Welcome to Gaia! ::

Rhea looked at Cindy, her young eyes filled with more wisdom than was natural for a girl of her age. She could sense a little of what Cindy was feeling, and even though she didn't entirely understand it, she did have an instinct about what needed to be done.

"Should we go talk to him?" she asked softly, her eyes filled with worry.

Rhea ducked out from under Cindy's hand and slid off the bench, reaching for her staff. "Are you going to come with?" she asked hesitantly, anxiously. She was still feeling self-conscious about making Caranthir leave, and she didn't know what to say to him to make things right again.

Whisper finished cleaning her paws and purred up at Cindy, her halo glowing brightly. "I'm coming," she said softly. "I probably shouldn't talk, though. At least not too much."

She was aware from the reactions of people that they met that she was an oddity, as normal as she was to everyone at the ranch, and she knew that they were going to be talking to Caranthir to ease him. Her appearance was one thing ... but her speech was another.

Rhea reached down and strokes Whisper's head, her arm tingling slightly as she came near the halo. "Thanks," she whispered softly, clutching her staff tightly.

Rhea headed carefully across the room, her staff tapping against the floor as she wove in and out among the tables. The room was a little more crowded now, since it was nearing the dinner hour, but she made very sure that she didn't hit anyone with her staff as she passed them by.

"Um ... Caranthir?" she said hesitantly when she reached his table, gripping her staff with both hands and looking up at him anxiously.

Caranthir looked up to see Rhea and Cindy and Whisper, and he smiled warmly at them all. "What brings you over here?" he asked lightheartedly, no trace of worry evident in his voice or his expression.

Caranthir chuckled softly and folded his hands on the table, his eyes sparkling slightly as he looked at the child. "Are you now?" he smiled warmly. "Well, child, there's no reason for you to fret on my account. I'm just fine."

Rhea couldn't help but hesitate. He sounded so certain ... and yet she still had this sense of unease, something about him that wasn't quite as calm as he tried to appear ...

"But you're worried," she said softly, hoping that she wasn't saying too much. "When you were asking if we saw Aerin yet, you were worried ..."

Caranthir chuckled softly and nodded. "I see. Well, don't you worry, Rhea," he grinned, raising one hand and putting it on the child's head gently. "I'm all right. And where Aerin has gone ... well, it can potentially be dangerous, yes ... but I'm certain she'll be all right."

Rhea smiled, but she could sense what his smile was hiding. He was still uneasy ... but she had a feeling that it wouldn't be a good idea to pry. Instead, she simply nodded, though her eyes showed how much she really knew. Instinctively, she stepped forward and hugged Caranthir around the chest.

Whisper chuckled softly. So much for innocence.

Rhea wasn't quite sure that 'relieved' was the word she would have used, but she would be glad when Aerin returned from wherever she had disappeared to.

"Maybe you should rest until she gets back," she suggested. "That's what Mama does sometimes when Papa's gone, she says it helps to make the time pass a bi-"

She broke off suddenly and looked at her hands. "O-oh," she murmured, her face lighting up in a bright smile. "She's back!"

Almost at the same instant, the door of the inn opened and the tall, thin, cloaked figure of Aerin stepped inside. Without a pause, she lowered her hood and turned to the corner where the three of them were gathered. No emotion showed in her eyes as she sat across from Caranthir, though she appeared tired.