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"Leftovers are fine, I don't want you troubling yourself for us...though it is nice not to have to cook once in a while," Owle answered.

She glanced out the window, noting the time by the color of the sky. "We've stayed so long...perhaps we'd best be getting back soon."

"It's alright..." Owle answered. "I can fly back, and you've already done so much for us."

She looked at Nikolai, pity coming to her eyes at the expression on his face. "What's wrong, little guy? Why so sad?"

Rand, on the other hand, grabbed Nikolai's hand in his own. "You should get out of bed sometime, cause when you do you can come see me. I've got a whole beach to myself, and I've even got a surfboard!"

Owle shook her head. A surfboard? The last she'd seen it was a plank of driftwood...

Rand's eyes lit up and Nikolai's nod and Jade's promise to bring him by. "We'll have loads of fun, I promise!"

"Oh!" Owle answered. "How silly of me...we live in the Firebrand Tavern, it's on the shore of Gambino...let's see...you know how to get to the Marketplace, right? Well, if you follow the road to the east from there, and I mean all the way, don't take any of the turns...it'll eventually start getting more and more run down, you'll have to be careful if you bring the cart, cause it starts out paved and eventually just turns into a dirt road through some trees...it'll take you through one of the less supernatural parts of Barton Forest, and you'll come out on a little beach. If you look to your left, the little building there is the Firebrand. There should be a sign, unless Rage hasn't fixed it yet..."

"Nah, it's not really near anything besides the forest and the beach, to tell you the truth," Owle said, embarrassment in her voice. "We don't get that many people, really...it's kind of out of the way."

Rand's instincts were to squirm away from the hug - mom always managed to mess up his wings when she hugged him, he hated it - but he suppressed the urge just this once.

Throwing one arm around Nikolai, he bid the other boy a cheerful "Buh-bye!"

((Certainly. Whenever you want to have them drop by.))

"Hello, welcome to the Fire..."

Owle trailed off as her eyes took in just who had walked in her door. "...brand," she finished, then smiled broadly. "Jade! Nikolai! It's good to see you! Are either of you hungry? Thirsty?"

She gestured to the bar and kitchen behind her, as it contained everything anyone could possibly want food or drinkwise (at least in Owle's mind.)

Without giving them much of a chance to reply, Owle turned to shout up the stairs. "Rand! You have a visitor!"

Meanwhile...

"Aww...Verde! How come you always win?"

Rand stared glumly down at the Hungry Hungry Hippos; his had managed to eat a bunch of the little white morsels, but Verde's had grabbed all the rest. Rand just didn't get it...he'd mashed the button as hard and fast as he could, so why didn't he win?

"Rand no have patience. All about timing, have to watch. Rant not watch."

Rand just blinked at the little clockwork dragon. He didn't have any idea what Verde was talking about.

"Well, at least I beat Matthew," Rand defended himself, gesturing to the little mechanical raven walking back and forth in front of the yellow hippo. It hadn't actually played the game...all it did was walk around and echo what people said. Sometimes Matthew said the word Oneiros...maybe it was some kind of game?

"Rand! You have a visitor!"

Rand's ears instantly perked up, and he forgot all about the game, leaping to his feet and sticking Matthew back in his hiding place in a box on one of the higher shelves.

"Look after Matthew for me!" he called to Verde, then went tromping down the stairs.

He burst into the Firebrand's common room, and did a doubletake at the sight of Nikolai.

"Hey! You've got wings! And you're not in bed anymore! That's awesome! We should play!"

Hugs! Ack! Why did everyone always have to hug him? gonk

"Oof!"

Rand took a step back, swayed on his feet, but managed to hold his balance as the younger boy practically tackled him. Putting an awkward arm around his friend, Rand patted Nikolai on the back, careful to avoid his wings. Then, very carefully, he'd try to step back, testing to see if Nikolai would release him.

"How come you don't like to talk?" Rand asked, curious as ever. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a sharp glance from Mom when he asked the question. Uh-oh...she caught me being rude again. But I only asked him...ah, whatever. Adults were so complicated. "Ah, never mind, it's not important. What should we do first?"

After the warning glance at Rand, Owle turned back to Jade. "Oh...that's too bad. Rand didn't talk much at his age, though...he only said single words now and again."

Her eyes noted the queasy look on Jade's face; it didn't take an expert to see that something was bothering the woman. "Are you alright?" she queried.

Owle was an apprentice healer, learning the art of the field surgeon. If it was something physical ailing Jade, she might have something to help.

"Oh, okay. Well, my cousin Loki doesn't talk, either, and he's okay." Rand wasn't really sure what to say about that, so he found himself rambling. "He just makes a lot of noise when he opens his mouth."

"Mmm..." Owle mused on that for a moment. "Give me a minute, maybe I can whip something up to help you..." Turning away from Jade, she vanished into the kitchen, heading for her little supply of useful herbs.

Rand's eyes were drawn to Nikolai's wings when they fluttered, and the boy's mouth opened in a little 'O' of appreciation. "Your wings are neat!" Rand exclaimed.

He followed where Nikolai's finger was pointing, then turned to Owle excitedly. "Hey, mom, we're going outside!"

And, without waiting for a response, he bolted for the door.

"Have fun!" Owle's voice floated out of the kitchen. "And don't get Nikolai into trouble!"

The caution was necessary.