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"While I can understand that," Earendil laughed, "you also need to remember that I'm seventy seven years old already. My family has been wanting me to get married for a good long while. I might have some trouble with my father accepting a daughter-in-law who is so different from what he would expect, but that would be in. Mother would scold him and welcome my wife to the family while Father stewed over what he would see as mixed blood ..."

He chuckled. "I'm actually kind of curious to see how Kelirahc will handle him."

Earendil laughed. "Say what you will, I still say I want to be there and see exactly what happens. I think it will be fun, if only because Leyenda will be very defensive, and Kelirahc, although he's very polite, doesn't hesitate to speak his mind and speak up for what's right."

That was something Earendil also admired about the man. He didn't let anything get in the way of letting someone know when they were out of line - even when it was his best friend.

Earendil nodded slowly. "Though ... I have to admit ... if we see just one more island on this trip, I'd kind of like to go home for a while," he admitted quietly. "We've been gone over two years now ... and who knows how much longer we'll be gone? We can always take another trip, after all ... but I'd like to see my family for a while ..."

For the first time, he was beginning to feel the first vestiges of homesickness. It surprised him, he had never thought to feel it before ... but as much as he wanted to see the rest of the world, he wanted to see his family again even more.

He smiled faintly. "Little Regan won't be so little anymore by this time, I'm sure," he murmured. "And who knows what else might have changed? In this amount of time, she might not even be an only child anymore. Who knows?"

"Which, knowing your family, is entirely possible," Earendil agreed, "though if you think about it, even though we've been gone two years, it's probably only been a matter of weeks for them. Don't forget, I've been on this side of the time shift for my whole life, I'm pretty good at guessing the passage of time by now."

He grinned and winked at her. He had been counting, after all.

Earendil chuckled. "True enough."

He looked up as they arrived back at the flets. "Well, here we are," he smiled. "Let's go tell them the good news ... a flyover and we're ready to go."

He didn't know if the others would want to go, but those on the beach would definitely be getting antsy.

Earendil caught the ladder before it could land on either of them, and then lowered it to the ground safely. "After you," he grinned at Lin.

He was starting to feel excited. Even though he knew it was the beginning of more work for him, he wanted to see the next place they would visit.

Earendil laughed as he followed Lin up to see Kelirahc, Leyenda and Haldia chatting together. Shiro was nowhere in sight - surprise surprise - but his bag was on the corner of the flet, indicating that he couldn't be too far away.

"Yes, Senka," he chuckled, sitting next to Lin and reaching out to pet the cat. "Fish. As soon as we get back to the beach. But there is one stop on the way, if no one minds ..."

Leyenda spotted Earendil and Lin, and she waved them over.