Welcome to Gaia! ::

"The names do seem familiar," Beren admitted, "but I have to say, I wasn't paying much attention when I was first here ... so I can't put faces to their names ..."

Arwen giggled. "They'll be happy to see you again, especially Halmir! Come on, this way!"

And she giggled again and darted forward into the darkness.

Arwen paused in her steps, peering over her shoulder to try to see Lin in the darkness.

"Lin, did you bring your orb?" she asked. "The one that Adanedhel made you the last time you were here with Shiro?"

"Around the corner and down the hall," Arwen corrected Lin, "but it's just easier with a bit of light." She sighed. "Fine, I'll make light for us."

And she began to sing softly, using the Wishsong to create a slight glow in the darkness so that they could see where they were going. She beckoned with one hand, unable to speak now, and started down the hall once more.

Beren smiled and followed after her.

With the light to help them, it wasn't long at all before they reached the door to Halmir and Arthael's quarters, and Arwen let the magic of her song fade so that she could breathe easily again, then raised one closed fist to the door and knocked.

It was only a few short moments before the door was opened, and Arthael, tall, dark, and scarred as ever, stood looking at them. A smile crossed her face and she stepped back to let them all in.

"Welcome back," she said warmly, her single violet eye shining brightly. "Come in, come in ... Halmir, we have guests!"

In one corner of the room, where there was a couch and table, Halmir looked up from where he was working with his now four-year-old son and grinned. "Welcome back!" he grinned at them. "Come on in! Come see what Timaeus is doing!"

The pride in his voice was quite obvious. Timaeus, about up to Lin's shoulders in height, dark-skinned and light-haired, his eyes a bright violet, rose from where he was kneeling and looked curiously at their guests.

Arwen and Beren followed Lin inside, and as Arwen smiled at Arthael and began to make conversation, Beren looked around curiously.

Timeaus stared at Lin, scratching at one dark ear curiously. He cocked his head first one way, then the other, and then he straightened it and asked bluntly, "Who are you?"

Halmir chuckled softly. "Don't mind him, Lin," he smiled. "He doesn't remember you ... and he's still learning about manners and tact."

"Three years," Halmir chuckled, the scars of his face twisting grotesquely as his eyes sparkled with laughter. "Yes, he was quite young the last time you were here. How have you been?"

Timeaus stared at Lin a moment longer, then lost interest and knelt at the table again, picking up a pencil and starting to work away on a paper before him.

Halmir coughed into his fist. "Ah ... well ... I tend to try to avoid the children," he reminded her gently. "After all, I ... do ... tend to be somewhat frightening, after all ..."

He motioned towards his scarred and disfigured face.

Timaeus looked up at his father, and in Common Elvish he murmured, "You're not scary, Ada ..."

Halmir chuckled softly. "I see your lessons with Elros are doing you good," he smiled. "Excellent. But you have to remember, Lin, that to children who have just been through a traumatic experience, and who are already frightened, seeing someone like me - especially when I'm fighting and angry - would be very frightening indeed."

Timaeus stuck his tongue out at his father. "You're only scary to bad people," he insisted. "Just like I will be someday!"

A light appeared in his violet eyes at the prospect of becoming just like his father when he grew up.