Chapter 8: Love and Loss
The soft plucks from a harp almost pulled the dragoness out of her grumpy thoughts. Thankfully, the harmony allowed her to finally be able to focus on something else other than her worries. Somehow, the peaceful harmony seemed to somewhat calm her nerves even as the smell of sickness and freshly reopened wounds filled her snout.
But despite Ídhaiamrûn's best efforts, the music did not make her feel better.
Not wishing to turn her head around fully again, she decided to try and fully surrender herself to the happy feelings the song gave her. The shifting of one of her spines protruding from her back told her the elf was sitting comfortably in a spot between her shoulders, playing his soft music in his own safe spot astride the mythical creature of fire and death that he called his friend.
The dragoness and her newfound animal-men have been making their way through the countryside for only a day at this point. Taking another step forward, the mighty dragoness scented the damp morning air as a breeze cut through the oppressive air that surrounded her group so far. The thick natural scent of grass and dew caught her attention, with an undertone of local wildlife doing their absolute best to not announce their presence to the massive predator.
The comforting feeling of Ídhaiamrûn upon her and plinking a familiar tune caused a warm and happy feeling to run through her for only a moment, even as the frustration of their current situation remained ever present.
But despite Ídhaiamrûn's best efforts, the music did not make her feel better.
Sure, she was trying her best to enjoy the normally calming and beautiful music, but that did little to distract her fully away from their situation as the breeze let up and the scent of tainted and poisonous blood returned in full force.
Growling as her frustration returned, she glanced back to the trail of men behind her as her restraint not to do so vanished and her aggravation rose.
Her newfound human friends were sick and exhausted from their ordeal, leading to agonizingly slow progress towards Rivendell. Several of her new friends have been severely hindered by their wounds on the journey at this point, whip and torture wounds reopening at the exertion of cross country hiking. Despite the free air and reprieve from the torturous orcs, some of them were simply too wounded or sick to brave the elements without any issue. Rain came and went the night before, bringing coughing and fevers from the weakest members.
According to Ídhaiamrûn, the wounds were more than simple trauma. A dark poison was mysteriously present in the worst of their wounds, sapping their strength with surprising speed. Neither he nor Gandalf could do much for them, as neither had the skill to mend such poisonous evil.
She could not burn the sickness. She could not fight the wounds to make them better. She could not sway their wounds with her dragonspell. She could not intimidate the creeping hand of death with her mighty form.
She was a dragon, not a healer. She could do nothing.
She brought up the idea of flying the most wounded to Rivendell, but even that would take more than one day. Leaving them without any care at all, soaring through the frigid air with little to no food for several days at least was definitely not a recipe for their survival.
And so they walked. Those few among them with medical training tried to monitor the situation, which everyone assured her was the least terrible option available to them.
And despite Ídhaiamrûn's best efforts, the music did not make her feel better.
Thankfully enough, both Gandalf and Ídhaiamrûn were experienced enough healers. Their hard work over the last two days of their journey has been immensely helpful at keeping the ongoing suffering from turning into a catastrophic disaster.
Quickly finding the wizard astride his white horse midway back of the group, Yúla was happy to notice how several of the men around him seemed a bit more motivated and hopeful then they did only a day prior. Smiling, Yúla turned her head forward once again.
The wonderful sound of the harp finally eroded away her terrible mood to bring a momentary few moments of peace as nostalgic thoughts to her troubled mind. Thoughts of how Ídhaiamrûn used to play this song even as she was curled up around her treasures in her cave, or how he settled so comfortably into his spot astride her back.
Once this is all over, I will be able to listen to this wonderful song in my new home!
The thought alone of gathering all the gold that those orcs almost took from her new home and lying on top of it caused an instinctual bliss to fill her chest for a moment. From what she could assess from before the fight with the balrog, there should be enough for her to pile up and lie upon, even if she must curl up to do so.
For the first time in her entire life, she now had enough gold to make a proper nest. This, along with the idea of her elven friend giving her nightly personal concerts with his wonderful music, caused her to begin to wriggle in delight even as she marched onward.
The soft sound of something impacting the ground behind her caught her attention. A few gasps and muffled sobs caused the dragoness to whip her head around again.
