Chapter 2: I'm Going on an Adventure
The black dragon's eyes looked sadly up to her caretaker in an attempt to make him see reason.
"B-but!"
"No Yúla!"
Sadness turning into anger, she stomped a clawed forepaw onto the ground with a loud thump.
"But I want to!"
Radagast's expression turned into extreme exasperation, showing clearly what he thought of her preposterous idea.
"No Yúla, you can't carry a hoard of rocks with you up a mountain pass! How would you even bring them with you? You only get to take one, so pick!"
Her growls turned into a sad whine as she realized that she wasn't going to get her way. Flicking her gaze back to her burrow, she finally relented. Sighing deeply, she turned back to her caretaker and nodded. She knew it was a long shot anyway, and it wasn't like the grey wizard would help her haul them…
Blinking, she turned to the subject of her thoughts. Her eyes brightened at the idea that formed in her mind. However, before she could even open her maw to ask the question, Gandalf shut her down with an amused shake of his head.
Her hopes thoroughly dashed, she dejectedly began to make her way to her burrow.
Eventually making her way down to the small pile of shiny rocks below, she glanced down to the hoard she had collected over the short years of her existence. The sad dragoness begun to poke her talons through the stones with one of her forepaws. Each one of the nearly fifty shiny rocks had value to the dragoness, but if she could only take one she knew which one she would pick.
Knowing exactly where to look, she plucked out the only piece of her humble hoard that wasn't a stone. The perfectly smooth oval piece of pitch black obsidian held a special place in her heart as it was the only piece of her treasures that wasn't overly shiny, but it was the only treasure that was given to her rather than one she found.
The black piece of volcanic glass was given to her as a gift to her from Radagast when he first noticed her collection. The wizard thought the gift would be fitting as he explained that the rock came from a fire, just like her.
This small polished obsidian wasn't just a shiny rock to her. It held sentimental value. It reminded her of Radagast.
Of home.
She was still a bit shocked at how her caretaker told her she needed to leave, but as always she trusted him with her life. The resulting conversation that the two had was short but reassuring.
"Where will we go? Why do I need to leave?"
The brown wizard leaned on his wooden staff for a moment, seemingly lost in thought.
"The elves that attacked you will not take kindly to you being here in the forest Yúla. They are a much larger threat than you realize, and for your safety and my own peace of mind, you need to leave."
The black dragon wasn't so sure about that, and her unease showed clearly on her features as she glanced down to her forepaws and began to run a claw through the grass below her. After all, the only person she ever knew was here, and he wasn't coming with her. Deciding to voice her concerns, she speaks up.
"But I can defend myself! Their sticks couldn't even pierce my hide, let alone my scales! Surely I could take them in a fight!"
"Yúla please!"
The desperate tone of his voice caught her attention immediately and she shut her mouth with a loud snap.
"I don't know where Gandalf will take you to Yúla, but wherever it is it will be a better place for you than here. This forest is no place for you, especially with how fast your are growing.
Her thoughts quickly deteriorated into a spiraling depression as she faced the unknown now ahead of her. She knew she could handle herself, but if her purpose wasn't to protect Radagast, what was it? If she wasn't meant to guard the small hut, then what was she supposed to do? Feeling a soft whine leaving her throat, she let her head fall as her eyes looked to the destroyed tuft of grass below her.
"Yúla?"
Looking back up, she saw Radagast giving her a loving smile. Reaching up, he placed one of his small hands on the side of her face.
"I will always be here. You can come back and visit whenever you want to, but your place is out there not here. Gandalf will know far better than me where you might find your place in this world, as he is the most adventurous person I know! Trust him Yúla, and I'm sure you will become fast friends on the road."
The two of them were rather surprised when a small songbird fluttered down and landed on her snout. The bird looked around, locking eyes with the firedrake for only a moment before flying off. The wizard began to chuckle loudly as he watched the bird fly away.
"Well, if that isn't a good sign, I don't know what is! Worry not, as I'm sure everything will be fine.
Clutching the small sphere of volcanic glass tightly, she really hoped he was right.
Who am I kidding? Of course he was right! Radagast is always right!
Her mind unclouded by her previous doubt, she began to make her way back to the patiently waiting two wizards with her head held high and her only valued possession in hand.
-OtWoF-
Yúla was agitated.
