~~O~~
After a few more hours of sleep, Mirialia had woken up feeling slightly more refreshed. While taking a bath, she felt worried for the action that she will be doing...again. She was hoping that Thranduil really could not read her mind. Her train of thought did not last long, however, for she felt excited too.
Upon exiting her chamber, she wore a long sleeved, dark blue ankle length dress with black embroidery that closed under her chest by a few buttons. The darker tone of the gown gave her skin a white glow, a vivid contrast with her eyes and hair. She also settled on pulling up her long dark brown hair in a tight bun, tendrils falling from it and framing her face.
The young woman descended the stairs from the hall slowly and gracefully. Cautiously, she made her way through the tunnel where she and Malbim did the escape once. She sighed in relief as she reached the end of it, hoping no one noticed her. A thrill of excitement ran up her spine, as she walked further in the forest.
While slowly approaching the place where Glorfindel will meet her, she noticed a figure walking ahead of her. The said figure was smaller than her, wearing a cap of iron and holding a broad-bladed axe. Mirialia stopped at her tracks and tensed immediately, she had no doubt she heard the stories from the corsairs about them.
"A dwarf?" She gasped softly.
When the figure turned to face her, his long beard made it clear that she was right. No doubt.
"He's a dwarf!" She pitched.
She ran towards him, her eyes widened in amusement, which brought the smaller figure a feeling of uneasiness.
"You're a dwarf!" She pitched louder, and innocently.
The creature gave her a hard, if not, curious look while scrutinizing her.
"You don't have to point that out, my lady. I am well aware of what I am." He said frankly.
She smiled widely, amusement twinkling in her eyes. It was the first time she had seen a dwarf. She only knew them through tales and stories from the corsairs.
"What is your name...if I may ask?" She inquired.
"I am Gimli, son of Gloin. A dwarf of Durin's Folk." He replied proudly. "Legolas, the prince of this realm is my friend. And I'm one of those who rescued you from that ship, my lady."
"Oh..Oh..I did not know." Mirialia said. "Thank you. I remember the corsairs once told me that the dwarves were extinct-"
"Excuse me?!" Gimli shouted. "We are not extin....hmph. Well, you are still seeing a dwarf that breathes. And there are others."
Mirialia suddenly fell on her knees before him and immediately surrounded his neck with her arms, hugging him awkwardly to the dwarf's surprise.
"I am so happy to meet you." She chuckled softly.
"What are you doing here in the forest early in the morning?" Gimli cleared his throat.
Shoulders slumping, she stood up and took a deep breath. Resolving herself to her next gesture no matter the consequences, she looked at the dwarf and spoke firmly.
"I will be meeting Glorfindel here."
"Did you just say Glorfindel?" Gimli asked.
"Indeed." A voice answered him.
He turned his gaze to the being standing next to a tree, detailing his form intensely.
"So, you are Glorfindel."
"I did not expect that we will have company, Miriel." The elf smirked. "And I am more surprised to see that it was a dwarf."
"Oh. I just met him. He's a friend of Legolas." Mirialia replied.
"I know." Glorfindel said. "It is time. The sun is up in the sky, we have to go."
"Yes."
Taking her arm, he led her to his steed, Asfaloth. The white horse whinnied upon seeing them. "Asfaloth, we have company. Please bear with her." He addressed the creature in an affectionate way, like he was talking to a friend.
He sat behind Mirialia and they were about to leave when Gimli spoke to them, panic heard on his voice.
"Wait! Where will you be taking her, elf?"
"The business is our own, dwarf."
"The King does not allow her to leave this land!"
"We're leaving."
Asfaloth started to gallop, but Gimli ran behind them, trying to block their way. "I will not allow you to take her!"
The elf audibly sighed. "I guess I have no choice, Miriel."
Glorfindel grabbed Gimli and sat him at his back. "Asfaloth, there is another one. I think he is heavier than the two of us. Please go now before I change my mind and drop him to the ground."
