“Hello” Comes a voice from behind her. From the woods where no one had been standing a moment ago.

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The golden had come from the fields, having meet the Earth God there. His trail still made for Dragon Throat. It was slower than he had wished, but that might not have been a negative. He didn’t exactly have a plan yet. Haldir had been enjoying the slower pace, joyfully jogging about the woods. It had been him who found it in the first place. His small nose lifting to the winds, and body growing stiller. The gold noted the change, and slowed to watch. With an unbound curiosity the small deer let himself get carried away and jogged deeper into the woods, more directly south. The gold following.

White snipped nose lead the deer to an older part of the forest, rarely tracked. He looked back now and again, unsure of where he was being led by his sense, but the golden kept moving him forward. Then at last they come to old oak, its roots knarled up the earth at its base, and now leaves were about its base, though it was autumn. Golden harks pin back, and Haldir moves back. The golden can sense it too now though. Someone had been here. Something was still here. Wary, the gold moves around the tree. There was a wisp though, of something familiar. Forgotten, but remembered.

In a hollow on the other side of the tree, there is a glint of clear purple. The gold stands erect, and looks about him, but no one is there. Slowly he creeps to the tree. Haldir watches from where he had stopped, leaning towards the tree but daring not to make another step. The golden comes back with large object, dropping it before the deer, who creeps to see it. It was a pale glass horn, with a long strap and dangling at the end nine glass feathers. The gold looks at it with distant eye. He knew the mare who wore this, and knew also how long it had been and the little chance she would have parted with it. It was a pity, he had rather liked that mare all those moons ago, but it seems like she had disappeared. The golden picks up the trinkets and with some frustration crammed them into his satchel. They would be his. The debt the girl made years ago, was settled. With that the gold turns and moves on.

Which brings us to now. The golden had come from this dark forest back south, and found his path to be by the caves. Not a favorite place of his either. Haldir was in full excitement, he bounded to their entrance, dark little tail wagging, begging to go in. This time though the golden had had far too many detours. Snorting he moves on. But there had been a noise, a flutter of feather, or whistle of the wind. Immediately the gold disappears. His head reaching in to jerk off his invisibility cloak and toss it across his back. His nerves were on edge as it was, with travelling farther south and finding the old oak. Now he looks up, a bit paranoid, but finds his worry this time justified. A shadow moves closer. “Haldir, dolen” comes the hiss. The deer’s face shows hurt, but he slips into the shadows of the cave and behind a rock.

The bird indeed comes landing, the gold having to back up to give her room. But this was no stranger. He had met this bird before. Golden body stands tall, harks leaning in to watch. It was the girl who had seemed so little buried in Gaucho’s shoulder. Head tilts, watching closely. She did not seem little at first. Her wings placing themselves and head looking about, but when she looked into those caves and her questionable Hello follows, he can see her there again. The gold pauses a moment, but always his curiosity, and love of a good ‘boo’ moment, can’t help himself.

So he lifts his cloak away and lets it slide in the satchel again, before speaking. His ‘hello’ echos into the caves, but he does not call out to Haldir just yet. For now he just wishes to see that always enjoyable look of surprise.



Thranduil Speaks