A merry laugh escaped the lips of a young woman as she raced through the garden. Her feet were bare, allowing the soles of her feet to be stained green from the grass and brown from the dirt. Dark hair, long and loose, flew out behind her like a cape.
Her figure was clear and defined by the long, willowy green dress she wore. It was far different from the loose fitting clothing she wore as a child. She had grown, quite quickly, but her aging seemed to have stopped once she looked to be in her early twenties. Her mindset, however, was still like a child's.
Delicate feet almost never touched the ground as she jumped and ran through the lush area. From a distance a white bearded man with beady eyes watched her. "She is coming along greatly," he spoke softly.
To his right stood Gandalf, in his mouth he held a long pipe. Occasionally he would exhale smoke; the pipe never left his lips. "Yes, she is." The smoke created rings as he exhaled them; however they were only created when the pipe left his mouth. When it didn't, it came out as just a breath.
"She would do best if she continued her lessons with me from now on," Saruman said with a decisive air.
Gandalf said nothing. But he did not agree.
"You do not agree?"
"Azariela is a free spirit, if she feels she is being kept," he trailed off and then said, "we might not see her again."
"Then what do you suggest?"
Aza squealed as she managed to catch her prize. It was a butterfly, no bigger than the palm of her hand. The colors of its wings were vibrant that they borderline animated. She opened her hand to reveal the undamaged creature and smiled as it flew away.
She turned back to see Saruman and Gandalf watching her. She waved to them.
"Let her roam," Gandalf finally said.
"On her own?"
"With me."
A sweet, gentle voice from behind them said, "I agree." Both wizards turned to face Galadriel. "Aza would not be content to hide away in a tower. She would come to hate you and lash out like a caged animal." She looked over to the girl as the brown haired female resumed her play. "She repercussions could be immense."
Saruman, seeing he was outnumbered, countered, "She fears the race of man."
Gandalf replied, "She will have to overcome it. The race of man is too large to be hidden from."
"Then who shall take her?"
Gandalf removed the pipe from his mouth, "I shall."
From the gardens they could hear Aza call to them. In her hands she held an uprooted flower. The flower had bright orange stripes and almost pointed petals. Dirt spilled out of her gaped fingers. "It was unhappy there," she said once she got close. "It wanted more sun. The trees were hogging it all."
With a kind smile, Galadriel placed a hand on Aza's shoulder and guided her to a part of the garden where she could transplant her new friend. "I don't believe I had that planted."
Aza shook her head, "It says that it blew in on a stray wind. It didn't really mean to end up here. But it's glad it did. Will you make sure it isn't mistaken for a weed when I'm gone?"
"I'll be sure of it."
