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A worried expression crossed Elnara's face, but she hid it quickly at Lore's reassurance and looked at Storm sternly.

"I trust you learned your lesson, then," she said softly but firmly.

"Yup!" Storm nodded vigorously, hardly daring to believe that he wasn't going to get into more trouble than that. "Don't make prickly flowers grow! Just pretty ones!" He giggled.

Starr looked down at her brother steadily. "I don't think that's what Mama meant," she told him in a soft voice.

Storm blinked at Lore, his smile vanishing as quickly as it had appeared.

"But somebody was watching!" he protested. He stuck out his lower lip in a distinct (and cute) pout. "And I wasn't playing," he added, crossing his arms stubbornly.

Starr skittered behind Lore and ran over to Elnara, crawling into her lap and curling up into a ball.

"I think when we get back," Elnara suggested, "I should send him and Starr off to Yukito. He taught me how to keep my magic under control, perhaps he's the best person to help them, too."

She looked at Storm sternly. "As for now," she added seriously, "I don't want you using any more magic while we're here ... at all. You don't obey when we tell you to be careful with it, or not to use it when we're not around; now you may not use it at all until we get back home."

Storm's eyes grew wide and he tried to protest, "But-"

"No buts," Elnara interrupted him, shaking her head. "No magic at all." She looked down at Starr, who was still curled up in her lap. "And that goes for you, as well," she added. "It's going to be hard enough for Storm, and if you use magic he'll want to, too. And if he does use magic, I want you to stop him and let either me or Lore know, all right?"

Starr nodded silently, but her wings drooped a bit.

Storm turned around on Lore's lap so that his back was now to Lore, sat down on Lore's knees, crossed his arms, and pouted.

The matter seemed taken care of, and Amara ventured to speak again.

"Can I get anyone anything to eat?" she offered. "I know breakfast was only a short while ago, but ..."

She shrugged one shoulder as if to say, But I'm offering anyways.

"I'm fine thank you," Lore replied softly as he smiled at the two.

Perhaps a cookie would get their minds off of the magic issue for now, since Storm was asking and he didn't see any harm in it. He looked over to Skye curiousity to see if she wished something, he didn't know if she felt it or if she responded back.

Skye had been examining the carved table next to the couch where she was sitting, and she looked up sharply at Amara's touch.

"Juice?" she asked hesitantly. "Skye thirsty ... hot outside, Skye climb up big rock, make Skye thirsty. Climb mountain, too," she added as an afterthought.

"Can I have some juice, too?" Storm interrupted. "Cos it was a long climb for us, too! Even longer, cos we have shorter legs!"

"It was a long climb," Starr agreed.

"As I recall," Elnara remarked dryly, "you two got a ride the whole way, on your Papa's shoulders."

"They're outside much longer than this in the Seconds' World," Elnara replied with a half-grin. She poked Lore's shoulder. "And you're going to encourage them to twist facts to their advantage, which we were just trying to stop Storm from doing," she reminded him, pretending to lecture him.

"But it was a long climb!" Storm pointed out logically. "For Papa! And it is hot!"

"Yes," Elnara agreed, "but that means he should be the one complaining, not you."

She laughed softly and reached out to ruffle his hair affectionately. "But you're right, it is hot outside."