Welcome to Gaia! ::

"I can't wait to meet them, myself," Earendil spoke up, his voice eager and his eyes bright. He took a seat on the ground beside Lin and the others and crossed his legs indian style. "I haven't seen my aunt since I was really little, and I don't remember her at all - and of course I haven't met Lore yet."

He felt he knew his aunt already, though, from all that everyone kept telling him about her. He had learned a long time ago not to trust what his father said, though, for if his father were to be believed then she would truly be a terrible person indeed.

"Reminds me of some of the schools I've been to, to help out in research, granted it's many buildings instead of one very large building, but it is easy to get lost. Most first year students are never on time for class for the first week as a result," Lore replied back.

At least the buildings were large on the foundations though it could be several floors up.

Earendil chuckled. "No," he replied, putting one hand on the top of her head, "not as small as you."

Luthien laughed as well. "I daresay you were twice her size, even when you were first born," she told him. "And you were even the smallest of the three of you ..."

She thought back to the first time she had met her sister-in-law and held her hand up to Serenity, about at her stomach. "I think you were about this tall," she murmured thoughtfully. Then she nodded certainly. "Yes. About that tall. Daeron wasn't much bigger, for all he was so much older."





Hearing voices in the hall, an elf only a bit taller than Elnara stepped out of one of the studies. His black hair was loose and went down his back, coming to a stop at about the same spot at his fingertips. His skin was slightly paler than any of the others they had seen so far, and his eyes were a soft brown, though his irises were barely distinguishable from his enormous pupils. They were the eyes of one who spent entirely too many sleepless nights reading and writing by firelight.

He was wearing robes that were very similar to Lore's - almost identical, in fact - but pale blue instead of green. Also similar to Lore were the inkstains that adorned his delicate fingertips and the callus that was on one side of his middle finger.

When he stepped out into the hall, he stopped and stared at the four who he saw. He didn't recognize any of them, but the woman ... looked very ... very familiar. Given the size of the children the adults were carrying, and the fact that he had never seen an elf like the man before (though he looked as if he belonged), he knew that they were from Gaia - and there was only one person he knew who had been born here and moved to live in Gaia.

"Elnara?" he guessed, his voice soft and deep.

Lore couldn't help but sort of stare back at the other elf, and he wondered if this is what most people saw when they saw him. It was somewhat looking back at himself, though the person in quesiton had darker skin and hair like Elnara. Well that and shorter ears, but otherwise it was very much the same.

He glanced at Elnara curiously.

The man smiled and nodded, repeating each name to himself as they were introduced. He chuckled at Idhril's enthusiasm, then bowed his head to Lore.

"Welcome to Tor Karad," he said warmly. "I am Mikhail, Elnara's youngest brother." He grinned at Elnara, his eyes sparkling mischievously. "You didn't recognize me, did you?" He laughed heartily. "I know, I've changed a lot. I was just a kid the last time you were here." He smiled again, and it was a sincere smile. "I'm glad you're back."




"As I recall," Luthien murmured thoughtfully, "Jin was very much like a regular human child ... save for his wings. I suppose he hasn't changed very much, either?"

She wasn't sure how much time had passed for the Gaians, but in the Four Lands it had been two decades since she had seen the infant.

"No..." Lin replied, "Jin hasn't had his stage growth yet," she replied, "But he grows like a normal baby Mommy says, I don't know what she meant by that."

To Lin, normal babies existed when they came from other people, but since Jin came from a painting and not from a person, she only had thought he would grow by stages too.

"She probably meant that he will grow slowly, over a long period of time," Luthien smiled. "Like humans do ... like the people of this world do."

At least, that was what 'growing like a normal baby' meant to her.




Mikhail couldn't help but chuckle at that comment. "To be honest," he admitted, "everyone's amazed they're together. He is - was - the most overprotective person any of us could ever name, and she, the most reckless. She's still reckless, in my opinion, but he's calmed down a bit ... enough at least that she doesn't deck him every time he worries for her safety."

Suddenly his eyes widened as if he just remembered something, and he shook his head slowly.

"I'm sorry," he said, "I just realized I left my ink open. Why don't you join me for a bit?"

And he beckoned for them to follow him into his study.