Welcome to Gaia! ::

Rhea smiled. "Maybe the walls will close in around her and she's be forced outside," she laughed. "Horrible thought, I know, but really. It would make her get over her fear. Of course, the other possibility is that Celeb might want to see the island. He's never seen a Light Elf after all, and here's an island of them! Or at least, they used to be."

She opened the door the led below and held it open for Lin. "If he goes, perhaps Haldia would go along. I know they're getting quite close."

"Fascinating, that yet someone else at the ranch should have such a history," Rhea commented, following Lin inside. "I mean ... you said it yourself, just about everyone there has some sort of epic background. Can you believe the conversation we're going to get to have with her when we get back?"

She looked around the galley, smiling at the aroma of cooking food. Arwen, Starr and Leyenda were busily preparing a meal, and Kelirahc was sitting at a table, scratching away at a piece of paper with a quill.

"Smells good in here," Rhea grinned at everyone.

Starr beamed at her. "Thank you! We're making loaves of fresh bread, we have a few already but you know how much we go through with all the crew and everything."

"Why do you say that?" Arwen asked curiously.

Rhea leaned over one of the fresh loaves of bread and inhaled deeply. "Mmm. Haldia's starving, and we came to bring her some food," she smiled. "And Celeb's asking for food too, since he doesn't seem to want to leave Haldia."

Kelirahc looked up at Rhea's comment. "She doesn't seem to be doing very well lately," he said worriedly.

"It's just too cold for her to come outside yet," Rhea assured him. "I have material now from Alena, once I make her some warm clothes she'll be out, I'm sure."

Kelirahc looked anxiously at Leyenda. "Perhaps I ought to go see her," he murmured.

Rhea smiled at him. "If you want, I'm sure she would welcome the company," she agreed. "But Lin and I were going to take some food to her, and Celeb and Whisper are there, and we were thinking perhaps we would eat with her as well ... and then of course we're going to be working on her clothes, so ..."

Kelirahc chuckled. "I get it. Not quite yet, she's a bit busy. Let me know when you're finished then, all right?"

"You got it," Rhea grinned.

Arwen nodded at the loaf of bread that was cooling on the counter, and a knife that was beside it. "If you want to cut that loaf into slices, you can take the whole thing back to Haldia," she replied. "Shiro made some marmalade out of some of the orange we got from Nauros, so if you want to use that to put on it, that's fine."

She glanced over her shoulder. "Leyenda, can you get a tray out? Dishes for the four of them, and a pitcher of juice."

Leyenda moved to do as she was asked.

Arwen smiled. "Shiro's got talent enough to be a chef if he wanted," she mused, "but I guess that's not his interest. Still, I know we're all grateful for some more variety in our food."

She only wondered how long it would last. After all, this was far from a tropical climate, and most of their fruit had already been eaten - and what hadn't been eaten had begun to go bad, which really was the main reason why Shiro had made so many spreads and preservatives.

"And Alena promised to bring some for us the next time she comes," Arwen grinned as she worked. "She didn't stay long this time, but she said that on her next visit, she would bring several flasks of malek and drust, as well as a few other drinks that they have here, along with information about their preparation, and recipes, and samples of the items required to make them."

"Mother said that Kelirahc and I could tinker around with the attempts to replicate the drinks," Leyenda added, "but we'll probably be best off with Kaito's help, at the very least."

"The malek at least will be good for Haldia," Arwen continued. "She's a lot better now than she was when we first left Nauros, but if her seasickness should ever return ..."

"Agreed," Arwen nodded. "And knowing Shiro, he'll be looking for a way to bring some of the plants back to the Four Lands, or even Gaia, to try to grow his own."

"Well, it is a very handy drink to have," Leyenda laughed. "Especially if it really does everything Alena claims."

"There's no reason to doubt her word," Rhea pointed out, "especially as she's been using it for the past four ages. Or at least, been seeing it used."