Welcome to Gaia! ::

"Trisha is our elder sister," Ryu explained, "She was one of the first Seconds created, and the first to grow up into adulthood. Mother had found the world just as it was being created."

Feng giggled, "It was funny because Mother didn't know the vase had a Second in it, and she put it on display thinking it was a normal vase."

Aliya was confused now. "So you guys come out of vases, instead of from parents?" she questioned, wondering even as she asked if that was even possible. "There's got to be a third party involved somewhere, hasn't there? They can't just come into existence on their own ..."



Elros chuckled - he couldn't help it. "Well, they would take it back to their homes and spend it there," he explained. "Sometimes they don't want it to spend it, it's just a status symbol, something that makes people respect them."

Lin thought the second reason was weird, at least she thought so. She overheard her Daddy talk about the clans a lot, clans were respected for what they did in their fields and if they were good at it. Sure there was a lot of places that the clans owned, but only because it meant they were good at keeping together and doing their jobs.

"But doesn't the whole respect thing only count if you're good at a real job?" Lin asked.

"For the most part, though...." Feng looked thoughtful, "Mother always seemed to know what gender the child was going to be, she rarely doesn't know except when Jin was born, but Jin isn't a Second. I don't know how she knew."

"Maybe she asked," Ryu replied, "It's not like the goddesses isolate themselves from us."

Aliya was impressed. "Your deities live among you?" she asked excitedly. "That must be exciting! I want to live with the Valar someday. Mum and Ada won't talk about it, they're not allowed to, but I know it was great. It had to have been."



Elros wasn't sure what a clan was, but it didn't stop him from answering Lin's question.

"A noble family is like a royal family," he replied. "Or Lords or the like. Lord Elrohir, for example, is nobility, and because of it, so is his wife, Lady Haradhel. Knights are also a sort of nobility, though of a lesser degree."

He spotted one of the guards just ahead and moved swiftly towards him for his report.

Lin studied the guard wondering if it was someone who she had met or not, probably not. After all she had only met two of the guards so far. Though she had to think even harder about this idea of a noble family. That was different she supposed than the clans unless you came from the main branch.

"Oh...." she murmured, "I get it.. I think."

"Oh..." Feng murmured, "I didn't know that, I can't imagine the goddesses not being there."

She mused on this thought for a while.

"I think it's just something we take for granted, but then again," Ryu shrugged, "Like I said, we're new, there aren't enough of us yet and only Yue has had kids."

"To be fair, the Valar lived with the elves almost until the Second Age," Aliya shrugged. "The elves had the choice of going with them or staying here ... either that or they originally lived there, and had the choice of coming here. I'm not quite sure on that count."



Elros smiled faintly. "There are many who believe as your father does," he agreed. "Being in a position of authority, or being someone who has an abnormal amount of respect, places one more in the public eye. It's something that can't be avoided, whether or not they like it."