She has been following the excessively slow wizard through the thick of the forest for what felt like all day now. It really didn't help that the wizard took every possible moment that he thought she wasn't looking to fix her with a suspicious gaze.
It was blatantly obvious at this point that the grey wizard didn't trust her completely, and the feeling went both ways. How could she trust someone she met yesterday?
And so the two unlikely companions continued to make their way through the woods in tense silence.
She was itching to spread her wings and fly at this point. Her front forepaws were beginning to get tired due to the fact that she was forced to carry her only treasure by alternating it between her claws.
Hearing Gandalf grunting as he began to climb over a particularly large fallen tree in his way, the dragoness smiled a vicious toothy smile. Rearing back, she jumped clear over the tree effortlessly as she soared past the slow wizard. Her landing could be a bit less shaky due to how she was forced to stabilize herself with only three limbs, but she managed well enough.
Turning her head to the wizard, she flared the spikes on her head and neck out and stretched her wings on her back out slightly to show off…
… Only to see the grey wizard standing on the oversized log casually, a single eyebrow raised as he was clearly unamused.
Growling she turned around and continued to walk, becoming even more frustrated with the wizard. During her time with Radagast, the brown wizard never failed to compliment her whenever she did something he saw as impressive, but that obviously wasn't the case with this new boring wizard.
She knew full well that she didn't know where the wizard was leading her, but she wasn't going to let that fact stop her from taking the lead. She knew if he branched off, she would be able to track him by his smell as she had the odd smoky smell committed to memory at this point.
I still don't know why I need to leave…
It was about then that her front left forepaw got caught on the root of a tree and she fell flat on her face. Carefully rolling her shoulder to protect her treasure, she gritted her teeth as she impacted the forest floor.
Lying there for a moment, she flicked her gaze to the looped tree root in annoyance. She could have sworn that the root wasn't there a moment ago, and idly thought about burning the offending tree to the ground.
Standing back up on her three available legs, she realized that her normally clean scales were completely covered in dust and forest ruffage. Growling, she began to use her wings to dust herself off even as Gandalf slowly walked past her.
Feeling another growl of agitation leaving her throat, she was rather surprised when the grey wizard spun around and fixed her with a stern look.
One that she promptly ignored.
And so the wizard returned to his slow walk through the woods.
Glancing down to the offending root that dared trip her up, she let out a small growl towards the root one last time before she-
"Do you plan to cease your incessant growling at everything within your sight? I was told you were a dragon, not a mewling lizard offended by shrubbery…"
It took her a moment for the words to register, but once they did her chest began to glow red as her fire reacted to her anger.
"At the very least I can make a decent pace! Even Radagast's rabbits on their worst day are ten times faster than your casual stroll!"
The wizard turns around to face her once again, reaching into his satchel that was on his waist. Pulling out an odd contraption that looked like a stick with a cup at the end, he used a small bit of magic to set a small flame in the end.
Still furious, the firedrake sat there with a fire stirring in her chest as the wizard put his odd contraption to his mouth and took in a deep breath. After a moment, a billowing cloud of smoke came from his mouth and his relaxed posture somehow became even more so.
When his response came, his voice was calm and collected.
"There is no need to make haste, so why should we? Why not enjoy the beauty of the forest scenery around us?"
The firedrake felt her fire recede as his words began to pierce the barrier of irrational anger within her mind.
Why was she so agitated at his slow pace? She was normally so patient when hunting, so why isn't she now? Why was she so quick to anger?
The answer came quick enough for her, causing her to slump down.
She was afraid.
For the first time in her life, she was forced to face the unknown. She was following a strange person away from the only place she has ever known, leaving everything behind her.
What would she hunt if not spiders and woodland creatures? Where will she get water if not for the nearby creeks and streams? If it rains, will she be forced to weather the elements with no way to shield herself? The dragon didn't have any of the answers to those questions, and that scared her.
Glancing down to the sphere of obsidian in her talon, she felt a bit of reassurance from the object. Radagast believed in her, and the least she could do was believe in herself.
After all, she's a dragon, and dragons don't get scared!
Looking up to the casually smoking grey wizard, she dips her head low in respect. She knew she was being unreasonable, and the least she could do was apologize.
"I'm sorry."
The grey wizard raised one of his eyebrows even as he continued to puff on his strange stick-and-cup. Deciding to elaborate a bit, she continued on.
