Hermione looked down, simultaneously casting a powerful invisibility charm
over them. That did no good.
The thing, whatever it was, zoomed past her head again, coming to an abrupt
halt right in front of her face. It was small and looked like a
hummingbird. It was completely bright blue with black eyes and a white
beak. Hermione held out her arm in fascination, and it alighted on her
forearm.
"Who are you?" a high, squeaky voice said inside her head.
"Who said that?" she asked, looking around.
"Me!" It replied. Just then, the creature tapped her hard with its beak.
"Me!"
It occurred to Hermione the creature could be speaking to her, but she
dismissed the notion.
"It can't be," she thought.
"Oh yes it can," the creature replied smugly, doing its best to smile.
Hermione looked down, simultaneously casting a powerful invisibility charm over them. That did no good.
The thing, whatever it was, zoomed past her head again, coming to an abrupt halt right in front of her face. It was small and looked like a hummingbird. It was completely bright blue with black eyes and a white beak. Hermione held out her arm in fascination, and it alighted on her forearm.
"Who are you?" a high, squeaky voice said inside her head.
"Who said that?" she asked, looking around.
"Me!" It replied. Just then, the creature tapped her hard with its beak. "Me!"
It occurred to Hermione the creature could be speaking to her, but she dismissed the notion.
"It can't be," she thought.
"Oh yes it can," the creature replied smugly, doing its best to smile.
"B-but you shouldn't be able to see me," Hermione stuttered. "I put an invisibility charm over us."
"It does no good with me," the creature replied, once again with a hint of smugness in its voice. "I am a xanthlar."
"Xanthlar, xanthlar," Hermione muttered, trying to remember where she had read that name. "Xanthlar! A mystical creature who can speak mind to mind with anyone, whether they possess the ability to or not. Is not affected by any charms or spells, and holds a great store of information. Can also read minds if wishes to. So, what is your name?"
"Mlarthrak," it answered.
"Well, Mlarthrak, nice to meet you," Hermione said smiling.
"If only he could tell us where the Mordor sands are hidden," she thought.
"I can," Mlarthrak replied.
"What!? Oh yeah, the mind reading thing... Wait! You know where the Mordor sands are?" Hermione asked eagerly.
"Of course," Mlarthrak replied indignantly. "I think almost every xanthlar does."
"Could you show us, maybe?" Hermione asked. She waited for an answer with baited breath.
"Well," Mlarthrak tilted his head to the side, thinking, "I think I could."
"Really!? Great! Thank you so much," Hermione said, beaming. "Wait, first we have to get the Elven and Dwarf sands. Would you mind journeying with us through that?"
"Not at all," Mlarthrak answered smoothly. "In fact, I know a great resting spot where we can spend the night tonight. It is halfway to Lothlorien. We could get there tomorrow night if we really try."
"Excellent!" Hermione beamed. "So where is this spot?"
"Right about here," Mlarthrak took off in a dive.
"Follow him Harry!" Hermione shouted.
Harry looked at her in confusion, "Why?"
"Just trust me and do it," she answered, "I'll explain when we get on the ground."
So the trio followed Mlarthrak down into the forest.
They landed and set up camp quickly as dark was coming on soon. They ate with little conversation, each wrapped up in their own thoughts, forgetting that Mlarthrak could hear what they were thinking. It was in this way that Mlarthrak grew to know each individual rather quickly.
They banked the fire and huddled into their sleeping rolls, Mlarthrak finding a perch above them.
Hermione shivered, thinking, "I wish Legolas was here. A whole month where I can't see him, much less communicate with him."
"Ah, but you can," Mlarthrak interrupted. Hermione looken above her, finding the bird staring at her with amusement in his large eyes.
"This mind reading thing is getting a wee bit annoying," Hermione grumbled, then added in a louder voice, "No there is not. Legolas said so himself, the connection breaks at a certain distance, which we are well past."
"But," Mlarthrak countered, "there is another part that he didn't tell you, and might not even know. As you know, we xanthlars have powers dealing with the mind, such as reading minds and speaking mind to mind. We also have a little less known power: since we can speak mind to mind with anyone we wish, we can re-establish the connection between two mind speakers, as long as they possess the ability. So, basically what I'm getting at is that I can connect you and Legolas."
"Oh," a look of comprehension crept onto Hermione's face. "Amazing! Could you please?"
"Of course," Mlarthrak replied, his eyes showing amusement again. "Would I have explained if I wasn't going to?"
He closed his eyes and moments later a brilliant blue light flared around him. It dulled, then reached for Hermione, enveloping her.
"Hello?" Legolas' voice sounded far away.
