Welcome to Gaia! ::

When they arrived on deck, Roydon and Amalirahc were still at the wheel. The door to the galley was open, and Arwen and Leyenda could be seen in there, working on breakfast.

"Look, Miyuki," Earendil grinned. "We're out on the ocean now, see? No land."

He shifted her carefully so that he was carrying her in his arms instead of on his back, and pointed all around them. In every direction, there was nothing but water.

"This is the ocean," he told her. "There are many animals under the water, but we're the only ones traveling above the water."

Earendil chuckled and set Miyuki on the deck so that she could wander over to the rail if she wanted to.

"No," he told her gently. "There are no mers in this world, Miyuki. My world is very different from your world. We do not have the same races. But perhaps if we ask Leyenda very nicely, she could tell us what lives under the water. Would you like that?"

Perhaps not right now, as Leyenda was busy, but sometime on their long voyage.

"You bet there is," Earendil chuckled. "But come on, we need to grab some breakfast." He ushered her towards the galley. "This way."

On their way over, Amalirahc spotted them, and he broke into a wide grin and ran to join them.

"Morning!" he beamed, as energetic as ever despite staying up nearly as late as his parents. "Guess what, Miyuki! Maybe if we're lucky, we can even see dragons while we're out here! That's what Neko says! Isn't that neat?!"

"Mmhm!" Amalirahc giggled excitedly. "Sea-dragons! Mama says that the first time she went out on the Zephyr they saw a whole bunch of them and they even came up right up to the ship! So maybe if we're lucky we can see some too!"

"Amalirahc," Earendil spoke up, "have your parents taught you the Common Elvish tongue yet?"

Amalirahc looked up at Earendil and shook his head. "No, they said they were going to wait because there wouldn't be anyone for me to practice with," he explained. He paused thoughtfully. "But I guess where we're going, that's what they speak, isn't it?"

Amalirahc's eyes glowed a bright gold in the early morning sunlight. "Really?" he beamed. He grinned at Miyuki. "I always wanted to learn that language! Maybe Ada can learn with us, too! He doesn't know it either!"

The thought obviously delighted him.

"And maybe Mama can help teach us," he went on enthusiastically. "Because she likes to teach Ada new things, and Ada likes it when she teaches him new things, too!"

"In the meantime," Earendil reminded Lin gently, "we should get something to eat. Yes?"

They all needed breakfast, him perhaps most of all if he was going to have any energy to contend with Miyuki's seemingly endless store for the day.

Amalirahc grinned, absolutely delighted that they would think to invite him along with them, even if it was just breakfast.

"Yeah!" he said brightly. "Come on, I think Mama and Nako are making something yummy!" He took Miyuki's hand and tugged her towards the galley.

Earendil chuckled softly and put one hand on Lin's. "Sometimes he's so much like Leyenda was when she was young that it's scary," he commented with a grin.