Welcome to Gaia! ::

"Sometimes," Alena replied, taking the final glass for herself. "But only two or three times in a winter. Even so, it does get very cold. Ice forms on the ocean, at least near to the shore. We as magic users can keep ourselves warm enough, however, and so it does not bother us ... and it is actually the time when we are the safest from the gnomes. It is possible that they burrow into the ground to escape the cold, but we do not know for sure. All we know is that we rarely see them when it is cold."

Which was a welcome relief, to be honest.

"Not at all," Alena smiled. "Hardly a dusting, really. Most of our precipitation comes in the summer months."

"Like us," Kelirahc put in with a smile, shivering no longer. "Remember, Lin, how half the year we would have no rain at all, and the other half year it would rain almost without ceasing?"

Alena chuckled softly, her green eyes sparkling brightly. "Well, do not fear. Here, we have an occasional rain, but nothing drenching, and it is usually at night, which gives us some added protection from the gnomes. Again, they seem to seek their own protection in adverse weather, and when it rains or snows, we hardly hear of them."

Which was good. It provided the elves with a reprieve that they needed very badly.

"It's quite pleasant here, other than the attacks of the gnomes," Alena smiled warmly at Lin's comment. "And really, if it were not, then we would have gone somewhere else, yes?"

"Perhaps back to the Four Lands?" Rhea suggested. "There is room for you, and the other races would welcome you openly."

Alena turned to Rhea and smiled wistfully. "I think not," she murmured. "We have left that place behind, and swore never to go back ... this is our home now. Amon Darthír, home of the Sky Elves."

"We should really be getting back to the Zephyr," Earendil murmured as he set his empty glass on the table once more. "The others will be terribly worried about us, I'm sure. Thank you for the drink, Alena, I feel much better now."

"Yes, thank you," Kelirahc added with a warm smile. "I am quite warm. If you would be so kind as to lead us outside again, I will summon my dragon and take us all to the ship."

"Of course," Alena smiled back. "Are you all finished with your drinks, then?"

The others were also done, and had set their glasses on the table.

Alena smiled warmly. "Then let us go before the day wears on," she murmured. "This way."

She stepped between them and led them all through the doorway and down the corridor that led outside.

Even Kelirahc didn't seem too bothered by the cold this time around, and once they were outside, where there was enough space, he summoned his spirit. It shimmered into being right before their eyes, and Alena could not hide the admiration that glimmered her eyes.

"Amazing," she murmured.

Earendil stepped forward and held a hand out to Lin. "Hand up?" he smiled at her, trying to be cheerful, though he also looked tired.

Earendil chuckled as he held a hand out to help Rhea up onto the dragon behind Lin.

"Believe me," he murmured, "for the first time, I'm planning on it. However, later I'm going to be asking you how it goes with Alena and Haldia ... unless you plan on taking a nap as well. You look tired, yourself, a bit."

Rhea grinned at Earendil as she made herself comfortable on the dragon's back. "Wait until she tells you what we did last night," she winked.