"Legolas!" Hermione almost shouted.
"Hermione?" his confused voice was clearer.
"It is me!" she said joyously.
"How!? What!?"
"Never mind, I will explain later," she laughed, looking up at Mlarthrak in thanks.
His grin told her that he was being decent and not listening in either.
She laughed again and sank onto her pillow, conversing with Legolas in her head.
Hermione looked down, simultaneously casting a powerful invisibility charm over them. That did no good.
The thing, whatever it was, zoomed past her head again, coming to an abrupt halt right in front of her face. It was small and looked like a hummingbird. It was completely bright blue with black eyes and a white beak. Hermione held out her arm in fascination, and it alighted on her forearm.
"Who are you?" a high, squeaky voice said inside her head.
"Who said that?" she asked, looking around.
"Me!" It replied. Just then, the creature tapped her hard with its beak. "Me!"
It occurred to Hermione the creature could be speaking to her, but she dismissed the notion.
"It can't be," she thought.
"Oh yes it can," the creature replied smugly, doing its best to smile.
"B-but you shouldn't be able to see me," Hermione stuttered. "I put an invisibility charm over us."
"It does no good with me," the creature replied, once again with a hint of smugness in its voice. "I am a xanthlar."
"Xanthlar, xanthlar," Hermione muttered, trying to remember where she had read that name. "Xanthlar! A mystical creature who can speak mind to mind with anyone, whether they possess the ability to or not. Is not affected by any charms or spells, and holds a great store of information. Can also read minds if wishes to. So, what is your name?"
"Mlarthrak," it answered.
"Well, Mlarthrak, nice to meet you," Hermione said smiling.
"If only he could tell us where the Mordor sands are hidden," she thought.
"I can," Mlarthrak replied.
"What!? Oh yeah, the mind reading thing... Wait! You know where the Mordor sands are?" Hermione asked eagerly.
"Of course," Mlarthrak replied indignantly. "I think almost every xanthlar does."
"Could you show us, maybe?" Hermione asked. She waited for an answer with baited breath.
"Well," Mlarthrak tilted his head to the side, thinking, "I think I could."
"Really!? Great! Thank you so much," Hermione said, beaming. "Wait, first we have to get the Elven and Dwarf sands. Would you mind journeying with us through that?"
"Not at all," Mlarthrak answered smoothly. "In fact, I know a great resting spot where we can spend the night tonight. It is halfway to Lothlorien. We could get there tomorrow night if we really try."
"Excellent!" Hermione beamed. "So where is this spot?"
"Right about here," Mlarthrak took off in a dive.
"Follow him Harry!" Hermione shouted.
Harry looked at her in confusion, "Why?"
"Just trust me and do it," she answered, "I'll explain when we get on the ground."
So the trio followed Mlarthrak down into the forest.
They landed and set up camp quickly as dark was coming on soon. They ate with little conversation, each wrapped up in their own thoughts, forgetting that Mlarthrak could hear what they were thinking. It was in this way that Mlarthrak grew to know each individual rather quickly.
They banked the fire and huddled into their sleeping rolls, Mlarthrak finding a perch above them.
Hermione shivered, thinking, "I wish Legolas was here. A whole month where I can't see him, much less communicate with him."
"Ah, but you can," Mlarthrak interrupted. Hermione looken above her, finding the bird staring at her with amusement in his large eyes.
"This mind reading thing is getting a wee bit annoying," Hermione grumbled, then added in a louder voice, "No there is not. Legolas said so himself, the connection breaks at a certain distance, which we are well past."
"But," Mlarthrak countered, "there is another part that he didn't tell you, and might not even know. As you know, we xanthlars have powers dealing with the mind, such as reading minds and speaking mind to mind. We also have a little less known power: since we can speak mind to mind with anyone we wish, we can re-establish the connection between two mind speakers, as long as they possess the ability. So, basically what I'm getting at is that I can connect you and Legolas."
"Oh," a look of comprehension crept onto Hermione's face. "Amazing! Could you please?"
"Of course," Mlarthrak replied, his eyes showing amusement again. "Would I have explained if I wasn't going to?"
He closed his eyes and moments later a brilliant blue light flared around him. It dulled, then reached for Hermione, enveloping her.
"Hello?" Legolas' voice sounded far away.
"Legolas!" Hermione almost shouted.
"Hermione?" his confused voice was clearer.
"It is me!" she said joyously.
"How!? What!?"
"Never mind, I will explain later," she laughed, looking up at Mlarthrak in thanks.
His grin told her that he was being decent and not listening in either.
She laughed again and sank onto her pillow, conversing with Legolas in her head.