Welcome to Gaia! ::

Rhea giggled. "Yes. It was easy to forget about how much sitting we were doing. And he has promised me, now that we are finished with our work, that he would take me for a day or so out to the mountains, to a place he knows of. He insists that it is quite safe, and now that his work with us is complete, he is owed a few days off."

"What spot?" Earendil asked curiously.

"On the northernmost mountain, up at the top, there's a cave," Rhea replied. "He's been in there a few times. Skyel was the one who found it, actually."

Earendil blinked at her. "The dragon's cave?"

Rhea slapped his shoulder playfully. "There hasn't been a dragon on the island since Aerin killed the last one," she grinned. "Don't worry so much. I'll have to start calling you Elrohir."

Earendil winced. "Please don't. I grew up with him, don't forget."

Earendil blinked at Lin. "I keep forgetting, you didn't know him before Aunt Elnara returned," he murmured. He pursed his lips as though he were thinking deeply about something, then shook his head. "You're better off not knowing. Suffice it to say, there isn't anyone who is not glad that he has changed so much."

He smiled at her and put one hand on her head. "And what are you going to do now that we're free?" he asked her teasingly.

Earendil nodded. "I'm all for that," he agreed. "But I would recommend against swimming, terribly cold this time of year and all that."

His expression was perfectly serious, but there was a twinkle in his eye that showed he was teasing her.

Earendil laughed and let Lin push him away. "Sounds good to me," he grinned. "Anything in particular? Or just more adventurous wandering? Not to belittle it, it's quite fun, I find."

He felt quite ... free ... now that he was finished with his own work on the island, and even perhaps a bit giddy.

"Maybe later on we could spar or something," Earendil suggested, heading towards the door that led below deck. "I don't know about you, but I think I could also use a good workout."

He opened the door for Lin and held it for her, allowing her to go inside first.

Earendil chuckled. "For that matter, we should take Rhea and Whisper and Haldia, they've been just as single minded as us all winter. Maybe we'll even meet Kelirahc and Leyenda there, they've been spending a lot of time there."

With Celeb of course, but Celeb had been doing much better since he had started to visit the children of the city. And every single day, he had somewhere else to go for lunch: it seemed he only ever had breakfast on the ship anymore.

"Then we'll be sure to invite them all," Earendil grinned, nodding. "However, I think I'm going to rest for a bit first, perhaps an hour or so."

They arrived at their doors, which were across from each other, and he stopped and grinned at her. "Thanks for your help, Lin," he said warmly. "I don't think I'd have finished yet if not for you."