Hello again! I know it has been a little bit since I last posted. Thank you for being patient with me and for all of your continued support. It always warms my little heart seeing that others enjoy the stories that have been residing and formulating in my head over the past few years. Enjoy!
It took the next few months for Kasparov to open up to anyone apart from Eleanor. He would remain quiet at meals and would only speak when spoken to, and with very short remarks at that. But playing the role of liaison between her brother and mother was taking its toll on her nerves. She had taken to sneaking out of the castle and flying around the mountain range. On one of these escape missions, Eleanor was stopped just before takeoff.
"Running off again?"
"Your Excellency! I was just-"
"I know what you are doing, and I do not fault you for it. However, I have a warning for you before you depart. Do not stray too far into the black mountains, for therein lies griffin territory."
"Griffins?"
"Yes. They have been here for centuries and generally keep to themselves, but they do not take too kindly to trespassers."
"Sounds like our family in general."
Maleficent let out a small chuckle. "Just stay safe."
"You don't have to worry about me. I'm not a little kid anymore."
"You are your mother's daughter." She pushed a few strands of silver strands away from Eleanor's face.
"I'll be back before dinner. I just-I just need to get away from placating the two of them for a little bit."
"I am not going to stand in your way. Just stay safe."
"Of course!"
Extending her wings, she catapulted herself into the air. Maleficent watched the young woman fly off, swaying back and forth on the breeze. It feels like I am looking back twenty years at her mother.
Despite her previous warning, Eleanor payed no attention to where she went. Cutting in and out of the rugged terrain, she let her mind wander. The scenery wasn't anything out of the ordinary for her, that is until she noticed that the rocks around her did not share the same brightness as the other mountains she passed, despite the sun beating down. Eleanor started noticing that there were small mounds of straw and twigs lying on some of the flatter outcroppings.
Taking a moment to rest her wings, she landed on one of these small overlooks. Looking at some of the straw, she noticed that amongst the brush there were brown feathers scattered about. Large brown feathers.
A small squawk distracted her from looking further at them. She looked up seeing a small head poking out over head, staring down at her. Followed shortly by two others. Small bird-like chirps started emitting from the landing above her. The first chick of the litter propped itself up to hand further over their nest, so much so that it toppled out and landed in Eleanor's arms.
Looking at the creature, she noticed that this was what her grandmother had warned her about. A deeper sounding squawk than the ones being emitted by the chicks resonated above her. She looked back up to see that the mother was glaring down at her holding the youngling.
"Oh fuck…"
Eleanor looked back at the griffin chick that was trying to pull at her hair with its beak. What startled her more was the blood curdling cry that emitted from the fully-grown griffin. The sound echoed against the surrounding rock and was soon joined in with a chorus of other cries.
Shit! Shit! Shit! Was all that kept running through Eleanor's mind. She gently placed the chick down on the ledge next to her and tried to raise her hands to show that she meant no harm.
"Trespasser!" The griffin above her shouted at her without moving its mouth.
"I swear, I meant no harm to your young. I just made a wrong turn."
"A likely story for a sorceress trying to capture one of our young."
Eleanor turned around at this new voice to see a larger griffin hovering at eye level a few meters behind her. "I wasn't here to take any of your young. They literally just fell into my hands."
"And how are you to convince us that you did not use your magic to lure them out of the nest?" the newcomer asked. Along his beak, there were divots in the shape of talon marks, and some of the feathers around its eyes were grey.
"I guess you would have to take my word, but I see no reason as to why you would be willing to risk that with a complete stranger."
"It seems that there are some that still have a brain."
"I take it that most who dare cross your path are court magicians trying to impress their lords?"
"And what king do you serve?"
"I serve no king. I am from the Forbidden Fortress, and my loyalties lie with it." She fell into a curtsey upon continuing, "I am Eleanor, granddaughter of Maleficent."
"Maleficent you say?" The mother griffin used her wings to pull the other two chicks in the nest closer to her.
Eleanor returned to her full height. "If she has sent you, then she is going back on the treaty that our lands have had established for the past hundred and sixty years. And she would know, as she was there for the truce."
"She was there?"
"For an ambassador of your kingdom, you don't know much of your own foreign policy. Which discredits your story and my patience for you wears even thinner."
The large griffin puffed out its chest and started to beat its wings more intensely. Eleanor steadied herself into a defensive stance. Small blizzards started to form around her hands and her wings extended out reflexively to match her challenger. The two's attention was turned from their opponents when a thunderous roar was released around them.
A large black dragon was flying towards the two adversaries, one that was so familiar that Eleanor reflexively lowered her head and fell into a curtsey.
"Eleanor, I told you not to fly in these mountains!"
