Welcome to Gaia! ::

"Eh?"

Earendil rubbed his wrist gently, not because the thread had been tight, but because the sudden absence of the thread left a slight tingle.

"What do your father and grandfather have to do with it?"

"Well," Earendil grinned, "I can't say as I've heard of that before, but I think I like that. Very nice."

He ruffled Miyuki's hair affectionately. "And if she wants to make visible what we can't see, then I'm all for it."

"Me, leave?" Earendil blinked. "But I didn't ..."

But would it make a difference who had left and who had been left? To a child, the fact that they were alone meant they were left, even if they were the ones who had done the leaving.

Earendil chuckled. "And you think it's any clearer for any of the rest of us?" he asked her. "I mean ... yes, she came from your world, but ... she's spent almost her whole life here already, and we're going to be gone for who knows how long, still in this world ... and if we're going to be a family ..."

He trailed off uncertainly. Home was where the heart was, wasn't that the saying? But Lin obviously didn't think that this was the place for them to call home. In a way, he had to wonder ... where did that leave him?

But things were just beginning with them, and he knew he couldn't let himself hope for so much so soon.

Earendil nodded. "Travel first," he murmured softly in agreement. "Just ... keep in mind, there's really no way for Miyuki to have a sense of home yet. So perhaps we should just let it rest for now, okay?"

He offered her a small smile.

Earendil chuckled at Miyuki. "Yes, yes, we're going," he grinned. He smiled at Lin, then took Miyuki by the hand and led her towards the horses. The guards had already packed up the canopy, and were putting it and the bags back onto the cart.

"Mikhail," Earendil called to his uncle once he was by his horse.

Mikhail came over to him. "Yes?"

"Hand Miyuki up to me?" Earendil requested, letting go of Miyuki's hand. He mounted his horse, then held his hands down to his uncle.

Mikhail picked up Miyuki and set her on the horse in front of Earendil. "Up you go."

"It sure is," Earendil grinned, setting Miyuki on the horse - sideways, so that she wouldn't have to straddle it: that would be like doing the splits for her. Horses after all were quite wide, especially for children.

"Comfortable enough?" he asked her.

Once Lin was settled into the cart again and everything was packed and ready to go, they set out once more.

That night they camped by the river. They were a little over halfway to Phoenix Falls, making good time, despite the cart. By the afternoon of the second day they reached the city, and they spent the remainder of the day as well as the night there. Then it was another day and a half to Namonuito.

The city was bustling as always, but the crowds parted for the train of horses and the cart that made their way through the streets.

"We should probably see Arwen first," Earendil commented as they rode through the middle of the city. "Let her know we're here and ready to go when she is."