One of her animal-men collapsed, coughing into the dirt as dust and debris collected into his already violently infected wounds. Gandalf was already there attempting to help the man back to his feet, but a quick look at the defeated look of the wizard, Yúla knew the man wouldn't make it to Rivendell without something changing.
Thinking over everything she could do, the quick thought of flying ahead and stealing a cart from some poor merchant came to mind before that thought was quickly dashed. She couldn't steal something from someone in good conscience… even if she did just rob a few thousand orcs of their home…
… And their lives…
With the thought of stealing something off the table, the only other options she had available to her were to… to…
Do nothing.
So, Yúla continued onward, trying to focus on anything else other than the pained groans of those doomed to die from something she couldn't save them from.
And despite Ídhaiamrûn's best efforts, despite the history of always calming her nerves and soothing her troubled mind…This wonderous music played just for her did not make me feel better.
-OtWoF-
The sun dipped partially behind the horizon, reds and oranges covering the twilight sky as the beauty of the world showed clearly to any who wished to see it. Sadly, even the daily beauty of the world was muted. Smothered under the immense sadness enveloping the gathering of men and women, like an all-encompassing cloud of sorrow hovering overhead, blinding them to the beauty of the scene above.
Looking down upon the grouping from above, Yúla watched as the men wept for those that have been lost so far.
One single week into their journey has cost them fourteen lives.
A sad song from a language that Yúla didn't understand rose up from Rowena. Slowly, more and more joined into the tune as the group sang to the world around them, announcing their sorrow to the world around them.
Why?
Many questions have been on the mind of the dragoness for quite some time now. Ever since they lost the first member of her rag-tag group, she has been searching internally for answers as to what it could all mean.
Until now, she has never lost anyone she cared about. Her friends and family all seemed timeless, never changing as even the young trees grew like she did across the landscape. No one has ever truly left her to venture into the beyond before.
And now these new friends are dying before she can even learn all of their names.
Just like last time, they didn't have any time to bury the poor soul who survived the worst that orc kindness had to offer, only to fall to black poisonous wounds and torturous disease before reaching the safety of Rivendell. Slowly but surely, the sad tune wound to a close, and the group of men began to circle around the small fires they had all made for themselves.
Scanning the group, Yúla sees the exhaustion in all their faces. This ordeal has been taxing on the majority of them thus far, and the loss of loved ones had an impact on them that they were doing their best not to show each other.
Sure, they were hardy people. Yúla could tell that with how often they responded to concern for any sign of weakness being brushed off quickly with a quick response of, "I survived Azog, this trail is nothing!" Or "Don't worry about me, I'll be fine."
Glancing back toward the shallow grave, Yúla could idly remember the one who was now lost to them making similar objections all the way up until he couldn't anymore.
And I thought I was stubborn.
"He was strong willed. His spirit will find its way to the gates of your ancestors."
Hearing Gandalf's mournful voice nearby, the dragoness did her best to act as if she wasn't paying too much attention to the conversation.
"Thank you… but I fear for the rest of my people… How many more must be lost before this nightmare is over?"
Settling in near enough to the stone where the bodies of their fallen lay, Yúla tried to ignore the scent of the dead, but she couldn't.
"All tragedies of this world will end with time. You must take your solace in knowing your people are strong and will find their way to the halls of your ancestors."
"Thank you…"
The halls of her… ancestors?
Confused, Yúla tries to understand what the wizard meant by that. Surely he couldn't be talking about the dead one?
Trying to think about what happens after death, the only thing that came to mind was Glorfindel's tale of defeating a balrog in the first age. Yet, none of his tales included any men or ancestral halls.
Ever curious, the dragoness wanted to have her questions answered. Snaking her head over the camp, casting a shadow over the few men she needed to look over, she brought her head close to the wizard.
"Gandalf?"
The wizard appeared to just be settling down onto a stump, seemingly unsurprised by the appearance of a massive lizard staring down upon him.
"Yes? What is it Yúla?"
Getting straight to the point, Yúla asked her question.
"What were you saying about the halls of their ancestors? Do men's spirits not go to the undying realm like the elves?"
Gandalf seemed like he understood the question immediately, as his face morphed into that thoughtful grandfatherly expression he normally had when explaining something.
"Men's spirits, when their bodies fail, depart this world for the realms of their ancestors. They will find peace elsewhere, forever looking down upon those that still remain from beyond our reach… for now."
