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"Aww," Ulrich grinned, "so cute. How quickly they grow up."

He winked at Kara. "Incidentally, Ulani agrees with you. She says Donovan is a sadist, worse than I am."

Earendil didn't know who to feel worse for, himself (since they were obviously making fun of him) or Lin (since it was at her expense). All he knew was, he wished that they would change the subject and be a little more considerate of both him and Lin.

"So Haldia," he said turning towards her, "how was your visit with Aragost?"

Haldia smiled gratefully, thankful to Earendil for including her in something she could actually participate in.

"It went well," she replied happily. "He was eager to hear about our people, and then we just talked about things in general ... and then Miyu and Toshiro came, and it got a bit difficult to hold a conversation, and I didn't want to intrude on their visiting time, so I left."

"Hey," Ulrich protested, "now that's not fair! Talking in a language we can't understand!"

"Besides," Earendil added, "Ulani spoke a language to you that no one else here knows. So it's perfectly fair."

Ulrich looked evenly at the prince. "I'm fairly certain that you at least know it," he challenged him.

Earendil smiled. "Guilty. Though I didn't hear everything she said, so it doesn't matter."

Little did she know, Ulrich was only making a big deal of it because Earendil had effectively put an end to the teasing which he enjoyed so much.

Haldia looked uncomfortable. "Is it really such a big deal that we were speaking in my language?" she asked.

Earendil shook his head firmly. "No, it isn't. Ulrich just had to stop teasing people, that's all, so he's being childish and pouting about it. And if he's making you uncomfortable, you just tell me and I'll take care of him for you."

Haldia smiled gratefully at him. "Thank you," she murmured softly. "I know I should try harder to learn the language of this place, but I just can't seem to get it the same was Kelirahc did, or how you all learned our language."

"Not everyone is a linguist," Earendil replied with a gentle smile. "But if you need help, you just ask. I'm not much of a teacher, but I can try."

Earendil looked over at Donovan. "Can you blame her?" he asked, irritated. "Honestly, I know we're all adults here, but sometimes I have to wonder. Teasing is one thing, but at least know where to draw the line."

He knew it was probably a bad idea to get angry with Donovan and Ulrich, but he wasn't even enjoying his visit, and he was sure Lin wasn't either, and that wasn't fair to them or to the other people who were present. Visits were supposed to be pleasant for all involved. It was his first visit to the valley, and he wanted it to be a good memory, not a bad one.

"Besides," he went on, "Lin is right. Haldia is a guest here just as much as the rest of us, and even though she's been working hard to get a grasp of our language, she has a lot of trouble with it. It's not fair for her to be left out like that. Sure, to a point she expects it, but that's no excuse for us."

As a prince, he had been raised to think of the people around him before ever thinking of himself, and he considered it very rude that all day Donovan had not been doing the same in the least. And he had a feeling that even Ulrich might not have been so bad if Donovan weren't encouraging him.

Earendil clenched his jaw, but he kept silent. Maybe so, he wanted to say, but Donovan was the instigator and he was encouraging Ulrich, and he had been doing most of the teasing, long before they had arrived there.

And there was a part of him that was slightly irritated with Lin as well. He was glad that she had not figured out that he was the one who was really being teased, but on the other hand it also meant that she wouldn't understand that he had been having a harder time of it than her. So of course she couldn't understand how he was feeling at the moment.

At least Donovan and Ulrich had the decency not to say anything overly stupid, he thought belatedly. Either way, he wasn't going to apologize for his outburst. Not to any of them.

Ulrich smiled, but this time it was a calm smile. "I understand," he murmured. "I once had to put up with the life of the court as well. It's all seriousness, no fun at all. Poor boy's probably seen anything like this."

Earendil just clenched his jaw harder. This 'boy' was going to be eighty two years old tomorrow, and he knew what fun was. He just knew how to have fun without having it at someone else's expense.

Haldia was startled by Lin's sudden movement, but she was glad to leave the suddenly tense atmosphere. Earendil, for his part, was filled with gratitude, and he silently forgot about the irritation he had felt at her the moment before. He held Miyuki carefully as they headed outside. Neither he nor Haldia had been to the river yet, and that was something else he had been looking forward to.

"Is it a great river?" Haldia asked Lin with a smile as they headed around the corner of the house. "Like the one on Nauros?"

Over a mile wide was the river at her home, and she had yet to see a river like it anywhere else.


Inside, Ulrich turned to Kara and Donovan, chagrined. "I guess we went a little far, huh?" he asked.

Haldia was a little disappointed, but to be honest she hadn't really been expecting it to be that large anyways.

"Do you think I could take a quick swim?" she asked. "I know we probably have to go back soon for dinner, but it is a warm day, and I haven't been able to swim in a while."

The desert after all wasn't a place to swim, though it was very hot there indeed.

Earendil was still seething from what had gone on inside, but he kept his voice calm as he said, "I'm sure it would be fine, Haldia. I'm sure we could all use some time to cool off."

More mentally for him than physically, but it was the same thing.



Ulrich was well aware of Earendil's age - he was only a few years younger than Daeron after all, and Daeron had been an adult by the time the ranch had begun.

"I really didn't mean for it to be a jibe," he said quietly. "I was serious about that. I mean ... not saying that he's just a boy, just ..."

He trailed off before he could dig himself deeper into a hole.

Kara's final comment had intrigued him though. "So ... Lin really has no idea?" he asked, tilting his head curiously.