Welcome to Gaia! ::

Once everyone was inside the house, Eldrin closed the door and barred it shut to keep it from blowing open in the wind.

"Welcome, everyone," he beamed at his nieces and nephews. "Take a seat. You children certainly look like you could use a rest."

The two-room house was indeed the same as ever. The room they were in was the main room and functioned as kitchen, living room, study and storage. He was motioning for the children to sit on a couch, though there was also one arm chair and a few chairs by the table as well.

"Do you need a drink or something to eat?" he offered, looking around at them all.

"Do you have something warm to drink?" Andarien asked, sitting next to Miyuki and crossing his legs. He settled Eon in his lap, and the Eevee circled for a moment, looking for a comfy position, then laid down and snuggled against Andarien's knee.

"I can warm up some mead," Eldrin offered.

Andarien nodded. "Yes, please." He stroked Eon softly.

"Nothing for me, thank you," Earendil spoke up when his uncle looked at him.

Eldrin nodded and turned to Lin.

Eldrin nodded. "One hot mead then."

He moved to the kitchen area to prepare the drink. "So, Earendil tells me you're all going to go off on another trip. Looking forward to that?"

He poured some mead from a pitcher under the counter into a small kettle and put that over the fireplace. He lit the fire to warm the mead.

"Any idea how long you'll be gone, or how big that continent is?" Eldrin asked curiously.

Earendil shook his head. "Our only contact with that land is Luk, and he's never left his own country," he answered. "So no, no idea how many countries or how big the continent. I have heard from some people who fly near it that it's far larger than the Southland, at least."

The shutters over the windows rattled suddenly as the storm finally hit. The wind was very strong now, and rain began to pelt the house. There was a rumble of thunder, not very loud yet, but it was a long rumble, lasting several seconds.

Andarien froze, his eyes wide.

"N-n-nana," he stuttered, his entire body tense. "Wh-wh-what was th-th-that?"

"B-b-but what are they?" Andarien whimpered as the rain fell harder, making it also louder.

Earendil sat next to Andarien and put one arm around him, and Andarien turned and pressed his face into Earendil's side. Eon however was still fast asleep.

"Rain is water falling from the sky," Earendil murmured, rubbing Andarien's arm comfortingly. "That's how most places get the water that they need - for crops, for drinking ... it's what supplies the streams and lakes and rivers."

There was another low rumble of thunder, and Andarien whimpered and pressed himself deeper into Earendil's side. "And thunder?" he squeaked.

Earendil smiled. "Nothing but sound. I know it sounds scary, but believe it or not, it can't hurt you."

"Lightning," Eldrin spoke up, referring to Lin's comment about thunder. "When lightning strikes, we see the light first and then hear the thunder a few seconds later."

"Lightning?" Andarien asked again.

Earendil smiled. "A flash of light. Nothing more."

"I wouldn't worry too much about mud, Miyuki," Eldrin smiled at his great-niece. "Mud requires dirt, and most of the city is pure stone. Puddles, yes. Mud ... not so much."

He came back to the living room. "Would you like to see what's going on outside?" he asked Andarien softly. "Perhaps if you see it, you won't be afraid of the noise of it."

Andarien looked at Earendil, then at Lin, and then at his uncle. "Is ... is it safe?" he asked hesitantly.

Eldrin chuckled. "We'll look from a window, that's all," he promised.

Andarien's eyes grew wide. "Really?" he breathed. "Neat!"

He picked up Eon, who mewled in protest, then put him down on the couch and ran to join his uncle at the window.

Eldrin chuckled and opened the shutter. "Climb up on the chair so you can see better," he told Andarien.

Andarien dragged the arm chair closer and climbed up on it and peered outside. The rain awed him, and when there was a flash of lightning he was just plain amazed.

"Wow," he breathed.

Then came the thunder, and Andarien couldn't help but flinch. Of course, it was a bit louder now that the window was open, so that didn't help things.

Eldrin encouraged Andarien to keep watching out the window, then returned to his other guests.

"There hasn't been a storm - or rain, for that matter - since before Queen Atalya took over," he commented, checking on the mead. "As I recall ... actually the last rain was the day before Queen Regan was assassinated. Most people don't remember rain now ... many of them have never experienced it. Of course, I'm sure you see storms and rain often enough on your travels."

Earendil nodded. "From time to time. Fortunately, we've never lost anything because of one ... though we did, last year, lose our tents and a few belongings to a sand storm at Uncle Gion's plantation."