-General-
"Gandalf?" Raizan repeated, savoring the name, trying to remember where he'd heard it. However, no matter how much he searched his memory, he couldn't find the name Gandalf or anything related to a "Grey Wizard."
"Since our heroes recognize him, then let him in," he said, gesturing to the servant to hurry.
"Don't you know the Grey Wizard?" Dûrgar asked him once Raizan had resumed his seat.
"He's young, I doubt he knows him. That wizard rarely ventures to the east," Dain said after downing the delicious wine in one gulp. With a burp, he patted his stomach; he was in a very good mood. His father was right when he said the best wine comes from Rhûn!
"That makes sense. How old are you?" Aldril asked, raising an eyebrow in bewilderment. At least Raizan looked his age, so it wouldn't be strange not to know Gandalf, especially since not long ago these lands were governed by Westerners who surrendered to Sauron.
With a smile, Raizan drank some wine and then whispered:
"I'm 18 years old."
"18 years?!" Dain exclaimed, almost jumping out of his chair. "But you've barely left your mother's breast!" He unconsciously turned to Aldril.
"I'm 21, Lord Dain," Aldril said calmly, as he ate a grape that Tauriel very kindly offered him.
"By Aulë!" Dain and Dûrgar said in unison.
"But they're just whelps! One has successfully led a rebellion and the other has killed the damned Smaug! I'm getting too old..." Dain said with a sigh, slumping back into his chair. When he was a dwarf child of just 21, he could barely kill goblins, and these two, younger than he was back then, have already achieved great feats. 'Maybe I should encourage the younger dwarves with the stories of these two,' he thought.
"I thought you'd be a very old elf," Dûrgar said, just as surprised as Dain. His eyes went to Tauriel, almost as if asking: are you also younger than us?
Sensing the dwarf's gaze, Tauriel stopped giving grapes to Aldril and replied:
"I'm 27 years old."
This time there was no reaction from the dwarves. Too many surprises in a few seconds had left them without energy. Though it was certainly very unusual to meet such a young elf; most of the ones they knew were at least hundreds and hundreds of years old.
The three younger ones laughed at the sight of the two dwarves with lost gazes. However, in a matter of seconds, they recovered and, with a shrug, continued eating.
"He said you were an elf. Excuse my boldness, but... why don't you have long ears?" Raizan asked, curious. He was full, so he stopped eating; Aldril, on the other hand, was elegantly devouring a chicken leg.
"I'm half-elf," Aldril corrected.
Nodding, Raizan asked no more questions. Some things shouldn't be said so soon, despite the curiosity. They didn't know each other well yet, and true trust hadn't been formed. It wasn't that he didn't think that, as the months passed dealing with the remaining rebels, they could forge a friendship.
'And what better friendship than that of the legendary dragon slayer,' he thought.
...
Within minutes, the door opened again. This time, the servant accompanied an old man in a grey robe, who was immediately greeted by an energetic Aldril. The young man stood up with a wide smile and embraced the wizard.
"Gandalf! It's been so long since I heard from you!" he exclaimed.
Gandalf, for his part, also embraced him with enthusiasm. For both of them, it was a reunion of old friends, though for Aldril, Gandalf was more than just that: he was a guide, almost a mentor, who had accompanied him on his path to maturity during his journey to Erebor.
If Aldril had to describe him, he'd say Gandalf was like Uncle Iroh: patient, wise. Those who received guidance from this old wizard were destined to be great people: see Bilbo, Frodo, Aragorn... and now him.
"I can't say the same for you, Aldril," Gandalf said with a smile. "News of your exploits keeps spreading. By the way, how did you fare in Dol Guldur with the specters?"
His expression changed to a more serious one, with a hint of concern.
"I managed to repel them... Also, you won't believe it: I've managed to learn magic!"
Both conversed animatedly, completely ignoring the others. And no one dared to interrupt them: it was no joke, an absurd pressure could be felt emanating from Aldril and Gandalf together. It was as if the apex predator had met the one who had guided him to that peak.
And that was natural. The blessing of Varda that Aldril carried resonated with the very essence of Gandalf, a Maia close to Varda, almost her follower. It was logical that, unconsciously, both exuded an overwhelming, silent presence that left those present speechless.
Except for Tauriel. She felt no pressure at all. She had Oromë's blessing, and she deeply respected the emotional reunion of her dear Aldril. From what he had told her, if it weren't for Gandalf, Aldril would never have reached Mirkwood or defeated Smaug.
After catching up with Aldril, Gandalf courteously greeted the two dwarves and Raizan, who was looking at him stunned. And how could he not be? The masters who guided him on his path to a different way of thinking wore the same robes! Only those two wizards wore their Blue robes.
Composing himself, Raizan stood up and offered Gandalf a slight bow. A fleeting memory came to his mind: the Blue Wizards, in an old conversation, had mentioned that, apart from them, there were three others.
"It's an honor to meet you, Gandalf, the Grey Wizard," he said with respect.
Gandalf nodded with a slight smile.
"I see the teachings of the two old blues have borne fruit."
And there it was. If any doubt still existed, it was completely dispelled.
"The two masters guided us, the ignorant young ones. Thanks to them, we managed to partially free our people."
"Partially?" Dain asked, looking at Dûrgar, who nodded and spoke.
"While we've cleared much of those who submitted to the Dark Lord, the great evil that lurks in Rhûn still remains."
"The Salamander of Zha'Karûn," Gandalf added.
Dûrgar fell silent, his eyes wide open. The name was not unfamiliar to him. Ancient books mentioned salamanders: legendary creatures, as feared and rare as dragons.
"The fire that consumed the main city... was it caused by a salamander?" Raizan murmured, just as surprised as Dûrgar.
"Indeed," Gandalf replied, hearing the young Westerner's murmur. "You may have mistaken it for a wild fire that razes everything in its path, but that filthy reptile hides behind those flames. That is the reason for my coming."
Turning to Aldril, his expression became grave.
"With my help and yours, we can free Zha'Karûn."
Then, a smile spread across his face.
"Besides... you already have experience dealing with large lizards."
**
Filthy orcs!! I took a few days off, I needed it.
Remember that there are 15 chapters ahead of time in "[email protected]/Mrnevercry"