Welcome to Gaia! ::

Andarien nodded and grinned. "Yup." Straightening up, he opened the clasp on his bag and pulled back the flap. "Neko, I made you something," he said, rummaging around in the bag.

A curious expression crossed Ruel's face, and he leaned closer. "Oh?"

Andarien looked up from his bag briefly and grinned at his grandfather. "Well, you were saying how you always forget what time it is and you're always late for meals," he said, "so I made you a clock, so that you'll always be on time! Ah, here it is."

He pulled the promised clock out of his bag and held it up to show his grandfather. It was made of a variety of metals. The numbers for each hour were painted directly onto a glass face so that the gears that made the clock run were visible through it. It was much larger than the previous time pieces Andarien had made: those had been for pockets, while this one was obviously designed to sit on a wall or shelf.

Ruel accepted the clock with a warm smile, and for once it was actually clear where his sons got their looks from.

"Did you sleep at all last night?" he asked Andarien with a chuckle, eying him.

Andarien snorted. "Are you kidding? I slept like a rock! Corazin had to push me out of bed this morning to get me up in time to make it."

Then he grinned and winked at his grandfather. "But I only put it together this morning, I've been making the pieces all week after we finished working on Galanna's wheelchair every night."

Andarien pulled his own pocket watch from the pocket of his vest and looked at it thoughtfully.

"About ... five hours," he replied after a brief calculation. "Minus time for breakfast. It was pretty easy, because I've done it on a smaller scale so many times. The trick was in making the pieces the right size and shape, since it's such a bigger item."

He looked up at Ruel again. "And I didn't wind it up because I have no idea what time it will be for you when you get home, so just remember, 15 hours is when the sun is highest in the sky, and you have to make sure to wind it at least once a week, and if you do it the same time each week it will work the best."

As he showed Ruel how to set the time on the clock, Tinuviel came over to join them.

"We should get going," she told her parents softly. "Nako will be expecting us."

Lancaeriel was already standing next to the door that they would be using as the portal again, waiting patiently for her turn to be involved in what was going on. It wasn't her family, after all.

The rest of them bid each other farewell, and Ruel even shook hands with Lin and Miyuki without hesitation, giving both of them warm smiles.

"You all stay safe on your travels, eh?" he told them firmly. "Keep in contact once in a while."

Aranxia's eyes sparkled and she grinned at her grandfather. "Lancaeriel promised to teach me how to contact you with the mirror, so we'll be in regular contact, I promise," she assured him. "And I'm sure Lancaeriel will do the same with the others."

"I would be more than happy to do so, my lord," Lancaeriel agreed.

"On that note, we should really be going," Aranel said firmly.

"Before you go," Earendil spoke up, suddenly remembering the promise he and Lin had made before they left that morning, "Lancaeriel, Kyrie wants to meet with everyone who's going on the trop, this afternoon if possible. Do you think you'll be up for it?"

Lancaeriel grinned. "If Miyuki is as helpful as she was last time," she nodded. "That should be fine." She glanced over at Miyuki. "Would you like to help me out again?" she asked her.

"I'll help, too," Iorlas spoke up. "I don't know how much help I'll be, but the more people who help out, the lighter the load will be on everyone, right?"

"I will also help," Aennan announced quietly, stepping forward. "I am a full-blood, I have magic in me, and I have spent enough time studying that I should be able to make a significant contribution."

"And that's probably all we have room for," Lancaeriel smiled warmly. "Thank you. All of you. Let's get started, then."

She took up a position beside the door and placed both hands against the runes, then motioned for the others to do the same.