They stayed in Lothlórien for nearly a month before bidding farewell to Celeborn and Galadriel, then crossed the Anduin once more and continued their journey north.
On the way, they detoured briefly to visit Radagast the Brown, who lived deep within Mirkwood. After a short, pleasant stay, they continued on, passing the Old Ford and Old Forest Road until they arrived at Beorn's cottage.
Beorn welcomed them warmly.
He was no longer the solitary figure Sylas remembered. Now the Lord of the Anduin Valley, his domain stretched from the Misty Mountains in the west to Mirkwood's edge in the east, north beyond Carrock, and south past the Old Forest Road.
During a hunt through the mountains, Beorn had once rescued a female skin-changer, one of his kind. The two fell in love quickly and were soon wed, with Sylas among the few witnesses to their union.
Now they had a newborn son: Grimbeorn.
Even the usually gruff Beorn softened visibly when he looked at the child. The proud warrior's face transformed into that of a doting father, full of joy.
Sylas smiled as he bent down beside the cradle. Grimbeorn was sturdy even as a baby, his small hands surprisingly strong. Fond of the child, Sylas conjured an alchemical mithril locket and placed it in his palm.
"This," he explained, "will protect him. It forms a shield in danger, and inside is a hidden space the size of a cottage, only he can open it."
Beorn's eyes widened in disbelief. "This is too valuable! I can't possibly..."
But Sylas ignored him, looping the chain gently around the infant's neck. The locket shimmered, resized to fit perfectly, and glowed faintly as it bound to its new owner.
"It's not for you," Sylas said with a grin. "It's for him. Tell me, little Grimbeorn, do you like it?"
The baby let out a delighted giggle, clutching the locket. Seeing that, Beorn could only sigh and offer heartfelt thanks.
Arwen, watching the tender moment, smiled softly and wrapped the child in a silvery Elven cloak, whispering a blessing in Quenya that cloaked him from ill will.
Seeing her expression, Sylas leaned close and whispered telepathically, "Look, Beorn already has a son. Perhaps we should try to have a few of our own, to fill the castle with laughter?"
Arwen's face turned crimson. She darted him a glare, realizing he was teasing her privately, and nearly elbowed him.
They spent three days as Beorn's honored guests before finally bidding the family farewell.
This time, Sylas chose not to continue north. Instead, he turned westward, intending to cross the Misty Mountains toward Rivendell.
The High Pass was the most direct route between east and west, but the terrain was steep and treacherous, impossible for a carriage.
So Sylas chose to fly.
The Pegasus drew the enchanted carriage up into the clouds, gliding above the craggy peaks. But midway through the pass, a storm rolled in. Thunder cracked through the sky, and the carriage jolted violently.
Then, through the storm clouds, came massive shadows, the Rock Giants, roaring with laughter as they hurled stones at each other across the mountainside.
The sight of the flying carriage caught their attention. One giant reached out a mountain-sized hand, curious and amused.
The Pegasus panicked, its wings thrashing as it veered wildly.
Reacting instantly, Sylas leapt from the carriage, his form bursting into swirling shadow and lightl, his Obscurus form. With a surge of magic, he charged straight toward the giant's hand.
The black mist of the Obscurus surged forward, coiling and solidifying like a living storm.
It struck the Rock Giant's massive hand mid-reach, stopping the creature's grasp just inches from the flying carriage.
With a violent boom, the impact hurled the giant backward, making him stumble and crash against the mountainside, boulders tumbling in an avalanche.
Without pausing, Sylas shattered several giant stones hurled toward the carriage, each one breaking apart mid-air with thunderous cracks. Then, his shadowed form launched upward, slamming straight into the heads of the nearest giants.
The blow was immense.
One Rock Giant toppled backward like a collapsing cliff, its weight shaking the mountain ridge and sending a wave of snow and gravel sliding down.
Sylas, however, had no intention of killing them, he simply wanted them gone.
A portion of his Obscurus form morphed into a long, dark whip that crackled with raw magic. With each lash, the whip cut across the giants' rocky hides, bursting chunks of stone from their bodies and filling the air with deep, echoing roars of pain.
After a few strikes, the once-boisterous Rock Giants began to cower. Their earlier mischief vanished; they raised their arms in surrender, retreating and mumbling in panic.
Sylas drove them several hundred miles north before finally dispersing the dark mist and returning to his human form.
He rejoined Arwen, who was waiting anxiously inside the flying carriage, and together they continued across the mountains toward Rivendell.
Elrond warmly welcomed their arrival. Seeing his daughter radiant and content brought visible relief to his usually solemn face.
It was Arwen's first visit home after her marriage, so Elrond insisted they remain for a time, and Sylas gladly agreed.
Their days in Rivendell were peaceful. Sylas trained with Elladan and Elrohir, discussed world affairs with Elrond, and spent quiet evenings reading in Rivendell's grand library or strolling the gardens with Arwen beneath the starlit sky.
During this stay, Sylas also crafted a pair of Two-Way Mirrors.
The process wasn't complicated, just a lost craft from the wizarding world.
He gifted one mirror to Elrond and the other to Arwen so that father and daughter could speak across any distance, their reflections appearing clear as day.
Elrond was deeply moved by the gesture; the gift eased the ache of parting he had carried since Arwen's marriage.
Yet Sylas found himself dissatisfied. The mirrors could only connect two people at a time. He wanted more, a network like the "mobile phones" from his past life, where anyone could contact anyone else, send messages, or even see multiple faces at once.
He shared this idea with Arwen, Elrond, Elladan, and Elrohir, and they all grew intrigued.
Currently, the only devices capable of long-distance communication were the Palantíri, the ancient seeing stones, and only four were known to remain: one held by Sylas himself, one by Gandalf, one by the Regent of Gondor, and the last by Sauron.
If Sylas could perfect his improved Two-Way Mirror Network, every city, every stronghold, and every person across Middle-earth could communicate freely.
It would rival, or even surpass, the Palantíri, a revolution in communication.
...
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