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"Ah, I see," Earendil chuckled. "Come, then. Your mother is already waiting for us."

He smiled at her, then returned downstairs, and just as he joined Lin, Kyrie also joined them, but from the direction of the kitchen.

"Morning," she greeted them briskly. "I need to ask a favour of you two. Do you think that this afternoon you could get together all the people who are going on the trip with us? Tomorrow at the latest?"

Kyrie blinked at Miyuki. "With you?" she repeated. "To see your grandparents off?" Then she shook her head. "Nah, they're not my family. I'm sure they wouldn't care even if I were there. No, I think I'll be getting things ready for my own trip this morning."

Earendil nodded at Lin, but was slightly distracted by Kyrie's comment about her own trip.

"Oh?" he asked curiously. "You're going somewhere?"

"Just up the mountain," Kyrie replied expressionlessly. "I'm getting antsy and I think if you're all going to be getting clothes made for the trip north, you'll need furs, and that's something in short supply down here. I'll be leaving right after I meet with everyone."

Earendil nodded slowly. "We'll see if we can't get everyone together this afternoon," he promised.

As far as he knew, it should be fine - if Lancaeriel was recovered from activating the portal again. He wondered if she would again ask Miyuki to help her.

Kyrie nodded. "I'll be around." And she slipped out the door and started down the street.

"Come on, we need to get going," Earendil urged his family; and with that they headed out to pick up Lancaeriel and go to the ship.

It took them a while to get there, considering that they needed to stop at the inn first and get Lancaeriel, but when they arrived, it didn't seem as though anyone was in a hurry. Aranxia was talking with her sister, and mother, Aennan was chatting with Aranel, Daeron and Iorlas were speaking with Luthien, and Ruel was staring out over the ocean, seemingly lost in thought. Their bags were packed and sitting near the door where the portal would be activated, but no one was fussing over them or paying them any mind at all.

When the family approached, Daeron and Iorlas stepped aside to make room for them near Luthien and Ruel.

"We were beginning to wonder if you were going to make it," Daeron grinned at them.

Earendil chuckled. "Well, we had a longer way to come, and we had to stop and pick up Lancaeriel on the way."

"Where is Andarien?" Luthien asked anxiously, looking around.

Earendil pursed his lips. "He said he was going to meet us here ..."

"Well, we're in no hurry," Luthien smiled gently. "After all, even if we were to leave right now, it would still be night back home. We can afford to wait for him. Besides," she added, "I do think it best if we give Tinuviel as much time as we can with Aranxia. We don't know if we'll see her again, after all, and even if we do, we know it will be a very long time."

Earendil chuckled. "Well, you're clearly in no rush to leave, so obviously you've enjoyed your time here," he grinned. "That's good."

"Yes," Luthien agreed, "and Aranxia had given us all- no, not all, but most of the paintings she has done so far on this trip, including one that Senator Luk's new mother-in-law painted for her and Aennan. Very beautifully done, have you had the opportunity to see it?"

Suddenly, Ruel, who had been staring over the side of the ship at the city, stirred and moved to join them.

"Andarien's coming," he said quietly, the first words he'd spoken since Lin and Earendil had arrived.

Andarien was running up the street, his bag slung around his shoulder, one hand pressing it to his chest so that it wouldn't bounce around. He had been running for a while already, all the way from Corazin's shop, but thanks to Kaito's rigorous training, he wasn't terribly out of breath - though he was breathing somewhat heavily.

When he saw his son running towards the ship, Earendil smiled and turned back to Ruel.

"You really liked spending time with him, didn't you, Father?" he asked softly.

Ruel looked at Earendil and seemed almost hesitant to answer. It wasn't until Andarien had crossed the beach and was halfway down the pier to the ship that he finally replied, in a very quiet voice, "I think ... I enjoyed everything about our time here."

A simple statement, but one that left Earendil more or less speechless.

Andarien grinned back at his sister and waved to her from the pier, and very soon he had crossed the gangplank and boarded the ship.

"Hi, Mi," he panted, rubbing some sweat from his forehead. "I know it's not a hot day but wow, am I sweaty!" He laughed. It had been quite a run, after all.

"We're glad you made it," Luthien teased him, her eyes sparkling brightly.

Andarien blushed. "Me, too. I was afraid I would miss you, that you would leave before I got here."