Welcome to Gaia! ::

Lin's use of the word shades caught her a sharp glance from those within earshot, and only after a moment's reflection did Earendil realize that it probably wasn't a profanity in her own world.

"Even if it doesn't work," Luk added, a bit more cautiously now, "I think I know someone in Caras Galadhon who could concoct something to help him. A different sort of lenses, more specialized."

"You could always ask Shiro," Aethos pointed out. "He seems to have the answer to every question I can think to ask, whether about this world or your own."

"He does know an awful lot," Earendil had to admit. "He's done a lot of reading."

"Knowing him," Earendil agreed.

Just then, Alassëa lifted her hand from Andarien's eyes. "There," she murmured softly to the boy, folding her hands in her lap. "How do you feel now?"

Andarien opened his eyes slowly, cautious this time, and he blinked a few times before opening his eyes all the way.

"No more holes," he said softly, holding one hand out in front of himself and looking at it. He looked around. "But everyone is still glowy ..."

"Try this," Luk said, holding out his pair of black tinted lenses.

Andarien stared at the eye pieces. "What do I do with it?" he asked, confused.

The goggle-style lenses were so large on Andarien that they gave him an alien-esque look, for those who were familiar with the Gaian cartoon stereotypes. The black circles went from his cheekbones to above his eyebrows, and because his face wasn't quite big enough they angled back from his nose, making it look like his eyes were on the sides of his face, rather than the front.

He looked up at Lin and blinked invisibly behind the dark lenses. "Everything is dark," he said, his voice filled with wonder.

Andarien looked around cautiously, slowly, letting his eyes linger on people for longer than he ever had before. He still had to squint a bit when he looked at them, especially Lancaeriel and Iorlas, but behind the dark lenses it was impossible for others to see.

"It doesn't hurt to look at them anymore," the boy replied slowly, "but ... they're still ... kind of bright ..."

Earendil sighed a breath of relief. "That's a step at least," he smiled. "Maybe we can find something better in the future, but for now ..."

He hoped it would be sufficient, anyways.

"Well, for now, this will have to do," Earendil shrugged. "Shall we go back to the other wagon again? Or stay here, now that we're here?"

They would be traveling for a few weeks in the wagons, so it wasn't as if they wouldn't have a chance to talk to everyone for hours on end on this trip.

And indeed it was another two and a half weeks before the first green came into sight. During that time, much was discussed, including possible solutions for Andarien's eyes (which Shiro promised to look into immediately, and promptly began searching his tablet's information database for anything similar; though he did also remind Lin and Earendil that even if something did exist, it would have to be tailored to Andarien's specific need), and nothing more was learned about the newest member of their group, though she was very friendly and relatively open to their questions.

By the time the plantation came close enough that it was safe for the children to run ahead of the wagons, everyone's skin was a few shades darker, with the sole exception of Lancaeriel, who was still as pale as ever.

"I'll race you!" Amalirahc cried gleefully, jumping down from the wagon he was riding in and racing forward towards the trees in front of them as fast as his feet would take him.

River giggled and followed after him quickly. "You'll never win!" she teased him, her eyes sparkling brightly.

Andarien leaned over the edge of the wagon, though he knew he would never be able to race with them - not yet, anyways. "Go Miyuki!" he urged his sister. "Beat them fast!"

Though Amalirahc was tall for his age, he was still no match for River, who was a good three years older than him. It wasn't long before she caught up with him and passed him.

"I wish I knew where they got their energy," Emile chuckled, watching the children running off. The human hadn't weathered the desert travel as well as the others: while they had bronzed in the sun, he had burned everywhere that he hadn't covered, and even now, he was dripping with sweat.

"They're children," Lancaeriel laughed in reply. "That is all the explanation necessary."