Welcome to Gaia! ::

One would think that it would be easy to find one of the few people who was different from everyone else there, but no. Shiro had never felt so short in his life. He couldn't see a thing!

"This is ridiculous," he muttered after having gone up to the wrong man for the third time. He jumped into the air and spread his wings, looking around for Leyenda instead. After all, Kelirahc was a real gentleman - he wouldn't leave her alone, would he?

From the air, it was easy to spot the couple, and Shiro grinned as he landed next to Lin again. "This way!" he urged her, grabbing her arm and running forward into the crowd.

"Sorry," Shiro apologized as he pushed through the crowd. "I don't want to lose him again ..."

Since even he felt lost amongst the crowd.

A moment later they squeezed between two of the Night Elven women, and there was Kelirahc, Leyenda clinging to his arm and looking slightly lost. They were talking with Haldia and one of the male elders, and Shiro wondered if it would be a good idea to interrupt.

Leyenda brightened up when she saw him. "Shiro!" she exclaimed. "Great! Now I can actually know what they're saying! Come here."

She grinned and motioned for him to come closer, and he looked at Lin and blinked. "I guess it's an invitation into the conversation," he shrugged. "Come on."

Shiro looked up at the group of Night Elves, and then back at Leyenda. "Um ... I think he's just telling them how you met, and how you took care of his arm," he murmured. "Hey Leyenda, do you by any chance know how old Kelirahc is? Lin and I are just curious ..."

Leyenda blinked at him, then looked down at Lin. "No," she replied cautiously. "Why?"

Leyenda blinked at Shiro and Lin. "Are you saying that you think he's who-knows-how-many thousands of years old?" she asked doubtfully. She might not know her husband that well, but she couldn't picture him being that old ... compared to Omarerd - even compared to the Elders, who didn't look old - he looked very young indeed!

Shiro shrugged. "Not necessarily. You know how old elves can get, perhaps he's a young member of one of the first generations. Although I wouldn't rule out that he could indeed be quite old."

Before Leyenda could protest further, he held up one hand and added, "I know it doesn't mean anything, really, but we're just curious."

Their discussion had attracted the attention of the Night Elves that were present, and Kelirahc spoke softly to Shiro. Shiro smiled and assured him that nothing was wrong, mentioning casually that they were just wondering how old he was.

When he received the answer, he turned back to Lin and Leyenda. "Seventeen," he nodded. "Leyenda, you're seventeen by now, aren't you?"

She nodded back, blushing slightly. "First day of the year," she told him.

Shiro chuckled. "Nice and easy to remember." He turned and spoke to Kelirahc again, and the Night Elf chuckled softly and squeezed Leyenda's hand.

Shiro looked down at Lin. "While we have his attention," he asked quietly, "should we ask him what generation he is? Or is there anything else that you want to ask as well?"

After all it would make more sense to ask now rather than later, when they would have to go looking for him again - though they were going to be here for a while, so more opportunities would arise, he was certain.

Shiro nodded and spoke to Kelirahc again, and the Night Elf's reply was brief and cheerful. Shiro smiled and turned back to Lin. "Third generation," he confirmed. "His grandfather was one of the Firstborn, and he was very old when Kelirahc's father was born, and Kelirahc's father was very old when Kelirahc was born."

He wondered if Kelirahc's parents were around here somewhere. It seemed a bit odd to him that they hadn't met them yet, but then he had no idea what circumstances might have kept them away.

Shiro nodded. "Looks like it. But that doesn't mean that everyone here is. I mean, if you look at the Aldrich family, there were almost twenty thousand years between the third and fourth generations, and now look ... Lothiriel, Leyenda, Arwen ... most of them are married before they're twenty."