[VanimaEdhel]

Castar looked at Windheneb as his friend jabbered at their new companion. Aylwen had told them that she could remain in the Farmer's Market for some time, so Windheneb had taken the initiative and had told her that she was to travel with them around the market, as there were "dangerous, shady characters afoot in the market". Castar had been unable to control another snort after Windheneb's comment and had gotten a rather dark look from his friend for his amusement.

They passed a jewelry stand and Castar paused, looking at the necklaces and thinking of his mother. He quickly bought one from the stand, running to try to catch up to the others.

"And where are you from? Were you born here?" Aylwen was asking Windheneb.

"Aye, been here all my life. I have two sisters, you know. They have families here too," Windheneb was saying.

"And you, Master Castar. Where are you from?" Aylwen asked.

"I am from Eodrath," Castar said. He continued after a pause, "It is about twenty-five or thirty miles from here."

Aylwen nodded and smiled at Castar, who smiled back, brushing his stray wisp of hair out of his face.

"And do you have siblings?" Aylwen asked.

"Nay, M'Lady," Castar said, "I am the only child of my family. My father's health is failing and my mother takes care of him, may Eru bless her heart."

"Oh," Aylwen said kindly, "I hope that your father gains his strength again."

Castar chuckled, "Old Battir will be up again in no time, knowing him."

Windheneb then launched into some sort of conversation with Aylwen and Castar tuned out a bit for a while. Eventually they stopped for a snack and Windheneb made a show of treating everyone to the fruit they picked up. They had come back around to the giggling girls that seemed to have developed an infatuation with Windheneb now. They giggled and grew red when he spoke to them. Windheneb merely smiled more broadly and flirted more openly with the swooning ladies.

Castar tried to make conversation shyly with Aylwen while Windheneb spoke to the ladies, all three eating their fruit and enjoying the afternoon.