Tilting her head, she tried to wrap her head around the idea. Her thoughts quickly ground to a halt when she realized something.
"If men go to the halls of their ancestors, and the spirits of elves go to the undying realm… where would I go?"
Gandalf's mouth opened, promising an answer from the motion, but no words came out. Silence reigned from the wizard as the skin around his aged sky blue eyes wrinkled. Obviously deep in thought, the wizard stared at her intently for a long tense moment before softly, his response came.
"… I'm sorry Yúla… but I don't quite know…"
Utterly disappointed and honestly rather terrified of the answer, she turned her head back to the impromptu grave the skinchangers made for their fallen kin. She watched as a few stragglers said their peace to their friend or family, but she only felt dread well up from within her.
Glorfindel said nothing of dragons in his recount of Aman. She obviously had no ancestors in her past that were men… so where did she end up if she was unlucky enough to be struck down like so many of her kin before her?
Does that mean if I die, I will never see anyone I care about ever again?
"But I wouldn't worry. You are kind of heart and free of spirit. You would be met with soft winds and open skies above, free to spread your wings and sail into the great beyond, free from the troubles of this world forever."
The words comforted her slightly, but only slightly. While that sounded delightful, she would only ever accept that kind of afterlife if she could spend it with those few people she cared for.
Feeling the soft weight of her elf on her back, nestled between her wings in his normal position, she smiled as the familiar warm not-fire-feeling filled her chest. While she wasn't sure what would happen after death, she needed to take comfort in the fact that almost nothing could kill her even if it tried. She still had her friends, and nothing would take them from her.
Not even death itself.
-OtWoF-
Feeling the morning sun on her back, Yúla stirred on the large rocky outcropping she remembered she fell asleep on. Surprisingly enough, despite the less than ideal sleeping conditions, she felt fully rested and comfortable. The birds were surprisingly quiet, and the wind was softly blowing over her as she slowly stirred from her slumber.
Taking in a deep breath, Yúla felt her fire simmer in her chest, though she felt no need to unleash the immense power within her at the moment. Releasing the breath harmlessly, she opened her eyes slowly.
Only to immediately find a small bear cub who seems to be completely at ease sitting in front of a dragon's muzzle.
Blinking at this strange new development, the dragoness tilted her head to the right in confusion. The motion was immediately followed by the bear mimicking her motion. Confusion building, Yúla moved her head to the left instead only to see the fuzzy creature doing the same.
What is this small prey creature doing?
She admired the bravery of the creature for a moment, looking into the deep brown of its eyes. She saw no fear reflected back to her whatsoever, a strange thing for her sleep-addled brain to comprehend.
And then she remembered the scent.
This bear was one of her wayward animal-people. Obviously one of their children… Cubs… hatchlings?
I need to clarify the terminology sometime in the future. Are they men, or animals?
"Grouumm!"
In utter bewilderment, Yúla watched as the cub spread its limbs out in an obvious motion to playfully attack. This child obviously had no sense of fear when it came to the dragoness, attempting to circle around her close muzzle in a vain effort to find a weak point to pounce upon.
After a minute or so of observing the small creature, Yúla realized that despite his obvious bravery for challenging her so openly, he was a bit indecisive and unconfident in his own skills. He didn't seem like he knew where and how he wanted to strike, so he ended up just shuffling about and growling at her snout.
This was a challenge that could not go unanswered.
I'll show you who the apex predator is here!
Slowly and carefully, she snaked her muzzle down and bopped the bear cub on his midsection with her snout, toppling the bear over onto its side before retreating. The cub screeched and flailed in the dirt for a moment, finding his footing before returning to his previous pose.
Snorting smoke into his face, the cub shook his head violently as he reared back onto his behind and began to wipe his snout with his paws. Yúla, seeing the weakness, once more snaked her head forward and bopped the bear over onto his back.
Wriggling on the ground, the small creature finally was able to fully regain his bearings. Not wishing to be toppled over again, he pounces on the dragoness's snout as a way to stop her from doing it again.
Yúla could have easily dodged the attack by pulling her head back, but she didn't as she sat still and allowed the cub to take a swipe at her snout. The claws landed perfectly onto her armored hide, and the attack surely would have done some kind of damage if she had been any other creature other than a dragon.
Deciding to give this cub a bit of confidence in his hunting skills, she feigned a fatal injury. Rearing back her neck, she opened her mouth and let her tongue flip open.
