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Andarien was asleep, but he gurgled a bit as Lin's grip on him shifted before falling back into a deeper sleep.

Earendil nodded. "Worse come to worse, we can camp outside the town for a day or so," he murmured. "Though I don't like the idea of being that open to attack."

There was a reason humans weren't trusted - and Shiloh and Andarien were both of ages that would be most desirable for slave traders to snatch them. Despite everyone's assurances that the slave trade was finished with in the Four Lands, Earendil felt it better to be safe than sorry.

"It may even be best if we rest a while and move on right away," Earendil said quietly. "The bigger towns and cities will have better places to stay. Safer."

He wasn't sure he liked how some of the young adult males were eying the horses, either.

Earendil nodded. Perhaps it was just his prejudice speaking, but he was nervous here. Especially with the way the humans were looking at all of them - not the curious glances of people who were seeing something new, but the looks of people who were sizing them up somehow.

Elros turned back to the others. "There is a man that we have been recommended to speak with," he told them. "He is just down the street a ways. Come."

He started forward once more, going slowly so that the wagons could keep up easily.

As they headed down the street, they attracted even more stares - some curious, some greedy - until at last they reached the place Elros had been directed to and stopped.

"I'll watch the horses and wagons," Daeron offered, his eyes dark. "The rest of you go on in."

"We'll stay with you," Aric said firmly, and Leilani nodded. They'd had too many dealings with humans before.

Kaito looked over at River. "Can I borrow your bokken?" he asked her, holding out one hand.

She blinked at him. "My what?"

Kaito smiled faintly. "Your wooden sword. If anything happens, it's almost as good as a real one. I don't have one of my own. I'm going to stay out here with the others."

River nodded and turned around to pull her wooden sword from her bag, then held it out to Kaito.

"Let's go inside then," Halmir said, helping River down from the wagon.

Earendil left his horse in Daeron's care and joined his family. He put one hand on Miyuki's shoulder to keep her from running ahead (not that he really thought she would, he just wanted to be certain). He trusted Lin to get Andarien out of there if anything did happen.

Elros led the way inside, followed by Alene and Shiloh, Halmir, Arthael and River, Aethos, Shiro, Luk, and finally Earendil followed Lin, Andarien and Miyuki inside.

It was the town's tavern, but since it was the middle of the day there were few people drinking. The bartender was behind the bar, cleaning the glasses, and in one corner a patron was napping, leaning back in his chair with his feet crossed on the table. Elros looked one way and the other, then headed towards the sleeping man.

When they reached the man, Elros reached out with his sheathed sword and poked the man in the side. Had the man been an elf, it would have been a suicidal move - but the human just snorted once, cracked open one eye, closed it again, turned his head, opened his eyes and blinked at the group, dropped his feet to the floor, one at a time, and asked, "What in the name of all that's holy are you doing in a scumhole like this?"

Expressionlessly, with the look that only Elros could give, the knight replied, "We are looking for a man called Emile. Are you he?"

The man scratched his cheek and nodded. His blue eyes were filled with curiosity, and his fingers moved from his cheek to his blond hair as he rubbed at the back of his head. "What do you want me for?"

Elros kept looking at the man. "You were recommended to us as a guide around the town," he replied. "We are visiting, hoping to see what we can."

"Pfft." The man waved his hand. "Guide to the town? You really don't need one. Walking it might take half an hour to see everything there is to see. However ..."

His eyes grew bright. "If you're going to be traveling, I would be more than happy to guide you around the Southland. There are other towns to see, and cities, and they are far better than this one. Ethuil is so far from the capital that the king hardly pays any attention to it. You want to see something worth seeing? See Ardruin. Now there's a city worth visiting."