Welcome to Gaia! ::

Andarien nodded. "Well, I'll do my best," he promised, though he was well aware of his lack of experience with traveling, as well as his youth. He didn't want to hold anyone back, though. And he supposed that, worse come to worse, he could always ride on Ponydash's back. At least now and then.

"Hopefully the others will already be there when we arrive," Earendil commented as they walked down the empty street. It was very early, and the city was still very quiet.

"As long as Shiro can get Kaito out of bed, anyways," Andarien quipped with a smirk.

Earendil laughed at that. "True, very true. But I'm sure even Kaito would know enough to get out of bed on a day like this, and I don't think Shiro would let him sleep in, in any case."

He did however have every expectation that Lancaeriel, Wren, Daeron and Iorlas would arrive at the gate before they would.

Andarien chuckled. "Well, we'll find out soon enough."

Sure enough, it was only about another ten minutes for them to reach the gate, and sure enough most of the group with which they would be traveling was there and waiting for them. Iorlas and Daeron were chatting together with Lancaeriel and Wren, and Kyrie was standing against the wall, her eyes turned towards the sky, one hand on the hilt of a small dagger that hung at her waist. She had a sword, too, but it was strapped down her back, away from her waist, since she had other weapons strapped on there, too.

"Good morning!" the others all replied, one after the other.

"So we're just waiting now on Shiro and Kaito," Wren counted, her blue eyes sparkling with excitement for the journey ahead. "But they can be forgiven for being late, it's over an hour's walk from where they're staying to here."

Earendil laughed. "Poor Kaito. He's really going to have to get up early today."

"That's very true," Wren agreed. "Otherwise I don't know how he would do as much training as he does. His own, and with Andarien."

"Speaking of which," Earendil added, turning to face his son, "how has your training been going? It's been a while since we've checked up on you."

Andarien shrugged one shoulder as a shadow appeared overhead. "Kaito says well enough, so ... well enough, I guess. Every time he teaches me something new he says I have to do a thousand repetitions before he'll go on to something else, and I only get a week to do it."

Suddenly Kaito dropped down from above, right between Andarien and Earendil. "Less, now that you're not working, too," the neko grinned, shaking his wings out once before folding them. A moment later, Shiro landed next to him as well, though his landing was a little more graceful and less startling.

Shiro glanced at his wrist, though his watch only told him how much time had passed, rather than the actual time, since it was a Gaian watch - digital - and thus not set for this world.

"Quarter hour," he replied. "A lot faster. You can go in a straight line instead of having to follow streets and through people."

Earendil chuckled. "Just remember, Lin," he grinned at her teasingly, "only three of you can do that, so don't go thinking that we're going to fly over the lands."

That made Earendil laugh aloud. "You just don't take your opportunities when they come up," he teased her, his eyes sparkling brightly. Were they not in public, he would have tickled her; but as they were not alone he simply ruffled her hair as he had used to do so often. "You can fly any time you want, after all. You don't need a reason."

As he spoke, Kyrie pushed herself away from the wall of the city and moved to join the group. Her face was expressionless, and she inserted herself between Lancaeriel and Wren so that she was a part of the group.

"Is everyone here?" she asked, looking around at everyone.

Kyrie nodded. "Then let's be off," she said softly, but in a tone that was firm. "We're not going to get anywhere standing here, and we can talk as we go."

And without waiting for a reply, she turned and started into the forest.

Earendil glanced at Lin and raised one eyebrow, then shrugged before stating after Kyrie.