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Iorlas hesitated a moment, wondering what language she should say it in, wondering if she should say it for Andarien to hear. But it was the boy's choice in the end, at least as far as she was concerned, and young though he was the point here was for him to understand.

"Dragon's blood," she said finally. "When someone drinks it, they can speak and understand all languages ... and I do mean all. All races, places, new languages and old ... and animals, too. At least," she amended, "what animals have language."

"I understand," Iorlas smiled softly. "I can see that it would be ... unsettling, at the very least. But it is just an option to think about, if it does come to that point."

Communication with any sort of creature came naturally to her, and so she didn't know what it was like to struggle with learning a language; still, she could see that it would be frustrating, especially as she could see how hard the boy tried and still got nowhere.

Truth be told, she didn't know what he was worse at: languages or defense.

Andarien was listening carefully to the conversation, and when he asked his next question, it showed just where the gaps were in his basic education.

"Nana," he said, looking up at Lin curiously, entirely serious, "what's a dragon?"

He knew birds and dogs and horses and fish and butterflies (go figure) but that was about the extent of his interaction with different animals. He didn't even know about foxes: to him, Miyuki was Miyuki, not part human and part fox.

Iorlas smiled at Andarien. "A dragon is a type of animal," she explained simply. "But a magical, intelligent one. They can be as small as a bird, or as large as a castle. Many of them are evil, but not all of them; but they are all dangerous, so if you ever see one you must be very careful."

Andarien nodded, but he was still curious. "What do they look like?" he asked, shifting in Lin's lap so that he was facing Iorlas comfortably.

Iorlas hesitated. "That's ... not something I can easily show you," she said finally. She looked at Lancaeriel, who was seated beside her. "Do you think ..."

The pale woman smiled back at Iorlas. "I would be quite happy to show the boy," she answered the unasked question. She held both hands in front of her, making a circle with her fingers, and between her hands, faint colours began to swirl.

"No!" Andarien cried, covering his eyes with his hands and turning away. "It's too bright!"

Lancaeriel's face clouded over, and she lowered her hands slowly, the magic dissipating immediately.

"Oh dear," she murmured, her brow furrowed slightly. "This is a circumstance I hadn't expected ..."

Earendil looked thoughtfully at Lancaeriel. If Andarien was seeing magic, and he saw Lancaeriel so much brighter than anyone else, even other elves, then she must be chock full of if. No wonder then that she had the power to change Iorlas and Ioreth into elves ... but where had her magic come from? Because he was still certain that that kind of magic was learned, not inherited.

It also explained why most of them felt something odd about her when she was around. Most of their group was able to sense magic, or power, but were so used to it that they would shrug it off for most of the people around them.

He could only imagine what Andarien saw.

"How much magical power do you have?" he dared to ask, feeling bold.

Lancaeriel hesitated to answer, and Iorlas took it upon herself to answer for the other woman.

"I think it would be no exaggeration to say that she is the single most powerful person in the world," she said flatly. "Her skill is unparalleled, and I know of nothing that she can't do."

"Iorlas," Lancaeriel frowned. "Of course there are things I can't do. There are many things that no one can do."

Lancariel looked at the sky a moment as she thought about Lin's question. "You may," she answered finally, deeming it to be close enough to the truth. After a moment, she added, "I suppose researching might be a better word, but learning works."

Earendil blinked at her. What did that even mean?

"Not really," Lancaeriel smiled. "One is self-learned, the other is learned from a teacher, one who knows already. I might also add that research is usually a study, but I suppose it doesn't have to be."

For a moment, she reminded Earendil of Caranthir ... always giving cheerful answers, but without revealing much information at all about herself.

Andarien shook his head, keeping his hands over his eyes. He had just started getting used to looking at Lancaeriel without having to squint or anything and then she had started to use magic and made it too bright again. Now he just didn't want to look at anyone who had the light, and the only one who didn't have any light at all was Emile, who was in the other wagon.

"Don't want to see the light," he grumbled to Lin, burying his face against her chest.