Welcome to Gaia! ::

Whisper nodded at Senka. "Saki lives on the ranch, Haven, the place that Lin's father started up," she said softly. "When the elves rescue the children from the dwarfs and humans, Saki helps the children remember how to be children. She is half butterfly, I believe. Perhaps you should ask Lin to take you there so that you can meet her as well."

Rhea looked intently at Lin. "Grooming is not the reason that you came here for training," she murmured. "You came for more than that."

It was the first time Kaito had met Rhea (it had been a very long time since he had been here, though Shiro came often enough) and he had to admit, she was rather impressive.

"Ah," Rhea nodded. "Well, I can help you, if you would like me to. Nako has been teaching me, even with wings, so perhaps I can help you with those aspects of balance that you have trouble with."

She pushed her chair back and moved behind Lin, and motioned towards her wings. "May I?" she asked.

Rhea smiled. "I'd just like to take a look at your wings," she said softly, "so that I can consider what kind of training you'll need to do, if that's all right."

She was very serious now, so different from the excitable child she'd been the last time anyone from Gaia had seen her.

"If you could just spread your wings," she requested.

Rhea carefully put one hand on one of Lin's wings, running her fingers over her feathers, and then she used both hands to stretch out the wing, measuring its span. For a moment, she just looked thoughtful, and then a set of wings sprouted from her back, the feathers the same type and weight as Lin's, her wings the same size in proportion to her body.

"I think this won't be too bad," she smiled, letting go of Lin's wing and letting her own vanish once more. "As wings go, they seem quite natural."

Rhea laughed softly and moved to return to her chair. "I'm sorry, I should make myself more clear," she smiled apologetically. "I meant, as far as wings go, they feel right. Not too big, not too small, and might actually be of use."

Valar knew, she had tried different kinds.

Rhea nodded. "Once you get used to them, you'll be fine," she smiled. "Don't worry so much about it. We can get started on it tomorrow, since of course it's far too late tonight."

"And as soon as you're finished eating," Adonai spoke up, "you'd best get to wherever you're staying for the night. You don't want to be caught outside too late, not right now."

Kaito narrowed his eyes slightly. "You said something similar-ish earlier. What's going on? You said you would tell us over dinner."

Adonai explained to the two the situation that Ahren had suspected and the idea he'd had to send out a second group, and how that left the area rather unprotected.

"Aerin's staying with Alyse, but other than that we've got rotating shifts for keeping watch," he concluded. "Unfortunately, that means that at night, it's not safe even for us to go outside. It's not like it's a shoot first, ask questions later mentality, but you don't want to be mistaken for someone you're not."