She was busy working over the small fire in the kitchen fireplace. She looked over to see who had come in, and she smiled when she saw Lin.

"Come on in," she called, her single violet eye glowing with pleasure. "I was wondering when you were going to get to us."

Earendil stepped in behind Lin and looked at Arthael curiously. Her brown skin and hair were strange to him, stranger than the black and white contrast of Kelirahc's people.

Elrohir bowed at the waist. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Arthael," he said warmly.

Arthael smiled and nodded her head at him. "And you. And what is your relation to Lord Elrohir, if I may ask?"

Earendil smiled. "He is my uncle, my father's older brother."

Arthael's smile widened. "Then you are from the palace," she murmured. "Tell me, how is Her Majesty these days?"

"Very well, thank you," Earendil grinned. "You know her personally?"

Arthael nodded. "She dismissed me from her service at the end of the last war. Honourable discharge for the wounds I received." She pointed at her damaged eye. "I can't say as I mind, since it allowed me to find my way here."

"Sleeping, actually," Arthael smiled. "He was on duty overnight. But don't worry about waking him, as long as he's inside, he can sleep through just about anything, as long as it isn't danger. I fear we may be growing too comfortable with our newfound security."

She laughed.

Earendil was confused. "Isn't this supposed to be a safe place?" he asked. "I mean, it is called Haven, after all ..."

"But it is a time for us to rest and recuperate now," Arthael nodded. "If we end up going to war in the south, you better believe that most of us, everyone who is able, will be going. We'll be leaving the bare minimum of people behind to guard the ranch. I don't think there's any of us that isn't furious with how there are still children being enslaved, and behind our backs, with people who are supposed to be our allies."

Arthael sighed. "Lin, no one wants a war. But this has been going on for at least the past three human rulers, and it's quite likely that he already knows what is going on. If that's the case, then it's going to be very difficult to avoid a war. At the very least, the elves will demand that they replace their ruler with one who will do something about the slavery problem: at worst, it will be all out war."

"What do you personally think will happen?" Earendil asked quietly.

Arthael looked at him. "There will be war. Not a Great War, but a war. The humans will have to learn what it means when they take our children away from us. They will learn yet again that it is not wise to cross the elves."

The way she said it made the elves seem almost like terrorists, who used violence to enforce their demands, but Earendil could see what she meant. The humans did not live long - Earendil himself had lived nearly two human lifetimes - and they forgot more quickly than they learned. Even if the war was short, it would teach the humans a lesson yet again.