Ridahne couldn't help but laugh as Darin took her first sip of the coffee. She did try to hold it in, but it came out anyway, resulting in a snort and a sheepish grin. "Sorry, but your face was priceless! I forget that other peoples have different tastes than we do in Azurei and Orosi. A lot of our food is similar to each other, partly because Orosi supplies us with a large portion of our goods. But we like things strong down south. Spicy, bitter, sharp, salty..." she laughed a little. "I have to admit, boiled potatoes?" Ridahne shuddered. "Not my favorite meal. I grew up very poor and some of those instincts never left me, so I'll eat whatever's put in front of me. But you won't catch me boiling potatoes at home, not unless they go in a soup or something else." 

She leaned forward a little, sipping her own cup of coffee and squinting at Darin as if to study her, a playful gleam in her amber eyes. "I wonder what you'd enjoy more than coffee...They do serve chocolate drinks here. Imagine...chocolate which is sweet and a little bitter but only if you have it straight and not at all as much as coffee, mixed in with hot milk of some variety and sometimes spices like cinnamon. It's creamy and sweet and it's got the faintest kick of spice. But to be honest with you, I'm not sure I know enough about what humans usually eat and what flavors they like to know what you'd like. I've had plenty of tavern food, which is usually bread and cheese and some fruits here and there, and some roasted meats. But I've never been invited into the home of a human and sat down for supper. Never been invited into the home of a human at all, really. They're usually kind of afraid of me." Ridahne laughed. "Is it the tattoos?" she joked, knowing full well it was some combination of her tattoos, her three blades, her height (she towered over most grown men), her abrasive personality, and the sharpness of her eyes. People seemed to be miffed by how much skin she was willing to show, too, as they tended to wear longer layers in the north, and her traditional half-shirt was a little scandalous by small-town standards. "I am going to hold you to that promise of apple pie one of these days though...it sounds delicious." 

Ridahne could see that Darin was not having as good a time as she was. It wasn't that Darin wasn't enjoying herself completely, but the elf could see that the crowded walkways, the tight spaces, and the unfamiliarity of it all was wearing on her stamina. Ridahne didn't know how she'd handle Azurei, but the elf desperately wanted her friend to like it. And it was...a lot to take in for the first time. Eluri at least had a vaguely similar climate to Darin's hometown. Azurei, in comparison, was another world. 

Ridahne smiled gently. "Don't damage the trees, and they would't think much of it. They spend a lot of time scaling them, but the trees are their home, and they cherish their health deeply. If they catch you breaking branches, you'll find trouble. I've never scaled the trees myself, but I hear the view of Astra is spectacular if you can make it up. There might even be a ladder or stairway and a platform somewhere, but I'm not actually sure. If you wanted to check it out, you could go, and I'll see our supplies get back to the inn, and sample the local beer while I'm at it. I can meet you back there. But if you aren't back before nightfall, I'll come looking for you." Ridahne didn't want to be her mother or anything, but considering their situation, a little caution was wise.