Welcome to Gaia! ::

It was early summer in the Borderlands, but though the day was warm it was gray and slightly drizzly. The birds were hidden away in their nests, and the forest was silent and still, void of the animals that usually crept about freely.

It was Shael who opened the door, her long hair braided over her shoulder, and when she saw Triton standing in the rain, water dripping from his ears and hair, her brow furrowed with worry and she opened the door wider.

"You must be a Winters," she murmured, moving aside to make room for him. "Come in, come in. You'll be wanting to see Cindy, I presume?"

"Well, you're welcome to stay for a bit," Shael smiled warmly, closing the door behind Triton to keep out the rain. "I've got hot water on to boil, I can offer you tea or something else hot to warm you up ..."

Rhea, eleven years old now and a slender, pretty girl, already showing promise of great beauty, and as tall as Triton, stepped out of the study, her expression curious, enormous staff in hand. Following her was Whisper, identical to the day she had grown to adulthood.

"Hello," she said to Triton with a bright smile, her eyes sparkling mischievously. "You're Triton, right?" She gripped her staff with both hands and turned to Shael. "Mama, shall I get Cindy for him?"

Shael nodded, and girl and cat ran towards the stairs.

Shael laughed and motioned for Triton to follow her down the hall, towards the kitchen. "Indeed she has ... her name is Whisper," she smiled warmly. "And there are time when I think Rhea is just as obsessed with her now as she was when she first received her as a gift. Four years ago already ..."

And suddenly she remembered that neither of them had been introduced yet. "By the way," she smiled warmly, "I'm Shael."


Rhea was already up the stairs, staff in one hand, holding her skirt with her other hand so that she wouldn't trip over it. She knocked on Cindy's door (or rather tried to, though she was excited and her knock sort of turned into a bang instead) and called out, "Cindy, your brother's here! Triton!"

Whisper sat down next to Rhea and tried not to roll her eyes. "You're never going to change," she sighed softly. She ruffled her wings as they waited for Cindy to come out of her room.

Shael laughed softly and headed to the cupboard to pull out another mug, placing it on the counter beside four others.

"Rhea has a knack for knowing things," she smiled warmly at the neko. "Much like Aragost, though she doesn't realize it - and of course not to the same extent."

No one, she thought, could know as much as Aragost.


Rhea giggled. "Yes you should," she agreed, "because I want to see what it is as well, he says he has something for you." She moved out of the way so that Cindy could go ahead of them, stroking Whisper's head absently.

Shael smiled at Triton. "Some, but I'm afraid Rhea doesn't give her much spare time. Though she usually spends her time in her room doing ... I'm afraid I don't actually know what." She laughed and moved to take the kettle from the fireplace, and as she removed it she heard footsteps on the stairs.

"Here they all come," she smiled.

Rhea grinned and skipped after Cindy, Whisper following closely on her heels.

"Oh," Shael blinked. "You're going to the Eastland ... was that why you wanted to talk to Ulani and Ulrich?"

Rhea's eyes had grown bright at the mention of the Eastland. "Mama ... you promised we could go this year," she murmured, turning to Shael and folding her hands in front of her. "You say that every year but something always comes up ..."

Whisper sighed. As much as she didn't like Rhea pouting or whining like this, she knew it was true- and truth be told she wanted to see this 'Eastland' too.

"I think," she purred softly, butting Rhea's leg and looking up at Shael, "she's asking if we can go with Triton."

Rhea nodded eagerly. "He'll need a guide anyways," she pointed out, "and you said we could go and meet my aunt and uncle someday!"