"I've never left the forest, and I don't even know where we are going… I've been told my whole life never to stray too far from where I hatched, but now I'm following a stranger to unknown lands probably filled with people I've always been told to avoid…"
A slow relaxed hum came from the wizard as he let out another puff of strange smelling smoke. Nodding sagely, his eyes turned to the direction they were going before he began to speak.
"Is that all?"
Feeling as if the wizard was making fun of her for showing her feelings, she felt another fire begin in her chest before he continued.
"You only needed to ask, and I would have answered those questions for you!"
Blinking, she tilted her head. Surely this wizard was joking! She never ever got a straight answer out of Radagast in the entire time she lived with him!
"Alright then, where are we going?"
The wizard took another puff of smoke, a long pause coming and going before he answered.
"I don't quite know yet."
She almost expected better, but her expectations weren't exactly high to begin with.
"Truth be told, I'm not quite sure where to go. There are very few lands that would accept your presence, and none of them are the most welcoming…"
Gandalf seemed to pause in thought for a moment before he perked up. Gesturing toward the distance ahead, he smiled reassuringly towards the dragon even as he continued on his casual stroll through the woods.
"But I suppose I'm not the only one that can help in this matter… So we will go to Rivendell for now. From there, we can decide where you can go afterwards."
Finally having a destination in mind, the dragon at least had one of her questions answered. Feeling refreshed at the knowledge of where she was going, she took a few steps towards the slowly retreating wizard before another question reared its ugly head in her mind.
"Where is that?"
-OtWoF-
"-A great battle once took place here, and the land has never truly recovered."
Poking a talon into the strange needle-like tuft of grass, she found it was dry and would set alight easily. She idly thought that if she blew even a spark of flame onto it, she might set the whole thing ablaze.
Looking around, the area she has found herself in was full of nothing but dirt and dust. Not another animal or tree to be found no matter how far she looked. It was as if something killed the very essence of life around her.
Growing up surrounded by the forest, Yúla felt extremely uneasy in this place which made her stick closely to the grey wizard. Thankfully, over the week or so it took to reach this desolate place, the dragoness has extended a slight amount of trust his way as the two talked.
Gandalf called it the brownlands, and Yúla didn't like it.
"How long until we pass through?" Yúla asked uneasily. "This place smells foul, and it makes my scales crawl."
The wizard let out another one of his soft hums from his spot ahead of her, seemingly agreeing with her.
"Four days, maybe five. Sadly, we will be forced to take the path through places like this if we are to remain unseen. Once we reach far enough south, we will need to cross through the Gap of Rohan and from there we will travel north.
She nodded her head, utterly and completely confused as to what that could mean but happy to have some information nonetheless.
"Once we reach Rohan, however, we will need to travel separately."
Yúla blinked, stopping in her tracks as she tilts her head.
"Separately? Why?"
Gandalf tilted his head back over his shoulder slightly, not even stopping his pace.
"I don't think the horsemen of Rohan will take kindly to a dragon waltzing through their fields unchecked, so stealth is of utmost importance. I will make haste on the ground during the day, and in the night you will follow by sky."
Excitement bubbles up within her at that. The idea that she might be able to fly again caused a smile to reach her muzzle. Already she could feel the cool air under her wings as she cut her path along the currents of the wind.
"But that is still a few days away, and until then you will have to settle with my wonderful company here on the ground."
And now her excitement was gone as she settled in for yet another long day of slowly walking behind a wizard.
-OtWoF-
Looking at the small controlled fire in front of her, she felt her eyes begin to droop. The soft popping of the wood as the flames slowly burned its fuel to ash calming her nerves down.
She had just finished her night flight to catch up to the wizard, and she was honestly surprised at how fast he moved when she wasn't with him. It was like his speed tripled without her, and she had a feeling it had something to do with that strange white four-legged creature eyeing her suspiciously from the edge of their camp.
"Would you like me to carry that for you?"
Surprised from the sudden interruption of her thoughts, Yúla turned her head to her odd companion. She saw Gandalf glancing over to her in calm calculation.
"What?"
Without a moment of hesitation, he elaborated.
"Your rock. You have been walking on only three of your legs as you hold it and I saw you stumble a bit when you landed today. I have room in my bag for it if you wish for me to keep it safe."
Yúla glanced down to her forepaw, still clutching her obsidian treasure possessively. Feeling defensive all of the sudden, she gripped it a bit tighter.
"No… and it's not a rock. It's my only treasure."
