Welcome to Gaia! ::

"They make more sense anyways," Amalirahc agreed. "Those other cards ... they were just weird. So do you want to play a game with the cards, then?"

River shrugged, then smiled. "Sure. You'll have to teach me, though."

"And me," Haldia spoke up, crossing her legs and sitting in a lotus position to make herself comfortable. "If you do not mind if I play as vell."

So the four of them played cards while the forest around them passed them by.

In the evening, when they stopped for the night, Haldia offered to take the children up in the air for a quick scouting flight while the others worked on setting up tents and such. It was no surprise that Celeb insisted on accompanying them.

"Why don't you go with them, Lin?" Earendil suggested. "I can take care of Andarien if you don't want to take him up yet."

Earendil nodded. "Then I'll take him," he said. "You've been carrying him all day anyways, you need a break. Go ahead."

He held his arms out to take the infant from her while Celeb helped the other children climb up onto the roc's back.

Celeb held a hand down to Lin to help her up on Rhiel's back, then helped Haldia up as well. She took her place at the back of the roc's neck, and Celeb settled in behind her.

"Everyone ready?" Celeb asked, looking over his shoulder at the other passengers. "Hold tight."

"Ready!" River and Amalirahc chimed together.

With a lurch, the roc launched itself into the air, and they were off.

The forest spread below them like a lush green carpet, but as they went higher and could see further, it became apparent that they would not be in the forest much longer: less than two days' journey further, the trees would end, and the land would become a grassy plain. There was a city towards the south, not in the direction they were traveling, and Celeb pointed it out to Lin.

"Prydz," he told her over the noise of the wind. "Nearly as bad as Ethuil, though better upkept."

"Aye, that we have," Celeb nodded. "Not a very pleasant place, though the land itself is beautiful. The people on the other hand ..." He made a face. "They really don't like us. By the Valar, there have been so many attempts on our lives I've lost count. We've been avoiding it since we found out Haldia was expecting, but when Grandmother told us you'd all come down here to travel, we thought you might be able to use the help."

He glanced over his shoulder at her again. "Seems we were right."

"The only place you're truly safe is Haven," Celeb chuckled. "Unless of course you're in one of the main elven cities. Outside the cities though everyone is fair game. It's not just elves that the humans attack - they even attack each other! Though why they would do that is beyond me."

He could understand attacking someone of another race far better than attacking someone of their own race.

"I guess the rule of thumb is, don't ever let your guard down, unless someone else is guarding you," he concluded as they flew out over the meadows.