Welcome to Gaia! ::

Earendil nodded. "You should ask the others if they want to come along as well," he told Lin. "I'm not sure how many of them Aunt Elnara would allow to come, but ... I think it would be great if more of them could come."

He looked thoughtful suddenly. "The only thing we don't have yet," he murmured softly, "is a healer ... we're going to need a healer."

Earendil chuckled. "Well then. I'll do some asking around, see what I can come up with. Maybe someone else knows someone who might be willing to come." He glanced over at Sir Aranel. "What about you, do you know any healers who might be interested in traveling for an extended period of time?"

Sir Aranel shook his head. "None, my lord Prince. Our city has only one healer, and she is needed there."

"True," Earendil agreed. "Hopefully by that time, this mess with the morgawr will be over and done with." He turned to Sir Aranel. "What are your plans after it's all over?"

Sir Aranel looked evenly at Earendil, his face expressionless. "I haven't thought about it," he said softly. "Right now, my only focus is surviving. I have seen what the creature can do, and I have no false hopes."

Earendil had only admiration for the man. "You are very courageous," he said softly.

Sir Aranel looked at Earendil evenly. "You think so?" he asked. "I am doing this so that my sister's family doesn't have to be torn apart. I know what it's like to lose a parent ..."

Sir Aranel blinked down at Lin in mild surprise, then smiled faintly at her.

"Well," he murmured softly, "I survived once - who's to say I won't do it again?"

Earendil chuckled softly. "There's the spirit. Now, once you get back home, what do you have to look forward to? Your sister's family, obviously. What else?"

Sir Aranel smiled faintly. "Not much," he admitted. "I have a rather dull life. Telling stories to the children, sometimes, but I stay with my sister and her family and I earn my keep by helping them out, teaching the children, training the boys ..."

Sir Aranel shrugged. "Business trip. I left her a note, told her I'd be gone for an extended time. She's the kind of person ... she wouldn't have let me go, she would have come instead. She's always been protective of me. Even now."

Earendil stopped them at a door in the east wing, opposite the wing where the family and Lin lived, and nodded at it. "This is your room," he said softly. "But don't you feel bad lying to your sister like that?"

Sir Aranel nodded slowly. "I do," he admitted, "but I'd feel far worse if her family was torn apart by her leaving."

Sir Aranel nodded at Lin gratefully. "Thank you." Then he looked at the room Earendil was showing him. "If you don't mind," he said softly, "I would like to rest."

Earendil nodded at the man and stepped back to give him space. "Of course."

With a slight bow, the man turned and disappeared into his room, closing the door gently but firmly behind him.

Earendil looked down at Lin and raised one eyebrow, as if asking, Well?