"Arugh! I've been struck down!" She wailed to the skies, before a small earthquake resounded through the clearing when her neck and head struck the stone she was resting on. Making sure to sell her dramatic performance, she made sure to leave her forked tongue flopped outside of the side of her mouth.
Keeping one eye slightly open from her spot on the ground, she watched as the cub didn't quite know how to react. Looking down to his paw for a second, then back up to the downed dragoness, he began to panic. After only a moment, the bear shifted similarly enough to how Rowena did. Looking back and forth in frantic desperation, he ran up to Yúla's muzzle and began to try and nudge her awake to no avail.
Nope. I'm dead now.
Sounds of the distressed man-cub ran through the clearing, followed immediately by the sound of a familiar musical laughter.
Needing to tilt her head a bit to see the newcomer, she lost a bit of her believability when she adjusted her head to see Ídhaimrûn sitting casually on a tree stump. The elf didn't seem as if he wanted to interfere with what was happening, smiling brightly into her open eye as he held back the rest of his laughter with a hand.
Thankfully for the panicked man-cub, his family came to investigate his cries… or maybe the large earthquake that happened?
"Beorn! I told you to let the dragon sleep!"
Spinning around, the child sprinted directly into his mother's open arms. Crying profusely, the child managed to speak a few words through his sobs.
"I didn't mean to! I-I'm sorry! I k-killed her!"
Deciding that this charade had gone far enough, Yúla began to right herself. Fully standing up, she began to stretch her muscles out as she finally took stock of the situation.
All around her was her grouping of animal-men. Some were smiling for the first time since they left the mines, amusement at the young one's blunder bubbling through the pain and suffering they had following them, ever present like a shadow that would never leave. The tonal shift was nice to see especially considering the distance they had crossed and the journey they still had ahead of them.
Snaking her head down to address the small cub-child, she gently nudged the two hugging family members with her massive snout. Watching as the two of them, still hugging, tipped over and landed softly on the dusty ground, the dragoness snorted a bit of smoke in their direction.
"It was a valiant effort, young one. Perhaps one day I might be able to teach you a thing or two about hunting, but for now, you are too young for such things."
She turned her head a bit and brought one of her massive sapphire eyes close to him as she felt her fire stir in her chest with the next point she wished to make. Switching her gaze to both the woman and her young, she let out a menacing growl for emphasis before speaking.
"However, for those that might be too much for you or your kin, know that you need only ask me and I will come to protect you."
And Yúla meant it. She felt protective over these people now even after the short time she had known them, and any who threatened them would be met with her teeth and claws.
The child looked up to the dragoness from his spot on the dusty ground with amazement in his eyes. It was clear he took the words to heart. From that silent exchange, she knew she had a new friend for quite a long time to come.
-OtWoF-
The journey was rough and slow, eventually leading to a worn road that trailed the Bruinen river. The barely clothed ragged group of over a hundred animal-men alongside a wizard, and an elf astride a dragon was certainly something that would definitely spawn tavern jokes and tall tales from all those that saw them.
Thankfully, these shape-changing men were excellent at surviving in the wilds once they regained some of their strength. The moment the inky blackness of Moria was replaced with vast wilderness, those that weren't too sick or infected seemed to come alive. Food and water was seemingly easy to find for them which made traveling significantly easier than the dragoness thought it would be.
Honestly? She was just happy she didn't need to hunt for them.
After only a few days trekking through the woods slowly, Yúla decided that speed was of the essence. Despite Gandalf's protests, Yúla decided they would take the most direct route to Rivendell.
The roads.
While the pace went significantly faster, Yúla was absolutely certain that strange stories would come from the absurd group she was leading across the land.
Several travelers detoured into the woods the moment Yúla came into view, terrified from her massive form casually walking alongside the roads, but she did not care as the grouping of skinchangers slowly became used to her presence. Even through the screams of terror and fleeing travelers that came across their path etched irritation into her mind, her new friends comforted her through her unseen anguish.