The wizard shrugged, replying with a nonchalant grunt as he poked the fire with a stick. Yúla could still see his eye on her though, looking for something.
Ignoring the wizard for now, she set her treasure on the ground, looking at the polished orb for a moment. She could see several scratches on it that weren't there before. It didn't take long for the dragon to realize that it was wear and tear from her sharp talons gripping it during their journey that caused the damage.
Growling to herself, she promised that she would take more care of her only worldly possession form here on.
"Oh well, I can only try. A dragon guarding their possessions with ferocity is nothing new." Gandalf's voice cut in, drawing her attention. "There are many stories out there of your kind fervently protecting even the smallest bit of their treasure even to the death! Most stories say they would rather die fighting for it rather than lose even a single coin."
Yúla looked up to the wizard, who's attention was still on tending to the fire. His words confused her, as this was the first she had heard of any other firedrakes besides her.
Wanting more information, she ended up shifting her weight so she could face the wizard more easily.
"I wouldn't know. Radagast never told me about any other firedrakes…"
A loud, bellowing laughter resounded through the forest clearing. A few seconds came and went as the grey wizard finished his bout of hysterics.
"No, I don't suppose he would. Nor do I blame him for it. After all, if you were like those other drakes, you would have tried to turn me into a burning pile of ash by now for even suggesting that I keep your treasure safe."
Stunned at the revelation, she dug deep within herself to see if there was even the slightest impulse to do something like that. Sure, she felt annoyed at the wizard for trying to take something that was hers, but she knew he didn't mean to take it permanently. It was only a suggestion to ease her own troubles, and deep down she was thankful more than anything.
"How much did Radagast teach you?"
The dragon thought for a moment, trying to puzzle out exactly what the grey wizard meant by that sentence. Not coming up with a good enough answer, she decided to ask.
"What do you mean?"
The grey wizard turned his attention to her fully for the first time that night.
"Did he teach you of the history of the world? Anything on the people that inhabit it? What about geography? Don't think I haven't noticed your confusion when I mention landmarks."
History? She never even thought about what might have happened in the past. Her seclusion in the forest wilderness always seemed so timeless, as everything had been as it was and always will remain that way.
Geography? She knew the forests around Radagast's hut like the back of her talons by now, down to each and every hiding place to lie in wait for prey to stumble upon her.
But now? Even looking around her immediate area, the trees were unfamiliar. Looming above her was a mountain larger than she ever thought possible, and even more surrounding that one that she spotted in the air on the way here. The world was much larger than she ever thought possible, and she would have never known it if Gandalf never guided her here.
People? She's only ever really met the two wizards. Those odd people in the forest that shot her with their pointed sticks didn't count, as they saw her as prey rather than equals. The idea that there might be even more than the ones she met excited her.
She wanted to meet them all, whoever they were. She wanted to talk to them, and hear their stories. Could any of them fly or breathe fire like her? Did they grow up in a forest like her, or someplace completely different.
She didn't know, and that excited her.
Thinking back to her time with the brown wizard, she tried to think about what Radagast actually did teach her. She knew her time there couldn't have been wasted chasing spiders and hunting deer.
After a moment, she realized he always focused on one thing when he took the time to teach her.
Morality.
Every lesson that Radagast taught her was about the difference between right and wrong. How to decide between a good action and a bad one. Everything from stealing, to destroying someone's things, to even killing was brought up. While she knew her temper got ahead of her sometimes, those lessons stuck with her and she thought of them constantly.
While she appreciated what her brown wizard taught her, she was ready for whatever lessons Gandalf was going to teach her now. Hope filling her at the thought, she fixed her companion with a look of excitement.
"Radagast never taught me any of those things… Though I am willing to learn."
Another soft hum came up from the wizard as he seemed to lose himself to his thoughts again. Yúla noticed he did that quite a lot when the two of them spoke, so she doesn't think much of it anymore.
"Perhaps once we pass through Rohan and can return to traveling together, I can teach you a few things."
Excitement bubbled up from within her, causing her to shift from side to side a bit. The fact that he was willing to teach her what he knew despite the lack of trust they had when they first met was not lost on the firedrake.
Hearing the soft clank of her treasure impacting a rock, she swiftly looks down to see that the orb has rolled a bit in her care. It now had dirt and dust all over it again, causing yet another pang of sadness to go through her.
What kind of dragon am I if I can't even keep my treasure clean?
