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Just as everyone was sitting down to dinner, Andarien finally returned from his lessons. Though his Pokemon had not gone with him in the morning, it was cleat that they had found him at some point during the day because now they were trotting along behind him.

Until they reached the house, that was: then Zeus, still young and playfun, ran ahead to play with his brother.

Andarien still had his archery equipment on, but he was not wearing his goggles or his hat.

Andarien turned his attention away from his Pokemon and looked at his mother.

"Hmm? Oh ..." He blinked as if he hadn't even realized he wasn't wearing them. "I ... think I might've left them at the bowyer's ..." He wrinkled his nose. "Sy got one of my arrows stuck in the top of the town's flagpole. Personally I think she was showing off."

He shrugged. "Anyways, when we were at the shop, she asked me why I needed them, so I explained, and she pointed out that since in this town most everyone's got mixed blood and therefore don't have magic, I didn't need them in there. So she took 'em off ... and I guess I forgot 'em."

It was a good thing Lancaeriel wasn't in the room yet, or he would have had to be covering his eyes. He was a little at a loss of what to do now ... he would need them, but the bowyer's was clear on the other side of town ...

"It is," Earendil agreed thoughtfully.

"But I will need them here," Andarien pointed out. He sighed and turned to go back outside. "I'll try go fast," he promised.

At the door, he paused, then looked back at his parents over his shoulder. "By the way," he said in a bewildered tone of voice, "what does it mean when someone other than yourself takes off your goggles and says 'much better'?"

Andarien shook his head. "No, I was just watching her make another arrow for me," he shrugged. "I don't know how it would make anything better ... I mean she doesn't have any magic, so I saw things exactly the same before and after I had them on."

Earendil cleared his throat and looked away to hide the amused expression that he couldn't keep from creeping across his face.

Andarien's brow furrowed in confusion, and he silently mouthed the word 'dashing' to himself as if pondering it before shrugging and leaving the house. Just before the door closed, Eon dashed after him, slipping out to follow him.

Soon afterwards, Lancaeriel and Wren came downstairs, in conversation together, and they quickly took their places by the table.

"No Andarien?" Wren asked, tilting her head curiously. "He did say he'd be back by now, didn't he?"

"Ah," Lancaeriel murmured, "yes, that would be important." She smiled sheepishly. She was well aware that if not for her, he probably wouldn't need them, at least not so badly.

"Eon went with him, so he shouldn't be too long," Earendil chuckled. "Eon's good at getting Andarien to do what he needs to."

Sure enough, it was barely a quarter hour later when Andarien and Eon returned. Andarien already had his goggles over his eyes when they stepped inside, and once he had closed the door behind himself he began to take off his archery equipment.

"So that didn't take long," Earendil commented, hiding his smile.

Andarien nodded seriously. "Yeah, Sy was out so her brothers gave 'em to me."

Andarien slid into the chair that Lin had indicated and as soon as there was food on his plate, he began to eat voraciously, as if he had not eaten in a very long time.

"Don't choke," Kaito quipped from where he was sitting across the room with Shiro.