Welcome to Gaia! ::

Serenity giggled softly and leaned her head briefly against Gaunt's shoulder, then straightened up again, deeming it better not to show the boys too much - despite their promise not to watch.

"Come on," she murmured as they passed the end of the stables. "Just there."

A round, wooden pen came into view, with walls about five feet high and a roof supported by beams. A tall white-blond elven man was in the middle of the pen, and a horse was trotting in circles around him as he guided it. A curious expression crossed his face when he spotted the group that was approaching, but he kept his attention focused on the horse.

"That's Amdir, the horse trainer," Serenity explained. "Ulani and Ulrich's son in law."

Ian was excited too, and he giggled at Prince, not really paying much attention to Serenity and Gaunt at all. "I bet I won't be able to ride by myself," he told Prince, "on account of I'm so small and all."

Still, he refused to be disappointed - he would have a bow, and Prince wouldn't, and Prince would learn to ride, and he wouldn't - so in his mind it was all fair and well.

Serenity was about to add something when two large, tanned hands were clamped over her eyes. Yet another elven man had appeared behind them without making a sound, and his dark eyes sparkled with mischief as he held his hands in place.

He made a shushing motion to Gaunt, still grinning at Serenity.

Serenity meanwhile had let go of Gaunt's hand and was trying to pry the hands away from her eyes. "Come on, let go!" she demanded, though the person was so strong she couldn't even begin to budge his hands. "Who is that? Ahren, is that you?"

Ian's eyes lit up hopefully. "Do you really think they might?" he asked, his tone filled with awe. "That would be so cool ..."

But he had never heard of any horses small enough for him to ride on - after all, that would have to be ... almost plushie size!

The man chuckled softly and lowered his hands. "Someday you'll guess wrong," he grinned, taking a step back and giving the others their space. "Long time no see, Serenity."

Serenity turned around and half-glared, half-grinned at the man. "As long as you continue to be the only person who does that to me, Ahren Aldrich, I will never be mistaken," she said flatly. Then she giggled and turned to Gaunt. "This clown is my cousin, Ahren. He's Arahad's older brother. Ahren, my suitor, Gaunt."

"A pleasure to meet you sir," Ahren smiled warmly, reaching out one hand for a shake.

Ian was impressed yet again by the heights of the people they were meeting. They were like giants! Even taller than his grandparents!

He looked up at Prince. "Have you noticed they always introduce us last?" he asked curiously.

"Questions?" Ahren asked in confusion. "Guess I'm wondering if you'll be my cousin someday as well, but that's about it. My father is the one who likes tormenting suitors ..."

Serenity giggled and reached for Gaunt's hand again. "He's right, Gaunt," she said softly, "it's Uncle Elrohir that you have to worry about."

Ian shrugged along with Prince. "Maybe we should ask them 'bout it later," he suggested. "Mom always said that things are a bit different in this place, maybe that's something to do with it .."

He would take any explanation over being a tagalong, or not being as important as someone else to his mom.

Ahren grinned. "Well there are a lot of people here," he admitted, "and a lot of them tend to ask questions. Just avoid the stables if you can and you'll be spared the worst of it. On the other hand ..."

He shrugged. "You're just lucky that another of our cousins isn't here anymore, he would have teased you to no end."

"Only because he got his fair share of the teasing," Serenity said softly. She glanced over her shoulder at Amdir, and saw that he was still very busy with the horse he was with, and turned back to Ahren and tilted her head slightly.

"I don't suppose you're free for the afternoon," she said suggestively.

Ahren raised one eyebrow. "Something on your mind?"

Ian held tightly to Prince's shirt and watched the grownups, listening in on their conversation. He recognized the tone of his mom's voice - what was she looking for?

Serenity smiled at her cousin. "You taught Lin to ride, right?" she asked. "How do you feel about teaching Prince and Ian? We were planning on asking Amdir, but ... he seems a little busy ..."

Ahren raised his other eyebrow. "I could," he agreed. "And what about you and Gaunt? As I recall, you yourself don't know how to ride, Serenity."

Serenity turned to Gaunt. "What do you think?" she asked him softly, squeezing his hand lightly. "Are you interested in learning to ride? Or shall we wander a bit?"

They did after all have time to kill.

Serenity smiled widely, and lifted his hand to her lips and kissed his knuckles lightly.

"Then we shall ride," she giggled happily. She turned back to Ahren. "If you don't mind four students, that is."

"Not at all," Ahren smiled warmly. "Come on, let's find a few beginner horses."

He beckoned for the two to follow him towards the paddock, on the far side of the stables.

The lessons took up the entire remainder of the afternoon, and almost before anyone realized it the sun was lowering in the sky, filling the ranch with long shadows.

"We should get back to the house," Ahren suggested, helping the boys down from the horse they were sharing (since Ian was indeed far too small to ride on his own). "Nana will have dinner ready, and we all have to wash up first."

Serenity smiled and dismounted, passing her reins off to Ahren. "I guess we should probably actually have a bath," she murmured, "since we all smell now ..."

Not that it was a bad smell, but she had a feeling her aunt might prefer them not smelling up the house as well. Though, as the house had been there for nearly thirty years now, it probably didn't make a difference anymore.

Ahren smiled and reached for the reins of Gaunt's horse as well. "You four go ahead, I'll put the horses away for you," he nodded. "Just ask Nana about it, she'll get you set."