Picking the orb up, she began to wipe the dust off the volcanic glass. Finding another small scratch from the rock it impacted, a sad whine escaped her maw.
The dragon eyed the wizard in contemplation even as he let out a wide yawn, she flicked her gaze down to his bag. The soft cloth would certainly make a much better carrier than her sharp claws or the rough ground.
Radagast taught her while she was growing that some things are a give and take… Perhaps if he was putting a bit of his trust in her, the least she could do was the same.
Standing up, she crossed the short distance to the wizard which easily gained his attention.
"Yes?"
Holding out the orb, she smiled. Judging by the grimace that came across the wizard's face though, it probably looked more menacing than anything else.
"Can you carry my treasure? I… I trust you."
The wizard lost any trace of hostility as his muscles relaxed. Slowly reaching out his hand, he plucked the orb out of her talons. Slowly and carefully, he slipped the object into his cloth bag and placed it within.
"I shall take great care with it. Should you wish for it back, you need only ask."
The anxiety she felt at handing the orb over receded at those words. She knew she could ask for it back at any point and took comfort at that fact.
Dipping her head low in respect, she replied, "Thank you."
"Now can you move to the side? You are standing on the fire."
Looking down below her chest, she noticed that the campfire was directly below her belly, the flames below licking her scales. Embarrassed, she moves to the side and curls up nearby. Placing her head on her paws, she settled in for the night.
-OtWoF-
I hate rain.
Sure enough, the weather couldn't remain fair the entire way. The two companions were stopped for the night, but it seemed they were caught unawares when the rain started.
The wizard quickly finding what shelter he could, they ended up only partially covered by a small rock overhang. The weather was too foul to go anywhere, but where they were was miserable.
The firedrake was using one of her wings to shield herself from the downpour, frustrated when the heat of her fire was chilled a bit from the water. Being caught in the rain or completely submerged in water was the only way a dragon could truly feel cold, and she hated being cold.
Glancing over to her side she saw Gandalf not faring much better than her. The wizard seemed to be using some form of magic from his staff to heat himself, and for once she felt bad for him.
Unfurling her other wing, she placed it over his head, creating a shield for the rain overtop of him. Taking in a deep breath, she stoked the fire within her. Her chest begun to glow an ominous orange, and a large billowing cloud of steam rose up from her scales, drying her off a bit.
Glancing down to the soaking wizard, she saw him look up thankfully. Smiling down, she moved a bit closer to keep him warm.
If they were going to be miserable, then they will do so together.
-OtWoF-
Yúla was bored.
The two of them were making their way through someplace called Dunland. Thankfully, Yúla could keep a good enough track of the one she was supposed to follow now, as her skills finding his scent on the wind were exemplary. Sadly, the point was moot when he released his mount once they passed an unseen border and returned to his infernal walking.
The two companions were forced to stop yet again as Gandalf needed food. It honestly surprised her how often he needed to eat, as she only needed to fill herself once every five days or so. The constant stopping slowly whittled away at her amazement for her surroundings, leading to an extreme boredom caused by the one who was guiding her.
This led to the firedrake staring holes in the back of the wizard's pointy hat, attempting to urge him on with the ferocity of her gaze alone.
Looking over to the wizard, she can see him yet again puffing on his stick and cup. A small puff of smoke coming from his mouth every few seconds.
Slowly, the gears in the bored firedrake's mind began to spin and a plan on how to entertain herself hatched within her young mind.
Slowly making her way next to the wizard, she plops down loudly next to him. Gandalf gave her a strange look, but didn't think much of it as he returned to his activity. After a few seconds, another puff was released from his mouth.
And hers.
The two clouds of smoke, one significantly larger, slowly dissipated into the air around them. Yúla was quite happy with the fact that her cloud was bigger than his for some reason, though the wizard didn't seem to care overly much.
Knowing this was a competition, even if Gandalf didn't, Yúla stirred the fire within her, and waited for her moment to pounce.
She didn't need to wait long.
Seeing yet another puff released from her companion, she quickly calms her flame as she breathes out. An absolutely massive cloud of smoke fills the entire clearing in front of them as she can hear Gandalf's response.
"Oh… Oh I see."
Satisfied with winning the impromptu game that only she knew were playing, she turned her attention to the wizard who had a sly smirk.
He's planning something...
"The grandiosity of it isn't the point, young dragon. Let me show you what a master can do."
