Welcome to Gaia! ::

"Then that would be the first time Mother's been speechless," Daeron chuckled. Then he paused before adding, "Father, though ... he's changed. He's ... different and I'm not sure how. Something ..."

"Mother doesn't know either," Earendil told him. "All she knows is that one day he started being more accepting of others and their choices. It seems no one can explain it."

Before they told the story of what had happened on the plantation, Daeron found a place for them to sit so that Iorlas could rest a bit. There was a marble bench in the back corner of the courtyard, next to the spring that fed the little book that passed through it, and it was there that they sat.

Two days after Serenity had returned from bringing the message to set Ioreth free to King Eregon and Queen Amalthea, Iorlas changed back to her true form for a short while, then taken her elven shape again. Within two more days, Ioreth had arrived, in dragon form and filled with fury. Before she could destroy anything, Iorlas had reverted as well and confronted her.

At this point, Daeron took up the narration from Iorlas, as it became too difficult for her.

She had taken the fight away from the plantation, and Ioreth, lost in her desperation for revenge on her sister, hadn't seemed to notice. Without going into too much detail, he told Lin and Earendil that though it had taken a long time, at last, Ioreth had been killed. Iorlas's wounds had been so bad that she'd had to remain in her dragon form until she'd mostly healed (as wounds always healed fastest in her true form) and only then had Lancaeriel had the opportunity to perform the spell that would change Iorlas into a true elf forever.

Unfortunately, the spell had taken quite a toll on Iorlas, and it was another week and a half before she'd even had the strength to attempt the trek through the desert.

"Gion and the others are still in the process of cleaning everything up," Daeron concluded finally, "and he estimated it would be another week or so before they finished. The plantation wasn't touched, but I think he means to collect as many of Ioreth's scales as he can. Dragon scales are rare and valuable, after all."

"As as their horns, and other parts," Iorlas added softly. "I had someone explain it to me once. At first I was disgusted that people would hunt us - dragons - for parts of our bodies, but after a while I suppose I just accepted it and defended myself."

Iorlas looked away, and Daeron put one arm around her protectively.

"I think we'd best leave that alone," he said quietly but firmly. It was after all a bit of a sensitive topic for Iorlas, despite what she said.

Earendil nodded and rose to his feet, then held his hand down to Lin. "We should check on the children," he said as an excuse for him and Lin to give Daeron and Iorlas some time alone. "Miyuki will be fine I'm sure, but who knows what Andarien is up to?"

He smiled at the others, and Daeron smiled back. Even Iorlas turned and gave him a small nod of gratefulness.

The trip back to the Borderlands was indeed uneventful, and by the time they arrived at Haven, Iorlas was almost feeling normal.

It wasn't hard for anyone to figure out just when it was that they were spotted approaching the ranch. As they came out of the forest, a shrill voice shrieked, "RIVERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Within moments, several people were on their way to welcome the travelers back from their trip. Alyse and Timaeus of course were among the first there, along with Jasmine and Brooke (who had been the one to shriek), and then others arrived.

"You've got to be kidding," laughed Elrohir when he saw that Earendil and Lin had a new little tag-along. "Let me guess. Unintentionally yours?"

Andarien stared at Elrohir, blinking in confusion from behind his dark-lensed goggles.

Andarien kept staring at Elrohir, making Elrohir laugh again.

"Hello," he grinned at his new great-nephew. "Welcome to Haven."

Andarien blinked again. "Haven?" he repeated, tilting his head slightly.

Elrohir smiled warmly. "Would you like me to show you around?" he offered.

Andarien looked up at his parents. "Is it okay if I go with him?" he asked, looking from Lin to Earendil and back.

Andarien turned back to Elrohir and nodded. Smiling, he held out his hand to his great-uncle and as they headed off, he asked, "Do you have mechanical stuff here?"

Earendil laughed loudly at that. He couldn't help it. Andarien just plain had a one-track mind.

When he turned around again, Haradhel had arrived to greet them as well. "Welcome back," she smiled warmly at them. "I hope you had a good trip and that things went well."

Haradhel chuckled softly. "Sounds adventurous. Let me help you get your things inside, then you can all wash and I'll make a big meal for us. You can tell us your story then."

Sure enough, that's what they did. As soon as Iorlas was clean, though, she went to bed, so her story was kept for her and Daeron to tell the next day.

All in all, it was nice to be 'home' again - as much as it was home to them, anyways. They stayed another few weeks, but eventually it was time for Earendil and Lin and their family to head to Gaia

"Miyuki, don't forget to help Andarien pack his bag," Earendil reminded her as they prepared to leave. "He's still not very good at that."

Of course, his bag wasn't runed like theirs were, so that was part of the problem. The other problem was that he was a little boy - organization was sort of beyond him, even if he was something of a genius when it came to mechanics and such.

Packing took them a while, but finally they were ready to leave.

"Where are we going this time, Ada?" Andarien asked after they'd bidden everyone farewell and were on their way to the portal. "Somewhere new?"

"New for you and me," Earendil agreed. "We're going to go to the place where your mother and Miyuki are from. And you, too, even though you were born here."

"Where is that?" Andarien asked curiously.