Welcome to Gaia! ::

"It will be fine," Haldia assured her. "The vines are quite strong. And if you do fall, look - there are many ferns here to soften your landing!"

She smiled and pointed to the lush vegetation that grew so thick the ground was hardly visible.

They never did end up finding the source of the water, and she had to come to the conclusion that it was a spring inside the rock itself, or else in the ground but forced up into the rock through cracks.

Eventually, it began to grow dark, and Haldia summoned her roc to bring them to the village, where they were to meet up with Celeb, Leyenda, Kelirahc, Roydon and Arwen.

"And now," Haldia grinned at Amalirahc and Miyuki as they soared through the air towards the large clearing where several fires were already visible, "you will see my home."

Earendil chuckled. "Yes," he grinned, keeping a close eye on her, ready to grab her if there was even the slightest indication that she might fall from the roc's back. "Just like our fires on the beach, yes?"

"I see Mama and Papa!" Amalirahc cried out, pointing down into the distant clearing. "They're already waiting for me!"

Earendil laughed. "Then you have better eyes than even I do, Amalirahc," he grinned. "I can't make out any faces yet."

"I am sure Amalirahc must have the sight of the Night Elves," Haldia grinned over her shoulder. "He can see very well in the dark, it seems."

Amalirahc beamed proudly. "Just like my papa!" he boasted.

Haldia laughed as she brought them to the ground at the edge of the clearing, away from any huts and fires. Kelirahc and Leyenda met them there, arms outstretched to catch their son as he hopped down from the roc's back.

Haldia smiled as she waited for Lin, Earendil and Miyuki to dismount. "Someday, I will have someone waiting for me just as eagerly," she quipped, making fun of the fact that she already had several people who would happily greet her in such a fashion.

Earendil noted Lin's glance and looked at her knowingly. "Looking for Celeb?" he asked her.

Haldia turned at the mention of Celeb's name, her roc vanishing in a shower of blue sparkles. "I do not see him," she remarked. "Kelirahc?"

Kelirahc grinned at Haldia. "Thanks for taking care of Amalirahc today. I owe you one."

Haldia laughed. "Oh, it was my pleasure. He is like family to me, anyways." She grinned at the boy, then looked back at Kelirahc. "Do you know where Celeb is?" she asked him. "We have not seen him, and you did promise that you would take him here with his parents ..."

Kelirahc nodded and pointed off towards the clearing where he usually summoned his dragon. "He went off with a few other guys, I think they were talking about some competition."

"Probably wrestling," Kelirahc grinned. "If I didn't have so many people to catch up with, I would be there right now with them. It has been a long time since I have had a good competition."

Haldia blinked in surprise, and in a suspicious tone, she asked, "Who did he go off with?"

Kelirahc thought about it a moment. "Well ... he was with Cald, Cald was showing him around a bit ... and then there was ... Krendren ... Spirraen ...Durin ..."

He trailed off, seeing the look on her face. "What?"

"I am not certain it is good that they are with him," she muttered. She slipped away into the jungle, intent on tracking them all down.

Kelirahc stared, then ushered Amalirahc towards Leyenda. "I think I'd better keep an eye on things," he muttered.

Earendil looked down at Lin. "Shall we follow?" he asked her. "Or should we stay here?"

Not that there were many people they knew, and to be honest he was a little worried about Celeb after Haldia's reaction - though he wasn't sure why.

Earendil didn't want to risk losing Miyuki in the dark, and he picked her up and carried her as he hurried after Haldia and Kelirahc.

It was only a few minutes to the clearing, and once they reached it, all of them stopped at the edge. The clearing was lit by a circle of animals - a wolf, a horse, a monkey, a bat, and others - that were glowing: clearly, they were spirits. There were elves standing around the outside of the circle as well, and in the middle of the ring were two men wrestling: Celeb and a Night Elf.

The elves around the clearing were whooping and cheering, egging the two men on, and the spirits seemed to be doing the same.

The two seemed fairly evenly matched. The Night Elf jumped at Celeb, but Celeb caught him around the middle and threw him over his shoulder. Turning around, he grabbed at the Night Elf, but the black elf managed to get a grip on Celeb and flipped him onto his back instead.

Haldia let out a breath of relief and leaned against a tree. "It looks as if my worry was for nothing," she murmured softly. "I am glad."

Earendil arched a brow at her. "What were you worried about, anyways?" he asked her.

Earendil set Miyuki on the ground and murmured, "Stay close."

Haldia smiled down at Lin. "Typical ... yes. Our people do not fight, usually, but wrestling is one or my people's favourite sports. There are often competitions, and sometimes even prizes."

She watched the fight for a moment. "Most of those men are the ones who have been ... hounding me," she explained finally, her voice soft. "I was afraid for Celeb ... if they realize that he also has been trying to give me a gift ..."

Haldia blinked slowly at Lin. "Should I?" she asked softly in reply. "Did you not see how Cald reacted yesternight, when he saw that Celeb was grown?"

She turned back to the fight, watching anxiously. "It is true that Cald is the more brazen of my suitors, but he is not the most dangerous."