After sleeping a good part of the day… or trying to sleep, but jerking awake at every odd sound… Elisa sat in a hammock that evening and gently rocked herself with one foot.
David Xanatos would be there to collect them all soon, and they could finally be on their way home.
The Australian Red Rock clan had met with Goliath and Bolin shortly after awakening. Despite the clan being taken with Nayeli and her passion for the good that the gargoyle council could do, the clan was adamant in their refusal to join.
At least, for now.
They did agree to keep the sat phone, and call if they were ever in need of aid, however, so that gave Elisa hope that they would think on it.
For tonight, the clan had been trying to make sure that their guests enjoyed their last evening.
Liam had spent a good part of the afternoon kicking around a soccer ball with some of the human boys, and once the sun had gone down, the games had continued with the gargoyle hatchlings joining in.
Nayeli had basically been adopted and cooed over by the humans and gargoyles alike.
Several women had taught her how to make a few of their traditional dishes throughout the day. Akuna, Kalina and Maya, three of the main cooks who rotated their duties daily, wrote down several recipes that Elisa knew Nayeli would happily take home to Broadway.
Her kids were having the times of their lives. It was a nice break from their normal, Elisa mused. Once the situation with Auton had been decided and the punishment enforced, it was almost as if a peace had descended over the village.
Once she'd realized that was the cause, Elisa wondered just how long the doctor had been a source of unease there.
Not to be left out, Elisa was approached by an older human couple. Merindah and her husband Daku were the official record keepers for their tribe, and they were working on creating a written record of the clan's legends and stories as well.
It was their fear that the old stories and legends would one day be forgotten and disappear altogether. They were doing what they could to preserve the stories for future generations, and creating hard copies and a few of the younger tribe members were helping to create computer files and backups.
A few of the children from last night had told the couple of Elisa's story. Merindah and Daku had ambushed her, Elisa knew that now, and had begged for her to retell the story.
And so, Elisa did.
Sitting on one of the logs that had been set up near the fire pit, Elisa sat and told the story again. They interrupted a few times, asking for details, but for the most part, they sat quietly and wrote in a well-honed shorthand that Elisa knew that no one else would be able to decipher.
They also asked for her to expand upon the Dragon legend, and Elisa did that as well, only asking that they keep Nayeli's name out of the written records for the time being.
They agreed, Merindah stating that she was a mother as well, and understood Elisa's need to keep her daughter's privacy.
Elisa appreciated it, and in her appreciation, she shared a few stories from her "world tour" with Goliath when Avalon had been messing with them. A heavily edited version of some of them, but the heart of the stories were the same.
Now that the sun was down, and the gargoyles had come out from their meetings, it seemed as if it were back to business. The clan invited Goliath and Bolin to join them in their patrols, watching for lost hikers or people in need of help who had the misfortune of being caught in the unfriendly outback.
Mother Nature was harsh in the desert, Elisa mused, thankful again for her life in the city. At least on the crowded streets of Manhattan, she knew what to expect.
Most of the time.
Half of the clan went up with Goliath and Bolin, while half stayed back. They had a lot of area to cover, it was explained, and the clan would go in shifts. Half went on the first tour, then upon their return, the second half would take to the air.
It was just past midnight when the engine noise broke over the sound of the laughing children and general daily noise of the encampment.
Elisa got to her feet, and tried to track the sound. It was only when lights appeared in the sky that she was able to pinpoint not only what was coming but from where.
Just to the North of the village, a trio of lights illuminated the ground as a large craft began lowering, slowly, for a landing.
Elisa rolled her eyes. Trust Xanatos, she mused, to bring a whole airship to fetch his wife.
Elisa rose from the hammock and hurried with a group of the residents towards the large airship.
As those around her murmured, having probably never seen the likes of one of Xanatos's toys, Elisa waited until the engines slowed enough to stop kicking up the sand and dust. As the ramp lowered, Elisa moved in to greet those who were aboard.
David Xanatos, multibillionaire himself, was the first to come down the ramp. He still managed to give her that smirk that made her teeth grind, despite the worry she detected in his eyes.
"She's fine," Elisa said in lieu of a greeting. "She's resting, or she'd be here."
He gave her the barest of nods, and Elisa chose to take that as a thank you of sorts.
Elisa gestured for him to follow, and led him to the small clinic.