Across valleys and through swamplands they walked, the dragoness using her massive wings to protect her friends from both harsh rains and freezing nights during their trek. Nature itself seemed to be throwing everything it had at them to make it as miserable as possible, but thankfully the group had the advantage of a mobile and extremely hot walking furnace with wings to keep them warm and dry
Strangely enough, the dragoness noticed that the ones that were becoming closer to her personally were the youngest of her little group. The children of those she saved warmed up to her presence quite quickly, spending quite a lot of time playing beneath her even as she walked alongside the group. It turns out, playing 'run underneath the dragon and don't get stomped on' was a fun game to them, even if they didn't know she was watching her steps extremely carefully.
Eventually though, through rain and shine, frost and thaw, the group finally made it to the valley of Imladris.
Immediately upon entering elvish lands, Yúla's mood soured when she almost physically felt the familiar but unwelcome animosity. Even now as she watched the contingent of elves astride horses riding to her, hearing the horns calling for reinforcements. She knew full well that they weren't here just to greet her warmly.
"Halt Morrovalùr! You may go no further!"
Sighing deeply, she sat down roughly with a loud thud. Trees shook under her motions, raining dried pine needles onto the forest floor from the resulting minor earthquake.
"Ah, Lindir!"
Hearing Gandalf greeting the newcomer, Yúla decided to turn to her grouping of strange magical mortal men. All of them appeared exhausted from their journey. It certainly wasn't a short one after all, and they were certainly less numerous then they were before they set off, but she knew that these people were safe now. Orcs would no longer be able to prey on them bound to floors and stuck in cages. They made it to safety, and Yúla was quite sure that these people would be able to make a new life and start over with a much better chance of happiness now.
Sadly, the dragoness was under no delusions that the elves as a whole would welcome her with them back into Rivendell with open arms. No, she was here to reclaim what was hers and drop off the animal-people to safety. Nothing more. She had a home now, and she wished to return to it quickly…
…with maybe a quick stop in Greenwood…
The grey wizard began to speak in full, gaining the attention of all those present.
"We have wounded with us, and have traveled far across the land with them. Most of them need healing and food if you can provide." The wizard motioned behind him to the grouping of raggled men and women behind him before continuing. "Some of their maladies are magical in nature as well, and might require long term treatment. I did what I could to mitigate the damage, but I must admit that some of these poisons are beyond me…"
The elf greeter bowed his head slightly as he cupped his hand over his heart in respect to the wizard.
"Always the kind soul, aren't you Mithrandir? Of course we can provide aid to any of your companions who might require it."
Feeling an eye twitch in irritation, the black dragoness did her absolute best to stare daggers into the elf's skull. It was a small and insignificant gripe, but she still felt insulted at the idea that this elf thought Gandalf saved these people and not her.
Her wounded pride was sated when several elven healers seemed to appear from behind the gates of Imladris. Her new animal-men friends seemed to be reluctant at first, but upon seeing a salve applied to one of the more wounded people easing his pain near instantly, they began to relax and follow the elves through the gates.
Yúla caught Rowena's eyes staring up at her from below. The shapechanger matriarch looked happier than she'd ever been before, taking the few steps needed to depart from her group and walk towards the dragoness. After only a moment, the wolf-woman was directly below Yúla's snout, causing the dragoness to arch her neck back in order to properly look down to her friend.
Examining the woman, Yúla noticed that the journey, despite the great distance they crossed and the clearly still infected wounds on her back, seemed to have done wonders for the woman. Her skin wasn't as pale, she was standing strong, and her eyes seemed bright. She would recover, stronger than ever. That fact alone caused Yúla's eyes to warm and a soft smile to grace her face.
She might be a dragon, but destroying things wasn't all of what she was. Sure, she obliterated an army of orcs, but to these people? These people didn't see her as that. To them, she was only the dragon that helped them, the one who saved them, not the primal agent of destruction that everyone else seemed to see.
As the two maintained eye contact, five soft words left the woman's mouth even as an elf healer came over to examine the scars upon her back.
"Thank you… for saving us…"
Humming deeply in satisfaction, the dragoness puffed her chest out in blissful pride before bringing her head closer to the woman. Snaking her neck to the side, the massive sapphire eye met the wild woman's gaze from as close as she could be only an arms length away.
"You're very welcome, my friend. Go now, knowing that you will never be caged again."
No words came back in response, as the woman slowly lifted her hand and placed it on what could be considered Yúla's chin. It remained there for only a moment before the arm dropped and the woman nodded.
