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Jair looked thoughtful, and he tapped his tail against the floor rhythmically.

"Um ... where was I?" he asked sheepishly. "I forget ..."

"Dark!" Aras piped up, taking a seat beside her sister again. "It was all dark and you were helping Naida so that you wouldn't get lost!"

Jair nodded and grinned. "Right," he laughed. "Okay then. Well it was so dark in there that we couldn't even see each other even though I was holding her hand ... but then suddenly ... BAM! It was like ... like ... like walking into a light, it was just so bright suddenly! We were out!"

Celebor had a feeling that there was going to be trouble with Ruran someday, but he tried to push it aside.

"Because," he replied somewhat gruffly, "it's a shame to both you and the girl, a great dishonour. I don't know if that means anything to you or not, but perhaps Kanis could explain it if you don't understand. She understands it very well."

He half hoped that the rebuke would make Ruran want to be better than his sister and instill in him the need or want to have honour ... but he wasn't hoping for much.

Elnara looked up at Niyana and held one hand out, trying to calm her. "It's all right," she said worriedly, afraid that her daughter-in-law might do something to the boy. "It was just his chest ... right Idhril?"

Idhril didn't know what was going on, but she nodded timidly. "Just his chest," she agreed squeakily. "He was hurt, I wanted to make sure he was okay ..."

Aras glanced over at Kanis as her sister sat next to her, then smiled brightly. Finally, she was doing something her sister approved of! Then she looked back at Jair, waiting for him to continue the story.

Jair was definitely into his story again.

"Well and Naida was born in that cave we were in so she didn't even really know what light was til we were outside," he continued, "so she was scared a little, but I held her hand and I showed her around, and I showed her that there was nothing to be scared of! And then we went looking for shiny things in the river, because that's what your daddy did when he was little, so I wanted to try it."

Celebor cleared his throat to prevent himself from laughing. Poor boy. But at least it had worked.

Ruque watched his brother walk away, then looked up at his father curiously. It seemed his papa had made Ruran mad ... though it seemed a lot did. He shrugged one shoulder and moved to sit with the girls and listen to his uncle's story.

Idhril was getting scared by Niyana's questions. She didn't know what they meant, or why she sounded so harsh ... had Idhril done something she wasn't supposed to have? But her mama had always taught her to help people who were in trouble!

"No!" she squeaked finally. "He just helped me ... he got me water so that I could clean myself up ... and when I was scared of the storm hugged me so that I wouldn't be scared anymore ..."

She somehow felt his presence leaving her, and she looked around for him. "Joruri!" she yelped. "Don't go!"

Elnara sat on the bed next to her daughter and lifted her in her arms, holding her close. She turned her green eyes to Niyana and shook her head faintly.

"Perhaps we should save the questions for another time," she murmured, "when Idhril's not so upset ..."

Though she had no idea what to do about the boy. If Idhril were to be believed (and Elnara had never had cause not to believe her before), then the boy was just someone who had needed help, and who had given it ... but if Niyana's suspicions were correct, then ... she didn't want to even think about it.

Ruque blinked at Kanis's hand, then smiled shyly and took it, holding it tight. He felt much better immediately, and the look in his eyes and he looked at his sister showed it.

"Thank you," he said softly, quiet enough that he wouldn't interrupt the story.

Jair hardly noticed.

"Well we were only out there for like two seconds and then I saw something shiny in the riverbed, way down at the bottom - so I swam down and I picked it up, and guess what it was!"

His green eyes sparkled as he looked at his captive audience. "An old coin!"

Idhril nodded at Niyana. "I understand," she murmured softly. "I didn't mean to disappear ... but Joruri needs me ..."

She looked up at Elnara once again, her eyes wide and pleading. "Please, please can he come home with us?" she begged. "I can take care of him - only I can take care of him! Or else he'll die again! I don't want him to suspend life again!"

Jair shook his head. "No, I gave it to Naida to make her feel better," he shrugged. Then he grinned again. "But it worked, so I'm happy! But she found me a gemstone, I think that's what Aunt Feng called it ... it's shiny and green, just like my tail! It was real pretty."

Elnara made up her mind then and there.

"The way he speaks to her," she murmured to Niyana softly, "it's not the tone of a sexual mistress ... he's addressing her as one would address their master, like he's a servant ... I think she's that kind of mistress to him, not the other way."

She turned her eyes back to the poor boy. "And he looks ill ... Idhril's a strong girl, if someone so ill, so weak, would try to take advantage of her ... I don't think they would be able to. Besides ..."

She looked back at Niyana. "Idhril's never given me cause to doubt her words before."

Idhril's heart pounded as she listened to her mother. Was it true? Was she really going to be allowed to take care of Joruri?

Aras was equally impressed. "That was really nice of you," she agreed with her sister. "She must have been grateful to you."

Ruque was suddenly lost in his own thoughts. What would it be like to help someone like that? So far he didn't know how to be helpful to anyone ... he has mostly just been carried around and told what to do ... what could he do to be more helpful?

"Well, she came home to live with us," Jair grinned, "so now we can play in our fountain at home and hide our stuff and try to find it back again! It's a lot of fun. And as soon as we both learn our spells Mama says we can start taking more magic lessons to get stronger!"

Idhril blushed with pleasure at Niyana's words, then looked up at Elnara once more. "Mama? Can he live with us? I promise I'll take really good care of him ..."

Elnara licked her lips thoughtfully. She really didn't have the heart to say no. And it really would be better if she could keep an eye on the two of them anyways - just in case she was wrong, though she doubted it.

"Very well," she nodded. "But you must make sure not to fall behind in your studies, like you did with Xue."

Idhril's golden eyes lit up brightly, and she nodded vigorously. "I promise!" she exclaimed. "I promise I'll keep up!"

She looked over at Joruri, barely able to contain her excitement. "Joruri! You can come home with me and live with me!" she told him eagerly. "You don't have to die again!"

Ruque looked at Kanis, his green eyes darkened with pain.

"I don't know how to help anyone," he said softly, "or how to make people feel good ... I just need help from everyone else."

What kind of a person was he? He wasn't much good then, was he?

But Kanis was good, she was trying to help people, she was ...

"Will you teach me how to be helpful?" he asked her hopefully.

Elnara smiled and stroked Idhril's hair tenderly. "Can you tell me a little about yourself, Joruri?" she asked him softly, hoping she wasn't scaring him off. "I would like to get to know you better."

Idhril smiled and snuggled against her mother's chest, her eyes shining happily as she looked at Joruri. She was going to be able to stay with him ... or rather, he with her - but she was so glad ...

Celebor jumped to his feet, careful of the children who were still sitting on the floor. "She's fine? Everything's taken care of?"

He was about to ask more questions when Niyana ran out, and he couldn't help but chuckle. Ah well. He loved smoked venison, and he didn't mind when it was strong.

Ruque blinked at Kanis slowly, his expression growing hopeful. "Really?" he asked softly. "I can?"

He felt better right away. "Thanks," he murmured softly, blushing.

Elnara smiled at him kindly. "Well ... where did you come from?" she asked him. "Where were you before Idhril found you? Those kinds of things ... or you could tell me what you like ... or what you don't like ... or things you'd like to do someday, or things you've done in the past ..."

Celebor moved behind Niyana and took her hand, lifting it to his mouth and kissing her burnt fingers.

"You should try to be a bit more careful," he murmured softly, slipping one arm around her waist. "I don't want anything to happen to you."