Welcome to Gaia! ::

The journey home was uneventful, and a month later - the beginning of summer - they arrived in Namonuito. Arwen and Roydon and the crew remained there while the others - including Haldia and Celeb this time - continued onward with Haldia's roc and Kelirahc's dragon, and within another day they had arrived at Tor Karad.

As they walked through the city to get to the palace, they drew stares from just about everyone that they passed. Kelirahc and Haldia weren't new faces anymore, but Aethos and Luk were strange to the people: Aethos with his fiery hair and golden armour, and Luk with his round humanoid ears.

Luk just looked forward, a bored expression on his face, but Aethos stared right back at anyone who stared at him. Just as Earendil and Haldia had seemed strange when they'd first appeared in Amon Darthir, he was only now realizing that he was strange here, to these people.

Earendil chuckled at him. "You really couldn't visualize it, could you?" he asked.

Aethos shook his head. "To know it is one thing," he replied. "To see it is another."

When they arrived at the castle, the guards eyed the new strangers with suspicion in their eyes, but since they were with Earendil they could say nothing against allowing them into the castle.

"You're quite special, Luk," Earendil grinned at the man as they entered the palace. "You're the first person with human blood ever to enter this palace since it was built."

Luk blinked. "The segregation of the races is strong here," he said softly, realizing how important it was that he not cause any trouble here. "It is ... strange to me."

"Well, if it is true, what you say," Luk shrugged, "about the other lands having people of mixed races-"

He was interrupted by an excited squeal from just ahead of them, up the hall, and he looked up just in time to see Regan running at them all, arms outstretched.

"You're back!" she cried gleefully, pouncing on her uncle and hugging him so tightly around the neck that he started choking. "Welcome back, we didn't expect you to be gone for so long!"

Regan let go of Earendil, who started gasping for breath, and then knelt a bit to get closer to Miyuki's height.

"Wow," she grinned, her eyes sparkling brightly. "You've grown so much! I swear you're going to be taller than your mother soon enough!"

Further up the hall, Luthien, Tinuviel and Aranxia appeared. Aranxia had grown a bit in their absence, and now, at ten years old, was just a little bit shorter than Amalirahc. When the three women spotted the group, they picked up their pace - though none of them actually ran, unlike Regan. Excited though they were, they were able to keep their sense of decorum.

"I'm fine," Earendil assured Lin, rubbing the back of his neck - which was red and a bit raw from the enthusiastic hug from his niece. "She just took me by surprise so I wasn't prepared for her."

He could see that she was amused, but he didn't mind; to be honest, he was amused as well.

Regan giggled. "That's great!" she beamed at Miyuki. "You're growing up so quickly! You were just little when you left here ..."

Earendil chuckled softly. "So I've heard." He grinned at Lin. "We should probably head to the dining room to meet everyone before we take our things to our rooms," he suggested. "That way everyone can meet Elros and Alena and Aethos and Luk."

And greet Haldia again, and Celeb, since they hadn't been expected to come back with them either.

Regan giggled at Miyuki. "Yes, I'm told they even get snow," she winked. "But come on, I think I just heard Nana-tol say something about heading to the dining hall. I bet you're hungry after all that traveling."

She motioned for the child to follow her and started off towards the dining hall.