Welcome to Gaia! ::

As they ate, Earendil looked over at Rhea. "So do you recognize this area?" he asked her. "Any idea how far we are now?"

Rhea thought for a moment. "Maybe an hour or two of flight?" she replied hesitantly. "It's different from the air. Probably another week or so walking."

"Not far then," Kelirahc smiled.

Leyenda just laughed. "Compared to walking, no. But we haven't been flying long."

"That's what happens when you can cover over two hundred miles in a single hour," Aurin quipped. "It turns our island into a stone in a pond, and it turns your great land into an island."

Once everyone was finished eating, Kelirahc and Haldia summoned their spirits and they got themselves packed up and got ready to go.

"Rhea?" Earendil smiled at her. "Would you like to lead the way?"

Rhea's eyes lit up. "Sure would!" she beamed, climbing up onto Skyel's back.

Whisper flew up to Skyel's back and allowed Rhea to strap her in as well. Once everyone had mounted up, they were off again.

As Rhea had predicted, two hours later, they were in the Borderlands, on their way over the mountain. As soon as the valley appeared below them, they could see some people walking around. Rhea pointed at different people, speaking excitedly to Aurin, but no one else could hear her, and no one else but Lin would have recognized anyone anyways.

As they circled lower, the elves on the ground spotted them and gathered in the clearing in front of Aliya and Amdir's house.

"Looks like they're excited to see us," Earendil chuckled to Lin as they circled lower.

By the time they landed, just about everyone from the valley, and even a few from the ranch who had seen them arrive at a distance, was gathered around them.

Aliya of course was one of the ones who didn't stand back, but who pressed forward to see who it was, and Ulani was not far behind her. And right behind them ...

"Rhea!" Shael squealed, running forward as fast as her bad leg would allow her. The moment Rhea was off Skyel's back, Shael wrapped her in a tight hug, and for a moment Rhea had to wonder if she was going to squeeze her to death.

"Mother," she laughed, "let me breathe!"

"Welcome back, Lin," Ulani grinned at Lin, holding up one hand to help her down. "What's all of this?"

"Not enough that we can put faces to names or anything, so I think that doesn't count," Ulani laughed. She hugged Lin as she reached the ground, and looked with surprise at Miyuki. "And who is this?" she beamed.

She jumped suddenly as Rhiel and the dragon disappeared. "Wait, where-"

She wasn't the only one who was amazed: everyone from the valley was staring, shocked by the sudden disappearance of the two great animals.

Ulani's eyes grew wide. "Dau- well, I think we have a lot of catching up to do!" She laughed. "I would imagine that you would want to head over to the ranch so that Leyenda and her family could meet her grandparents," she grinned.

She paused and looked over towards the forest. "Or ... it looks like some of them are already here."

Or rather, one in particular.

Aerin was rushing forward, sword bared, her green eyes bright with fury. She stopped dead, seeing the roc and not the dragon she was expecting. She lowered her sword, her expression turning bewildered. "Wha--"

Aerin stared at Lin as if she had grown a second head - and to be fair, Ulani's expression wasn't all that different.

Aerin stepped towards Lin. "I saw ... there was a dragon," she said, sounding very confused. "I know I saw one ..."

"Hey!" Leyenda called out suddenly, grinning at them. "That must be Aerin!"

Rhea had been in the middle of introducing Aurin to her parents, but at Leyenda's announcement, Aurin looked up sharply. He stared at Aerin, then put one hand on Rhea's shoulder and smiled at her. Rhea looked at him, then at Aerin, then looked back at Aurin and smiled and nodded.

"Yes," she murmured softly, "that's her."

Aerin's lips moved, but no sound came out, and she stared at Aurin, eyes wide.

"Cap ... Captain?" she breathed, her voice little more than a squeak.

Aurin smiled and knelt to one knee, bowing his head deeply. "Aerin-sol," he said reverently. "You do not know what a pleasure it is for me to see you alive and well."

Ulani's eyes narrowed, and she leaned over to Lin and whispered, "Sol?"