Even as Rowena turned towards the gate of Rivendell at the urging of one of the healers, Yúla couldn't say anything else as she watched her new friend go. Standing back up taller than most trees, the dragoness could only hope that they would meet again one day.
"Morrovalúr."
Blinking, Yúla turned her attention to Lindir. The elf was a bit unsteady being so close to her snout as the subject of her undivided attention, but nonetheless spoke his peace without any stuttering as is common for most elves unaccustomed to her presence.
"My lord Elrond has taken it upon himself to aid you upon your return by assisting you in moving your riches to your new home. Several carts have been prepared for your departure in order to help haul your treasure to your new home."
Yúla's eyes widened at the news. It took a few moments before her thoughts caught up to her though, a few doubts coming through as to the security of such a method.
"Did he now?"
She thought about how exactly Lord Elrond got everything down by himself, but after a moment she snorted. The elf lord was resourceful and she trusted that he knew what he was doing.
"That was very kind of him…"
The elf nodded, doing his best to be cordial and polite as he bowed slightly. Yúla appreciated just how polite the elf was considering just how uncomfortable he appeared to be in her presence.
"Indeed. It took several days and a great effort from several elves experienced with rock climbing and careful planning around your cave to plan how to remove the treasure, I assure you."
"What?!"
At the immediate thought of strange elves touching her most prized possessions and waltzing about her cave entering her mind, panic began to set in.
Without even a further thought on the matter, the dragoness spread her wings and leapt into the skies. Flapping her mighty wings, she flew over the city of Rivendell swiftly as she made haste to her old cave in the valley.
"Wah! Yúla! What are you- Aah!"
They touched my treasures! What if they scratched something, or broke something?!
Images of Ìdhaiamrûn's painting of her with a hole in the middle ran through her mind, causing her to beat her wings faster. The trees below her creaked and cracked at the displacement of air, but she cared not.
The quick thought back to all the long travels she just endured went through her mind. Dirt roads, solitary conditions, and strangers scattered throughout.
These judgemental elves will nottouch my treasure!
Flapping her wings faster, she raced over the woodlands, swiftly reaching her destination. A quick examination showed three small carts gathered on the flat clearing at the base of the small cliff side, a few familiar elves chatting amongst themselves.
Slowing her rapid approach with a few mighty flaps of her wings, the trees around her groaned at the displacement of air. Leaves and needles from the trees whipped through the air like dust as the earth rumbled upon her landing.
Examining the full situation with her keen eyes, she saw as four elves were carefully loading large chests filled with what could only be her gold and belongings into nearby wagons below the cliffside cave that previously housed her.
However, her anger and anxiety died like a candle in a hurricane once her brain fully registered who it was that was handling her treasures.
Elrond, Elrohir, Elladan, and Arwin. Of course.
She felt foolish. Of course Elrond would know that she wouldn't be too happy about just anyone touching her belongings, but he also knew full well that she wouldn't do anything to harm him or his direct family either.
Her panic now quickly subsiding, she now needed to deal with the fact that she was coming in far too quickly to land without a violent entrance. Banking to the left, the dragoness felt the tip of her wing clipping the tops of the evergreen trees as she reduced her speed with a circle. Finally losing enough of her momentum, she returned back to the clearing. Flapping her mighty wings twice to rear up her hind legs for a landing, she finally touched back down in the familiar clearing.
Scanning the surroundings again, she noticed that there was no one nearby except for the family of lords and ladies in front of her.
"That was exhilarating! Absolutely wonderful!"
And Ídhaiamrûn…
Snaking her head back to meet the gaze of the elf astride her back, she honestly felt terrible once she realized she put him in danger by moving so quickly. Any thought she had about guilt was erased when she saw the absolutely blissful smile on the elf's face.
Oh did he enjoy that? Perhaps next time I take him on a flight, I can-
"Mörrovalûr! You have returned from your journey with impeccable timing."
Turning back around, she met Elrond's gaze. The elven lord smiled up to her, though the dragoness's sharp eyesight caught a hint of apprehension.
Odd…
"I hope your journey to find a new home went well?"
Smiling down to the elf, she nodded. Pride filling her, she puffed out her chest as the memories of the glorious battle she was in filled her thoughts.
"Indeed! It was quite the battle, but in the end I stand victorious!"
An eerie awkward silence filled the clearing as she said that, dousing the pride in her accomplishment in cold apprehension and anxious anticipation from her audience.
