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"I hope so," Haldia replied with a grin. "Yesterday was not very good for him, and I want him to be able to enjoy his time here. Just as I am certain that you would want to make sure that your friends would enjoy a visit to your own world, if they were to go."

She hoped she wasn't putting ideas in Miyuki's head - she knew about the time differences between the worlds, and she knew that Amalirahc would never be allowed to travel between them.

Haldia smiled at Miyuki. "Yes. And since I do not know how long you are all going to be here, I would like very much for all of you to enjoy your stay here ... because you are all my friends."

She looked up as she spotted Celeb coming up on the deck, and from the ease of his movements she could tell that he had indeed been healed.

"Hi, Miyuki," Celeb grinned, waving back. "Haldia finally took pity on me."

"Pity," Earendil deadpanned.

Celeb rolled his eyes at Earendil, and Haldia laughed. "Come, Earendil, it was not pleasant for any of us when he was injured."

"I know," Earendil chuckled back. "He's just so easy to tease."

"Of course," Earendil chuckled clapping one hand to Celeb's shoulder. "Welcome back to the land of the living. Don't get yourself beat up again."

"Trust me," Celeb said dryly, "I wasn't planning on it."

Haldia giggled and put one hand on Celeb's other shoulder and rubbed it gently. "Now, now," she smiled. "You are all right." She looked around at the others. "So what shall we do tonight?" she asked them brightly. "Was there anything that you wanted to do particularly?"

Haldia nodded and looked at Celeb. "That is fine with me," she agreed. "Celeb, do you mind?"

Celeb shook his head. "That's one of the places that I didn't get to see the last time we were here because I was too young then," he replied. "I would love to see it. Kelirahc says it's a great place."

"It is," Haldia murmured softly, smiling warmly. "It is very peaceful there ... where so many people do not dare to come ..."

Usually.

She touched her mark, and her roc appeared on the deck of the ship.

Earendil laughed and helped Miyuki up, then gave Lin a hand up before climbing up himself. Celeb was next, and then Haldia, and then they were up in the air.

It didn't take them long to reach the volcano, and even before they arrived they could see the red glow of the lava in its mouth. Haldia brought them down near the base of the volcano, and then they all climbed down from the roc's back once more.

Earendil looked up at the volcano's rocky slopes. There were bushes here and there on it, and the odd flower - though the flowers were closed at the moment, and wouldn't reopen until morning.

Haldia looked at the flowers Miyuki was pointing at as her roc vanished into a shower of sparks. "Arenal. They close at night, but in the morning they will open once more. They are beautiful ... yellow and pink together on each petal ..."

Earendil smiled wistfully. "It makes me wish that we could have come here during the day," he murmured.

Haldia laughed. "You make it sound as if you will not have the opportunity," she grinned. "I am certain that we will be able to stay here long enough to see it open, if you like."

Earendil chuckled. It amused him, the way Miyuki looked to him for everything. Just as if he had always been her father, and not just since the beginning of their current visit.

"I'm sure we can," he said warmly. "For now, do you want to see inside the volcano?"