When the druid finally descended onto one of the elven palace's wide observation platforms, they were already waiting for them.
The moment the enormous beast touched down and Mark climbed off its back, the three women rushed to greet them.
It was Aria, Alice, and Rose, who, from the way they kept glancing at the sky, had clearly been waiting for their arrival for quite a while.
"Master! You're finally back!" Aria said, being the first to reach him and practically throwing herself into his arms. "About time! Do you know how boring it's been around here without you?"
"Welcome home, my lord!" Alice seconded, barely a step behind her, with an energy she rarely allowed herself to show in public. "We missed you so much… Well, some more than others, but we all missed you."
"I'd say you were the one counting the days the most," Aria commented, glancing at her sideways with clear intent to embarrass her.
"That's not true!"
"You had a calendar, Alice. I saw you crossing off days."
