Welcome to Gaia! ::

"You're quite welcome," Laer smiled, extending her arm for him. In a way, for her, it was like helping Nadya re-learn how to walk after her accident, except that he wasn't as tall as her daughter, and Gion had helped Nadya more than Laer had. Still, it felt good to really be useful again.

She helped him down the stairs, and just as they were reaching the last few steps, the front door burst open and Sylvar, Laer's great-grandson, entered. at fourteen, he was a year older than River, and taller. His hair was cut short, like Gion's, and like his sister, his skin was browned from life in the sun.

"Oh," he said, blinking at Daemon and Laer when he saw them. "I guess that means you already know. Grandmama's gathering the guests in the yard, Father sent me in to ask you to fetch water for everyone."

"I'll need help with the glasses," Laer told him. "And the pitchers." As the boy scurried off to the kitchen, Laer glanced down at Daemon. "Will you be okay once we're done with the stairs?" she asked him. "I can take you outside if you'd like."

She could recruit some more help then, too.

"I hear some of our guests might be related to you," she added with a grin.

"Well, if you feel unsteady, just shout," Laer told him as they reached the main floor. "We're only a short distance away."

She made sure he was steady on his feet before she headed off to the kitchen to help Sylvar.

In the yard, there was so much commotion that for a moment no one noticed the strangely clad, bespectacled human in the doorway.

Andarien was staring at the grass as if it was something completely new to him (which it might as well have been, since he hadn't seen it since their time in the Westland). Ivy was talking to anyone who would listen to her, flitting from one group of people to the next, but most of the adults were resting in the shade of the trees that lined the yard, bordering it from the desert.

Nadya had invited everyone to help themselves to the apples she'd picked (after assuring Amalirahc that it would be just fine, since she had offered them now). Gion had shown up, and he and Galdor (his and Nadya's son) had brought the horses to the barns to rest, and put the wagons away. Galdor's wife had sent word that she was on her way, though she hadn't yet made an appearance.

It was Lancaeriel who first noticed Daemon, and she watched him curiously through her pale lilac eyes. She wasn't really participating in any of the conversation: though she was traveling with the group, she still didn't really feel like one of them, and she kept mostly to herself, when Iorlas wasn't speaking with her.

Earendil smiled and got back to his feet and followed after Lin, a few paces behind her. Daemon didn't look like he was very steady on his feet, and he wanted to be on hand in case the man needed help. On the other hand, he didn't want to get in the way as Lin was reunited with her grandfather.

Andarien was distracted from the grass at the commotion, and he stared openly at the man with the gold-rimmed lenses. They were different lenses from his, which he recognized right away. He wondered what they helped with.

Earendil stepped forward to help Daemon to sit down. He hadn't seen Daemon before, he had always given Lin privacy to talk to him, but he knew who he was, and he wasn't sure what to say to him. After all, the last time he and Lin had been on the plantation, they hadn't even been courting; and now they were married and had two children!

Earendil smiled at the man and bowed his head respectfully. "Likewise, sir," he replied. "I'm ... we haven't been formally introduced, I don't believe. Prince Earendil Aldrich, Gion's nephew, and Lin's husband."

It was a bit awkward for him, being addressed before they were introduced, but for all he knew maybe that was common in Gaia. Well and maybe Lin was a bit too excited or flustered to think about that at the moment, which, he reflected, was understandable.

"As it always seems to do," Earendil laughed. "Even without some people being married, there seem to be more children added to your family somewhere or other."

He grinned. "You should meet the children," he invited his grandfather-in-law. "I'm afraid they don't know about you - at least, Andarien doesn't, I don't know about Miyuki - and of course they've never met you."

He beckoned for Miyuki and Andarien to come join them, since Daemon wasn't in much shape to be doing any walking around himself. Andarien crawled over, his eyes on the brightly glowing man. There was a lot of magic in him ... and on him, too. Even with the dark lenses, he had to squint.