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The two exchanged a glance, then looked back at Lin and Earendil.

"To be honest, we're not entirely certain," Leyenda said hesitantly. "It was a little hard to hear them over the storm ... from what I heard, though, Haldia didn't feel she had the strength to out-fly the storm, so they were going somewhere else ..."

"If they are not back before morning, I was going to go look for them," Kelirahc said quietly. "We are worried about them as well ... and if something happens to Haldia, they will not be able to return. On the other hand, I do not want to worry too much. It is possible that they are simply resting for the night."

"I hope so," Leyenda murmured, turning her eyes once more toward the stars. "I know Celeb's all grown up now ... but I still can't help but think of him as my helpless little brother. He's never had the greatest sense of direction, and if Haldia's not strong enough to summon her spirit ..."

"Even if Celeb does not have a strong sense of direction, Haldia is very good that way," Kelirahc told Leyenda in a tone that indicated that he had told her that before. "But if they are not back by morning, I will go look for them."

"I'd feel better if we knew what had happened to them," Leyenda shrugged. "That's all. If they're resting, that's great, but if something's happened ... morning might be too late."

Kelirahc looked from Lin to Earendil to Leyenda and back at all three of them again.

"You all think I should go now and look for them?" he asked in a soft voice.

It wasn't that he didn't agree with them, he just hadn't been as worried, was all. Of course, he was used to Haldia being one of the strongest people he knew, and he wasn't the one who fussed over her while she was pregnant so it was quite easy for him to forget that she wasn't at her best these days.

Kelirahc nodded silently and stood up, placing one hand lightly on Leyenda's shoulder before he hopped off the wagon.

"I will go," he nodded. "I will return when I find them. Rest well, everyone."

"Let me go with you," Leyenda said quickly, hopping to her feet as well.

Kelirahc shook his head. "Stay here with Amalirahc. I will find them, do not worry." He smiled at them, then waved and melted into the blackness of the forest around them.

"I hope so too," Leyenda murmured. "And I don't know how I should take it ... after all this time here in the Four Lands, he still doesn't understand the dangers here ... there are so much more than on Nauros. There, everything was so safe, if people disappeared for a few days it wasn't anything to worry about ..."

Unfortunately, here was an entirely different story, and Kelirahc would have to get used to that.

"I wouldn't be worried at all if she weren't pregnant," Earendil spoke up quietly, moving to the edge of the wagon and sitting down on it. "But if something like pregnancy can even put Rhea to bedrest for the final days of it, I have to worry about Haldia. I've never seen anyone as energetic as Rhea."

Of course Rhea had her own magic to help her get more energy when she needed it - which of course just emphasized how exhausting pregnancy was.

"Showing." Leyenda couldn't help but laugh. "She's been showing forever. She's about ready to pop, I think would be more accurate. When I was that close to giving birth, I didn't even leave the ship, let alone go flying or traveling."

"So you think it was foolish of them to even come," Earendil said plainly.

"Foolish of them to try to outrun the storm," Leyenda corrected him. "I told them it would be better just to duck into a tent, but Haldia insisted ..."

"Which is what I told her," Leyenda said dryly. "But as I said, she insisted, and who am I to stop her? She has a Spirit of her own. There was nothing I could do."

"Well there's nothing we can do while we're waiting for Kelirahc to come back," Earendil put in, "so we might as well try to get some sleep. Worrying won't help."