Luster, let me go

[firethroat]

Who: Firethroat
What: Waking up in Paradisa
When: Morning of January 17
Where: The roof or outside the castle
Rating: G-PG? Possible risk of violence? We'll see.


A.

Curled up on the castle roof is a sleeping dragon. She barely fits her body is so large, even with her wings folded and tail tucked nearby. The heat from her body has caused the nearby snow to melt into puddles. Some of the water drips over the edge, running over wall and window. Not too far away, a journal with the name “Firethroat” lays on the edge of a puddle, unnoticed.

The dragon shifts in her sleep, causing her tail to fall over the roof’s ledge. Firethroat's eyes flicker, then immediately snap open in concern. This is not her cave. Where is she, and how did she get here? Shifting a little, she looks at her front claws. Gripped within them is a golden casket, not too large to be picked up by a man but not small either. The dragon sighs in relief. At least her heart has not been stolen. However, the casket also creates another risk in this strange land. Whoever was here might want it for their own purposes. She has not forgotten the Hunter and his recent attempt to bend her to his will.

Enraged at the memory and her current situation, Firethroat lets out a blast of fire towards the sky. Then she stops, suddenly worried that she might have drawn more attention to her presence. Glancing back at the casket, she drags it underneath her, hidden from sight. With that, the dragon settles back down onto the roof, thinking deeply. While there did not seem to be any immediate danger, she was still at a disadvantage on unfamiliar territory. She would have to gather her wits and any information she could find in order to get through this.

B.

Once she is alone again, Firethroat flies off to the forest to conceal her heart's casket. Although she wants to keep it within her sight, that would mean letting people see it, people who might try to steal it from her later. The risk was too great. However, she also needed to be able to move freely to be able to explore properly. Hiding it was her best choice for now.

With the chest safely hidden, she begins investigating this new place. The dragon flies over the forest and town, reaching the castle once again. She is most interested in the castle, having not seen one in many hundreds of years. Landing next to it, she looks over the building curiously, gently tapping at stone and peering into the glassy windows. Strange, how the castle seems to call to her. Perhaps it is because of its beauty. She does appreciate beauty after all.

Comments

[firethroat]

Alas, the warm air is something Firethroat cannot control, no more than she can turn down the temperature of her warm body. Apparently being a creature of fire made you warm all the time.

"I have not yet heard of this 'Paradisa.' Is it a region of Earth, renamed by man?"

[inafadingcrown]

"No." She answers slowly. "It is a world unto itself, I fear, far from where any of those here call home."

Perhaps she should have left it at that- it wasn't necessarily wise to engage strange dragons more than necessary. But something there caught her attention. So, cautiously, she adds, "I was led to believe that there were no dragons on Earth."

[firethroat]

"Another world," she muses. The dragon is not that surprised by the existance of other worlds, knowing of at least three. However, that still left many questions.

Firethroat makes a noise deep in her throat, an almost wistful look in her eyes. "Not anymore. Once Earth was home to many dragons, but it is hostile to us now."

[inafadingcrown]

"You are familiar with the concept, then?" Galadriel had not been. It had been more than startling to find herself in a place outside Arda. Outside any place she had ever known or had thought to know.

To the rest of the dragon's words, she only nods. She has her own thoughts on why a world might be hostile to dragons, but she also has enough sense to keep them to herself.

[firethroat]

"Indeed. One of dragon's gifts is the ability to travel between worlds. Never before, though, has this occured without my own knowledge."

Her thoughts are probably not true. However, reading people's minds is not one of Firethroat's gifts, so she has no reason to tell. She peers down at Galadriel curiously. "From your words, I presume you do not come from Earth. Tell me, which world do you call home?"

[inafadingcrown]

Galadriel shifts slightly, careful to avoid looking into the dragon's eyes. "It is called 'Arda,' in the tongue of my people."

[firethroat]

She leans back from the window thoughtfully. "Interesting. I do not believe I have heard of that world yet. Would you care to describe it?"

It is not a pressing question, perhaps, but she is curious nonetheless. Besides, building positive relations might help her in returning to Luster.

[inafadingcrown]

"It is quite a task to describe an entire world." It's at once truth and a convenient way to avoid telling the dragon much before she decides what to think of her.

[firethroat]

"That would depend on the size of the world. However, if that seems to ambitious a task, might I ask about your kin instead? For you seem too fair to be human and yet are too tall for dwarven folk."

[inafadingcrown]

That actually catches her off-guard and she looks up, surprised. "You do not know of the Eldar?"

[firethroat]

The dragon tilts her head. "I have not. Is that what you call your kind?"

[inafadingcrown]

"It is one name among many, yes." She tilts her head to the side, unconsciously mirroring the dragon's gesture. "Perhaps you know us only as 'Elves?'"

[firethroat]

"I am afraid that word is also unfamiliar to me, as I have seen no Elves on either Earth or Luster."

[inafadingcrown]

"And so I am the first." It's reassuring in an odd way; the fact that this dragon has not heard of elves at least ensures that she had no particular grudge against them. She would not have the Morgoth's hatred of them ingrained into her.

She takes a deep breath. "Have you a name?"

[firethroat]

Firethroat closes her eyes and bows her head slightly, a gesture close to a nod. It is somewhat embarrassing, having to admit a lack of knowledge, yet learning something new in her old age is a novel experience for the great lady.

"Indeed. My name is Firethroat."

[inafadingcrown]

"Firethroat." She doesn't say 'well met' because, frankly, she's still deciding that. But she does echo the dragon's gesture and gives a slight nod.

"I am Galadriel."

[firethroat]

Firethroat is also still on the edge of deciding herself, as she does not trust easily. Many thousands of years hiding from Man has a way of doing that to a dragon. Yet Galadriel has yet to show any distrustful inclinations, so Firethroat will remain pleasant for now.

"Galadriel. I cannot yet say if I am glad to have met you, for foresight is not among my kind's gifts. Yet I hope our meeting will be fortunate for us both, even though it has come about in such a strange way."

[inafadingcrown]

Galadriel smiles slightly at the mention of foresight, but makes no comment on it.

"You are well spoken. Circumstances are strange indeed when an elf and a dragon may speak peacefully, but it is a strangeness that I find far more pleasing than others."