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Earendil and Luk both laughed.

"Well, if the stories about Haven have reached here, then I'm sure they're all going to be very nervous," Earendil chuckled. "Especially if they realize that Halmir and Arthael were two of the most active fighters there. And I would imagine that in a town like this, where they're so desolate, they were probably one of the towns that were in on the slave trading. The promise of gold would be quite tempting to people in a place like this ..."

Earendil tried to think back to when that had happened. It wasn't very long ago, to his knowledge ...

"You know," he said slowly, "it's quite possible that some of the people that were made examples of ... might still be around."

Which would explain a lot. Legends of a human who didn't grow old living and/or working with elves ... and then Luk showed up with a handful of elves ... the humans probably thought Luk was Donovan!

Earendil nodded. "So for you it's hard to know how much time has passed, and how recently some of these things would have happened. Even Shiro says the constant passing through the portal is disorienting, whenever he enters another world. And I know what he means ... it's ... a very strange feeling, coming home and realizing a day has passed and you've only been gone half an hour."

He looked up and down the street, but it was quite deserted now. Even the children had gone inside. "I think it might be best if we head back to camp," he said quietly. "I have a bad feeling about this place."

He couldn't explain why, he just did.

Luk didn't question him. He had learned over the centuries to listen to elven instincts - they were far more honed than those of humans.

"Let's go," he agreed without hesitating.

Earendil smiled sadly at Miyuki. He knew what she meant, and she was right. It was sad, that the town would be allowed to fall into such a state. Sad that the people wouldn't take care of it, sad that the king didn't care ... everything about it was sad.

"Maybe the next town we see will be better," he said brightly as he began to lead the way back to their camp. "Emile did say that this town was like this because it's so far away from the capital."

Earendil didn't bother to point out that Haven was run by Elves, not humans. He didn't want to make Miyuki as prejudiced as he knew he himself was. If she came to the conclusion herself later on that humans in general didn't care about the world they lived in, and lived only for themselves, that would be fine. She didn't need other people telling her that.

"It's a different society," he said finally. "I don't like it any more than you do, but there's nothing I can do about it either."

"That's not what Emile said," Luk said with a frown. He looked as if he were about to say more, but Earendil spoke up, cutting him off.

"Maybe it would be best if we kind of hurried through this leg of the trip," he suggested. "The human lands are not very safe as is, and if this is any indication, we might be best off if we go straight for the capital and then head north to the Westland."

At least in the Westland, their only danger would be wild animals.

Luk's eyes lightened in understanding, and he nodded slowly.

"My apologies," he said softly, bowing his head to Lin apologetically. "I am still not used to having children to think of. Forgive me."

He himself wanted to prevent as much prejudice as possible, though admittedly he didn't like misleading people either. It could be like giving her false hope, which would only make her disappointment all the greater if they did go down there and find only more discrimination than here.