After he had disappeared inside, Elisa returned to the water's edge where she could see everyone.
They'd be leaving as soon as Goliath and Bolin returned, she knew. There really wasn't anything to keep them there, since the clan had made their decision. Their errand was completed, and with Fox still a little affected from the accident, it was best that they be on their way.
It would cut their trip short by a few days, and her kids would probably be disappointed, but they would understand.
There was a small flurry of activity as the adult gargoyles that had chosen the second shift began climbing the rocks to get higher up and catch the air currents.
A few minutes later, there was the familiar sound of wind in leathery wings, as one by one, the clan touched down. Elisa watched as first Bolin, then Goliath landed, the sand muffling the sound of their feet hitting the earth.
"I see that Xanatos has arrived," Goliath said, coming to her side.
"Yes," she said, sweeping a section of hair behind her ear. "He got here a little while ago."
"Perhaps we should begin to gather your things," Goliath suggested.
Elisa nodded. "I'll go get the kids, and we'll get packed up. Honestly," Elisa said with a sigh, "we didn't really unpack much. It won't take long."
Goliath lifted her still bandaged hand, placing a gentle kiss on the white gauze covering the wound. "When you are finished, I will carry the bags," he said, giving her a stern look.
Elisa sighed. "Alright," she said. Honestly, her hand was down to a dull ache, but right that moment, it was throbbing like a bad tooth.
"Come," he said, holding his hand out to her, "Let us collect our family."
"It's nice here," Elisa said, taking his arm and walking at his side, "but a little too quiet for me. I'm used to the traffic and city sounds. The lack of noise here is almost unnerving."
Goliath chuckled. If this amount of quiet bothered her, he could only imagine what she would think if she'd ever spent time at his original home in Scotland. No cars, no electricity, and none of her familiar "city noise".
Nayeli, once more painted in the red and white designs of the tribe, hurried to her feet when she saw her parents. "I saw the ship land," she said with a smile. "Is it time to go home?"
Elisa nodded. "Go ahead to the cabin and get your things together," Elisa said. "We'll go get Liam, and we'll be right behind you."
Nayeli sent a regretful look over her shoulder, and Elisa touched her shoulder, "There will still be time to say goodbye before sunrise."
"Alright," Nayeli said, hurrying in the direction of the cabin.
Out of pure habit, Elisa turned to keep an eye on Nayeli as she hurried off, only to find Bolin standing guard at the door.
Nayeli would be safe enough, Elisa acknowledged before turning to seek out Liam.
They found Liam still on the ball field, and Elisa wondered where he had found the energy. He'd been playing most of the day, and into the night.
She was about to open her mouth to call Liam when the ball sailed her way. She let go of Goliath's arm and hurried forward two steps to stop the ball with a chest trap. As the ball fell to the ground, she quickly passed the ball to a small boy who looked to be about six years old.
The boy gave her a grin and a wave, then took off with the ball and left the older kids to chase after him.
"Hey, Mom. Dad," Liam greeted. His face flushed, he was grinning hugely. "Nice stop, mom."
"I learned from your uncle," Elisa admitted. "For self-defense purposes, mostly. He was the only one who played soccer, and everyone else was just a moving target for him to aim at."
Liam laughed and said, "I saw the airship. Is it time to go?"
"Soon," Goliath said with a nod.
"Alright," Liam said. "I told the guys that was probably what it was, so they know I'll have to leave soon."
"Go back to the cabin, and make sure you're all packed up," Elisa said. "And make sure that Nayeli does the same."
"Gotcha," Liam said, hurrying off to join his sister.
"That's my cue," Elisa said. "I already packed up earlier," she admitted, "and I probably should have had the kids do the same but," she shrugged, "they were having so much fun with the other kids, I couldn't bring myself to make them stop earlier."
Goliath chuckled. "They do seem to be enjoying themselves. Perhaps we should take them along more often."
"Big Guy," Elisa said with a sigh, "I am getting on the air ship because we need to get home, but after this, it's going to be a while before I get into another flying machine, and I don't care how high tech it is."
Goliath nodded. He remembered the crash well, and the fear of not being able to protect his family.
He ran his arms around her shoulders, drawing her back against his chest as he laid his cheek down on the top of her head. "I am in agreement with you," he said softly. "It will take me some time as well."
