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"Shiloh," Earendil grinned. "She's a little over three weeks old. Elros and Alena have made me swear not to spoil her, though if they're going to be settling in the Eastland I really don't think they have to worry about that. I'm sure by the time we get there she won't even be old enough to remember me the next time I see them."

"And Regan," Earendil quipped, flushing slightly. "Though I was gone for Aranxia's first five years, maybe that's why she's more shy than Regan is."

Though to be fair, anyone would be shyer than Regan: Regan was hyper, even as a young woman of twenty two years.

"Very true," Earendil agreed, leaning back and putting one arm around Lin's shoulders. He was about to say something else when Miyuki spoke up, and he looked at her, then looked at Lin and smiled.

"What do you think?" he asked her. "I think it would be a good idea - now that we're staying on the continent, we're going to be riding instead of flying, so it really is best if she learns. And you should probably brush up on your skills too, so that when we leave you'll be past the saddle sores."

He grinned, though he was perfectly serious about it.

Earendil nodded. "So it's probably best we all get a bit of riding in before we go," he smiled. "I've been doing a bit of riding, though not as much as I used to. It's going to be a bit different, not having anyone with spirits with us."

He blinked. "Ah, and that reminds me. Leyenda and Celeb and the others won't be joining us, at least not right away."

"As of now, there's going to be you, me, Miyuki," Earendil counted on his fingers. "Aethos, Elros, Alena and Shiloh, possibly Luk ... and Shiro and Kaito."

He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Leyenda and Kelirahc and Amalirahc went to visit Arwen and Roydon, and Celeb and Haldia went off somewhere together. Pretty much the day Celeb turned sixteen he asked Haldia to marry him, and most of us were actually a little surprised when she agreed. So yes ... they're off somewhere, they could be anywhere really."

Earendil grinned at that. "See for yourself," he replied, nodding to where the sola was riding around the arena, directing his horse around obstacles. "It's like he's a completely different person."

Indeed, the sola was smiling, and even joking back and forth with Elberon as he rode.

"I think it helps that it's very informal here," Earendil added. "I mean, in Amon Darthir, he was still living in the palace, and so I think he felt he had some sort of image to keep, or propriety to follow. Something his father ingrained into him. But the fact that there's so much royalty here on the ranch and no one is treated any differently because of it ... he's learning how to interact with people as people instead of as subjects."

Earendil smiled warmly. "Me, too. He's a lot nicer to talk to now, too - not as formal and such. And he's picking up the language very well, I daresay a lot more easily than Haldia ever has. Celeb's teaching her, and she is getting better, but it's a long and slow process with her. And even if she does get it, I don't think she'll ever be able to learn a third language."