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Ecthelion smiled again, distracted from Ruran's confusion. "Yeah, let's go see Uncle Adonijah!" he beamed. "This way, peoples! Let's go!"

And he took off running towards the house that was not so very far away.

Rhea giggled as they started after him. "Nothing can ever keep him down," she said softly to Miyu as they walked. "I don't think I've ever seen him upset for more than a few minutes at a time."

Rhea smiled back at Miyu. "It is," she agreed softly. "I think a lot of people here are like that. It's a good feeling ... with so many happy people around, it's a lot easier to cheer up when you're feeling down."

Ecthelion just giggled and ran ahead, bursting into Aliya and Amdir's house and calling out in elvish.

It was indeed Aliya who met Ecthelion at the door, and she swept her grandson up in a tight hug and swung him around in a circle, and both of them were laughing.

"Feng!" Aliya beamed when she saw her friend in the doorway. "Come in, come in, don't just stand there! I was wondering where everyone had got to!"

Ecthelion giggled and clung tightly to Aliya. "My nako!" he giggled at Naida. "I'm not gonna let go of her!"

Aliya laughed and shrugged as well as she could to Naida. "You're going to have to find a way to make Ecthelion let go," she grinned. "Good luck with that."

Rose led the others into the house, and they all spread out into the living room. Despite their numbers, it still didn't seem crowded - but then, it was a big room.

"It's bigger in here than at Ulani's house," Ruque noted with a smile. "Do you think our house might be this big?"

"Maybe bigger," Aras suggested. "This is still a lot smaller than the place where we were in the desert."

"But you said that was a palace," Kanis pointed out. "Of course a palace is going to be bigger than any sort of house!"

Ruque smiled at Miyu. He liked her. She was kind. So different from his brother.

"And you'll visit us, right?" he asked warmly. "Just like we're visiting everybody right now?"

Ecthelion pouted right back at Naida. "But Nako gives the best hugs!" he protested. "Don't wanna let go of her."

Ruque blinked. "Years?" he asked, confused. "Why such a long time?"

He after all was less than a year old, the concept of more than one year was a very long time to him indeed.

Ecthelion pouted and clung tighter to Aliya. "But you can get hugs from your mama!" he pointed out. "Nako is my nako!"

Ruque wasn't quite sure he understood. How could a day be a month of a week or two be a lot of time?

"That doesn't make sense," he frowned. "Why is it like that?"

Ecthlion shook his head. "I'm getting a hug from Nako," he said firmly. "You can wait your turn."

Rose was amused by the little argument that was going on, but there came a time when it had to be put to rest. "Ecthelion," she said softly, "let your grandmother go. She can't hug you all day, after all."

Ecthelion pouted, but he couldn't ignore his mother when she spoke to him with that tone. Reluctantly, he released his grip on Aliya and slid to the floor.