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The weather was getting warmer these days, which allowed Li to take his dancing practice outside. Not only was it a way for him to enjoy the weather and avoid being stuck indoors but it also seemed to help in drawing some customers. The Inn was located along a path between two cities, one of which was in Sauti and the other Tale making it a place that, at first, had gotten customers through word of mouth only. Nowadays though it was a place people journeying between Sauti and Tale liked to stop, which he felt was probably his mother's plan all along.

He gave a bit of a sigh as he plopped down on Branko's back, using a cloth to wipe off his brow, before taking a sip of his water. He was going to need to get to be as smart as his mother if he was ever going to take over the place later, huh? To be able to think in the manner she did, chat with people as she did, and overall be ready to do everything that she did... only he had to do it ten times better since he was a boy. He knew his mother had a lot of tricks up her sleeve that came from being a woman, things he didn't have, so that meant having to be sharper in other areas.

Bah! Where was Uli when he needed him? Uli... or Riya... or Lilif... any of his friends really? They traveled in a manner that Li didn't, so he sort of relied on them for news and to bounce ideas off of. Here was to hoping the caravan that the twins traveled in arrived soon... or that Lilif got lost and stumbled over again.

Li gave a sound of surprise as someone was suddenly giving him a tackling hug... and much to his shock said person was covered in mud, mud that was transferred over to him. He looked down at himself, lifting one hand to brush at himself, before looking up at the one that had tackled him with mud. Was it anyone else but the one before him or a few choice others Li might have freaked out a bit over the mud. He couldn't be angry though, not when it was Lilif who was kind of always seemed to be a bit on the muddy side.

"Ahh... hello there, Lilif." He said, blinking a couple times then nodded his head, "Yes, a little while since we last got to hang out together." She really was an odd girl, wasn't she? Though that was kind of why he liked hanging out with her, because she was just so weird. Taking in the weird creature that she had with her, something that he couldn't recall ever seeing before he asked, "What... is that thing?" It looked a bit like a beefier capramel that was covered in gems. It was kind of neat.

As he asked that Branko whirled around, facing Lilif, and set to huffing and trying to get attention from her. Something that had Li shaking his head a little bit, finding the giant snaptrotter to be quite a spoiled little thing. Especially around girls.

Li couldn't help but to grin, "That sounds like something that you would do, Lily." Her not tripping would have been far more of a shocker if you asked him. No matter, so long as she was happy and safe then he supposed that a bit of mud wouldn't kill him. He'd just have to see to it that his clothing was washed extra well to get rid of the mud that was clinging to him. As the strange, bejeweled beast... and it's snake hat come closer he watched them closely, before his eyes went to the pack that he was carrying.

"Huh? Are you running away somewhere, Lily?" He asked, pointing at the pack that her beast was carrying. Was she planning on going somewhere other then... well, wherever it was that the she wandered normally? Giving a shake of his head he turned his attention to what she was saying to him, which were explanations about the odd beast she had. It seemed as though she'd gotten him from the Grand Market that they'd hung out at together, huh? Giving a curious sound he asked, "So you got him after we split up, huh? He's neat looking so it must have been a good find on your part. Where does such a beast come from?"

As he waited on an answer for that he could only shake his head as Lilif gave attention to Branko which only had the girl crazy beast moving closer to her, butting into her in an excited manner, and otherwise trying to get all of her attention. Something that made Li sigh before he said, "Come on, Branko. She can chat with me too you spoiled thing." He said, giving the snaptrotter a nudge before sitting back down on his back.

Li gave his friend an odd look, "You're going all the way to the toxic island? Wouldn't it be easier to try to find a Yaeli that is traveling? From what I heard everything on that island wants to kill people." That could be just rumor though. Once a story spread all the way to Sauti from Yael itself it tended to be rumor at best since it was a story that went from one person to another, getting mixed up and exaggerated on the way. Either way though he couldn't help but to worry about Lilif since she was... well, not exactly the most graceful of people.

Cocking his head to one side he asked, "And... how do you plan to get there? Surely you're getting a guide right?" Wouldn't she just end up lost if she tried to go there herself? What was to say that she'd actually head toward Yael instead of accidentally ending up in Zena for instance. It made him worry about her safety in many aspects.

Of course all of his deep thinking on the subject was completely forgotten as Lilif said that her big bejeweled bull came from 'the grand dessert' which had him starring, "Oba... you mean desert, right? Lilif... maybe it's best that you don't go wandering super far until you're able to find yourself a guide." He was really worried for her now. It all definitely sounded as though it might be too much for her and he didn't want her getting lost, injured, or end up spirited away or something.

Li watched as his friend suddenly launched herself to her feet, declaring him to be right over. He gave a slow nod of his head and said, "I'd offer to let you meet a Yaelian if we had one visiting the inn... but that is among the tribes that haven't stopped in yet. I hope to see everyone, including those of Belrea, coming and going one day." It was what his mother wanted after all and therefore what he wanted. Giving a bit of a laugh he said, "It can be that bad... but I suppose it might be one of those cases of you needing to see it to believe it?"

He started to laugh again as she said that she didn't need a guide and it would appear that she had a map as well? He found himself starring as she showed off the map to him. After a long moment he said, "Umm... Lilif... the map is upside down, you know that right?" It was surely just a joke, right? She was just messing with him because he was worried about her getting lost... right?

Li nodded his head, petting Branko as he remained seated on the back of the large beast. He seemed to be thinking on it for a moment before he said, "It might still take a bit of time but it will happen." Once it did, once all of the tribes had come to visit, they were likely to celebrate the occasion. Li didn't get out much so the idea of them having a grand celebration at the inn would delight him like nothing else.

As Lilif moved to fix the map, turning it the right way, he gave a nod of his head, "Yeah, looks better. If you keep it that way you might be able to actually get around." Giving a chuckle he found himself wondering if she would actually be able to get to Yael. If not maybe she'd end up back here with some new stories to tell him. He didn't get out much so stories from Lilif and the others patrons of the inn were what he got by on. It was how he learned about the world after all.

"So you're probably not going straight to the toxic island... so what is the first step?"

Li lifted a hand up to smother a laugh before he said, "It's called a compass rose. Probably because when some on of them are drawn out they look a bit like a flower that is telling you directions?" That was his guess at least though he could be way off base. So long as she pet that in the position that she described then maybe she really would be able to get around without getting completely lost, right? Something that Li would pray to Chi for since he'd rather she not end up lost for all of eternity.

"Hmm, yeah. That does make sense. From what I have heard the only way to get to where you're wanting to go is by going the super long way around." One person had made a joke once about it being easy to get to Matori from Sauti if one had a 'yaotl' on hand but given he didn't even know what that was he'd assume that nobody really did.

"Hmmm, can't say I know where exactly to get them. I know there are some wild roses around Sauti but you need the right conditions for them." He gave a humming sound before he said, "I wonder if we should gather some flowers and plant them around the inn. It would involve a lot of work but it would fancy the place up a bit." An idea that he would need to run by his mother since she was the one in charge. Sure, he was the heir, but that wasn't going to mean a ton for a while yet.

"Hmmm? Ahhh, yeah. Really far and probably takes a lot of time?" Or so he would assume. As one that did all of no traveling save for the occasional festival he couldn't say he knew much about the actual distances.

Li was about to continue, wanting to tell her that she really aught to find a guide... or a more detailed map... or maybe postpone the trip until she could get more planning in. He never got the chance though as her pet, which had been playing around in her pack, suddenly decided that he'd leave... dragging her under garments with him. It was something that had him starring for a moment before he whirled around, cheeks burning, and he said, "Ahh... you might want to... umm... take care of that."