Welcome to Gaia! ::

Haldia's eyes lit up brightly, and it was clear that she was looking forward to this.

"Let us go, then," she beamed, stepping a bit closer to the river. She touched her mark, and her roc appeared, wings spread. Though half the size of the rocs of Amon Darthir, it was still impressive. She climbed up on its back and motioned for the others to climb up with her.

Kelirahc chuckled. "Very nice, I get a rest from being the transportation," he grinned. He helped his family up, then hopped up after them.

"It's good to take turns," Earendil quipped, making a step with his hands for Lin and Miyuki.

It took them only a few minutes to reach the beach where the others had set up their camp site, and Haldia set them down just at the edge of the trees, where the wind from the roc's wings wouldn't kick up sand and get it in everyone's faces or fires.

"I still find it odd, how much I missed all of this," Haldia smiled as everyone climbed off the roc. "It is so ... alive."

Earendil chuckled as he slid down and held his arms up to catch Lin and Miyuki. "Well, a body can get used to just about anything," he grinned.

Earendil knelt next to Miyuki. "Do you want to run on ahead?" he asked her with a grin. "See if there's a fire for us?"

Haldia waited until Kelirahc, Leyenda and Amalirahc were all on the ground before she hopped down and unsummoned her roc. "Well," she mused, walking alongside Lin, "it may sound strange, considering what a hard time I had talking anyone, but ... I miss the people. The excitement. That there was always something happening. I miss the food, the weather, the company ..."

Celeb popped up on the other side of Haldia, grinning. "Miss me?" he asked teasingly.

Haldia giggled. "Yes, I did miss you as well. I missed everyone."

Haldia looked back at Lin, a bemused smile on her face. "Believe it or not ... yes," she replied. "Life here is so different, it feels nothing like it did before. To be honest ..."

She paused, hesitating, and then added in a soft voice, "The thought of leaving and not coming back does not seem ... terrible ... to me."

Haldia blinked in surprise. "Rhea is not here?" she repeated. "That surprises me ... I had expected her to come with all of you. Where is she? Why did she not come?"

Rhea had been one of the few people who had spoken her language, even on the continent - it stood to reason that Haldia had been looking forward to seeing her again.

"Xion and Rhiannon," Celeb put in. He hadn't spent much time at the castle at all: he had been helping with the port. But he knew the names. "They will probably be a year old or more by the time we get back there."

Haldia smiled widely. "That is wonderful," she beamed. "I am happy for her. And if I cannot see her here, then I will simply have to visit her at her own home instead."

She clapped her hands together happily. "And that means that things must be going well at Amon Darthir! The old king is gone? And the sola?"

Haldia blinked at Lin. "Is he ... not doing well with being out from his father's rule? And what happened to the king? Where is he now?"

She was curious - mostly because she didn't want to be treated the same way she had the first time she had gone there.