There was no time and too much time. The blackness stretched in any direction she could look. She was falling and fast, but going nowhere in the same instant. She didn't know where she was or what she was hearing. The pain in her body seemed far away, further than it'd been when Skandra had done it. Done the impossible and possible with the Vel. She was glad for it. If the suffering Gershul was capable of was over then her life spent in finishing it was willing and welcome. But he was not there with her. She was alone. If this was dying she thought that it wasn't as pleasant as Priestesses said, and not as terrible as Paladins said. The voices she heard were too far to make out, the air wasn't completely making it into her mouth or nose, but she was not choking.
Simply falling.
And then she was not. Then she was on the ground on her hands and knees. The pain returned to her, not far away anymore. Muted was the sounds again. But the grass was green and high. Her fingers tangled in the crisp stuff. Pulling at it without hearing it break beneath her fingers. Crisp warm grass. The smell finally hit her nostrils and sounds were returning. Someone was breaking the grass behind her and she turned her head to look. The staff met her eyes first and she grabbed it up, then she found her feet and turned. Skandra and..
Aeotha almost snarled, almost, instead the fierce look crossed her face and shone brightly in her eyes. Sunny but threatening rain. They were home. They were whole and home. Líobhan was there, alive and whole. But Gershul was there, and Aeotha was standing. Skandra was closer than Gershul, but that didn't mean the man was not a threat where he was. Whole and home. Aeotha's fingers tightened on the staff. There was really only one real test to find out that they were in fact back where they were meant to be. Where they belonged. And that test was a hushed set of words, a flowing Elvish prayer, and the light radiated from her fingers, illuminating the staff. She felt her strength returning, but in a muted way. The way her healing worked on herself. Líobhan recognized it second, the woman's smile was almost terrible, but bright.
"He's not the only one." Aeotha said to Skandra. There were so many more figures than there had been before. But not all of them were Immortals with their over-bright eyes. Some of them were Elves. Aeotha was almost smiling, almost.