"Maleficent."
The dragon turned its attention towards the creature that addressed it. "Vesimir, you have my apologies for any misconducts that my granddaughter may have performed while in your realm."
"Your Excellency, the treaty-"
"I am aware of what it stated and there was no breach in its bylaws. You would do well to remember that I took part in writing them."
The large griffin lowered his head to the dragon, signifying his understanding.
Maleficent turned back towards Eleanor. "It is time that we return to the castle."
"Yes your Excellency." But before joining the dragon, she turned back towards the griffin chick that was still at her feet. "Let's get you back where you belong. Can you fly yourself?"
The small griffin tilted its head to the side at her question. It attempted flapping its underdeveloped wings but did not leave the rocky surface. Eleanor knelt to the chick's level.
"Would you like some help?" She extended her arms.
The griffin chirped in excitement and scampered up to her, clawing its way up her arms. Eleanor winced at how sharp its talons were as she saw trails of blood starting to form on her arms. Securely holding the chick in her arms, Eleanor stood and extended her wings. In one forceful contraction, she slowly took the two of them back towards the next that the chick fell from.
"Here you are. Now no running off again, alright?"
The chick launched itself back into the nest, joining its siblings and chirping happily with them. The mother looked down at her child, "Say thank you Cirilla."
The little griffin turned back around and chirped happily at Eleanor. "We are still working on mental communications."
Eleanor smiled back at the chick. "You are welcome. Maybe someday when you are strong enough to make the journey, you can come visit me at the Forbidden Mountain, Cirilla."
"Let us return now Eleanor."
"Yes your Excellency." Eleanor flew towards Maleficent and the two turned to return to the castle.
They flew in silence, Eleanor occasionally glancing towards the large dragon that flew next to her. She tried not to keep her gaze there too long, but eventually got caught staring.
"Care to tell me why you ignored what I told you before you left the castle?"
"I didn't do it on purpose."
"I know your mother has told you since you can remember how much your actions matter, especially now since you are no longer a child."
"I know, I- I'm sorry. It wasn't my plan to disobey you, I just got caught up in the feeling of escaping from having to be peace maker between them."
Maleficent let out a small sigh. "This phase between them will pass. You must be strong for both right now as they see you as someone they can give their trust."
"I just hope it is soon." Maleficent did not respond, but continued to look ahead, another lull passed between them. Eleanor tried to endure it but came to the point where she needed to hear something other than the sound of their wings. "Did…did mother ever tell you about my dragon form?"
"She did."
"Oh…" Another short pause ensued. "Did you want to see it? Mother said I looked like you, but I thought I looked more like her."
"It would be logical for you to look more like her, seeing as you are her daughter, but yes, if you have the energy to do so." Maleficent came to a halt, hovering while she watched her granddaughter's form consumed by flames as it grew and contorted.
Eleanor dispersed the flames and looked back at Maleficent. She waited patiently, trying to gauge from Maleficent's face if there was any hint of what she was thinking. "There are some differing features from your mother, but you look so much like her."
Eleanor felt a blush starting to form across her face. "That's what I told her as well."
"Your mother in that form is the exact image of your aunt."
"Really?" Maleficent nodded and a small hum escaped her. "Will you tell me about her on the way back? Mother never really told us much about her, or her abilities. All she has ever said was that she was advanced for her age."
"She was extremely advanced for her age. By the time she was five months old she could alter her shape." Maleficent lead the two back, Eleanor taken aback at the response.
"Five months? I hadn't even discovered my magic until I was much older than that."
"The rate at which magic manifests is different between humans and fae."
"Ah."
"Even that being said, she was still extremely advanced, and that was why others were scared and they took her."
Eleanor remained silent. She knew that the abduction of Lilith was something that was never talked about freely. She remembered as a child how her mother would shape shift into their aunt for her and Kas's amusement. It was never a form that was kept long when Maleficent was present.
Silence permeated the air between them before Eleanor broke it saying, "You still miss her, don't you?"
"Every day. It is not something that I look fondly on, but through your mother I was able to find some peace."
The two continued on their way back towards the Forbidden Mountain, and upon entering the castle grounds the two reverted to their standard state. Much to Maleficent's surprise, Eleanor quickly wrapped her arms around her grandmother's waist.
"What is this for?"
"Thank you. If you hadn't shown up, I'd have had to fight my way out of there."
Placing a gentle hand on her head, Maleficent replied, "Just promise that you will not go wandering into the unknown again."
"I'll do my best." She released the hug hand quickly ran off towards the inner halls of the castle. The rustling of feathers drawing near caught Maleficent's attention. Her trusted companion joined her, perching himself on her shoulder.
"She is so much like her mother."