Welcome to Gaia! ::

"To be honest, it's the first time I've dealt with humans, other than your family, Lin," Earendil confessed. "But I found them to be quite pleasant ... for the most part."

He would never admit to how he had felt, seeing Levi and Lin together, and if one knew the truth, he would never admit it even to himself.

"I thought they were fun," Kaito grinned. "I still say they're like the gypsies of our land. Except not thieves."

"A good number of them are in fact thieves," Kaito shrugged. "I'm not saying all, but a large percentage. And really, the Rovers here ... do you think they're not outcasts from their own people?"

"Kaito has a point," Earendil admitted. "I don't know about the people of your world, but the Rovers ... are quite different from the rest of the humans, and are rejected by many of them. It's because they're willing to learn the ways and the languages of other people, rather than staying in one area for their entire lives and doing whatever they're told. They're a free people, possibly the only truly free people."

Earendil smiled at Lin. "I think it will be good for all of us to do some more traveling, away from the places that we're so comfortable with, so that we can learn more about all of the different races and the different types of each race."

After a pause he added, "Just ... be careful about how you talk to people. If you're not traveling with one of your own kind, of your own race, of the opposite gender, everyone will assume that you are not in a relationship. No one courting or being courted would ever travel alone."

"That explains why Levi was hitting on Lin," Kaito coughed.

"Potential wife," Earendil corrected her gently. "The idea of mates doesn't exist here, except for animals. But yes. Being the type of woman you are, it doesn't surprise me that he was interested in you ... and I suppose, for a human, he might not have been too bad ... but you are immortal, and he is not. It would be quite simple to turn away potential suitors by gently informing them of that fact. If they question it, and you don't wish to tell them of your own world, feel free to tell them you received immortality from the elves - it has happened before, it is quite possible."

Kaito was stunned. "Really?"

Earendil nodded. "It's only happened once, I think, but it has happened," he murmured. "I don't know the details ... Tinuviel might know more, she learned a lot more than Daeron or I."

"Not necessarily by choice," Tinuviel added, overhearing just the last part of the conversation. "But what was the question?"

Kaito looked over at his cousin. "A human receiving immortality from the elves."

"Ah," Tinuviel smiled, "I see. Yes, it was done once ... but only once. It is one of the strongest magicks there is, and it requires a sacrifice ... and you can imagine how rare it would be for an elf to give their life to a human."

Earendil blinked. "I would imagine that they must have shared quite a love," he said softly.

"Quite," Tinuviel nodded. "But he of course was sacrificed ... and she, despite her newly acquired immortaility, died of her sorrow shortly thereafter."

"Old, but powerful," Tinuviel smiled. "Old magic is still used, mostly by the Eldar ... but it is still in use. And who says that it has to have been recently done? You are immortal, Lin, like us you will never change. Your age is a fixed thing ... it need not surprise people so much."

"If you wish to tell people that you have been given immortality from the elves, I doubt that anyone would question it," Earendil assured Lin. "It would stave off any more potential suitors and if you do happen to run into anyone again it would explain why you have not changed and they have."

Kaito shrugged. "Makes sense to me."

"At least you have an easy way out," Kaito grinned at Lin. He spread his wings. "Try explaining this. Magical experiment gone wrong, perhaps? That would get a rise out of people."

Earendil was looking at Lin, a concerned expression on his face. "Sleep wrong?" he asked, nodding at her back. It looked to him as though her shoulder were bothering her, something that could be explained by sleeping on something hard or uneven.