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Earendil laughed at that. "Some people have wondered if we're out to take over the world," he grinned. "Aunt Amalthea is in the Westland, she's queen there, Lothiriel and Estel are the king and queen of the Eastland, Ninako of course is queen of the Southland, all three kingdoms have their fingers in the Northland, so to speak, Uncle Elrohir is sort of in charge, shall we say, of the Borderlands, though from my understanding, it's Ulani and Ulrich who are really in charge? Either way, they're still Aldriches. And what's left? The human Southland? All three of the Elven Nations are setting out to straighten things out there. Nauros? Leyenda married into their culture. Amon Darthir? Rhea's going there."

He couldn't help but laugh when he thought about it. After all, of all the known world, what was left? Even Laurefalas was filled with members of the Aldrich family!

"Yeah, Haradhel really wanted to keep putting it off," Earendil mused. "I think she was more scared than anything, considering her background. And I don't blame her, I've seen her father around, and I know what he's like. I wouldn't put him as low as my uncle Riordan, but ... somewhere around there, definitely."

He thought about it for a moment. "Though ... if they had waited a year or two longer, Haradhel would have made history," he grinned. "As the first woman in the Home Guard. She was already the first to train with them."

"She doesn't talk about it much," Earendil smiled ruefully. "We had a lot of fun though. We trained together, she and I. Had a few good spars. She gave me more bruises than anyone ever did. Of course ... I've been sheltered, and that makes a difference."

Growing up, he had seen how the boys in the city always had bruises or scrapes from their adventures. He had felt sorry for them then, but now he was feeling more sorry for himself, for missing out on the sorts of adventures that they must have had. Still, he was glad that he had grown up where and how he had: how else would he have met Lin, or anyone else from her world?

"You'll have to ask Haradhel about that," Earendil replied. "I'm not entirely sure what she did. All I know is that she used her elemental magic to change the ground there somehow, so it's actually a different makeup than the rest of the ground. I don't know how or why it works, all I know is that is is very slippery."

He grinned. "And fun to train on. Difficult, but fun."

"Perhaps you should give it a try sometime," Earendil suggested with a soft smile. ""It's got to be just about the only thing that you haven't tried yet."

Really, Lin had done just about everything else at the castle: seen its inner hidden places, seen the best and worst of the library, learned a full education, especially in the languages, climbed the mountain, made friends with royalty and staff alike, trained with the Home Guard, traveled with the Prince ...

Was there anything she hadn't done there yet, other than the special arena?

Earendil laughed at Lin. "You did spend a lot of time there, after all," he grinned at her. "You shouldn't need reminding of that."

He looked up as they left the forest and entered the clearing with the houses in it. "Looks like we're here. Which house is theirs?"

Since of course he had never been in any of them, he had no idea.

"New?" Earendil questioned, following after Kara. "How new?"

Of course he didn't know the situation or anything, so really ... he was a little lost here.