Welcome to Gaia! ::

"I bet this place lasts forever," Andarien quipped looking it over as they walked towards it.

"Since we had the opportunity," Aranxia explained, looking around at the others, "we designed it with plenty of room for guests, just in case." She grinned at her parents. "Of course, we had no idea we'd be having guests so soon."

Regan was still looking around in awe. "You really weren't planning on coming back, were you?" she asked softly, sounding almost hurt by the idea.

"Yes, Aunt Lin is right," Aranxia smiled at her sister. "We were going to go back to the Southland when the ship sailed ... but ... yes, we do hope to live here. This is where there is true freedom. True peace. Purpose."

She was the first person to reach the front door, and she held it open for the others to go inside first. "Of course, I have to admit, I was anxious about how soon we might return here," she admitted. "It would be too much to ask Arwen and Roydon to come back within a short time ..."

"There's that," Aranxia agreed, "but Aennan also has his work here ..."

"And my family," Aennan added quietly, following the others into the house. "Galanna won't be around forever, and when she's gone, I don't want to look back and say I could have had more time with her."

"Galanna?" Luthien asked curiously.

"My brother's wife," Aennan replied. "She's human, and she's dying. It could be years, but it could also be any day."

"Though since you're all here," Aranxia murmured thoughtfully, looking at her family, "I don't know if we'll be returning at all ... I mean ... it would be wonderful to see Ninako again, and introduce Aennan ... but we can do that any time. Galanna also feels like a sister to me, too - I spend every day with her, doing the paintings for Aennan's books - and I don't want to lose any time with her, either."

Aranxia's parents looked saddened by the statement, but Aranel smiled through his disappointment.

"It's a good thing then that we brought all your things," he said innocently, winking at her.

"Well, we spoke quite a bit with Aennan and Lancaeriel," Tinuviel explained, "so I think we had a fairly good idea of what to expect when we came here."

Aranxia turned to Aennan and looked at him through narrowed eyes. "Exactly how much did you talk with my parents?"

He smiled innocently. "Oh ... every week. A few times. For an hour or two. Or three."

If it had been Luthien or Ulani instead of Aranxia, Aennan probably would have gotten a smack upside the head at that point; but Aranxia was different from her grandmother and distant cousin, and all she did was laugh and shake her head at her fiance.

"So where is the wedding going to take place?" Regan asked, looking around. "Here?"

Aennan nodded, albeit a bit uncertainly. "Yes, that was the plan," he agreed hesitantly, "but ... there are many more people now whom we would like to invite, and Lykor and Galanna's house is far too small for that. Our house would be a good size for it, but then there is the problem of how to get Galanna out here and back safely ... she could never walk that far, and it's impractical to carry her ..."

He looked at Aranxia thoughtfully, and she looked back at him. She didn't have any ideas.

"May I make a suggestion?" Ruel spoke up for the first time since coming through the portal.

Ruel kept his face expressionless, and, more or less ignoring Lin, he looked at Aennan and Aranxia.

"Can she ride a horse?" he asked them.

Aennan shook his head. "But even if she could, we don't have one," he said apologetically.

"And it would be quite troublesome to rent a horse and cart for a day," Ruel mused aloud. "But perhaps ..." A thoughtful look came over him, and he trailed off for a brief moment. Then he said, "Why don't you plan on having it here," he suggested, "and leave me the issue of getting your sister here? I'll come up with something. I promise."

Aranxia's eyes lit up, and she hugged her grandfather tightly. "Thank you, Neko," she murmured.

Ruel's eyes softened, and he returned the embrace. It was clear that his granddaughter meant more to him than most other people did.

Aennan and Aranxia began to give everyone a tour of the house so far - and it was admittedly very close to being finished, needing only furnishing, decorating, and a few final touches - and Andarien ran ahead to speak with his grandfather.

"Think he's got an idea?" Earendil grinned at Lin. The boy had a one-track mind, really, and it made him very predictable, after all.