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Arwen nodded. "That's true. And I know Storm and Starr are anxious to go home. Shiro of course will be spending more time with Ninako, since he's the one with the most information. Still, you will all go home and at least see your parents before coming back to take Rhea home, won't you?"

She looked at the Gaians anxiously. She was a parent, she knew how worried Kara and Elnara must be by this time. Six years was a long time, after all, even in Gaian time.

"Besides," Storm spoke up, something that was now uncharacteristic of him, "Starr and I just want to go home. We don't want to keep traveling anymore. Not right now, anyways."

As with everyone else, it was their first time away from home, but they had also been the youngest when they had left, so being away from their parents had been harder for them than for anyone else.

"Then I propose that we leave in the morning," Rhea suggested. "Right away tomorrow. We don't need the same energy if we're going to be flying."

"Then it's settled," Arwen nodded. "First thing in the morning. You'd better get going then, or you won't have a proper-"

"Can I go too?" Celeb piped up eagerly.

"No," Arwen said firmly. "You're still too young to go anywhere without your father or myself. And since we aren't going, you aren't either. You can go when you're older."

Celeb pouted. "Not fair."

"Sure it is," Leyenda replied. " I had to wait until I was fifteen, and even then I went with Papa."

"But Amalirahc's just one!" Celeb protested. "And I bet he's going!"

Kelirahc chuckled. "That is because we are his parents, and he is coming with us," he reminded the boy with a gentle smile. He reached out and put one hand on Celeb's head. "Do not worry, your opportunity will come."

Celeb pouted again, but he quieted down.

Rhea giggled. "Then we had better get going," she murmured. "We'll be back to see you in the morning, obviously, since we have to pick up Kelirahc and Leyenda and Amalirahc. But for now, good night. And thank you so much for taking us all with you, Arwen. Really, it was amazing."

Arwen smiled back at Rhea. "Thank Earendil," she replied. "Without him, this trip would not have happened."

"Exactly," Earendil grinned back at Lin. "One of the good things about being immortal. We will never run out of time to see everything there is to see. Unless we're stupid and get ourselves killed, of course."

He chuckled softly. As lighthearted as he said it, it was true though - death through attack or stupidity would be the only thing that would ever hold them back from finishing their tour of the Four Lands - and beyond.

"Anyways, you're right, we should get going so that we can at least get a good night's sleep," he added, rising to his feet. "Good night, everyone, and we shall see you again in the morning."

The others all bed everyone a good night as well, and the large group separated, with most of them going to the inn for a good night's rest.

Once they had picked up Kelirahc, Leyenda and Amalirahc from Arwen and Roydon's house and bid them a fond farewell, the group headed outside of the city so as not to panic the people of the city when they would summon the creatures that would take them the rest of the way to Tor Karad.

"Leyenda, if you and Amalirahc go with Kelirahc," Earendil said, trying to organize all of them, "then Lin and I could perhaps go with Haldia, and then Shiro, Kaito, Ura, Storm, Starr, and Rhea with Captain Striate ..."

"That's all of us," Leyenda nodded. "Sounds like a plan to me. Who's going to lead?"

"We will," Earendil replied. "I know the way best of anyone."

Kelirahc nodded. "We will follow you, then," he agreed.

Earendil relayed the plan to Haldia in the Ancient Tongue while Rhea did the same for Aurin in Common Elvish, and within minutes the thirteen of them were off, heading towards the Southland capital.

It was good to be flying again, Earendil had to admit. They hadn't flown at all on the journey home; there hadn't been a need.

As they flew, Haldia couldn't help but stare at the ground over Rhiel's shoulder. "I don't understand it," she said, amazed. "Where are all the trees? It is hot like back home, but ... where are the trees?"

"There are forests in other areas of our land," Earendil added before Haldia could get the impression that there were no trees on the entire continent. "Just not in this area, because it is too hot, or in the very far north, where it is too cold and the ground is too rocky."

Haldia nodded. "I see."

The land was passing quickly beneath them, so fast that it was a blur. Earendil couldn't remember ever going this fast in the air, but then again, he had been working while he had been flying over Amon Darthir. This was completely different. Now, they had a destination in mind.

Haldia looked over her shoulder at Lin. "We just passed over more land than our entire island," she replied. "Twice the size of our island, or more."

Actually it was probably four or five times the size of their island, but that was beside the point.

Earendil pointed at the base of the mountain where the city was located. "Just land us down there," he told her. "We don't want to frighten everyone in the city."

They would have to walk through the city, but that was nothing compared to the three weeks they had saved themselves.

Haldia nodded and spoke softly to her roc, and they began a slow, circling descent towards the ruins of the old city.