Blinking, she watches as he took a few quick puffs on his contraption before he began to do something strange.
Watching in fascination, Yúla saw a small dragon made entirely out of smoke emerge from his tiny mouth. The strange grey smoke-dragon flapped its wings once before flying off a few feet. It didn't take long before it too dissipated, but Yúla was instantly intrigued.
Attempting to imitate his strange mouth motions, all she got for her troubles was another formless puff of smoke.
Looking over, she spotted Gandalf with an amused expression on his face. Getting close, she demanded an explanation even as her tail swished in excitement behind her.
"How did you do that? Can you teach me?"
The wizard had the decency to look like he was contemplating the question for a moment, but when his response came, it wasn't quite what she was hoping for.
"Oh, that? I learned it through practice and a bit of skill I suppose…"
He didn't elaborate as he continued to smoke in silence, opening his mouth and blowing a neat circle. After a moment, his blue eyes turned to the increasingly frustrated dragon with amusement clear within them.
"Perhaps you might become as good as me one day, if you practice that is."
A vicious snarl that would have sent a troll running left her throat at those words. Furiously staring daggers into the wizard, he didn't seem to care all too much as he stood up and used a hand to put out the smoldering fire in his stick-and-cup.
"Ah, well. I feel quite refreshed now. Let us continue on our journey!"
The wizard began his stroll, the soft clank of his staff impacting the odd rock on the wilderness path resounded as the dragon slowly followed behind.
Unbeknownst to him, she was already experimenting.
-OtWoF-
"I am always hungry and will die if not fed, but whatever I touch will soon turn red. What am I?"
Scrunching her face up in concentration, the dragoness begins to think.
They were apparently on the last stretch of their journey, and thankfully the time seemed to be going by a bit faster. That might have something to do with how Gandalf introduced her to the wonder of riddles, but she wasn't complaining.
To her frustration, there were a few that she couldn't answer as she didn't know of the subjects, but she tried her best. Thankfully, Gandalf was doing his best to fill in some of the gaps in her knowledge during their journey.
Feeling excitement fill her as an answer came to her quickly, she blurted out, "Fire!"
Gandalf smiled as he continued his walk.
"Very good! Hmm…"
Right now, they were on another vast plains of some distant lands somewhere. The golden grass below her was dry, and the short trees around her were sparse, but the sky above was a deep blue. The direct sunlight reflected off the landscape around her, bathing the entire area in a peaceful serenity.
Her guide seemed a bit distracted as he searched the horizon for something, but nonetheless he began to speak another riddle.
"I follow you all the time and copy your every move, but you can't touch me or catch me. What am I?"
Once again, the challenge of attempting to decipher the answer distracted her. Something in the back of her mind noted that this was becoming a bit of an issue, as once the words reached her, her mind was filled with nothing else.
Not that she cared right now, as she was thankful for the distraction.
I follow you…
She didn't think it would help her, but she glanced behind herself anyway. Seeing nothing, she snorted. Of course it wouldn't be that easy.
"Ah! Here it is…"
Shaken out of her thoughts, she looked ahead to see Gandalf examining a particularly out of place rock formation. The wizard looked back to her for a second, gesturing for her to follow.
I'm following him, and I am quite sure that he can't catch me even if he tried…
But the riddle specifically said that this thing was following her, not to mention that line about not being able to be touched.
Hmm.
When she closed the distance, there was an unseen cave that seemed to be carved into the ground. A slope of smooth rock led down below to an opening that looked large enough to fit her, but none of that mattered to the firedrake.
Copy my every move… hmm.
"The unseen pass. It seems we have arrived."
Gandalf pointed his staff at the dragon, gaining… about half of her attention. Gesturing to the cave, he enters first. Idly thinking to herself, she follows closely behind, her black talons scraping against the stone as she slid down into the depths below.
It turns out there was a path, but she didn't care.
"I need you to wait in here. Do not stray, as this place can be dangerous if the elves find you before I can explain. Do not make a sound, and I shall return as quickly as I can."
It has to be formless, if I can't touch it. Maybe it's a spiritual thing? An emotion? … no.
Settling in, Yúla curls up on herself and gets comfortable. It wouldn't be the first time he has had her wait while he scouted ahead, but thankfully this time she had something to occupy her thoughts.
The wizard began to walk down the strange pass through the rock, seemingly satisfied with her lack of response.