"She has reclaimed the ancient dwarven city Moria. There was an uncannily large army of orcs and goblins inside, but their crewd arrows stood no chance against her hide. The city is hers now."
Smiling at Ídhaiamrûn's praise of her deed, the dragoness felt her pride returning. However, it wasn't long before she quickly returned her attention to the reason she rushed here in the first place.
The two wagons were covered completely, with several chests easily seen from the opening in the rear. No horses were present, though if they were, Yúla thought they might panic like they normally do, running off to who knows where.
She could smell gold in the wagons. A soft and familiar scent, though it smelled a bit different than her own. Her scent wasn't on it, leading her to tilt her head in confusion a bit.
Did they clean my gold? Why?
If it wasn't for the fact that she could smell the metal through the small cracks in the chests, she honestly wouldn't be able to know if it was there or not. However, it wasn't the gold that interested her. No, it was the fact that she couldn't see the painting her elf made for her, her obsidian orb, or Gandalf's coin.
"Indeed? Truly I had no doubt of your battle prowess, as untested as it was previously. However, if memory serves, the lady Galadriel warned you of-"
"Where are my treasures?"
The elf lord seemed taken aback for a moment, not reacting quickly enough for the irate dragoness's liking. Feeling a growl leaving her throat, almost against her wishes, she waited for an answer.
The elf turned around, gesturing toward the two wagons.
"Your many riches have remained-"
Patience now completely gone, even if it was Elrond she was talking to, she was not in the mood for conversation. She wished to know where her belongings were right now!
Snaking her head closer to Elrond, she elaborated on exactly what she meant.
"Not the gold, but my treasures! The orb? The painting? The coin!?"
The elf lord stood patiently for a moment, seemingly unamused by the interruption and the irate firedrake mere feet away from his face. A tense but non-hostile moment came and went before the elf opened his mouth to answer.
"Your treasures are still safely in your cave. These wagons are a present from my family to you…"
One of Elrond's male offspring took the time to interject his own opinion on the topic, snorting loudly as he stood from his spot leaning against one of the wagons.
"If you truly thought we would touch your treasures without your permission, then you must think we wish to be roasted alive for fun!"
Blinking owlishly at the words, Yúla decided to double check their claims. Tensing her legs and spreading her wings for the second time in only a few minutes, the dragoness heard another Yelp from her passenger as she climbed the small mountain with only a few mighty flaps.
Sure enough, when she found herself clamped onto the side of her mountainside cave, a quick scan of her small humble hoard showed that no one touched her belongings at all! Everything was exactly where she left it.
Her eyes immediately focused on the three treasures she valued above all else. She didn't want to leave them here anymore, but she couldn't fetch them on her own anymore.
She hadn't even touched her painting since the moment it was presented to her so long ago. Her sharp claws would damage the canvas, she would shatter the volcanic glass by accident so easily now, and the individual coin Gandalf gave her was so small, she needed surgical precision just to lift it up now.
But I don't want to leave them here. They mean so much to me…
"Ídhaiamrûn?"
"Yes Yúla?"
Hearing her friend's somewhat strained voice behind her, she whipped her neck around to see the elf hanging onto one of her neck spines for dear life as gravity did it's best to pull him back to the surface.
"Oh!"
Pulling herself fully into her cave, she flattened herself as much as she could into the floor to allow the elf a bit of room to dismount. Feeling him sliding off her shoulder onto the smooth rocky ground of the cave, she waited until he came into view in front of her.
The elf looked disheveled, as his light brown hair was blown back and unkempt from the winds of her flight, his clothing was covered in dirt and grime from the long journey, but despite all that, his face was as bright as ever with a smile plastered across his elvish features.
"You know, I almost miss when you were worried I might fall off of you."
A soft whine came from her muzzle as she stared back apologetically.
"I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking, and I-I…"
She had no excuse. In her rush to secure her treasures, she endangered her friend. Unintentionally or not, it was inexcusable.
I was so worried about his painting, that I almost hurt the one that cared enough to paint it in the first place!
She didn't expect the return to Rivendell to cause so much emotional flailing. First she was happy to save the skinchangers, then panicked, then angry, and now remorseful!
Even through it all, her friend remained unshakably understanding of her thoughts and feelings. Closing the short distance to stand directly in front of her, the elf brought a hand up to her snout and patted her gently. Despite the massive size difference, the contact did calm her panicked nerves a bit.
