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The two adults continued to stare at each other, each of them seeming to try to make the other back down, but it wasn't until Tinuviel appeared behind them, wondering what was going on, that Eldoran turned his attention away from Arwen. The family resemblance was clear, and Tinuviel was as usual wearing the clothes of nobility, and even Eldoran was smart enough to know when to quit.

"Watch yourself," he threatened under his breath as he turned away. "This isn't over yet."

And then he was gone.

Arwen closed the door and turned back to the others. "Sorry," she murmured with a sigh. "Come on, let's get back to preparing dinner." She offered Tinuviel a small smile before heading back into the kitchen.

Leyenda appeared to be confused. "Mother," she said, following after her, "why did you do that? I thought we were never to destroy other people's property ..."

Arwen looked down at Leyenda and put one hand on her bandaged arm. "Those who use their property to harm others do not deserve to have it," she said quietly. "For self-defense is one thing, but to deliberately harm is another thing entirely. That said, you are right, Leyenda, and you must never destroy the belongings of another. If you are harmed by them, you bring them to me. All right?"

"Yes, Mother," Leyenda murmured with a nod. "I'll remember that."

"It never used to be so bad," Arwen admitted, "but over the past year or so, yes. Eldoran has always been ... rude. But last year, Brian and Leyenda had an accident which they tried to blame on Leyenda."

"I almost died," Leyenda told Lin matter-of-factly, helping her mother with the fish again. "I would have except my magic showed itself. I can breathe underwater now!"

Arwen nodded. "Since then, nearly every time Brian gets a new toy, he ends up hurting Leyenda, and Eldoran always blames it on her. I want Leyenda safe and alive, and Eldoran refuses to believe that Brian is capable of any wrongdoing. If I had given back the whip as was, tomorrow Leyenda would have had fresh welts. Though knowing Eldoran, Brian will probably have a new whip by the end of the day anyways."

She glanced at Lin. "Very wealthy. Very spoiled."

Arwen sighed. "Unfortunately for him, they are toys," she replied. "Anything he wants, he gets, no matter the cost. He had a rowboat much like Leyenda's, perhaps a bit smaller ... the very day he received it, it was destroyed and Leyenda drowned. Not a week later, he had another one."

"It wasn't as good though," Leyenda piped up, "Papa didn't build it. I don't think his father wanted to buy from Papa again, because Papa wouldn't make him one for free."

"I think part of blaming Leyenda for the incident was his attempt to get Roydon to replace the boat without charge," Arwen commented. "Needless to say, it didn't happen."

Leyenda looked up at Lin. "Why? He's my friend. He's an idiot, but he's my friend. We've played together since I was little."

She glanced up at her mother. "I wouldn't get hurt so much if Mother wouldn't forbid me to hurt him back," she said, almost as if it were an accusation, "but I can't do anything to him, so he just keeps doing it."

She looked back over at Lin. "That's why I took the whip away this time."

Leyenda shrugged. "I like playing with him," she said simply. "He'll grow up someday."

Arwen sighed, but she didn't say anything else.

A short while later, Leyenda washed her hands in a basin on the counter and dried them on a towel. "I'm going to work on my ship until dinner's ready," she told Arwen. "Lin, do you want to come?"

That night, when they returned to the inn, everyone had a full belly.

"Wow," Kaito purred, still licking his lips as they headed to their rooms. "That was good. Lin, it was a brilliant idea to show her how to steam the fish."

Earendil was a little more dignified about showing how much he had enjoyed the meal. "It was delicious," he smiled, holding the door to the inn open for her.

Kaito looked at Lin sidewise. "They'll all be coming with us on the journey," he pointed out, "Shiro can ask questions there ... though it's true, we would need time to prepare for the journey before leaving ..."

"I'm just surprised after all of that that Leyenda is still such good friends with that Brian boy," Tinuviel commented as they headed towards their rooms. "He sounds like a positive monster to me." She held a sleeping Regan in her arms.