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Ulrich nodded. "Well, it's 106 now ... so, a hundred and six years ago." He chuckled. "A while. I know, for you two that would be a long time, but when you've live thirty six hundred years ..."

He shrugged. Time was measured differently for him.

Earendil felt a weight on his feet, and he leaned forward and peered down to see Miyuki looking up at him. He chuckled and reached down, holding his fingers just barely within her reach, daring her to grab them.

Earendil chuckled and let Miyuki's fingers brush against his, but before she could get hold of them, he pulled them away, teasing her. She was so adorable ...

Ulrich chuckled at Lin. "Aye ... with all the time jumping for you, you really have seen a lot of changes, haven't you? Your parents were here before Aliya was even born, let alone the ranch started. And since then, there's been the Eastland established as a monarchy, the dwarves have caused more trouble and been done away with ..."

Indeed. It was rare for a human (though Lin technically wasn't one) to experience so much in a lifetime.

Earendil chuckled and let Miyuki get a bit more of a grip on his fingers before taking them away again, and then he turned the game around: he grabbed her fingertips lightly and squeezed them ever so gently before letting them go, and then started it all over again.

Ulrich grinned in amusement. "How old are you by now, anyways?" he asked. "You can't be more than ... what, ten, fifteen?"

Ulrich chuckled. "Well over half," he agreed with Lin. "That's a higher percentage than Ulani and I have lived here. Much higher ... well, I suppose that's what happens when you leave your home."

He laughed again, softer this time. "But it really is a good home now. We have no regrets.

Earendil kept playing the finger game with Miyuki for a few more moments, then suddenly he slipped his hands around her and scooped her up, tossing her up into the air and catching her again. "Gotcha!" he laughed, touching his forehead to hers.

Earendil laughed and set her on his lap, then started making faces at her. He wasn't thinking about when she was going to be going home: he was simply enjoying his time with her, having fun and pretending the rest of the world didn't exist.

Ulrich followed Lin's gaze and chuckled softly. "And I'm sure the others all feel the same," he grinned knowingly. "You can just ask Ulani."

"Ask me what?" Ulani asked, coming back into the living room with a tray in her hands. On the tray were four pieces of pie, and she gave the first piece to Lin.

"Eh? Oh," Earendil grinned and set Miyuki back on the floor so that she wouldn't be able to get at his pie, and took his slice from Ulani. "Thank you, it looks delicious."

"Welcome," Ulani grinned. She gave the next piece to Ulrich before taking the last for herself and sitting down next to her husband. "And yes, it is true. I think I went traveling ..." She looked thoughtful. "... twice on my own ... The first time was a very bad experience, the second was no good until Regan joined me. Then it was better."

"Though still not good," Ulrich put in, starting to eat right away.

"No, still not good," Ulani agreed. "But that's a story all its own."

"Um ..."

Ulani thought for a moment, chewing thoughtfully before swallowing and continuing again. "Difficult yes, but ... sad. We had to rescue our nephew - Ulrich's sister's boy, though that was before we were married. My cousin had kidnapped him, so ..."

She turned to Ulrich. "I don't remember most of it," she admitted with a sheepish smile. "Perhaps you should tell it."

Ulrich nodded and slid one arm around his wife's shoulders. "By the time we caught up with Ulani and Regan, Ulani was unconscious," he told Lin. "She was in a coma for ... two lunar cycles anyways, most of the summer. Regan's fiance was killed, a dear friend of ours was also killed ..."

"That's what happens when bad people are given things they shouldn't have," Ulani murmured softly.

Earendil chuckled at Miyuki. "You look as though you want to take part," he grinned. He set his pie on a small table next to the chair and leaned over to pick up Miyuki. He set her in his lap and made sure she wasn't going to get into any trouble.

"Bet you want to try some," he grinned. He dipped the tip of his pinky finger into the filling of the pie, made sure there were no large chunks on it, and put it to Miyuki's lips to give her a taste of the strawberry filling.

Ulani giggled at Earendil and Miyuki, then turned back to Lin. "It wasn't all bad, though," she smiled. "It was one of the reasons Ulrich and I got married, and Regan was able to save her fiance."

"Ulani ..." Ulrich frowned at her.

She stared at him. "What? It's not as if she's stupid enough to try the same thing. Or that there's anyone she would do that for."