Hours passed with her stuck in the cave, her eyes drifting to the opening of the small cave she found herself in. She could see the light of the sun starting to become a bit dimmer as night drew close.
How can something copy you, but you can't touch it? Nothing is behind me, so it isn't following me… unless it isn't always visible…
Suddenly, the sound of Gandalf's voice came from the entrance above. The strange sensation of hearing his voice coming from the way they came rather than the way he went confused her for only a moment, right up until she remembered that she had a riddle to solve.
"Yúla? Would you come out please? There are some people I would like you to meet."
Standing up, she began to make her way out. Claws scraping against the stone, she needed to dig into the rock in order for her to get any sort of traction. Carving out deep gashes as she made her way up, her head snaked its way out of the cave and looked around.
Three people were waiting for her. Gandalf was immediately recognizable, but the other two were complete strangers to her.
Both were atop the strange four legged steeds that the two legged species seemed so fond of. They both had shiny metal armor clad over their bodies and a strange stick strapped to their hip, but the odd fur on their heads was a different color. One had a deep brown, while the other's hair flowed like gold similar to the coin Gandalf showed her.
The two elves, which she noted she only knew that due to Gandalf's lessons, seemed a bit surprised but not overly so at her approach. The same couldn't be said of their steeds however. Immediately upon poking her head out, the strange mounts became nervous. Making strange noises as they skittishly backed away.
Gandalf took that time to make introductions. "Yúla, this is Lord Elrond," he gestured to the brown haired elf before moving his hand to the other, "and Lord Glorfindel. They are here to help us."
But Yúla didn't care about that. No, her eyes were firmly on the ground below their steeds.
More specifically, the shadows that were imitating their motions.
I follow you all the time and copy your every move…
The one with the golden hair spoke up.
"I must say, when Mithrandir told me your story, I didn't quite believe it at first… the dragons of old were great beasts of darkness and-"
But you can't touch me or catch me. What am I?
Ignoring the two newcomers, she glanced down to her own shadow. Poking the ground with a talon for a moment, she knew when she felt the ground below that she had her answer.
"-Must say that we will need further proof that this… beast, this dragon will not be a threat to-"
"My shadow!"
The three fell silent as they stared at her. All three seemed confused, including Gandalf, so she began to elaborate. Pointing to the grey wizard, she smiled. Attempting her best at imitating the old magic user's voice, she began to talk.
"I follow you all the time and copy your every move, but you can't touch me or catch me. What am I?"
She poked the ground again, completely satisfied with her answer.
"It's my shadow!"
Moving closer to Gandalf, she tilted her head and studied his face for a moment. She needed to know if she was right. She has spent almost all day on this one, and if she was wrong she would be devastated.
The wizard looked amused as he gave her a smile and a nod.
A beaming smile reached her face as pure satisfaction and bliss ran through her. Flopping on the ground with a loud thud, she let out a happy little growl as she pointed a talon at the smiling Gandalf.
"That was a hard one old man! I almost gave up! It didn't help that you put me in a cave with next to no light!"
Looking around as she was now fully aware of her surroundings, she fully took notice of the two stunned looking newcomers. Still happy that she was able to solve the riddle, she beamed a blissful smile towards them even from her spot flopped on the ground.
"Hello! I'm Yúla! Who are you?"
-Author's Note-
That was a fun chapter to write.
I don't typically write on days I work, but this one just kept coming. I particularly had fun writing the riddle scene, and thinking of the dumbstruck faces of lord Elrond and Glorfindel as they watch a wriggling firedrake bigger than their horses blissfully happy that she solved a children's riddle had me laughing even as I wrote it.
Now, I have a bit of an issue. I'm significantly less knowledgeable with middle earth lore than I am halo lore, and I actually found out that most of my fanfiction writer friends haven't even seen the movies, let alone read the books. If anyone would like to help me with timeline ideas, feel free to shoot me a PM. I got a basic idea of where I want to go, but I already noticed a lore mistake I've made and I want to reduce those as much as I can.
Also, I don't have an editor… though that's pretty much normal for me. If I spot any mistakes I fix them usually that day, so the fic will slowly fix stupid mistakes like repeated words and what not over time… or at least I will try to. :)
Thanks everyone for reading! I'm honestly surprised that people enjoy reading my dumb ideas sometimes, and reviews really make my day.
Anyway, as always read and review, and if you like it, consider giving me a follow and a favorite!