Welcome to Gaia! ::

Serenity slipped her shoes off as well without letting go of Gaunt's hand. "Things will be fine, you'll see," she assured him once more, leading him towards the kitchen.

The kitchen was a fair size, with a dinner table in the middle of the room and six chairs around it. There was a chest in one corner, and a long counter that filled one wall. A thin door was in the far wall, and what was beyond it was nothing but darkness.

"Take a seat," Ulani smiled warmly. "What would you like to drink? Cider? Milk? Ale? Wine?"

"Wine for me, please," Serenity smiled, taking a seat at the table. "Red, if you have it."

Ian kicked off his shoes and hugged Prince back. "So let's just go to the kitchen and get something to eat, mkay?" he grinned.

"Cider for me too, please!" Ian stuck his hand up in the air and waved it around energetically.

Ulani laughed. "Right. I'll be right back, then." And she headed towards the dark door and down a set of stairs.

Serenity danced two fingers across the back of Gaunt's hand. "I don't like the cellar," she smiled while they waited for their hostess to return. "It's always cold and dark. Not wet, but still not one of my favourite places."

Ian grinned up at Prince. "I bet we'll have loads of fun here," he nodded. "Specially when we go to the ranch, Mom says there's a lot of fun stuff to do there!"

Serenity looked back into Gaunt's eyes, but she couldn't help but giggle. "Are you saying I'm young?" she challenged him, shifting so that she was facing him squarely. "Chronologically, I can agree with you, but physically ..."

She raised one eyebrow and leaned forward slightly, staring at him.

Ian grinned and lay back on the table, hands behind his head as a pillow. "I bet they are," he nodded wisely. "Mom says people here are nicer than back home. At least, mostly."

Serenity kissed him back briefly and giggled. "It's a good thing for you that age doesn't matter a whole lot with us Seconds," she teased him; and then she kissed him again and sat back in her chair.

Ian looked thoughtful at Prince's suggestion. He hadn't thought about Serenity and Gaunt living together - though he had to admit that the idea did appeal to him. After all, the two of them obviously liked each other a lot - and he and Prince were best friends. And there was lots of room here for them to play, and good food for Prince (he wasn't quite sure of the problem but he did know that Prince wasn't eating like he should).

"I think it would be great," he grinned. "Maybe Gaunt would let you learn bow then, too!"

Just at that moment, Ulani returned, and of course with her elvish hearing she hadn't missed a word that had been spoken during her absence.

"You two remind me of me and Ulrich," she winked at Serenity and Gaunt. "But don't let me stop you."

She laughed softly and headed to the counter to pour their drinks.

Ulani laughed. "It's kind of hard to explain," she grinned at Gaunt, turning to bring the cups of cider to the table first (she knew after all how impatient young boys could be). "Though ... we are described as still being like newly-weds, despite the fact that we've been married ... wow, a long time." She laughed again.

Serenity giggled. "I say it's true," she admitted. "You'll see when Ulrich gets back ... from wherever he is."

"Oh, he'll be back shortly," Ulani assured them, "I think he just went to see how the ranch was faring for supplies, he's always back by noon."

She looked out the window. "Any time now."

Ian giggled. "Thanks!" he grinned at Ulani, reaching for his cup. Then he turned back to Prince. "Well maybe if you and Gaunt come live with us at the clan grounds," he suggested, "you could have a bow there! We gots an archery range, for Grandma and Grandpa and some of my uncles!"

Serenity blushed, though her smile just grew wider. She agreed with him wholeheartedly ... and she knew for a fact that once she married, she would be married for life - simply because that was how she was raised, but also because that was the kind of love she wanted.

But was it too early for her to hope for that with Gaunt, wasn't it? She wasn't sure.

"Anyone who has what Ulani and Ulrich have is blessed," she murmured, squeezing his hand back. Her eyes sparkled brightly as she looked into his, conveying the message she was too shy to say aloud: that she hoped for the same thing he did.

Ian grinned. "I bet he is! If he moves in with us, he can take the portal to school every day, just like Mom does, and he wouldn't have to worry about long walks or bad weather or anything!"

He looked thoughtful. "But maybe ... maybe if he can't leave, maybe you can stay with me," he suggested. "Mom wouldn't mind, and you could even go to school with me to learn in my classes and stuff!"

Ulani brought two glasses of wine to the table, then sat across from Gaunt and Serenity. "At any rate," she grinned, watching the two of them shamelessly, "it's nice to have a visit from new members of the family. Celebor still hasn't brought anyone from his family here, and I hear Idhril has her own family now ..."

She looked at Serenity pointedly. "And your mother hasn't been here since she and your father got married," she added. "Tell them to come back and visit again, will you? I hear they went to the Southland recently."

Serenity nodded at Ulani. "I'll be sure to tell them," she assured her. "Oh, and speaking of visits ..."

She turned back to Gaunt, blushing faintly. "We should probably visit Mama and Papa before we take you back home," she murmured. "Mama's been itching to meet you. Ian sort of let slip that we had quite the date last weekend."

Ian beamed brightly. "And if that works okay, maybe I can come and live with you for a bit, too!" he suggested. "Then I can see where you live to and come to some of your classes!"

He giggled and lifted his cider and drank some of it.

Suddenly there was the sound of a door opening and closing, and a rich male voice called out something in elvish. Ulani laughed and called back in English, "Because we have guests. Come to the kitchen."

A moment later, a tall elf, about seven feet tall, appeared in the doorway. He had long blond hair and was dressed in deerskins, and his skin was bronzed from years of hard work and sunshine. Yet his eyes, a bright blue, seemed very youthful, and he grinned at the four guests that he spotted at the table.

"Well now," he grinned, folding his arms across his chest, "doesn't this look all cozy." He headed over to Ulani and kissed her on the top of the head, then turned to Gaunt and held out one hand for a shake. "Ulrich," he introduced himself with a grin. "Pleased to meet you."