Welcome to Gaia! ::

Lancaeriel smiled softly at Miyuki. "Well, it does no harm to ask, does it?" she pointed out kindly. "And who knows? Perhaps you will meet more people between now and the time when you might someday go there, and one of them might be willing to go with you. No one can know for certain what the future brings, after all."

She said this knowing full well that the palace in which they were standing was ruled by a family of Seers.

Earendil grimaced. "We would definitely need to bring someone who would be able to deal with such a thing," he agreed. "Though we could also tell Ninako about what we know so far about the place and see if she thinks it would even be worth visiting and getting familiar with."

After all, if there was no possibility of trade or anything, it would almost be a wasted expense - and expensive it would be, to send a ship to such a place.

If the question took Lancaeriel by surprise, she didn't show it.

"I came here to visit with everyone, to get to know all of you," she smiled. "Iorlas was kind enough to invite me, and Their Majesties extended their own welcome. Actually, they invited me to stay here at the palace until I leave the city with your group, but I do enjoy my stays at the inn. The innkeepers are lovely people."

"Wherever it is," Earendil added to Lin's comment. It reminded them that they really had no idea yet where this place was even located. They could make no plans until they found that out.

"So I hear," Lancaeriel giggled softly. "And I look forward to meeting everyone and getting to know them. I already know that it is quite a diverse and interesting group: it only remains to find out just how diverse and interesting everyone is."

She eyed Daeron, who seemed to be trying to convince Iorlas of something. "And I think I may like to begin with the man who seems to have had such an effect on my old friend."

Her cool gray eyes were filled with curiosity, and she made no effort to hide it.

The pale woman's eyes sparkled with amusement. "Iorlas had always intended to remain alone ... yet this man has awakened in her a desire not only to be with him, but to change who and what she is ... forever."

She was clearly a discreet woman, saying what she wanted to, giving hints as to her meaning, without being overt about any of it. In other words, her words were as clear as mud, except to someone who knew what she was talking about.

Lancaeriel laughed softly. "I sincerely hope so," she smiled widely. "I think that there is nothing that would make Iorlas happier ... and little that would please me more than to see such a destiny for her. I know of no one who deserves such happiness more than her."

But as she had said only a moment before, no one could predict the future for certain: she could say all she liked that Iorlas would become Miyuki's aunt, but it would not be a certainty until and unless it actually happened.

"I look forward to that," Lancaeriel agreed, bowing her head slightly to the child. "Until later, then."

She smiled warmly at Miyuki, then headed over to where Daeron and Iorlas were talking.

Andarien looked up at his parents, finally understanding something that had been said.

"Lessons?" he repeated the word in the Common Tongue. Then he switched back to Common Elvish, his language of preference. "Me too?"

He liked his lessons - other than in languages.

Andarien stared at Lin blankly. She was again using the language that the boy was really beginning to despise because of how often it was used when people knew he didn't understand it.

Earendil saw the frustration on his son's face, and he put one hand on his shoulder to calm him.

"Perhaps we should begin with language lessons again," he suggested softly. "Though I do believe it would be good to start him on some physical lessons as well."

Alassëa was walking with Aethos, her arm linked with his, and the two had already left the dining room and were on their way down the corridor. Her falcon was on her shoulder, her staff in her free hand.

Earendil nodded his agreement to Lin's suggestion. "And I think for Andarien it's probably best to have his physical lessons after his language lessons - he'll have a way to vent his frustrations."

Andarien perked up at the sound of that. "Physical lessons?" he asked eagerly. "What does that mean?"