"What do you think you are doing?!" Gimli shouted. "This is...this is kidnapping!"
"Oh yes it is." The elf rolled his eyes, showing signs of irritation.
"Asfaloth is quite fast, unlike the usual horses you've been given to ride." Glorfindel whispered to Mirialia.
In a flash, everything became a blur. She saw the main gate of the kingdom...the stations surrounding it...then the outside world. All she knew was she almost fell and his hand was just there to catch her in time. As days passed by, she had fallen asleep in Glorfindel's arms. He wrapped his right arm around her neck and shoulder and pulled her towards him, while the dwarf held firmly on his robe.
At last they arrived at the base of a mountain.
"We are here." Glorfindel announced.
Mirialia opened her eyes with a moan and, slowly sitting up, looked at her surroundings. He was not kidding when he said that Asfaloth was fast. In fact, she felt cheated because his warning was an understatement of the horse's speed. Gimli became aware of how strong the legendary elf and his mount were.
"I must leave for now." He informed the two.
"Where are you going?" Mirialia asked worriedly.
"I must speak with someone." Glorfindel replied. "Do not worry, young one. He will take you to their place."
The elf pointed a finger towards the direction ahead of them. An old man wearing an earthen-brown robe slowly approached them. He carried a staff made and forged of oak. Gimli also noticed two birds flying around his head.
"Miriel, Gimli. I want you to meet Radagast, the Brown. A worthy and great wizard, the Bird-Tamer." Glorfindel introduced.
"Another wizard." Gimli said.
"Just like Gandalf." Miriel followed.
The two bowed to him.
The wizard smiled genuinely, and greeted them. "Oh yes. Gandalf is my old friend." He looked at Mirialia, detailing her features. "Seeing you, my lady, makes my heart glad. Your mother, Anvanya, was the kindest."
"You met her too." The young woman smiled back.
"Please, Radagast. Take them with you." Glorfindel said. "I will be back."
As the elf strode away, Mirialia and Gimli followed the wizard up to the mountain. A mist was covering the ground, floating, creating an eerie atmosphere. All she could hear was the humming of the insects and the chirping of the birds. Hours of walking further, she scrutinized each side of the forest, each tree and bush. Everything felt so...old.
"Um.. Radagast."
The wizard made a puzzling look.
"Where... I mean.. Can you tell us where are we going exactly?"
"Oh, once we have reached the top, we'll go beyond it." The wizard answered.
"If I am not mistaken, this forest is part of the Grey Mountains. Is it not?" Gimli asked.
"Yes. It is."
"Then I assumed, we will be there soon. We've been walking for hours!" Gimli breathed heavily.
Suddenly, a thick fog surrounded them and their path. It did not seem to dissipate as fast as they wished. Radagast told them to hold on to his robe, so no one will get lost. The fog got thicker as they continued walking. Their path was no longer visible.
"I cannot see a thing." Mirialia squinted her eyes, hoping to see a trace of their path.
"Your eyes are weak." Radagast said. "Wait!"
They stopped and listened. "What is it?" The dwarf asked.
A loud sneeze was heard from the wizard. "Ohhh.."
"Bless you." Mirialia pitched.
"Thank you." The other replied.
Radagast took one more step and suddenly, all of them fell off a cliff.
"Aaaaahhhhh!" They all screamed.
"Radagast!" Mirialia shouted.
Their screams echoed in the mountain, until they landed on something soft and feathery. Looking at each other, they now realized that they are going upward and fast. Screams were heard again from the three. The next thing they knew, they were hurled back to the ground by something.
When they stood up, a large creature was now hovering in front of them. Gimli raised his axe, but Radagast restrained him.
Mirialia tried very hard to decipher the animal. It has the head and wings of an eagle; and an eagle's talons as its front feet; while it has a body and tail that resembled a wild beast. The creature looked at them curiously, while tilting its head. There was a brief moment of silence, before Radagast spoke to it.