The soft and gentle rubbing drew her eyes to his, the deep forest green meeting sapphire, and for a moment in time no other treasure mattered to her. Not her newfound gold in Moria, not the treasure nearby, and not even her obsidian.
The two sat there for a long moment before Ídhaiamrûn broke the contact. Walking over to the small portion of the cave entrance that wasn't blocked by the still half suspended dragoness, he sat down and turned his gaze to the sky.
Soft white clouds lazily drifted across the slowly cooling fall landscape. The cold started to encroach on the warmth as the season of fall began it's invasion of the warm and comfortable summer.
"So, what now?"
Yúla carefully pulled herself back into the confined and cramped cave, carefully positioning herself so as not to damage any of her prized belongings before popping her head back out next to her friend.
What now?
Twitching her tail through the small pile of gold behind her, she turned her head downward. Sure enough, there were four elves chatting amongst themselves below, with Elrond gesturing up toward her cave from below. She felt awful at her impatient and harsh words with the elf, so she knew her first order of business would be to apologize to him somehow.
He was granting me a gift, and I treated him so poorly…
However, she thought more about her current situation. Sure, she wished to return to her new kingdom soon, but her mind returned to the old hermit wizard… her caretaker…
My father…
There were so many things she wished to ask him. So many things she wanted to share about her life after she left. Her new home had an entrance that was fairly close to the Greenwood after all, so she could visit far more often now that she didn't need to cross the entire misty mountain range to do so!
"I wish to visit my father."
Another moment of silence came and went before her friend spoke up.
"When do we leave?"
"We?"
The two turned to each other again, one confused and the other nonplussed.
"You wish to continue on with me? Don't you want to stay with your people in Rivendell?"
The elf sighed before shifting his weight a bit on the ledge.
"Perhaps it was a bit presumptuous of me to assume you would want me along. I shall stay here if you-"
"No!"
She was louder than she intended to be, but she didn't want him to think under any circumstances that she didn't appreciate his company. The elf was a bright and shining symbol of happiness in her life, and the idea that she might be pushing him away caused yet another emotional hiccup in her day.
"Of course I want you to come with me! What I don't understand is why you would. Rivendell is your home is it not?"
Picking up a small singed black stone from the cave, the elf tossed it down the cliffside. Her friend seemed to be contemplating something in his mind for a bit before he continued on.
"I've thought for a long time now about what I've wanted to do with my life… Forever is a long time after all to decide, but over the years all I've done has led to stagnant boredom and similar paintings. One can only create paintings of hummingbirds for so long… and then you came."
The elf made eye contact with the dragoness again, looking up to his reptilian friend with an emotion she saw only once before.
"Before you arrived here, I was only days away from sailing to the undying realm. There was nothing for me here, and yet now? Now I find myself feeling more freedom and joy in your company then I ever had over centuries. I will gladly stay by your side as long as you will have me…"
The elf shifted a bit, moving to sit right next to her muzzle. Leaning against the side of her snout, he placed his forehead against one of her many armored scales.
"… Doesn't mean I can't admire the beauty…"
"… You will be safe, right?"
"…For you are in the company of one who loves you…"
"… For I know how I feel about you Yúla. I've known for quite some time now, and I will wait however long it takes for you to understand."
-Author's Note-
Hello everyone! Hope you enjoyed the chapter.
I mentioned at the start that this story is a kind of side project of mine compared to Songbird, so I spent a lot of time working on the blocks for that story, and idly plunking away at this one when the mood struck me. Again, it probably wont be consistent when it comes to updates, but I hope you can enjoy it when I do, in fact, get around to it.
I'm hittin all the deep topics eh? Love… Death… fluffy bear Cubs… bopping people with big snoots… Im getting all of it! Muahahaha!
So, I'm probably going to need to change up the type of story this is. I really didn't intend for this to dip into romance or anything like that, but writing the characters, it kinda just happened. Let me know if I suck at it or not. (No this still won't lead to human/elf Yúla)
I find it funny that when writing Yúla, I have 2 music choices I listen to. It is either soft sleeping harp music to a waterfall in the background, or death metal and doom soundtracks.
Thanks for reading! Read and review, and if you enjoyed the chapter, please leave a follow and a favorite!