Welcome to Gaia! ::

Celebor chuckled softly at Naida and Ryu. "Hello," he said warmly to the little mermaid. "And thank you. Your hair is lovely, too ... very long and beautiful."

He grinned at Feng. "Mate?" he asked her simply.

Aras blinked up at Naida, then giggled and squealed a bit. "You're like Uncle Jair!" she exclaimed. "He's little like us too! Well 'cept you're different because you're a girl and he's a boy but that's so neat!"

Elnara laughed at Lore's assistants. They never ceased to amuse her, really. Then she slipped one arm around Lore's waist and started forward with him. It was much easier now that mostly everyone else had headed off somewhere else, and far quieter as well.

Feng giggled at that, as lovely as the idea sounded it wasn't going to happen any time soon. She shook her head, and smiled widely.

"No, I just wanted to have someone to raise, so I asked," Feng explained.

"It didn't stop her from going into nesting mode though," Ryu muttered under his breath.

"I said I was sorry..." Feng pouted at her brother.

Naida smiled brightly at the compliment before peering over Ryu's arm to see the other Second just like her. Well minus the fact that the other Second was elven not a mer. It didn't stop her from being excited of finding more people her size.

"Jair's fun," Naida nodded at this, "I share the fountain with him, sometimes we play tag."

Elnara moved forward with Lore easily through the room now that it was almost empty, and when she reached her grandmother she released Lore and threw her arms around her and hugged her tightly.

"Hello, Nako," she said warmly.

Celebor chuckled at Feng. "Fair enough," he grinned. "I have to admit, with how much time you spend with Aliya's kids, I'm kind of surprised that you waited so long."

Aras grinned at Naida. "Uncle Jair's a lot of fun," she agreed. "He was so funny when Mommy painted him, he had to work so hard not to squirm and mess it up!"

She giggled.

"But I can't swim yet, so I can't play with him in the water," she shrugged. "Someday maybe I can learn the same spell that Daddy knows so that I can breathe in the water, and then it doesn't matter if I can swim or not."

"I think it was seeing Adan all grown up," Feng mused thoughtfully, "He's so big now and by the time we get back he's probably not going to be a kid anymore!"

It seemed to make her pout but she cheered right up at the thought of introducing Aliya to Naida and vice versa.

"But I can't still play with you right?" Naida asked curiously, she didn't want to be alone after all, "Maybe we can play somewhere.... as long as it isn't too dry."

She didn't want to be too dry though she seemed to retain water very well for a little mer.

Celebor chuckled softly. "Adan is growing quickly, to be sure," he agreed. "Sort of hard to remember when he was a kid, even though it was such a short time ago."

He smiled. "Sure be nice to bring Naida there, won't it? I'm thinking I'll probably have to take Aras as well, even though I'd rather she stay with Niyana. It's just not a good idea for her to stay with Ruran if I'm not there."

Aras was about to reply to Naida when she heard her father's comment, and she pouted up at him cutely.

"It's not my fault Ruran's so grumpy!" she protested.


Elnara beamed at her grandmother. "Absolutely everyone is here," she told her excitedly. "Or mostly ... Celebor's wife didn't come, but he did bring one of their children."

She stepped back from the queen and motioned towards where Celebor was talking with Feng and Ryu.

Feng giggled at Aaras expression, "Grumpy huh? Maybe you should ask your Aunt Lin on how to deal with grumpy people."

She was teasing though, Feng didn't honestly believe that Lin still believed in the sugar concept. Though one never knew what went through Lin's head most of the time anyhow.

"Well if you have to bring her," Feng turned her attention back to Celebor, "Don't worry, there will be plenty of people there for her. Who knows, you should leave with her with Lin. She's been running around the Ranch since she was Aras' size after all."

"Well I'm not grumpy," Naida told Aras, "So we'll be alright playing right?"

She hoped so, though it looked like there was so much more to see and do around here. If only she could walk, but she couldn't yet, which kind of make her pout inside.

"Will you be joining us wherever the others went to," Ryu asked Celebor, "Or probably you want to say hello first..." he glanced over at Lore, Elnara and Atalya.

Lin hurried down one hallway making her way towards the studies where she knew Sir Valdemar worked in and Mikhail had when he was here. Which made her wonder, had he returned from his research? Or was he going to be one of those that had to be called back?

Atalya laughed softly. "Well, I think for now everyone will have to hold on to their bags, but there should be rooms ready in ... perhaps half an hour or so, and then they can all put their things away. It will be lunch time in an hour, so we're going to have to ask the kitchen staff to make more food ... and I will send out letters as soon as I can."

She smiled at Lore and Elnara. "So much to do ... I can't remember the last time I've been so excited about something, though."


Upstairs, Sir Valdemar was working in his study, but he was not alone. It was not Mikhail who was with him at the moment, however, it was young Prince Reave, who was home for the first time in a long time. The two were engaged in a discussion about one of the towns where Reave had spent the past three years.

The door to Sir Valdemar's study was wide open and inviting to anyone who wanted to enter.