"Oh. Hello there."
"It was very seldom for you to have company, wizard." The creature said.
The two gasped when they heard him speak. "You can talk?" Gimli surprisingly asked.
"Of course!" The creature said proudly, spreading his wings. "Hmm.. A wizard, a dwarf, and an...elleth? No, a mortal. No, an elleth. Whichever. You have a strange herd here, Radagast."
"They are my friends, Golwen." The wizard said. "My back still hurts."
"Oh, sorry about that." The creature looked guiltily at them.
"Sorry! That really, really hurt!" Gimli agitated. "You're just lucky, that I didn't get hurt."
"Will you take us to your humble abode?" Radagast requested.
"It will be my pleasure, Radagast the Brown." The creature bowed to him. "I, Golwen, will be your humble guide."
~~O~~
Glorfindel stopped at his track. Quietly, he pulled up his bow behind his back, and slid an arrow. He quickly aimed it at the approaching figure; however, the other person also aimed his bow at him. The two glared at each other, ready to release the arrow at any time.
"Impressive." Glorfindel smirked. "You were able to follow us all the way here... Legolas."
"You have taken the lady, and my friend." Legolas noted sharply.
"I had no choice but to tag the dwarf along, though he's a little irritating." Glorfindel lowered his bow.
"Where are they?" The prince asked.
"Beyond the Grey Mountains. A place where my friends live." The other answered. "Unfortunately, no one knew and lived to tell the tale about them."
~~O~~
"So, shall we?" Large wings stretched behind them and with a push of his feet, they took flight. Feeling courageous, Mirialia turned her head to look down. The ground seemed to blur underneath, as they flew towards the creature's lair.
She felt free. Happy.
Too soon for her enjoyment, they started descending towards the ground. As her feet touched lightly to the floor, she and Gimli nearly fell over.
"Here we are." Golwen echoed. "Welcome to the land of the Gryphons."
Bushes and large trees surrounded the clearing, providing a haven from the outside world. Rays of sunlight streaked through the leaves to the ground. It was a very soothing place. Mirialia saw the creatures flying freely in the air, while others just rested under the trees.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" A calm voice spoke behind her ear.
"Glorfindel!" She smiled. However, her smile grew wider upon seeing Legolas behind him.
Hugging the prince, she apologized that she escaped from the Woodland Realm again. Legolas told her some guards saw them leaving, that's why he decided to follow their track.
"I thought we will be visiting the Fangorn forest." Legolas turned to Gimli.
"Uh.. We can go there later." Gimli was still in awe, and became fascinated at the place.
Glorfindel offered his hand to Mirialia. She put her own hand in his and walked through the forest, allowing him to lead her wherever he wished them to be. To her astonishment, he brought her to a garden where the overlooking view of the Grey Mountains could be seen. She shivered faintly as a light breeze made her hair, now fell down to her waist, dance around her body and brushing her neck lightly. The golden-haired elf leading her suddenly stopped and turned to look at her. His eyes twinkled, a small mysterious smile drawn on his face, one she was by now used to.
"I will be leaving soon." Never letting go of her hand, he squeezed it softly. "Radagast and my friends will come with me. We will depart to Valinor. Your mother now lives there."
Mirialia nodded, not saying a word. They simply watched the sky together.
"You know, don't you?" She whispered to him. Glorfindel turned his head to look at her, nodding seriously. His blue eyes stared right through to her soul. His gaze startled her. She had never seen him look so serious.
"Your destiny lies here." He convinced her. "The Elvenking needs you. Elrond saw this future."
The silence hung in the air, heavy.
"Why is fate so cruel?" Her question was not clearly directed towards him, but was simply the product of her thinking out loud, questioning herself as to what was to come. The elf answered her nonetheless.
"What if it's not? What if you two can be together?" Glorfindel said. "No. Both of you should be together."
~~O~~
Thank you for reading!