Welcome to Gaia! ::

"Lancaeriel?" Luthien supplied for Miyuki. It was a difficult name to remember, she would readily admit. "She is here, though we rarely see her. She keeps herself very busy. To be honest, I'm not sure what she's always doing, but she insists that she's happy."

Andarien fidgeted slightly as the conversation turned to Lancaeriel. He had never really looked at her, and couldn't even say what she looked like: she was simply too bright for him. Even now, with his goggles (which had stopped all the glowing so far), he was nervous to be in her presence again.

Luthien thought about it for a moment. "Well ... we just finished breakfast, so ... I would guess either with Sir Valdemar, out in the gardens, or in the city. She usually goes to her room first, so you might be able to catch her there, too."

"Would you like me to take your bag for you, Miyuki?" Earendil offered.

Earendil slung Miyuki's bag over his shoulder with his own and chuckled at her warning to Senka.

"I'm sure she'll be fine," he assured Miyuki. "Off you go, now. Be good."

"See you later, Mi!" Andarien grinned.

Lancaeriel had just left her room, as Luthien had predicted, and, with a book tucked under one arm, was heading down the hallway in the direction of the library. She had been spending quite a bit of time reading through the ancient books of late, and would frequently discuss them with Sir Valdemar at some length, when he was available.


Meanwhile, the others were just arriving at the dining hall, where they would wait until their rooms were ready for them to put their things away. They didn't have to wait at all before they met anyone else though: Daeron and Iorlas were still at the table, though their dishes had been cleared away, and it seemed that they were in the middle of a debate.

"I tell you there are," Iorlas was saying when they entered. She had her back to the door, but even so it was clear to see that physically, she was not much altered from the last time the group had seen her. She was wearing more colourful clothing now, and her hair had been put up rather nicely, but aside from that she seemed quite the same.

Daeron had cut his hair so that it was short and neat again, and for the first time in a very long time was wearing princely clothes rather than travel clothes. There was a sparkle in his eye and a grin on his face as he leaned closer to Iorlas and waggled one finger in her face.

"I tell you, on my life, that there are not," he told her. "And furthermore - oh! Look! They've returned!" He straightened up and grinned at the guests. clearly happy to see them again. "Welcome back, all!"

Iorlas twisted around in her chair to see who he was talking to, and her eyes lit up brightly when she spotted the group.

Lancaeriel turned at the sound of her name and smiled at Miyuki. "Hello, Miyuki," she greeted the girl warmly. "Welcome back. I hope your visit home was good."

She shifted the book so that she was holding it with both hands. It was a rather large book, and quite heavy, and it simply easier for her to hold.

"You were looking for me?" she asked, tilting her head slightly, wondering why Miyuki would be looking for her.


Iorlas laughed softly at Lin's reminder of their debate, and even Daeron had to chuckle a bit.

"Horses," he replied. "She insists that the horses bred in the Borderlands are not the fastest in the Four Lands, but I will not let her say so. I've seen those horses run - and many others - and even hearing from other people, the consensus is that the Borderlands' horses are the fastest."

"You've not seen all that I have," Iorlas reminded him in a teasing tone.

"Nor have you seen our horses run," he reminded her back. He looked over the group again and spotted the mers, whom he had not seen in a very long time. "Hey! You three came as well this time! Welcome!"

Iorlas rose to her feet so that she could greet the mers properly. "Hello," she smiled warmly at them. "I'm afraid we've not yet been introduced."

"Ah, yes," Daeron chuckled. "Allow me. Feng, Ryu, Naida - my wife, Iorlas."

Andarien grinned triumphantly. "I was right!"

"I'm just going to the library," Lancaeriel explained, turning and continuing in the direction she had been walking. "You're welcome to join me."

Daeron chuckled. "Thank you. And I only hope that it's all you've dreamed of. Unfortunately for most of us, all we can see is the top of the ocean, so other than telling you that it's big, I can't say much."

"There's plenty of life under the water," Iorlas spoke up, looking up at Daeron and slipping her hand into his. "It's just difficult for most people to have the opportunity to see it."

"I did say most of us," Daeron defended himself.

Iorlas just laughed.

Lancaeriel arched her eyebrows at Miyuki as they approached the library. "About magic?" she repeated softly, and though her tone was slightly surprised, there was nothing condescending about it. "Well, Miyuki, I would be happy to assist you in any way that I might ... but ... I'm afraid you I may have to ask you to be a bit more specific ... to ask about magic is the same as to ask about life. There are so many aspects, so many intricacies ... no one can know everything about magic, and to attempt to do so will only suffocate you."

They arrived at the library, and Lancaeriel set the book down on the large study table. "Is there something in particular that you would like to learn?" she asked, turning and facing Miyuki properly.


Daeron grinned. "Then we'll have to ask Luk once he arrives again about the underwater elves. See if he has any more information about them."

"At any rate, the lot of you should get settled into your rooms," Luthien spoke up again at last. "We'll have plenty of time to talk later, but your bags must be getting heavy, I'm sure, magic rune or no magic rune."

"As for us," Daeron announced, spinning Iorlas around as if they were dancing and then catching her in his arms and making her blush, "we're going to go for a short walk. We'll see all of you later."

"Bye!" Andarien beamed as his uncle and his new aunt left the dining hall, hand in hand.