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"I'm not going to collapse, I'm fine!" Amdir insisted, straightening and trying to calm himself in order to convince the three of them. "Really!"

Aliya looked doubtful, but she knew that dinner was waiting for the three of them just inside, and her parents would be getting impatient - she was later than usua as it was.

"You're sure?" she asked in concern.

"Well, um, actually, I would," Amdir stuttered nervously. "Because, um, see, I, um, live on the ranch ... um .... and I was ... um ... just going to walk ... Aliya home ... um ... and ... we're here, so ... um ..."

Aliya had to admit, he had a good point.

"Come on, Feng," she said softly, putting one hand on her friend's shoulder. "I think he wants to go home for the night, we should probably let him. It's a long way back for him and he has to be up early, too."

Inwardly, though, she had to admit to herself that she was disappointed that he was so anxious to get away from them.

"Or we could just find him in the morning," Aliya pointed out logically. "After all, I always go see him after I check on the horses, and it'll save him a trip out here again."

Amdir wanted to melt, but he didn't want to just vanish on them. So, he cleared his throat awkwardly and said, "I'll see you all tomorrow," and turned and vanished almost instantly into the darkness.

Aliya watched Amdir disappear, concern etched on her face, but when Feng called her attention she turned to look at her friend.

"Yes?" she asked softly, wondering what she might be wondering.

Aliya snorted. "Bah, don't be silly," she dismissed the idea out of hand. "You saw him earlier, he doesn't ever look at me, and you could see how anxious he was to leave us just now!"

Not to mention, any time she tried to talk to him he deliberately turned away, and never replied to any of her questions. No, in her mind, Feng was completely mistaken. He didn't like her at all.

"Well he does that sometimes when I'm walking home by myself," Aliya shrugged, "but it's only for safety. He's no different then than any other time, he doesn't say anything or look at me."

She headed towards the house. No, Feng was definitely out to lunch on that score.

"No, around here it's just the safe thing to do," Aliya shook her head. "Very few people go places themselves, there are highwaymen and wolves and moor cats and who knows what else. It's just not safe to travel alone these days."

Then again, it had never been, and it had never stopped her before.

Still.

She led Feng and Ryu into the kitchen, where Ulani, Ulrich and Adonai had just sat down to their evening meal - a light one, just sandwiches, but dinner nonetheless.

"Welcome back!" Ulrich grinned broadly. He used his foot to kick out one of the chairs from under the table. "Come in, have a seat, have something to eat! There's lots to go around, if you're hungry!"

Ulani nodded. "I think I might have made too much," she admitted, "but I didn't know how hungry the two of you might be, I don't know what your appetites are like."

Aliya grinned at Feng and Ryu and took the empty chair next to her brother, letting them sit beside each other on the opposite side of the table from her. "Haradhel always makes us a big meal at lunch, like she did today," she explained, "so Mum always just makes something small for dinner."