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Free at last, free at last! Praise the Lord, free at last! At least, that was what Thali felt like saying, as she made her way further into the Barton meadow. Ben had taken the children out for lunch, to the elf's annoyance, why hadn't her husband thought of inviting her? The elf's petite form was dwarfed by the sheer vastness of the meadow. Her figure was framed by the gentle fall of chestnut hair running down her back. Vast as the field was, it did not deter her smile. On one arm she carried a basket. In the other, she held a blanket. Looked like someone was planning a picnic.

Behind her was a much smaller figure, a much less striking appearance. A shadow. Oliver was trailing his host like a chick, or rather, a protective hen that had decided to allow the chicks to explore. "Oli! Ver! Lililiver!"

"I'm staying close," Thali said, looking back at her shadow as she tested the ground. Yes, this seemed like a perfect place for a picnic. She spread her blanket out before sitting on it.

"Oli, are you hungry?"

"Ver."

"Are you chasing that poor butterfly?"

Oliver attempted to look innocent. "Oooh... Oli?"

Oliver instantly looked up. He knew that sound. The butterfly, seeing its chance to escape, our perhaps simply by concidence, flew away. "Oli?" the shadow asked, looking around. "Oli? Oooh... Oli?"

That caused Thali to look up too. "Oh, hello," she said,, noticing Anya and Lilium. She had seen the shadow before, playing with Oliver. The elf stood, the movement seeming to be an effort. Still, a rather strained, it's true, smile was on her face. "I'm Thali." She put a hand over her stomach in an almost protective position. "Enjoying the weather?" She smirked slightly. It was obvious the woman wasn't. Hiding from the sun like that...

She was either a vampire or a very sun deprived fae.

Oliver was delighted. He toddled to Lilium's side. "Oli! Oooh... Oli! Lililili!" He paused, and frowned slightly when he spotted someone he didn't recognize. "Oli?" he asked. "Ver? Oli ver?" He looked doubtful. Why was his host talking to that woman? He hadn't approved of her yet!

"I did," Thali agreed with a smile. "She seemed... familar. As if I've met her before." The elf really had no idea. "She seemed nice. Eve is wonderful, too."

"Oli, lililili!" Oliver was delighted, his friend could say his name. He was also slightly jealous; it wasn't fair. He could say very little besides parts of his name. But then, part of his name did sound like Lili's name--maybe he could use that and pretend? "Lili!"

Thali's eyes widened. She stared at Anya for a long while, before she opened her mouth and closed it several times. "I'm from Lynwood too. When did you find her? I don't know of any elves who'd willingly give up their child."

Oliver was, in short, quite like a pokemon. He could say a few words, less than the average toddler. He nodded at her suggestion of a game. He knew how to play tag. He tapped her on the shoulder and giggled. "Oli!" he said, before taking off. She'd have to catch him.

Thali hesitated. "No, she's much older than that," she mused, almost to herself. "She's older than me." She could tell, just by having looked at Ivy. "Perhaps her parents died... I don't know why anyone would leave a toddler alone."

Oliver ran and ran, stumbling and falling onto his bottom more than once, but giggling all the same. He had played this with his self-proclaimed older brothers, and knew the rules well. Though he did seem rather concerned with Lilium's falling. He paused and stood still, apparently waiting for him to tag her.

Chasing was more fun than running, anyway.

Thali hesitated again, looking slightly puzzled. "Ivy... Ivy. That reminds me of something." Her memories from when she was very tiny were vague. "Leirre..." she muttered. The elvish word for Ivy.

Oliver chirped happily before turning to chase after his friend. "Oli, Oli!" he called after her, giggling. "Oli, Oli!" He would catch her! She couldn't escape!

"Perhaps I did," Thali mused, frowning slightly. "Perhaps I did. My memories of that time are vague." She seemed to concentrate for a moment. "I think I did... I knew of a girl who went missing before I was born. Her name was Leirre. That means Ivy, you see. In Elvish. Perhaps they're the same person."

Oliver tagged her, giggling. Though the shadow seemed slightly out of breath, he still seemed eager to play. He put his hands on his knees and giggled, before running in the opposite direction of Lilium. He didn't want her to catch him so easily, now did he?

"I believe so," Thali mused, looking puzzled. "Fau-Fau," she echoed in disbelief. "Faust! Faust. She must mean him, but how?" The elf hesitated, before frowning in disbelief. "How could she have known Faust? That was right after his parents died... when Vate was born." When I was, she added silently.